Baxter - BT767 B28 1662

··man may be perfwaded r.o h11te hu mutt, if yon ·can but make l1imhelieve that it ~s po;fon : or to _hate his c!oaths, if you c~r;t make him believe they are infcCled Wtth the plague. If yota Will fuffer your under[htHdingJ to be delt1ded, fo far as to overlook the amiable nature of holinefs, and to think rhe image of God is but a fancie-, or that a heavenly life is nothi~g but hypocrifie. and that it is bur pride that maketh men feek to be holyer then ·others. and that makes them they cannot goe quietly to Hell in defpight of the commands and mercies of the Lord, as oth~rs do ; I fay, if the Devil the great deceiver, can poffefs you W1th fuch frantick tlrough~s oH rhefe, what wonder if you hate the very n~mt of HoiinefJ ? How can you find pleafure in the greatefi good, while you take it for an evil ? If you will believe all that the Devil and his fool db malicious infrruments fay of God and of a holy life, you fhall never love God, nor fee any lovelinefs,or tafle any fweetnefs in his fervice. Dir. 2. Come neer and fearch t:nto the inwardJ ofa holy life; lmd try it alittle Whileyour fclves, if yoa would ta.ite the p!ea– fure of it: and do nor ftand lookjng on it at a diftance, where you fee nothing but the out fide : nor judge by bare h_earfay, which giveth yotl no tajJe or relifo of it. The[Weetmfs of ho* ney, or wine, or meat is not known by iookjng on it, but by t:~fting ir. Come neer and try what it is to live in the Love of God, and in thebelief and hope of life eternal, and in univerfatobedience to the laws of Cbrifr ; and then tell us how tbefe things do re* lifh with you. You will never know the fweetnefs of them effeCtually, as long as you are but lookcrs oo. It was the fimi– licude which Pettr Martyr ufed in a Sermon, which converted the Noble Neopolit~ne Marquefs of Vicftm, Galeacim Caraccio– lm, (who forfook wife, and (hildren, and honours, ar1d lands, and countrey, and all for the liberty of the Reformed Religion at Gnie~a :) faith ble , [If you fee £he motion of dancers afar off, and hear not the Muflck, you will think they are frantick: ~ but when you come near and hear the rnafick and obferve their · harmo~ical o:dcrly motion, you will take delight in it, and de"' fire to JOyn With them. J So men that judge at a difhlncc of the t_ruth and holy ways of God, by the flan~erous reports of ma--: IIgnant men,- will think of the go~Iy as FefluJof Paul that they are b~fide th_emfe~ves. Bucif they come .among them, and fear eh !11~~~ 1~pa~~~~lly 1!!~~ ~~~ t:_cfl/onXJ of thtt~ ~£1:!~f~~ ~n~ fpeciall>:: ~~~ }.ll

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