A26915:104
Directions and persuasions to a sound conversion for prevention of that deceit and damnation…Directions and perswasions to a sound conversion for prevention of that deceit and damnation…
Directions and persuasions to a sound conversion for prevention of that deceit and damnation of souls, and of those scandals, heresies, and desperate apostasies that are the consequents of a counterfeit, or superficial change / by Richard Baxter.Directions and perswasions to a sound conversion for prevention of that deceit and damnation of souls, and of those scandals, heresies, and desperate apostasies that are the consequents of a counterfeit, or superficial change / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by A.M. for Nevil Simmons, 1658
Directions to Sinners that are purposed to Turn, and are under the… › Direction 3
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. Consider that God doth not set so light by your Salvation. He thought it worth a great deal more: Must Christ think it worth his bloody sufferings and worth such a life of labour and sorrow, and will not you judg it worth your serious Consideration? If he had not Thought on it, and Thought again, how miserable should we have remained? Ministers also must Think on it, and Study how to save your Souls. And should you not Study how to save your own? Must another man make it the business of his life, to Think how to do you good, that you may be saved? and are you n•t as much bound to do good to your selves? Yea, all that fear God about you are bound to Study to do you good? and should you not bethink you then, of the things that concern your own good?
3. Consider that God doth not set so light by your Salvation. He thought it worth a great deale more: Must Christ think it worth his bloody sufferings and worth such a life of labour and sorrow, and will not you judg it worth your serious Consideration? If he had not Thought on it, and Thought againe, how miserable shoud we have remained? Ministers also must Think on it, and Study how to save your Souls. And should you not Study how to save your own? Must another man make it the business of his life, to Think how to do you good, that you may be saved? and are you n•t as much bound to do good to your selves? Yea, all that fear God about you are bound to Study to do you good? and should you not bethink you then, of the things that concern your own good?
4. Moreover, what have you your Reason for, but to Consider. And wherein ⟨p. 90⟩do you differ from the beasts, so much as in your Reason? If you have Reason, and will not use it, you brutify your selves? You live like mad men: for what is Madness, but a loss of the use of Reason? And do you think it a small thing, to deface so noble a Creature as man, and to turn your selves into beasts, and mad-men? Do you think that God will not call you to account for your Reason, how you have used it? Doubtless he gave it you for a higher employment, then to enable you to plough, and sow, and follow your trades, and provide for your flesh. If this were all that a man did exceed a beast in, what a silly wretched wight were man? Yea so much more miserable then beasts, as his knowledge begets more care, and sorrow, and fear, then theirs. What matter is it for having Reason at all, if it be not that we may use it for the matters of God, and Eternal life?