A27004:431
The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural…
The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural evidence the being of God ... : the second part, of Christianity, proving by evidence supernatural and natural, the certain truth of the Christian belief ... / by Richard Baxter ... ; also an appendix defending the soul's immortality against the Somatists or Epicureans and other pseudo-philosophers.
London: printed by R. White for Fran. Titon, 1667
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.
He that is bound to obey, is certainly bound to resist all temptations to disobedience. For that is far from absolute or true obedience which will fail, if a man be but tempted to disobey. Kings and Parents will not accept of such obedience as this; they will not say, [Be true to me, and honour me, and obey me, till you are tempted to betray me, and to reproach me, and rebel.] He that will be false to God when he is tempted to it, was never true to him. No temptation can bring so much for sin, as God giveth us against it, nor can offer us so much gain, or honour, or pleasure by it, as he offereth us on condition we obey him. And that the world is full of such temptations, experience putteth past dispute, (of which, more anon.)
§. 7. No price can be offered by any Creature, which to a Subject of God should seem sufficient to hire him to the smallest sin.
Sin hath such aggravations (which shall be opened anon) that no gain or pleasure that cometh by it can counter-balance. There being no proportion between the Creature ⟨p. 68⟩and the Infinite Creator,1 there can nothing by, or of the Creature be proportionable, or considerable to be put into the balance against the Creator's Authority and Will. The command of Kings, the winning of Kingdoms, the pleasure of the flesh, the applause of all the world, if they are offered as a price or bait to hire or tempt a man to sin, should weigh no more against the command of God, than a feather in the balance against a Mountain. All this common reason will attest, however sense and appetite reclaim.
Sin hath such aggravations (which shall be opened anon) that no gain or pleasure that cometh by it can counter-ballance. There being no proportion between the Creature