A26917:437
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.
3. The seeming Christian liveth to himself, and all his good works are done but for himself, to keep up his credit, or quiet his guilty conscience, and deceive himself with the false hopes of a reward, for that which his falseheartedness maketh to be his sin: If he be a man of learning and good parts, he may be very serviceable to the Church: But the thanks of that is due to God, and little to him; who seeketh himself more than God, ⟨p. 103⟩or the good of others, in all that he doth. Mat. 25, 24, 25, 26.
XLII. 1. A Christian indeed doth truly love his neighbour as himself: He is not all for his own commodity: His neighbours profit or good name is as his own: He feeleth himself hurt, when his neighbours is hurt: And if his neighbour prosper, he rejoiceth as if he prospered himself: Though his neighbour be not united to him, in the nearest bonds of Christianity, or Piety, yet he is not disregardful of the common Unity of Humanity. Love is the very soul of life, Lev. 19.18. Mat. 19.19. & 22.39. Rom. 13.9. Gal. 5.14. Jam. 2.8. Mark. 10.21. 1 Joh. 4.10.
XLII. 1. A Christian indeed doth truly love his neighbour as himself: He is not all for his own commodity: His neighbours profit or good name is as his own: He feeleth himself hurt, when his neighbours is hurt: And if his neighbour prosper, he rejoyceth as if he prospered himself: Though his neighbour be not united to him, in the nearest bonds of Christianity, or Piety, yet he is not disregardfull of the common Vnity of Humanity. Love is the very soul of life,