A26917:463
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 will seem to excel all others in loyalty and obedience, when it maketh for his carnal ends: He will flatter Rulers for honours and preferment, and always be on the rising side, unless when his pride engageth him in murmurings and rebellions. He hath a great advantage ⟨p. 120⟩above true Christians and honest men, to seem the most obedient subject; because he hath a stretching conscience that can do any thing for his safety, or his worldly ends: If he be among Papists, he can be a Papist; if among Protestants, he is a Protestant; and if he were among Turks, its like he would rather turn a Mahometan than be undone. No Prince or Power can command him any thing which he cannot yield to, if his worldly interest require it. If there be a Law for worshipping the golden Image, it is the conscionable servants of God, and not the time-servers, that refuse to obey it, Dan. 3. If there be a Law against praying, Dan. 6. it is Daniel and not the ungodly multitude that disobey it. If there be a command against preaching, Acts 4.17, 18. it is the holy Apostles and best Christians that plead the command of God against it, and refuse obedience to it, vers. 20, 29. The self-seeking temporizing hypocrite can do any thing: And yet he obeyeth not while he seemeth to obey. For it is not for the Authority of the Commander that he doth it, but for his own ends. He never truly honoureth his superiors: for he doth not respect them as the Officers of God; nor obey them for his sake with a conscionable obedience. He feareth the Higher Powers as Bears or Tigers that are able to hurt him; or useth their favour, as he useth his horse to do him service. Were it not for himself, he would little regard them. The true Christian honoureth the basest creature, more than the hypocrite and worldling honoureth his King. For he seeth God in all, and useth the smallest things unto his glory: Whereas the worldling debaseth the highest, by the baseness of his esteem, and use, and end; For he ⟨p. 121⟩knoweth not how to esteem or use the greatest Prince, but for himself or for some worldly ends,