DIRECTIONS FOR Weak distempered. CHRISTIANS, TO Grow up to a confirmed State OF GRACE. With MOTIVES opening the lamentable Effects of their Weaknesses and Distempers.The FIRST PART.Published also to further that REPENTANCE, which WARS, and PLAGUES, and FLAMES, and CHURCH-CONVULSIONS, have so long and loudly Preached to ENGLAND.By Richard Baxter.LONDON, Printed for Nevil Simmons, at the Three Crowns over against Holborn Conduit, 1669.DIRECTIONS FOR Weak distempered. CHRISTIANS, TO Grow up to a confirmed State OF GRACE. With MOTIVES opening the lamentable Effects of their Weaknesses and Distempers.The FIRST PART.Published also to further that REPENTANCE, which WARS, and PLAGVES, and FLAMES, and CHVRCH-CONVULSIONS, have so long and loudly Preached to ENGLAND.By Richard Baxter.LONDON, Printed for Nevil Simmons, at the Three Crowns over against Holborn Conduit, 1669.Title page of Directions for weak distempered Christians, to grow up to a confirmed state of grace…, London, 1669

A26917:233

Directions for weak distempered Christians, to grow up to a confirmed state of grace…

Name: Directions for weak distempered Christians, to grow up to a confirmed state of grace…
Author: Richard Baxter

Directions for weak distempered Christians, to grow up to a confirmed state of grace with motives opening the lamentable effects of their weaknesses and distempers / by Richard Baxter.

Richard Baxter 1615–1691London: printed for Nevil Simmons, 1669

2 v. in 1. · 110k words · Wing B1249 · ESTC R15683

Title page typeset from the transcription.

Directions 2 › Direction 14: DIRECT. XIV. Keep up a constant Government over your Thoughts and Tongues; especially a…

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.

[ Earlier:230–245 of 533

:230p. 140

Keep your Thoughts employed upon something that is good and profitable; either about some useful Truths, or about some duty to God or man, of your general or particular Calling; yea about all these in their several seasons: Learn how to watch your thoughts, and stop them at their first excursions; and how to quicken them and make them serviceable to every grace, and every duty. You can never improve your solitary hours, if you have not the Government of your Thoughts.

KEep your Thoughts imployed upon somthing that is good and profitable; either about some useful Truths, or about some duty to God or man, of your general or particular Calling; yea about all these in their several seasons: Learn how to watch your thoughts, and stop them at their first excursions; and how to quicken them and make them serviceable to every grace, and every duty. You can never improve your solitary hours, if you have not the Government of your Thoughts.

:231p. 140–142

And as the Thoughts must be governed because they are the first and intimate actings of good or evil; so the Tongue must be Governed as the first expresser of the mind, and the first instrument of good or hurt to others. Especially take heed of these sins which the faultiness of most Professors of Religion doth warn you to avoid. 1. An ordinary course of vain jesting, and unprofitable talk. 2. Provoking, passionate, inconsiderate words, that tend to kindle wrath in others. ⟨p. 141⟩3. Backbiting, censuring, and speaking evil of others without any just call, when it is either upon uncertain reports, or uncharitable suspicion, or tendeth more to hurt than good. 4. A forward venting of our own conceits, and a confident pleading for our uncertain, unproved Opinions in Religion, and a contentious wrangling for them, as if the Kingdom of God lay in them. And a forwardness in all company to be the Speakers rather than the Hearers, and to talk in a Magisterial Teaching way, as if we took our selves to be the wisest, and others to have need to learn of us. But especially take heed of speaking evil of those that have wronged you, or of those that differ from you in some tolerable Opinions in Religion: And hate that devilish uncharitable vice, which maketh many ready to believe any thing, or say any thing, be it never so false, of those that are against their Sect; yea of whole parties of men that differ from them, when there is not one of a thousand of all the party that ever they were acquainted with, or ever could prove the thing by of which they are accused. By the means of these bold uncharitable reports, the Devil hath unspeakably gained against Christ; and the Kingdom of malice hath won upon the Kingdom of Love; and most Christians are easier known to be factious by hating or slandering one another, than they can be known to be Christs Disciples by loving one another. And while every Sect without remorse doth speak reproachfully and hatefully of the rest, they learn hereby to hate one another, and harden the Infidel and ungodly world, in hating and speaking evil of them all: So that a Turk

[ Earlier passages Later passages ]

The book

Title as printed

Directions for weak distempered Christians, to grow up to a confirmed state of grace with motives opening the lamentable effects of their weaknesses and distempers / by Richard Baxter.

Author

Richard Baxter 1615–1691

Place

London

Bookseller

Nevil Simmons

Year

1669

Size

2 v. in 1.

Words

109,536

Catalogue

Wing B1249 · ESTC R15683

Text

EEBO-TCP A26917

Passages

533

Sections

Title page

Directions for weak distempered Christians, to grow up to a confirmed state of grace…

DIRECT. XV. Let every state of life and Relation that you are in, be sanctified unto God, and conscionably used: And to that end understand the advantages and duties of every condition and Relation, and the sins and hinderances and dangers which you are most liable to.

DIRECT. XV. Let every state of life and Relation that you are in, be sanctifyed unto God, and conscionably used: And to that end understand the advantages and duties of every condition and Relation, and the sins and hinderances and dangers which you are most lyable to.

DIRECT. XIX. If you fall into any sin, rise speedily by a through Repentance; and take heed both of delay, and of a palliate Cure, Luke 13.3, 5 . and 22.32.

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36

DIRECT. XV. Let every state of life and Relation that you are in, be sanctified unto God, and conscionably used: And to that end understand the advantages and duties of every condition and Relation, and the sins and hinderances and dangers which you are most liable to.

DIRECT. XV. Let every state of life and Relation that you are in, be sanctifyed unto God, and conscionably used: And to that end understand the advantages and duties of every condition and Relation, and the sins and hinderances and dangers which you are most lyable to.

DIRECT. XIX. If you fall into any sin, rise speedily by a through Repentance; and take heed both of delay, and of a palliate Cure, Luke 13.3, 5. and 22.32.

DIRECT. XIX. If you fall into any sin, rise speedily by a through Repentance; and take heed both of delay, and of a palliate Cure, Luke 13.3, 5 . and 22.32.