A26896:91
The Christians converse with God, or, The insufficiency and uncertainty of human friendship and…
The Christians converse with God, or, The insufficiency and uncertainty of human friendship and the improvement of solitude in converse with God with some of the author's breathings after him / by Richard Baxter ...
London: printed for John Salusbury, 1693
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.
3. How know you what unkindness to your self, your dearest friend might have been guilty of? Alas! there is greater frailty and inconstancy in man, than you are aware of. And there are sadder roots of Corruption unmortified, that may spring up into bitter Fruits, than most of us ever discover in our selves. Many a Mother hath her heart broken by the unnaturalness of such a Child, or the unkindness of such a Husband, as if they had died before, would have been lamented by her, with great impatience and excess. How confident ⟨p. 62⟩soever you may be of the future Fidelity of your Friend, you little know what trial might have discovered. Many a one hath failed God and Man that once were as confident of themselves, as ever you were of your Friend. And which of us see not reason to be distrustful of our selves? And can we know another better than our selves? or promise more concerning him?
3. How know you what unkindness to your self, your dearest friend might have been guilty of? Alas! there is greater frailty and inconstancy in man, than you are aware of. And there are sadder roots of Corruption unmortified, that may spring up into bitter Fruits, than most of us ever discover in our selves. Many a Mother hath her heart broken by the unnaturalness of such a Child, or the unkindness of such a Husband, as if they had died before, would have been lamented by her, with great impatience and excess. How confident ⟨p. 62⟩soever you may be of the future Fidelity of your Friend, you little know what tryal might have discovered. Many a one hath failed God and Man that once were as confident of themselves, as ever you were of your Friend. And which of us see not reason to be distrustful of our selves? And can we know another better than our selves? or promise more concerning him?
4. How know you what great calamity might have befallen your Friend, if he had lived as long as you desired? When the Righteous seem to men to perish, and merciful Men are taken away, it is from the evil to come that they are taken,