A26951:919
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.
2. Some of them will trust God for the saving of their souls, and the life to come (or rather presume on him, while they call it trusting him) but they will not trust him with their bodies, their wealth, and honours, and fleshly pleasures, or their lives. These they are resolved to shift for, and secure themselves, as well as they can. For they know that for the world to come, they must be at Gods disposal, and they have no way of their own to shift out of his hands: whether there be such a life or no, they know not; but if there be, they will cast their souls upon Gods mercy, when they have kept the world as long as they can, and have had all that it can do for them. But they will not lose their present part, for such uncertain hopes as they account them.
3. Some of them will trust him only in pretence and name, while it is the creature which they trust indeed. Because they have learned to say, that God is the disposer of all, and only to be trusted, and all creatures are but used by his will; therefore they think that when they trust the creature, it is but in subordination to God; though indeed they trust not God at all.
4. Some of them will trust God and the creature jointly; and as they serve God and Mammon, and think to make sure of the prosperity of the body, and the salvation of the soul, without losing either of them; so they trust in both conjunctly, to make up their felicity. Some think when they read Christs words, Mark 10.24. How hard is it for them that trust in Riches, to enter into the Kingdom of God?] that they are safe enough if that be all the danger; for they do not trust in their riches, though they love them: He is a mad man they say, that will put his trust in them. And yet Christ intimateth it as the true reason why few that have riches can be saved, because there is few that have riches, who do not trust in them: You know that riches will not save your souls; you know that they will not save you from the grve, you know that