A27038:196
A sermon of judgement preached at Pauls before the Honourable Lord Major and aldermen…A sermon of iudgement preached at Pauls before the Honourable Lord Maior and aldermen…
A sermon of judgement preached at Pauls before the Honourable Lord Major and aldermen of the city of London, Dec. 17, 1654 and now enlarged / Rich. Baxter.A sermon of iudgement preached at Pauls before the Honourable Lord Maior and aldermen of the city of London, Dec. 17, 1654 and now enlarged / Rich. Baxter.
London: printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons, 1655
Title page typeset from the transcription.
A SERMON Of Judgement, Preached at Pauls before the Honourable Lord… › Part 9
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 nineteenth Excuse. But I lived among so many baits, which enticed this flesh, that I could not resist them. My meat was a snare ⟨p. 134⟩to me, my drink a snare, my clothes, my house, my land a snare, every beauty that I saw was a snare: and the better all these were the stronger was my snare. If God would not have had my heart ensnared and drawn from him, he should not have put so many baits in my way. Yea and they were so Near to me, and Daily with me, that though I was resolved to forbear them before, yet when they were brought to my hand, I could not forbear.
The ninteenth Excuse. But I lived among so many baits, which enticed this flesh, that I could not resist them. My meat was a snare ⟨p. 134⟩to me, my drink a snare, my cloaths, my house, my land a snare, every beauty that I saw was a snare: and the better all these were the stronger was my snare. If God would not have had my heart ensnared and drawn from him, he should not have put so many baits in my way. Yea and they were so Neer to me, and Daily with me, that though I was resolved to forbeare them before, yet when they were brought to my hand, I could not forbeare.
Answ. Is this the thanks that God hath for his mercies? He s•nt you all these as favours from his own hand: He wrote his own name upon them, that in them you might see his power, and wisdom, and goodness, and so be led up to the Consideration of him, that you might fall in love with himself, who was the fountain, the life, the end of all▪ And do you ⟨p. 135⟩overlook God in the creature, and live as without him in the world, and dote upon that which should have drawn you to himself▪ and then lay the blame on God? If he send a Suitor to speak to you in his name, and write you a love Letter with his own hand, will you fall in Love with the Messenger, or the Letter, and neglect the Sender, and then blame him that wrote his letter on so fair a paper, or in so neat a hand, or that sent it by such a comely Messenger? Certainly, these Excuses are too gross, to take with the wise and righteous God, or to seem sufficient to a well-informed Conscience.