Part 1 › Chapter 1 › Part 2: The Temptations whereby the Devil hindereth mens Conversion: with the proper Remedies a…, A Christian Directory by Richard Baxter (1673) | AskReformation

Skip to content

:379p. 31

§. 46. Temp. 23. Yea, Satan will do his worst to make them Heretics, and teach them some doctrine ¹of licentiousness suitable is their lusts: Its hard being wicked still against Conscience in the open light: This is kicking against the pricks: too smarting work to be easily born: Therefore the Devil will make them a Religion which shall please them, and do their sins no ha•m: Either a Religion made up of loose Opinions, like the Familists, Ranters, Libertines and Antinomians (and the Jesuits too much); or else made up of trifling formalities, and a great deal of bodily exercise and Stage-actings and complement, as much of the Popish devotion is: And a little will draw a carnal heart to believe a carnal doctrine: Its easier to get such a new Religion, than a new heart. And then the Devil tells them that now they are in the right way, and therefore they shall be saved. A great part of the world think their case is good, because they are of such or such a Sect, or Party, and of that which (they are told by their Leaders) is the true Church and way.

§. 46. Temp. 23. Yea, Satan will do his worst to make them Hereticks, and teach them some doctrine ¹of licentiousness suitable is their lusts: Its hard being wicked still against Conscience in the open light: This is kicking against the pricks: too smarting work to be easily born: Therefore the Devil will make them a Religion which shall please them, and do their sins no ha•m: Either a Religion made up of loose Opinions, like the Familists, Ranters, Libertines and Antinomians (and the Jesuites too much); or else made up of trifling formalities, and a great deal of bodily exercise and Stage-actings and complement, as much of the Popish devotion is: And a little will draw a carnal heart to believe a carnal doctrine: Its easier to get such a new Religion, than a new heart. And then the Devil tells them that now they are in the right way, and therefore they shall be saved. A great part of the world think their case is good, because they are of such or such a Sect, or Party, and of that which (they are told by their Leaders) is the true Church and way.

1Tempt. 23.

:386p. 31–32

§. 53. Direct. 26. Against this consider, that if you had never so many good works, they are all¹ but your duty; and make no satisfaction for your sin. But what good works can you do, that shall save a wicked soul! and that God will accept without your Hearts! Your hearts must be first cleansed,² and your selves devoted and sanctified to God: For an evil Tree will bring forth evil fruit! First make the Tree good, and the fruit will be good! It is the Love of God, and the hatred of sin, and a holy and heavenly life which are the good works that God chiefly calleth for; and Faith, and Repentance, and Conversion in order to these: And will God take your lip-labour, or the leavings of your ⟨p. 32⟩••••sh by way of alms, while the world and fleshly pleasure have your hearts? Indeed, you do no work that's truly good! The matter may be good: but you poison it with bad Principles and Ends. The carnal mind is not subject to the Law of God, nor indeed can be; but is enmity to God, Rom. 8. 6, 7.

§. 53. Direct. 26. Against this consider, that if you had never so many good works, they are all¹ but your duty; and make no satisfaction for your sin. But what good works can you do, that shall save a wicked soul! and that God will accept without your Hearts! Your hearts must be first cleansed,² and your selves devoted and sanctified to God: For an evil Tree will bring forth evil fruit! First make the Tree good, and the fruit will be good! It is the Love of God, and the hatred of sin, and a holy and heavenly life which are the good works that God chiefly calleth for; and Faith, and Repentance, and Conversion in order to these: And will God take your lip-labour, or the leavings of your ⟨p. 32⟩••••sh by way of alms, while the world and fleshly pleasure have your hearts? Indeed, you do no work that's truly good! The matter may be good: but you poyson it with bad Principles and Ends. The carnal mind is not subject to the Law of God, nor indeed can be; but is enmity to God, Rom. 8. 6, 7.

1Direct. 26.
2See Prov. 28▪ 9▪ Prov. 15▪ 26▪ 8▪ Prov. 21. 27. Isa. 1. 13. 14.

:391p. 32

§. 57. Direct. 28. But it's easy to see, how these men deceive and condemn themselves. This is¹ as if you should plead that a Beast is wiser than a man, because some men are drunk, and some are passionate, and some are mad. Drunkenness and passions which are the disturbances of Reason, are no disgrace to Reason, but to themselves: Nor were they a disgrace themselves, if Reason which they hinder were not honourable. So no mans sins are a disgrace to Holiness, which condemneth them: nor were they bad themselves, if holiness were not good, which they oppose. It is no disgrace to the day-light or Sun that there is night and darkness: Nor were darkness bad, if light were not good. Will you refuse health, because some men are sick? Nay, will you rather choose to be dead, because the living have infirmities? The Devils reasoning is foolisher than this! Holiness is of absolute necessity to salvation: If many that do more than you, are as bad as you imagine, what a case then are you in, that have not near so much as they? If they that make it their greatest care to please God and be saved, are as very Hypocrites as the Devil would persuade you, what a hopeless case then are you in, that come far short of them? If so, you must do more than they, and not less, if you will be saved▪ Or else out of your own mouths will you be condemned.

§. 57. Direct. 28. But it's easie to see, how these men deceive and condemn themselves. This is¹ as if you should plead that a Beast is wiser than a man, because some men are drunk, and some are passionate, and some are mad. Drunkenness and passions which are the disturbances of Reason, are no disgrace to Reason, but to themselves: Nor were they a disgrace themselves, if Reason which they hinder were not honourable. So no mans sins are a disgrace to Holiness, which condemneth them: nor were they bad themselves, if holiness were not good, which they oppose. It is no disgrace to the day-light or Sun that there is night and darkness: Nor were darkness bad, if light were not good. Will you refuse health, because some men are sick? Nay, will you rather choose to be dead, because the living have infirmities? The Devils reasoning is foolisher than this! Holiness is of absolute necessity to salvation: If many that do more than you, are as bad as you imagine, what a case then are you in, that have not near so much as they? If they that make it their greatest care to please God and be saved, are as very Hypocrites as the Devil would perswade you, what a hopeless case then are you in, that come far short of them? If so, you must do more than they, and not less, if you will be saved▪ Or else out of your own mouths will you be condemned.

1Direct. 28.