Baxter - BT767 B28 1662

~art n. ?A SAltJI ~,.A Brute~ 79 mercies; and fee the love of God that apl?earetb ip them ; apd tafl:e the blood of Chri!l: in t'hem; and tote p_ot.the k,s.rtiel ~ and take not up with tbe common carnal parr, which every wicked man can valqe and enjoY.· Confider in ·all your mercies, what there is in them for the benefit of your fo~t!J, much rather then how tliey accommodate your {tt./h. ·Could y~u do thus, you would find the benefic of afftifli~ns; an~ th~t the aenyal of what you have accountedy~mr necdfary merctes, tS not the (mlllle!l: of your mercies. And t.hus judging trulyby the fpirit, and not by the flefh., there is no condition (except that of fin ) in which you might not find caufe of joy. '. .. Dir. 5. Tak..e heed of finning : Keep frill upon your watch ~gaif.lfi temptation ; fin is die caufe of all your fufferings ; . when it promifeth you delight, it is preparing for your for row; when it fiattcreth you intopre[11mption, it is preparing for defpair; when it promifethyou fecrefie and fecurity, it prcp~tretb for your .., Jhame : and he f urc yo Hr fin wilt find you out, Nr.unb. 3Z. 2 3.; lf therefot·e you .have offended, delay not your Repentance ; and fpare not the fle£h in your return; but (unlefs the honour .of God forbid it) take Olame to yoar felves by free confelfi– on, and make the felleft reparation of the injury t~at yon can to God and man. If yot1 would thus get out the thorn that vexech you, the ways of God wouldbe more plcafant. Dir. 6. ·Dt~ilJ live in the exercife·of f~ith, tipon the everl~tfting plea[Hres: Dwell as at the. gare~ of Heaven ; as men that · are waiting every hour when they are called in , and when death will d'raw afide the vailc, and £hew them the bleffed tace .of God. And rake heed that theenmitJ of interpoftng Duuh, pre– vail not ag~in!l: the Joys of faith. But look ·eo Cbri!l: that llath conquered ir, and will conquer it for you; And if thus you could live as £hangers here, and as the Cici~en.s of Heaven that are ready to fl:ep into the immortal pleafures, you would ~hen tafie the Plcafures of a holy life, in the firft frui[s and foretafis there· of. Tt is you_r TrMfure that mnfr Deiigbt yoll; As ;gur Heart mufi be thtre, fo your ple'afure muH be derived thmce. Strar'111ers to Hea1;en will be fl:rangers to the Believers rap ; As the plea~ furc ~f the Carnal world, confi!l:eth in the fenfe of what they have mhand; fo the pleafure of Bellcvers t:onfifieth in the fore ... apprehcnfions of what they fludl enj(}J With fqd for ever, If B b therefor~

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