Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT770 .B39 1670

The Life of Faith. 43 5 18. When youcan fee your poor brother or neighbour in want, and that up the bowels of your compaffion from him ; and do littlegood withwhat God hath given you,but the Beth and felt devoureth all. 19, When youwill venture uponunlawful maies ofgetting ; or will fin for honour or commodity ; or at leatl will let go your innocency and confcience, rather than lofe your profpe- rity in the world ; and will diflinguith your Pelves out of every danger, or coolyduty, or fuffering for righteoufnefs fake; and will prove every thing lawful, which feemeth neceffary to the profperity andCafety of the flth. ao.When you are more careful toprovide riches and honors for your children after you, than to fave them from worldli- nefs, voluptuoufncfs and pride,and tobring them up to be the heirsof Heaven: and had rather venture their fouls in the moll dangerous temptations, than abate any of their plenty or grandure in the world. Theft be the plain marks of worldly minds, whatever a blinded heart maydevife to hide them. Dire6t. 3. Tale heed of thofe blinding pretences which world- ly minds do commonly ufe, to flatter, deceive andundo themfelves. For infiance. hat Gods creatures are I . The mofi comthon pretence is [1 good, andprofperity 1ssbN blefling, and tbat our bodies muff be die- riffled, and that fynecal and eremetical extreams and aufferities, arefar from thegenius of true Chriftianity. There is truth in all this, or elfe it would not befo fit to be made a cloak for fin by mifappiication. The world an& all Gods works are good; and to the pure they arc pure : to the fanaited they are Candified; that is, they are devoted to the fcrvice of God, andufed for him from whom they come : God path givenus nothing whichmaynot be ufed for his fcrvice, and our Calvation. Nodoubt but you may make you friends of the Mammon of unrighteoufnefs, to further your reception into theeverlafling habitations : You may lay up a good bun. dation for the time tocome ; and youmay Cow to theSpirit, and reap in the end everlatüng life, Gal. 6. You may provide you bags that waxnot old, : you may pleafcGod by she facri fices ofdiflributing and communicating, Heb.13. But. yet I Yii 2 mutt

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=