Baxter - BV4253 B39 C78 1658

44 The Crucifying of the world, advancement, or hinder his rifing or riches in the world. He will not envy the precedency of others ; nor feek the difgrace or ruine of them that keep him low : No more then a wife man will hate or feek to be revenged of him that would hinder him from climbingup to the top of a fteeple, or that will take a Bone or a bufhof thorns-out of his way. 2. A man that is Crucified to the world , will not avoid or flie from any Duty, though the performance of is crofs hisworldly commodity or hazard all his worldly interdt. He feeth not reafonenough inworldly loffes, to draw him to the committing of fin to avoid them. Anunmortified manwill be fwayed by his worldly Interell. That mull beno Duty to him, which cafteth him upon fufferings : and that is no Good to him which would deprive himof his fenfual Good And that fhall be no fin to him, which Teems to bea matter of Neceffity for the fecuring of his hopes and happinefs in the world. Whatever is a mans end , he puts a Muff upon the obtaining it , and upon all the Means without which it will not be attained. I Muft have God and Glory, faith the Believer, whatever I want : and therefore I Mufl have Chrift, I Multi have faith, and love, and obedience, whatever I do. And fo faith the fenfualift,my life, and credit, and fafety in the world Mull be fecured, whateverI mils of : and therefore I Muff avoid all that wouldhazard or lofe them, and I Malt do that which will preferve them, whatever I do. The worldling thinketh there is a Neceffity of his being fenfually, happy : or at leaft,of preferving his life and hopes on earth. But themortified Chriliianfeeth noNeceffity of Living, much lefs of any of the fenfual provifìons which to others feem fuch confiderable things. And hence it is that the fame Argument from Neceffity drawethone man to fin and keepech another . molt effecaually from fin. He that hath carnal Ends, dothplead a Neceflity of the finful means , by which hemay attain them. Andhe thatbath the Ends of a true Believer, doth plead a Ile. ceffity of avoiding the fame fins, which the other thought he mull needs commit. For Heavenly Ends are as much croft by them, as earthly Ends are promotedby them. We find a rich man in Luke 18. z;. that had a great mind to have been a Chri- ftlan : And if he had lived in our dales, when the door is let a little wider open then Chrift did fret ir, there are fome that would not

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