A26892:958
A Christian Directory
A Christian directory, or, A sum of practical theology and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortify every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.A Christian directory, or, A summ of practical theologie and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortifie every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1673
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
§. 22. III. The Succours and Auxiliaries of the Devil, and his principal means are these: 1. He doth what he can to get an ill tempered Body on his side: For as sin did let in bodily distempers, so do they much befriend the sin that caused them. A choleric temper will much help him to draw men to passion, malice, murder, cruelty and revenge. A sanguine and bilious temper mixed, will help him to draw men to lust and and filthiness, and levity, and wantonness, and time-wasting pleasures: A sanguine temper mixed with a pituitous, much helpeth him to make men blockish, and regardless, and insensible of the great concernments of the soul: A flegmatick temper helpeth him to draw people to drowsy sluggishness, and to an idle slothful life, and so to ill means to maintain it, and to a backwardness to every work that is good. A healthful temper much helpeth him to draw people to gluttony, drunkenness, lust, ambition, covetousness, and neglect of life eternal: A sickly temper helpeth him to tempt us to peevishness and impatience: And a Melancholy temper helpeth him in all the temptations mentioned but even now,
§. 22. III. The Succours and Auxiliaries of the Devil, and his principal means are these: 1. He doth what he can to get an ill tempered Body on his side: For as sin did let in bodily distempers, so do they much befriend the sin that caused them. A cholerick temper will much help him to draw men to passion, malice, murder, cruelty and revenge. A sanguine and bilious temper mixt, will help him to draw men to lust and and filthiness, and levity, and wantonness, and time-wasting pleasures: A sanguine temper mixt with a pituitous, much helpeth him to make men blockish, and regardless, and insensible of the great concernments of the soul: A flegmatick temper helpeth him to draw people to drowzy sluggishness, and to an idle slothful life, and so to ill means to maintain it, and to a backwardness to every work that is good. A healthful temper much helpeth him to draw people to gluttony, drunkenness, lust, ambition, covetousness, and neglect of life eternal: A sickly temper helpeth him to tempt us to pievishness and impatiency: And a Melancholy temper helpeth him in all the temptations mentioned but even now,
§. 23. 2. He useth his greatest Skill to get the greatest fleshly interest on his side: so that it may be a matter of Great pleasure, Great advancement, and honour and applause, or Great commodity to a man, if he will sin: Or a matter of Great suffering, and Great disgrace, and Great loss to him that will not sin, or that will be holy and obedient to God: For Fleshly Interest being the common matter of all his Temptations, his main business is to greaten this as much as may be.