Baxter - BT767 B28 1662

ji8 . P~~ I~ How b~iie is he to fil~ them ~ith fears and d~uhlnj1 1 and to cai1: ·perplexmg thoughts mto the1r mmds? or to mifl~ad ehem into fome perplexing ways? and fallen on thetn entangling doClrinu; or difqtlie~ing pri.nciplu? How cunningly and di!iger;dy will he argue agamH rhetr peace and comforrs ? and feek to hide the Lo-ve ?f God, and difhonOI:Ir the .blood and grace and covenant of Chrifl:? and crofs the comforting workin~ of the fpirit? 1 ' How fiJbtilly will he quefl:ion all our Evidences? and excenuate all Gods comforting mercies? and do all that he can, thlt the godly may have a Hell on E~trth, though they lhall have none hereafter. It is fu~e an_excellent Joy ar;d Pleafure~ which Satan is [(~great an enemy to. · -8. TbeDelightsof Rolinefsdo mak..e m better ; They are f6· far from difordering the mind, and leading us to fin, that they compofe and purifie the mind, and make fin much more odious_ to us, then before. No rnan hates fin fo much as l1e that bath feen the pleafed face of God, and taficd mofl: the fweetnefs of his grace, and tryed the pleafant paths of life. And therefore it is, that when a believer comes from fervent prayers~ or from heavenly conference or meditation, or from hearing the blelfed word of life, laid open plainly, and -apply€d powerfully to his foul, he would then abhor a temptation to fenf1:1al delights, if they were fet before him.Till we lofe the relifo of Rely thiH[,J,and Juffer our Ddight in God to fade, we are feldome taken in the fnares of anyfle/hlyiranifies. Momy is dirt to u~., and honour a · fmoa'k_, and luft doth ftinlz., as long as we mainttiin <>ur deligh·t in God. He isthe6eft and highefl Chrifiian, that bath mofl: of thefe fiirituttl delights. . . . Bur -jlefo!y Pleafurcs ·make men worfe; They mt-oxrcate the ,mind, and fill it with--vanity .and folly ; They are th.e .fnarcs to entrapus;· and the f1arlors that do bewit<Ch us, and defile the foul that !hould be chafie for God ; The noife of this fenfmal · fooli!h mitth,doth drown the voice of God 01nd~Reafon, fo thac _ ,in the needfullcfi matters they cannot behe"drd. In their hunt– .ing and hawking, dicing and c,:ar-ding, drinking ~nd reY~]ling, feafiing and dancing how little of Godor heaven rs on the fin– ners mind ? .feldorne is the foul fo unfit for duty, fo uncapable of infhuction fo hardened againtl: the word and warnings of ,the Lord, as i~ the depth of fenfual delighrs. Then ir is that ,they are .[ foolijh) difobulient~ 11Nd 'deeeived,] when they ~re \. · [ fe.rvtng ,

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