Baxter - HP BV4647 .S4 B39 1660

Directlions to be willing to die. you are fealed to theday ofredemption,andby which you have your peace and comforts. If by fuchen your fouls are cloud- ed and eftranged fromGod, be diligent in feeking for healing and reconciliation ; and refit not till your peace be made with God. For while you think ofhim as difpleafed, you willbe afraid of coming to him, and this will double the fears of Death. Direel. 3 . Deny your felves firft in the carnal and worldly comforts of this life, or .elfe you are unlikely to deny your felves in the matter of Life it felt'. Difufe your felves from unneceffary pleafures of the flesh: And learn to endure difho- - nour, contempt and reproach from the world, and ficknefs and poverty when its inflicted on you by the hand ofGod. Till you candenyyour cafe, and profit, and appetite, and ho- nour, and all the delight of of this prefent world, you are ne- vet likely to deny your Lives fincerly. Todeny your lives doth contain the denyingof all thefe and more ; and therefore, you muff learn the Idler, if you would do the greater. Thefeare the parts of'life as it were; and its eafier, thus to overcome it in its parts then in the whole ; when particular Souldiers are deftroyed, theArmy is the weaker. And the life of fuffering the Affil aioxf of this life, will make you hardy , make death seem a fmaller matter. For when you tus Die Daily , you will the more eafily die once. Befides, Death is half difarened when the Pleafures and In- terefts of the flefh are firm denied. For the leaving of flesh- ly contents and pleafures, is much of the reafon of mens un- willingnefs to die. And therefore when thefe are denied be- fore hand, theReAfons of your unwillingnefs are taken away. If you pull down the licit, theBirds will be gone. Men that are loth to leave their Countrey, would willinglybe gone, if their houfes were fired, or they were turned-out of doors,and their friends and goods were all fent away. This is it that makes' men fo unwilling to die, becaufe they praftife not Mortifica- tion in their health, but contrarily Rudy to live as Pleafingly as may be to the flefh, and think it part of their Chriftian Li- berty, thus makingarrift a carnal, Saviour as the Jews con- (ewe

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