A26955:527
The mischiefs of self-ignorance and the benefits of self-acquaintance opened in divers sermons at…
The mischiefs of self-ignorance and the benefits of self-acquaintance opened in divers sermons at Dunstan's-West and published in answer to the accusations of some and the desires of others / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by R. White for F. Tyton, 1662
THE Mischief of Self-ignorance, AND Benefit of Self-acquaintance. › Part
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.
The same I may say of the Sacrament• […] the Lords supper. How sweet will i• […] to you, if you are assured that the […] Christ that is there represented as bro••• and bleeding for your sins, doth dwell […] in you by his spirit! What welcome en••••tainment would you expect and find, if y•• knew that you brought the feast and […] Master of the feast with you in your […] and had there entirely entertained […] with whom you expect communion in […] sacrament! How boldly and comfort••• would your hungry souls then feed […] him! with what refreshing acts of […] would you there take the sealed […] and pardon of your sins! whereas […] you come in fear• and doubting, and […] take the body and blood of Christ in […] Representations, with yo•• hand and mo••• while you know not whether you […] ⟨p. 371⟩[…] with the heart, and whether you have ••y special interest in him, O what a damp […] casteth on the soul! how it stifleth its ••pes and joys, and turneth the Sacrament which is appointed for their comfort, into ••eir greater trouble! It hath many a time ••ieved me to observe that no ordinance ••th cast many upright souls into greater perplexities, and discouragements, and ••stresses, then the Lords Supper; because ••ey come to it with double reverence, and […] the doubtings of their title, and questioning their preparedness, and by their fears of eating and drinking unworthily, their ••uls are utterly discomposed with perplexing passions, and turned from the pleasant •••rcise of faith, and the delightful intercourse that they should have with God; and ey are distempered and put out of relish […] all the sweetness of the Gospel: And […] they are frightened from the Sacrament by such sad experiences, and dare […] thither no more, for fear of eating judgement to themselves. And should o Christians labour to remove the cause of such miserable distracting fears, that so much wrong both Christ and them, and […] recover their well-grounded peace and comfort!