A26951:98
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
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.
3. A sound belief of things invisible, will be so far an effectual spring of a holy life, as that you will [seek first the Kingdom of God, and its Righteousness,] Mat. 6.33. and not in your Resolutions only, but in your Practices, the bent of your lives will be for God, and your invisible felicity. It is not possible that you should see by faith, the wonders of the world to come, and yet prefer this world before it. A dead opinionative belief, may stand with a worldly fleshly life; but a working faith will make you stir, and make the things of God your business: and the labour and industry of your lives will show whether you soundly believe the things unseen.
3. A sound belief of things invisible, will be so far an effectual spring of a holy life, as that you will [seek first the Kingdom of God, and its Righteousness,] Mat. 6.33. and not in your Resolutions only, but in your Practices, the bent of your lives will be for God, and your invisible felicity. It is not possible that you should see by faith, the wonders of the world to come, and yet prefer this world before it. A dead opinionative belief, may stand with a worldly fleshly life; but a working faith will make you stir, and make the things of God your business: and the labour and industry of your lives will shew whether you soundly believe the things unseen.
4. If you savingly believe the invisible things, you will purchase them at any rate, and hold them faster than your worldly accommodations; and will suffer the loss of all things visible, rather than you will cast away your hopes of the glory which you never saw. A humane faith and bare opinion, will not hold fast when trial comes. For such men take Heaven but for a reserve, because they must leave earth against their wills, and are loth to go to Hell: but they are resolved to hold the world as long as they can, because their faith apprehendeth no such satisfying certainty of the things unseen, as will encourage them to let go all that they see, and have in sensible possession. But the weakest faith that's true and saving, doth habitually dispose the soul, to let go all the hopes and happiness of this world, when they are inconsistent with our spiritual hopes and happiness,