A26955:638
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.
2. THE second Intrinsical Impediment to self-acquaintance is an unreasonable tenderness of our selves; when an inordinate Love of ease and quietness of mind doth prevail with us to hold fast all that thus quieteth us at the present, without regard of due provision for the time to come; In this there is a mixture of unreasonableness and self-love: It is indeed the very brutish disposition. A beast will not willingly be dieted for his future health: Let him have at present what he loveth and you please him, though you feed him for the slaughter! for he hath not reason to foresee what followeth: An ox must be bound and cast and held down by force, if you will shoo him, though it be to the keeping of his feet from hurt; or if you will pull out a thorn, or do any thing for his good that hurteth him at the present: you please not ⟨p. 476⟩your horse by letting him blood, though you save his life by it. Fleshly-minded men have thus brutified themselves, so that they judge of things by present feeling, and have not Reason and Faith to look before them, and judge of things by what they tend to; even by the good or hurt that will follow in the end. It is a very terrible troublesome thing, for a man that is unregenerate, unjustified, and unreconciled to God, to know it; For a man that hath any feeling left, to find himself in a state of condemnation: This is to stir up all the terrors of his soul, and cast him into perplexing fears and disquietments of mind; so that he cannot eat, or drink, or sleep in quietness, but the troublesome thoughts of sin and everlasting wrath torment him: And the inconsiderable man that judgeth of things by present feeling, will not endure this; and therefore must needs have the windows shut, and the light removed that showeth him these perplexing sights: As most men hate those that speak against them, be the matter never so true; so they cannot endure those thoughts that do accuse them, nor to have a reprover so near them, even in their own breasts: A Conscience within them, to preach to them night and ⟨p. 477⟩