A26905:662
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
The Crucifying of the world, BY The Cross of CHRIST. › Part 1 › Section 22 › Benefit 10: Benefit 10.
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.
Benefit 10.
WHEN once you are truly Crucified to the world, You will have the honour and the comfort of an heavenly life. Your thoughts will be daily steeped in the Celestial delights, when other mens are steeped in Gall and Vinegar. You will be above with God, when your carnal neighbours converse only with the world. Your thoughts will be higher then their thoughts, and your ways then their ways, as the heaven where you converse is higher then the earth. When you take flight from earth in holy Devotions, they may look at you, and wonder at you, but cannot follow you; for whither you go, they cannot come, till they are such as you. You leave them grovelling here on earth, and feeding on the dust, and striving like children, or rather like swine or dogs, about their meat. When you are above in the Spirit, on the speedy wings of Faith and Love, beholding that face that perfecteth all that perfectly ⟨p. 216⟩behold it; and tasting that Joy, which fully reconcileth all that fully do enjoy it: which we must here contend for, but none do there contend about it. What a noble employment have you, in comparison of the highest servants of the world? How sweet are your delights in comparison of the Epicures? O happy souls that can see so much of your eternal happiness, and reach so near it. Were I but more in your condition, I would not envy Princes their glory, nor any sensualists and worldlings their contents, nor desire to be their partner. I could spare them their troublesome dignities, and their burdensome Riches, and the unwholesome pleasures which they so often surfeit on, and the wind of popular applause which so swelleth them: Yea, what could I not spare them, if I might be more with you. O happy poverty, sickness or imprisonment, or whatever is called misery by the world, if it be nearer Heaven, then a sensual life! and if it will but advantage my soul for those contemplations, which are the employment of mortified heavenly men! Yea if it do but remove the impediments of so sweet a life! I know (by some little, too little experience I know) that one hours time of that blessed life, will easily pay for all the cost;