A26917:295
Directions for weak distempered Christians, to grow up to a confirmed state of grace…
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.
London: printed for Nevil Simmons, 1669
Title page typeset from the transcription.
THE CHARACTER OF 1 A Sound Confirmed Christian, 2 And of the Weak C… › The Characters.
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.
2. The weak Christian also hath a faith, that is Divine, as caused by God, and resting on his word and truth. And he so far liveth by this Faith, as that it commandeth and guideth the scope and drift of his heart and life: But he believeth with a great deal of staggering and unbelief: And therefore his Hopes are interrupted by his troublesome doubts and fears; and the dimness and languor of his Faith is seen in the faintness of his desires, and the many blemishes of his Heart and Life: And sight and sensual objects are so much the more powerful with him, by how much the light and life of faith is dark and weak.
2. The weak Christian also hath a faith, that is Divine, as caused by God, and resting on his word and truth. And he so far liveth by this Faith, as that it commandeth and guideth the scope and drift of his heart and life: But he believeth with a great deal of staggering and unbelief: And therefore his Hopes are interrupted by his troublesom doubts and fears; and the dimness and languor of his Faith is seen in the faintness of his desires, and the many blemishes of his Heart and Life: And sight and sensual objects are so much the more powerfull with him, by how much the light and life of faith is dark and weak.
3. The Hypocrite or best of the unregenerate, believeth but either with a Humane faith, which resteth but on the Word of Man, or else with a dead opinionative faith, which is overpowered by infidelity, or is like the dreaming thoughts of a man asleep, which stir him not to action: He liveth by sight and not by faith: For he hath not a Faith that will overpower Sense, and sensual objects, Jam. 2.14. Mat. 13.22.
3. The Hypocrite or best of the unregenerate, believeth but either with a Humane faith, which resteth but on the Word of Man, or else with a dead opinionative faith, which is overpowered by infidelity, or is like the dreaming thoughts of a man asleep, which stirre him not to action: He liveth by sight and not by faith: For he hath not a Faith that will overpower Sense, and sensual objects,