A26951:2152
The life of faith in three parts, the first is a sermon on Heb.…
The life of faith in three parts, the first is a sermon on Heb. 11, 1, formerly preached before His Majesty, and published by his command, with another added for the fuller application : the second is instructions for confirming believers in the Christian faith : the third is directions how to live by faith, or how to exercise it upon all occasions / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons, 1670
Part 3 › Chapter 17: How to conquer sloth and idleness by the Life of Faith.
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.
II. The signs of wealthy-idleness are these:
1. When men think it unnecessary for them to labour constantly and diligently, because they are rich, and can live without it; or because they are great, and it is below them. The confutation ⟨p. 480⟩of which error, I gave you before, and shall give you more of it anon. The poor in spirit, think not a laborious life below them.
1. When men think it unnecessary for them to labour constantly and diligently, because they are rich, and can live without it; or because they are great, and it is below them. The confutation ⟨p. 480⟩of which errour, I gave you before, and shall give you more of it anon. The poor in spirit, think not a laborious life below them.
2. When men have time to spare: This is a most evident mark of Idleness: For God hath given us no time in vain; but hath given us full work, for all our time. They that have time to play away needlessly, to sleep away needlessly, to prate away needlessly, do tell the world that Sodom's Idleness is their sin. Especially poor souls, who are yet unsanctified, and are strangers to a renewed heart and life, and are utterly unfit to die, O what abundance of important work have these to do? And can they be idle, while all this lieth undone? Indeed if they are in despair of being saved, it is no wonder: And one would think by their lives that they did despair: For surely a man so near another world, that must be in Heaven or Hell for ever, would never live idly, if he had any good hope that his endeavours should not be all in vain. The poor in spirit have no time to spare: Labour is their life: Eternity is still before their eyes. Necessity is upon them; and they know the woe that followeth Idleness: Repentance for sin, and negligence past, is a constant spur to future diligence. And their work is sweet, and incomparably more pleasant to them than Idleness. If the Devil be so diligent, because he knoweth that his time is short,