A26951:833
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 5: Directions how to live by Faith upon Gods Promises.
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.
And the large experience of this our age, confuteth this foresaid error of a particular belief: For we have abundance of instances of good people who were thus mistaken, and have ventured thereupon to conclude with confidence, that such a sick person shall be healed, and such a thing shall come to pass; when over and over the event hath proved contrary, and brought such confidence into contempt, upon the failing of it.
And the large experience of this our age, confuteth this foresaid errour of a particular belief: For we have abundance of instances of good people who were thus mistaken, and have ventured thereupon to conclude with confidence, that such a sick person shall be healed, and such a thing shall come to pass; when over and over the event hath proved contrary, and brought such confidence into contempt, upon the failing of it.
Direct. 11. Think not that because some strong imagination bringeth some promis• to your minds, that therefore it belongeth unto you, unless upon trial, the true meaning of it do extend to you.
Direct. 11. Think not that because some strong imagination bringeth some promis• to your minds, that therefore it belongeth unto you, unless upon tryal, the true meaning of it do extend to you.
Many and many an honest, ignorant, melancholy woman, ⟨p. 249⟩hath told me what abundance of sudden comfort they have had, because such a text was brought to their minds, and such a promise was suddenly set upon their hearts; when as they mistook the very sense of the promise, and upon true enquiry, t was nothing to their purpose. Yet it is best not rather to contradict those mistaken and ungrounded comforts of such persons: Because when they are godly, and have true right to ounder comforts, but cannot see it; it is better that they support themselves a while with such mistakes, than that they sink into despair. For though we may not offer them such mistakes, nor comfort them by a lie; yet we may permit that which we may not do (as God himself doth.) It is not at all times that we are bound to rectify other mens mistakes, viz. not when it will do them more harm than good.