Baxter - HP BV4647 .S4 B39 1660

+11, Ageneral complaint of the Prevalency of Selfithneft, all for the fakepfChrift and the hope of everlafling glory, are meer felf-deceivers, and no trite Chrigians at all. He that will time hie life, faith Chrift, (hall lofe it ; that is, He that in his coming to Chrill, and Covenanting with him, will putin an exception for the laving of his Life, and will forfake all for Chrill if he be put to it , except Life it felf, this man is no true Difciple of Chrift, and (bah be fo far from laving his life, that he than lofe both heaven, and Life, and all : and the Juftice, of God (hall take from him that Life which he durft not reign' to the will of mercy ; and he than lofe that for nothing which he would not lofe for Chrift and heaven. It is impoffible for that man to be Chrifis Ddciple, that loveth his life better then Chrift and the hopes of Life everlailing, Mat.10.37,38. Luk 14.25,26,3 Some Self-deny4 theremay be in the unfandi-, fied : Many ofthem would leave a little pleafure or profit rather then be damned ; and many had rather fuller a little then venture upon eternal fufferings. But I befeech you, remember that this is the towelt degree of Self-denyal that is Paving, to let more by Chrift and the hopes ofglory then by all this world and life it felf ;and to be habitually refolved to forfake life and all, rather then to forfake him.No lefs then this is proper felf-denyal,or will prove you Chriftians, and in a mate of life. This was the tryal that Chrift put one to, that had thought to have been his Di- fciple, Luke 18. z 1. Yet lackell thou one thing: fell all that thou haft and difiribute to the poor, and thou (halt have treafure in Heaven, andcome and follow me ] Not that every man muff actually fell all , but every manmuff let more by Heaven then all,and therefore part with all when Chrift would have him ; and he that is not thus refolved, let him go never fo far in all other thing;, cloth yet lack one thing, and fuch a one thing as he (hall never be laved without. For the meaningof the text is , that Chrift would tryhim by this command, whether he let more by any thing then him, and whether he let more by heaven or earth and fo would have us all to judge of our felves by the fame evidence within,though he put not 'all on the fame way of difcovering it, Many a man can deny felf the fuperfluities of pleafure, and as this rich man did,can avoid enormous crimes, and fay of whoredom, and theft, and driankerinefs, and or E 3 preflion,

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=