A26905:35
The crucifying of the world
The crucifying of the world by the cross of Christ with a preface to the nobles, gentlemen, and all the rich, directing them how they may be richer / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by R. W. for Nevill Simmons, 1658
Preface: The Preface: To the Nobilty and Gentry, and all that have the Riches of this world.
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.
9. Your wealth and greatness do afford you great opportunities to do good, and to further the salvation of your selves and others: and worldliness and sensuality will rob you of these opportunities. O how many good works might you have done, to the honour of your Lord, and the benefit of others and your selves, if you had made the best of your Interest and Estates? The loss of the Reward will shortly appear to you a greater loss, then that which you now account the loss of your estates.
10. Your worldliness and sensuality is a sin against your own experience, and the experience of all the world. You have long tried the world; and what hath it done for you, that you should so over-value it. You know that it is the common vote of all that ever tried it, sooner or later, that it is vanity and vexation. And have you not the wit or grace, to learn from so plain a teacher as Experience, yea your own experience, yea and all the worlds experience.
10. Your worldliness and sensuality is a sin against your own experience, and the experience of all the world. You have long tryed the world; and what hath it done for you, that you should so over-value it. You know that it is the common vote of all that ever tryed it, sooner or later, that it is vanity and vexation. And have you not the wit or grace, to learn from so plain a teacher as Experience, yea your own experience, yea and all the worlds experience.
11. You sin also against your very Reason it self, and against your certain knowledge. You know most certainly that the world will serve you but a little while. You know the day is hard at hand when it will turn you off; and you shall say, I have now had all that the world can do for me: Naked you came into it, and naked you must go out of it. Haud ullas portabis opes Acherontis ad undas. And then you shall more sensibly know what you now so overvalued▪ and what you preferred before God and your salvation, then now I am able to make you know. O what low thoughts will every one of you have of all your pomp and pleasure, your vain-glory and all your fleshly accommodations, when you perceive that they are gone, and leave your souls to the justice of that God, whom for the love of them you wilfully neglected? If poor men of mean and low education, were so sottish as not to know these things, me thinks it should not be ith you, that are bred to more understanding then they.