A26905:86
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.
The sum of my Advice is, that as men that are drawing near to their account, and love Christ in his members, and believe the promise of Reward, you would Devote your selves and your estates to Christ, and study to do good, and make it your daily trade and business, as men that are zealous of Good works, and created to walk in them, (Tit. 2. 14. Eph. 2. 10.) and not as dropping a little upon the ⟨image 27⟩by. Say not that you have not wealth, or interest, or opportunity; The Rich have full opportunities: The poor have their two mites, or their cup of cold water to give to a Disciple. And he that hath neither, may have a Will to give thousands a year: And this is our comfort that have but little, that [if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.] 2 Cor. 8. 12. But where [there is a readiness to will, there will also be a performance out of that which you have] if you be sincere, Vers. 11. Et Nunquam usque eo interclusa sunt omnia, ut nulli actioni honestae locus sit.—Nunquam inutilis est opera civis boni: Au•itu enim, visu, vultu, nutu, obstinatione tacita, incessuque ipso prodest. Ut salutaria quaedam citra gustum tactumque odore proficiunt; ita virtus utilitatem etiam ex longinquo & latens fundit, sive spargitur, & se utitur suo jure; sive precarios habet excessus, cogiturque vela contrahere: sive otiosa mutaque est, & angusto circumscripta; sive adaperta: in quocunque habitu est, prodest. Seneca de Tranq. (I give you not these passages of strangers to Christ, as if his Doctrine needed any such patches; but as imagining that the temper of those I speak to, may need such a double testimony, and to see the Book of Nature as well as of Grace: and to let you understand, how unexcusable a Professed Christian is that is worse then an Infidel.)
The summe of my Advice is, that as men that are drawing near to their account, and love Christ in his members, and believe the promise of Reward, you would Devote your selves and your estates to Christ, and study to do good, and make it your daily trade and business, as men that are zealous of Good works, and created to walk in them, (