A26917:373
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.
Obj. But there are two sorts of people that seem to have no fleshly delights at all, and yet are not in the way to salvation: viz. the Quakers, and Behmenists that live in great austerity, and some of the Religious orders of the Papists, who afflict their flesh. Answ. Some of them undergo their fastings and penance for a day, that they may sin the more quietly all the week after: And some of them proudly comfort themselves with the fancies and conceit of being and appearing more excellent in austerity than others: And all these take up with a carnal sort of pleasure. As proud persons are pleased with their own, or others conceits of their beauty, or wit, or worldly greatness; so prouder persons are pleased with their own and others conceits of their holiness. And verily they have their reward, Mat. 6.2. But those of them that place their chiefest happiness in the love of God, and the eternal fruition of him in heaven, and seek this sincerely according to their helps and power, though they are mislead into some superstitious errors, I hope I may number with those that are sincere; for all their errors and the ill effects of them.
Obj. But there are two sorts of people that seem to have no fleshly delights at all, and yet are not in the way to salvation: viz. the Quakers, and Behmenists that live in great austerity, and some of the Religious orders of the Papists, who afflict their flesh. Answ. Some of them undergo their fastings and pennance for a day, that they may sin the more quietly all the week after: And some of them proudly comfort themselves with the fancies and conceit of being and appearing more excellent in austerity than others: And all these take up with a carnal sort of pleasure. As proud persons are pleased with their own, or others conceits of their beauty, or witt, or worldly greatness; so prouder persons are pleased with their own and others conceits of their holiness. And verily they have their reward, Mat. 6.2. But those of them that place their chiefest happiness in the love of God, and the eternal fruition of him in heaven, and seek this sincerely according to their helps and power, though they are mislead into some superstitious errors, I hope I may number with those that are sincere; for all their errors and the ill effects of them.