A26915:200
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 4
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.
5. You are further here to be informed, that it is not for it self that sorrow and tears are so desirable; but as they are expressions of a gracious temper of the will, and as they help on to the Ends that Humiliation is appointed to. And therefore you may hence learn in what ⟨p. 179⟩sort you must seek after it. 1. You must not place the chief part of your Religion in it, as if it were a life of mere sorrow, that we are called to by the Gospel. But you must make it a servant to your Faith, and Love, and Joy in the Holy Ghost, and other Graces. As the use of the needle is but to make way for the thread, and then it is the thread and not the needle that makes the seam: So much of our sorrow is but to prepare for Faith and Love, and these are they that close the Soul with Christ. It is therefore a sore mistake of some, that are very apprehensive of their want of sorrow, but little of their want of Faith, or Love: and that pray and strive to break their hearts, or weep for sin, but not much for those higher Graces, which it tendeth to. One must be done, and not the other left undone.
5. You are further here to be informed, that it is not for it selfe that sorrow and tears are so desireable; but as they are expressions of a gracious temper of the will, and as they help on to the Ends that Humiliation is appointed to. And therefore you may hence learn in what ⟨p. 179⟩sort you must seek after it. 1. You must not place the chief part of your Religion in it, as if it were a life of meer sorrow, that we are called to by the Gospel. But you must make it a servant to your Faith, and Love, and Joy in the Holy Ghost, and other Graces. As the use of the needle is but to make way for the thred, and then it is the thred and not the needle that makes the seam: So much of our sorrow is but to prepare for Faith and Love, and these are they that close the Soul with Christ. It is therefore a sore mistake of some, that are very apprehensive of their want of sorrow, but little of their want of Faith, or Love: and that pray and strive to break their hearts, or weep for sinne, but not much for those higher Graces, which it tendeth to. One must be done, and not the other left undone.