98 .11/1r. Baxter's Sermon. of comfort and Tupport, and lives a more dependent life : they cannot thud, work, filffer alone : if their tvlinifter fall, they fall : if their Relationschange, they change if there be not fame body at hand to confute an Adverfary they yield : if there be not force bn'- dy toleep lifeand warmth, they grow cold in everyduty : in affli- &ion they can ftep on no longer then led by the hand, &c. have Chriftians to fupport, and toquietand moderate theirpaflions,and to teach them the Do&rine of Patience : they can hold up no lon- ger then they are refrefhed with cordials: What would become of you fhould God let you {hld byyour (elves? arc. 8. The ftrong Chriftian is one that can belt live without crea- tures upon God alone (and a weak Chriftian is one that hath molt needof the creature, and can leaftli.ve uponGod alone) under the cenfures of the godly, frowns of the wicked, without riches, ho nours,pleafures ; can have quietnels and contentment in God,whe- ther he have any thingor nothing, where ever he is, &c. The mote neceffity thou art in of having fomething befides God for thy con- folation, the more weak thouart : there muff be comfotablepro- vifion in the family, health, eafe, liberty ; there muff be fupply : I know not how to be poor, difgraced, Scc. this impatient foul is the feeble foul : Impatience is nothing but the fruit of weaknefs. The ftrong Chriftian 'can live upon God alone : therefore ifmen make as if they were undone, if loft in their eftates ; 'cis a certain fign of a ,lamentable weaknefs of a tick foul. 6. That is the beff and ftrongeft Chriftian, and moll confirmed in grace, who is molt employed and abides in the love of God, in love to God : That hath the fear of God, but goes beyond fear, and loves molt, and abides molt in the love of God : That makes it his great bufinefs to feed upon and Itudy the love of God to him, and to return love to him again. The more Gods love is on thy heart, and the more thou liveft in the fruit of that love, the ftronger Chriffian. But he that lives molt by a kind of conliaining fear, though he may be fincere, he is but weak : where there is nothing butfear and no love, there is no fincerity ; but where there is Come little meafifre of love, fear is filch a tyrant that it will many times cloud it, fo that almoff all his life teems to be moved and managed by fear : and in this there is much lothnefs and unwillingneiF,, and they had rather do otherwife then theydo : according to. the mea- lure of love is the ftrength ofgrace. 1o. He is the ftrongell Chriftian that hath molt pure and moll uni- venal love to others, that can love all men, even, an enemy, with artleunfeigned love, even with Inch love as belongs to a Chriftian that
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