A26951:487
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 2 › Chapter 8: The rest of the Directions for strengthening our 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.
Direct. 8. Dwell not too much on sensual objects, and let them not come too near your hearts.
Three things I here persuade you carefully to avoid: 1. That you keep your hearts at a meet distance from all things in this world; that they grow not too sweet to you, nor too great in your esteem: 2. That you gratify not sense it self too much; and live not in the pleasing of your taste or lust: 3. That you suffer not your imaginations to run out greedily after things sensitive, nor make them the too frequent objects of your thoughts.
Three things I here perswade you carefully to avoid: 1. That you keep your hearts at a meet distance from all things in this world; that they grow not too sweet to you, nor too great in your esteem: 2. That you gratifie not sense it self too much; and live not in the pleasing of your taste or lust: 3. That you suffer not your imaginations to run out greedily after things sensitive, nor make them the too frequent objects of your thoughts.
You may ask perhaps, what is all this to our faith? why, the life of faith is exercised upon things that are not seen: And if you live upon the things that are seen, and imprison your soul in the fetters of your concupiscence, and fill your fancies with things of another nature, how can you be acquainted with the life of faith? Can a bird fly that hath a stone tied to her foot? Can you have a mind full of lust, and of God at once? Or can that mind that is used to these inordinate sensualities, be fit to relish the things that are spiritual? And can it be a lover of earth, and fleshly pleasures, and also a Believer and lover of Heaven?
You may ask perhaps, what is all this to our faith? why, the life of faith is exercised upon things that are not seen: And if you live upon the things that are seen, and imprison your soul in the fetters of your concupiscence, and fill your fancies with things of another nature, how can you be acquainted with the life of faith? Can a bird flye that hath a stone tyed to her foot? Can you have a mind full of lust, and of God at once? Or can that mind that is used to these inordinate sensualities, be fit to rellish the things that are spiritual? And can it be a lover of earth, and fleshly pleasures, and also a Believer and lover of Heaven?