A64984:43
The death of ministers improved. Or, an exhortation to the inhabitants of Horsley on…
The death of ministers improved. Or, an exhortation to the inhabitants of Horsley on Gloucester-shire, and others, on the much lamented death of that reverend and faithful minister of the Gospel, Mr. Henry Stubs By Tho. Vincent, John Turner, Rob. Perrott, M. Pemberton. To which is added a sermon upon that occasion, by Richard Baxter.The death of ministers improved. Or, an exhortation to the inhabitants of Horsley on Glocester-shire, and others, on the much lamented death of that reverend and faithful minister of the Gospel, Mr. Henry Stubbs By Tho. Vincent, John Turner, Rob. Perrott, M. Pemberton. To which is added a sermon upon that occasion, by Richard Baxter.
London : s.n., Printed in the year 1678
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.
Secondly, As you ought to watch over •our selves, so also to watch over one another, •hat so instead of one, there may be many watchmen amongst you. Watch over one another in reference to sin, and in reference to •uty. In reference to sin, both to prevent sin […] one another, and to restore such as are fallen […] it. Watch to prevent sin, so far as you have •ower; say not with Cain, Am I my brothers •eeper? As you ought not to murder the •odies of any, nor to suffer any (if you can •inder it) to murder themselves; so you ought •ot to murder the Souls of any, nor to permit •hem (if you can hinder it) to murder their •wn Souls: should you see any of your neighbours, or acquaintance, take Swords, or Daggers, and therewith to gash and wound them•lves, lift up their hands to thrust them into •heir hearts, would not you run to them, and •atch away those weapons and instruments of •eath from them? Would not you argue and •ead with them, to forbear the laying such violent hands upon themselves? By sin your neighbours wound themselves; if they wound […] their flesh, they wound their Spirit; if ⟨p. 38⟩they wound not their bodies, they wound their Souls; and as those wounds are most inward, so they are the most deep and dangerous; the wounds of sin are mortal wounds, and not only temporal death but eternal will be the effect of them, without a seasonable application of the blood of Christ. O do what you can to prevent sin in your friends, do what you can to arm them against Temptations, and to encourage them to resist the Devil; to expose themselves to any kind of sufferings and pains and to deny themselves any kind of delights and gains, rather than to offend God, and wound their Consciences by their sins.