A26917:78
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.
Directions 1: DIRECTIONS TO THE CONVERTED, For their establishment, growth, and perseverance.
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.
17. And most or many of you have cause to consider how long you have been already in the Family and School of Christ. If you are but newly entered, I may well exhort you to increase, but I cannot reprove you for not increasing. But alas, what a multitude of dwarfs hath Christ, that are like Infants at twenty or forty or threescore years of age. What! be so many years in his School, and yet be in the lowest Form. [For when for the time ye ought to be Teachers, you have need that one teach you again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God, and are become such as have need of Milk, and not of strong meat: For every one that ⟨p. 40⟩useth milk is unskilful in the word of Righteousness: for he is a Babe: but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, that by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil, Heb. 5.12, 13, 14.] O poor weak diseased Christian! hast thou been so many years beholding the face of God by Faith! and yet art thou no more in love with him than at the first! Hast thou been so long making trial of his goodness! and dost thou see it and savour it no more than in the beginning! Hast thou been so long under his cure; and art thou no more healed than the first year or day! Hast thou been hearing and talking of Heaven so long; and yet art thou no more heavenly nor ready for Heaven! Hast thou heard and talked so much against the World and the Flesh; and yet is the World as high in thee as at first, and the Flesh as strong as in the beginning of thy Profession! O what a sin and shame is this? and what a wrong to God and thee?
17. And most or many of you have cause to consider how long you have been already in the Family and School of Christ. If you are but newly entered, I may well exhort you to increase, but I cannot reprove you for not increasing. But alas, what a multitude of dwarfs hath Christ, that are like Infants at twenty or fourty or threescore years of age. What! be so many years in his School, and yet be in the lowest Form. [For when for the time ye ought to be Teachers, you have need that one teach you again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God, and are become such as have need of Milk, and not of strong meat: For every one that ⟨p. 40⟩