A26929:43
Richard Baxter's farewell sermon prepared to have been preached to his hearers at Kidderminster…Richard Baxter's farewel sermon prepared to have been preached to his hearers at Kidderminster…
Richard Baxter's farewell sermon prepared to have been preached to his hearers at Kidderminster at his departure, but forbidden.Richard Baxter's farewel sermon prepared to have been preached to his hearers at Kidderminster at his departure, but forbidden.
London: printed for B. Simmons, 1683
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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. Sin goeth before grace, and therefore our sorrows are before our joys. The seed is first fruitful which was first sown. Joy indeed hath the elder Parent in esse reali & absoluto, 1but not in esse causali & relativo. We are the Children of the first Adam, before we are Children of the second; we are born flesh of flesh, before we are born Spiritual of the Spirit. And where Satan goeth before Christ it is equal that sorrow be before joy.
3. Our gracious Father and wise Physician, doth see that this is the fittest method for our cure. That we may deny our selves, we must know how little we are beholden to our selves; and must smart by the fruit of our sin and folly before we are eased by the fruit of Love & grace. It is the property of the flesh to judg by sense, and therefore sense shall help to mortify it. The frowns of the World shall be an antidote against its flatteries. It killeth by Pleasing and therefore it may help our cure by displeasing us. Loving it is mens undoing; and hurting us is the way to keep us from overloving it. These wholesome sorrows do greatly disable our most dangerous ⟨p. 10⟩temptations; and preserve us from the pernicious poison of prosperity! They rouse us up when we are lazy and ready to sit down: They awake us when we are ready to fall asleep: They drive us to God when we are ready to forget him, and dote upon a deceiver: They teach us part of the meaning of the Gospel: without them we know not well, what [a Saviour, a promise, a pardon, grace] and many other Gospel terms, do signify. They teach us to pray, and teach us to hear and read with understanding; They tell us the value of all our Mercies, and teach us the use of all the means of grace. They are needful to fix our flashy, light, unconstant minds. Which are apt to be gazing upon every bait, and to be touching or tasting the forbidden fruit; and to be taken with those things, which we had lately cast behind our backs, till medicinal sorrow doth awake our reason and make us see the folly of our dreams. Yea if sorrow check us not and make us wise, we are ready to lay by our grace and wit, and to follow any goblin in the dark,