A26915:55
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 2
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.
DIRECT. II. If you would not have the work of your Conversion miscarry, when you understand what is offered you, then Search the Scripture daily to see whether those things be so or not.
So did the Bereans, Act. 17. 11. and the Text saith, that therefore they believed. We come not to cheat and deceive you; and therefore we desire not that you should take any thing from us, but what we can prove to you from the Word of God, to be certainly true. We desire not to lead you in the dark, but by the light to lead you out of darkness: and therefore we refuse not to submit all our Doctrine to an equal trial. Though we would not have you wrong your souls by an unjust distrust of us; yet would we not desire you to take these great and weighty things, merely upon our words: For then your Faith will be in man; and then no marvel if it be weak, and uneffectual, and quickly shaken: If you ⟨p. 42⟩trust a man to day, you may distrust him to morrow; and if one man be of greatest credit with you this year, perhaps another of a contrary mind may be of more credit with you the next year. And therefore we desire no further to be believed by you, then is necessary to lead you up to God, and to help you to understand that Word which you must believe: Our desire therefore is that you search the Scripture, and try whether the things that we tell you be the truth. The Word will never work on you to purpose, till you see and hear God in it, and perceive that it's he and not man only that speaks to you. When you hear none speaking to you but the Minister, no marvel if you dare despise him: for he is a frail and silly man like your selves: When you think that the Doctrine which we preach to you, is merely of our own devising, and the conjecture of our own brain, no marvel if you set light by it, and will not let go all that you have, at the persuasion of a Preacher. But when you have searched the Scripture, and find that it is the Word of the God of Heaven, dare you despise it then? When you there find that ⟨p. 43⟩