Baxter - BV4253 B39 C78 1658

3 x The Crucifying of the world, that they have not these apprehenfions of the world, arid that deeply fixed and habituated in their minds. For it is the Appre- hension or yzadgement of things that carryeth about thewhole man, and fetteth awork all the other faculties. Quell'. Rut what Jhoc/ldWe do to be fo habitually apprehenfiìve that the World is ourenemy ? e fnJW. r. Youmuff be fore that you lay upyour treafure in heaven That you are fo convinced by Faith of the Glory to come, andof the true felicity that confiftech in the fruition of God, asthat you take it for your Portion, and make it your very End. And when once you have laid up your Hopes in heaven , and fee that thereor no where you muff behappy this will pre- fently teach you to judge of all thingselfe as they either help or hinder the attainment of that end. For it is theNatureof the End to put a due eftimate upon all things elfe : And it is the property of the,cbief Good, to denominate all other things ei- therGoodor Evil, and that in a greater or Infer meafure , ac- cordingas they refpeet that chiefeft Good. For there'can be no Goodnefs in any thing elfe, but the Goodnefs of a Means : And the means is fo far Good,as it is apt and ctfefulfor the attainment of the End. If once therefore you unfeignedly take God and Glory for your endand felicity, youwill prefently fall upon en- quiry and obfervation,what it is that the world will do to help or hinderthat felicity. 2. And then youneed but one thing more to the difcoveryof theEnmity ; and that is, the Confiant experience ofyour fouls. A real living Chriftian doth live for God , and is upon the mo- tion to his eternal home : There is his heart ; and that way his affe&ions daily work : When he findeth his foul down,he wind- eth it up again, and ftraineth the fpring of faith and love. And therefore his life and bufinefs being for heaven, he cannot but be fenfible of the rubs that are in his way , and take noticeof thofe things;that would flophim in this course. Whereupon he muff needsfind by confiant experience that the world is t hatgreat Impediment, and fo muff be apprehenfive of the enmityof the world, For as he that Loverh Godand waiteth for the fight of his face in Glory, muft needs take all that to beagainff him, and naught for him , that would keep him fromGod, anddeprive himof thatbeatificali vifion, fo he that knoweth what it is to love

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