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A69542
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Two sheets for poor families ... by Richard Baxter.
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Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.
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1665
(1665)
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Wing B1441; Wing B1403; ESTC R6530
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11,669
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17
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matter on the by Especially foâ— publick good and mens salvation And what you cannot do your selves perswade others to Give them good Books and draw them to the means which are most like to profit them XIII Vnderstand the right terms of Church-Communion especially the Unity of the Universal Church 1 Cor. 12. Eph. 4.3.16 Col. 1.4 Heb. 10.25 Acts 2.41 8.37.12 13. and the Universal Communion which you must hold with all the parts and the difference between the Church as Visible and Invisible For want of these how woful are our divisions Read oft 1 Cor. 12. Eph. 4.1 to 17. Iohn 17.21 22 23. Acts 4 32. 2.42 1 Cor. 1.10 11 13. 3.3 Rom. 16.17 Phil. 2. â— 2 3 4. 1 Thes 5.12 13. Acts 20 30. 1 Cor. 11.19 Titus 3 10. Iames 3. Study these well You must have Vnion and Communion in Faith and Love with all the Christians in the world And refuse not local communion when you have a just call so far as they put you not on sinning Let your usual meeting be with the purest Church if you lawfully may 1 Cor. 1.2 11.18 21. 3.3 4. 1.12 13. and still respect the publick good But sometimes occasionally communicate even with defective faulty Churches so be it they are true Christians and put you not on sin that so you may shew that you own them as Christians though you disown their corruptions Think not your presence maketh all the faults of Ministry Worship or people to be yours for then I would joyn with no Church in the world Know that as the mystical Church consisteth of Heart-Covenanters so doth the Church as Visible consist of Verbal-Covenanters which make a credible profession of Consent And that Nature and Scripture teacheth us to take every mans word as credible till perfidiousness forfeit his Credit which forfeiture must be proved before any sober Profession can be taken for an insufficient title Grudge not then at the Communion of any Professed Christian in the Church Visible Though we must do our part to cast out the obstinately impenitent by Discipline Mat. 13.41 which if we cannot do the fault is not ours The presence of hypocrites is no hurt but oft a mercy to the sincere How small else would the Church seem in the world Iohn 16.2 1 Cor. 1.10 Rom. 16.17 Iames 3.14 15 16 17 18. Outward priviledges belong to outward Covenanters and inward mercies to the sincere Division is wounding and tends to death Abhor it as you love the Churches welfare or your own The wisdom from above is first pure and then peaceable Never seperate what God conjoineth It is the Earthly sensual devilish wisdom which causeth bitter envying and strife and confusion and every evil work Blessed are the Peace-makers 1 Tim. 3.6 Col. 2.18 1 Cor. 8.1 1 Cor. 4.6 1 Tim. 6.4 1 Pet. 5.5 Iames 3.1.17 XIV Take heed of Pride and Self-conceitedness in Religion If once you overvalue your own understandings your crude conceptions and gross mistakes will delight you as some supernal light and instead of having compassion on the weak you will be unruly and despisers of your Guides and censorious contemners of all that differ from you and persecutors of them if you have power and will think all intollerable that take you not as Oracles and your words as Law Forget not that the Church hath alwayes suffered by censorious unruly professors on the one hand and O what divisions and scandals have they caused as well as by the prophane and persecutors on the other Take heed of both And when contentions are afoot be quiet and silent and not too forward and keep up a zeal for Love and Peace Eph. 5. 6. Col. 3. 4. Rom. 13.1.7 1 Pet. 2.13.15 XV. Be faithfull and conscionable in all your Relations Honour and obey your Parents and other superiors Despise not and resist not Government If you suffer unjustly by them be humbled for those sins which cause God to turn your Protectors into Afflicters and instead of murmuring and rebelling against them reform your selves and then commit your selves to God Princes and Pastors I will not speak to Subjects and servants and children must obey their superiors as the Officers of God XVI Keep up the Government of God in your families Command 4. Iâ—s 24.15 Deut. 6.6 7 8. Daniel 6. Holy Familâ—es must be chief preservers of the interest of Religion in the world Let not the world turn Gods service into a customary lifeless form Read the Scripture and edifying Books to them Talk with them serioâ—sly about the state of their souls and everlasting life Pray with them fervently Watch over them diligently Be angry against sin and meek in your own cause Be examples of Wisdome Holiness and Patience And see that the Lords Day be spent in holy preparation for Eternity XVII Let your Calling be managed in Holiness and Laboriousness Hâ—b 13.5 Command 4. 2 Thess 3.10.12 1 Thess 4.7 1 Tim. 5.13 Proverbs 31. 1 Cor. 7.29 Live not in idleness Be not slothful in your work whether you be bound or free In the swear of your browes you must eat your bread and labour the six dayes that you may have to give to him that needeth slothfulness is sensuality as well as filthier sins The body that is able must have fit employment as well as the soul or else body and soul will fare the worse But let all be but as the labour of a Traveller and aim at God and Heaven in all XVIII Deprive not your selves of the benefit of an able faithful Pastor Mâ—l 2.7 Eccles 4.10 11. Prov. 12.1 15.5.10.31 Hâ—b 3.13 to whom you may open your case in secret or at least of a holy faithful friend And be not displeased at their free reproofs Wo to him that is alone How blind and partial are we in our own cause And how hard is it to know our selves without an able faithful helper You forfeit this great mercy when yoâ— love a flatterer and angrâ—ly defend your sin XIX Prepare for sickness sufferings and death Overvalâ—e not prosperity Luke 12.40 2 Pet. 1.10 nor the favour of man If sâ—lfish men pâ—ove false and cruâ—l to you even those of whom you have deserved best marvel not at it but pray for your enemies persecutors and slanderers Phil. 1.21 23. Ierem. 9 4 5. Mat. 7.4 5. 2 Cor. 5.1 2 4 8. that God would turn their hearts and pardon them What a mercy is it to be driven from the world to God When the Love of the world is the greatest danger of the soul Be ready to die and you are ready for any thing Ask your hearts seriously what is it that I shall need at a dying hour and let it speedily be got ready and not be to seek in the time of your extremity XX. Understand the true method of Peace of Conscience Exod. 34.6 Heb. 7.25 Iohn 4.41 Iohn 3.16 1 Tim. 4.10
to the Father and of Faith in Christ to kindle and keep alive the Love of God The Love of God is our Primitive Holiness and specially called with its fruits Our Sanctification which Faith in Christ is but a Means to Let it be your principal end in studying Christ to see the Goodness Love and Amiableness of God in him A condemning God is not so easily loved as a Gracious Reconciled God You have so much of the Spirit as you have Love to God This is the proper guift of the Spirit to all the Adopted Sons of God to cause them with filial affection and dependance to cry Abba Father Know not desire not love not any creature but purely as subordinate to God! Without him let it be Nothing to you But as the Glass without the face or scattered Letters without the sense or as the corpse without the soul Call nothing Prosperity or pleasure but his Love Psalm 30.5 and nothing adversity or misery but his displeasure and the cause and fruits of it When any thing would seem Lovely and desireable which is against him call it Dung Psalm 63.3 Phil. 3.7 8. Matth. 16.23 2 Thess 3.5 2 Cor. 13.14 And hear that man as Satan or the Serpent that would entise you from Him count him but Vanity a Worm and dust that would affright you from your duty to Him Fear him much but Love him more Let Love be the soul and End of every other duty It is the end and Reason of all the rest but it hath no End or Reason but its Object Think of no other Heaven and End and Happiness of man but LOVE the final act and GOD the final object Place not your Religion in any thing but the Love of God with its means and fruits Own no grief desire or joy but a Mourning a Seeking and a Rejoicing Love V. Live in the Belief and Hopes of Heaven and seek it as your part and end and daily Delight your souls in the forethoughts Col. 3.1 2 4. Mat. 6.19 20 1.33 2 Cor. 4.17 18. 5.7 Luke 12.20 Heb. 6.20 1 Cor. 15.28 Ephes 4.6 1.23 Phil. 3.18.20 Ps 73.25 26. Iohn 18.36 of the endless sight and Love of God As God is seen on earth but as in a glass so is he proportionably enjoyed But when mourning seeking Love hath done and sin and enemies are overcome and we behold the Glory of God in Heaven the Delights of Love will then be perfect You may desire more on Earth than you may Hope for Look not for a Kingdom of this world nor for Mount Zion in the wilderness Christ Reigneth on Earth as Moses in the Camp to guide us to the Land of Promise Our perfect blessedness will be where the Kingdome is delivered up to the Father and God is All in All. A doubt or a strange heartless thought of Heaven is Water cast on the Sacred fire to quench your Holiness and your Joy Can you travel one whole day to sâ—ch an End and never think of the place that you are going to which must be intended in every righteous act either notedly or by the ready unobserved act of a potent habit When Earth is at the best it will not be Heaven You live no further by Faith like Christians then you either live for Heaven in seeking it or else upon Heaven in Hope and Ioy. VI. Labour to make Religion your pleasure and delight Look oft to God to Heaven to Christ to the Spirit to the Promises to all your mercies call over your experiences Psalm 1.2 3. 84.2.10 63.3.5 37.4 94.19 119.47.70 Isa 58.14 Psalm 112.1 Romans 14.17 5.1 3 5. 1 Pet. 1.8 Mat. 5.11 12. Psalm 32.11 and think what matter of high Delight is still before you And how unseemly it is and how injurious to your profession for one that saith he Hopeth for Heaven to live as sadly as those that have no higher Hopes than Earth How should that man be filled with joy who must live in the joys of Heaven for ever Especially rejoyce when the messengers of Death do tell you that your Endless Joy is neer If God and Heaven with all our mercies in the way be not Reason enough for a joyful life there can be none at all Abhor all suggestions which would make Religion seem a tedious inksome life And take heed that you represent it not so to others For you will never make them in Love with that which you make them not perceive to be delectable and lovely Not as the Hypocrite by forcing and framing his Religion to his Carnal mind and pleasure but bringing up the heart to a holy suitableness to the pleasures of Religion VII Watch as for your souls against this flattering tempting world Gal. 6.14 1 Ioh 2.15 16. Iames 1.27 4.4 5. 1 Iohn 5.4 5. Rom. 12.2 Gal. 1.4 Titus 2.12 Mat. 19.24 Luk. 12.16.21 16.25 Iames 1.11 5.1.2.4 Luke 8.14 Hâ—b 11.26 especially when it is represented as more sweet and delectable than God and Holiness and Heaven This world with its Pleasure Wealth and Honours is it that is put in the ballance by Satan against God and Holiness and Heaven And no man shall have better than he chooseth and preferreth The bait taketh advantage of the brutish part when Reason is asleep and if by the help of sense it get the Throne the Beast wâ—ll ride and rule the Man and Reason become a slave to Sensuality When you hear the Serpent see his sting and see Death attending the forbâ—dden fruit When you are Rising look down and see how far you have to fall His Reason as well as faith is weak who for such fool-gawds as the pomp and vanities of this world can forget God and his soul and death and judgement Heaven and Hell yea and deliberately command them to stand by What Kâ—owlâ—dgâ— or Experience can do good on that man who will venture so much for such a world which all that have â—â—yed it call Vanity at the last How deplorate then is a worldlings case O fear the world when it smileth or seems sweet and amiable Love it not if you Love your God and your salvation VIII Fly from temptations and crucifie the flesh Rom. 8.1.13 Gal. 5.24 Rom. 13.14 Gal. 5.17 Iude 8.23 2 Pet. 2.10 Eph. 2.3 1 Pet. 2.11 Mat. 6.13 26.41 Luke 8.13 and keep a constant Government over your appetite and senses Many who had no designed stated vice of worldly interest have shamfully fallen by the sudden surprize of appetite or lust When custome hath taught these to be greedy and violent like a hungry Dog or a lusting Bore it is not a flâ—ggish wish or purpose that will mortifie or rule them How dangerous a case is that man in who hath so greedy a Beast continually to restrain that if he do but neglect his watch one hour is ready to run him headlong into hell Who can be safe that standeth