Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, or, Mr. Richard Baxters narrative of the most memorable passages of his…

The following History takes a considerable compass (from A. D. 1615. to 1684.) and it will entertain the Reader with no small variety of useful and delightful Matter•• You have here the History of God's early, kind, and powerful Dealings with himself, so as to enprinciple and train him up as a Christian: and how God touched and fixed his Soul for himself in Christian Bonds. God cast that Mantle on him which made his heart to turn and stand towards him; and be most ambitious of, and solicitous about his pardon from, fellowship with, devotedness to, and living with God in the heavenly glory. Then God acquainted him with his natural, degenerate and lost self, till Christ by Grace befriended and relieved him. When making towards, and brought to Christ, he is presently and sensibly engaged in secret and open War with Satan and his own self. And here his Conflicts and Temptations are gradually and wisely ordered him, and let loose upon him; but every way suited to his strength and benefit. His Exercises were and must be such as shall put him to deep Thoughts, close Studies, strict Guards and Watchings, fervent Prayer, and a quick sense of the Necessity of daily help from Heaven. And Satan is permitted to attack him in all the Articles of his Christian Faith, and in the Foundation of his Heavenly Hopes. He was so severely urged by Satan to Atheism, Scepticism, Infidelity, and followed with such perplexing Difficulties and amazing Intricacies about both Natural and Revealed Religion, as that he had concerned and earnest breathings after, value of, and resolution for full Satisfaction about both the Foundations and Superstructure of Religion. Slight Studies, precarious though confident Assertions, the Public Vogue and Suffrages of Men, Worldly Interests, Popular Applauses, and Fleshly Ease, could set no stints and limits to his inquisitive Mind and painful Searches. His Soul ever lay open to Evidence: His Eye was first upon the Matter to find out that: he then considered Words as the fit Portraitures of Things, and Representations of Humane Apprehensions to mutual Information about Things and Words. And when he observed Words to be so equivocal, and of such lax, uncertain sense, he was ever careful to give Expressions their strict and just Interpretations, and to be clear about the fixed sense of doubtful Terms.