Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A26936
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The grand question resolved, what we must do to be saved instructions for a holy life / by the late Reverend Divine, Mr. Richard Baxter ; recommended to the bookseller a few days before his death to be immediately printed for the good of souls.
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Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.
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1692
(1692)
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Wing B1279; ESTC R14371
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33,250
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49
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Conscience bear witness against thy Sin and tell thee that a holy Life is best regard not the Gain-sayings of a Bediam World which is drunk with the Delusions of the Flesh But give up thy Soul and Life to God by Jesus Christ in a faithful Covenant Delay no longer Man but resolve Resolve immediately resolve unchangeably And God will he thine and thou shalt be his for ever Amen Lord have Mercy on this Sinner and to let it be resolved by thee in him II. The Parts and Practice of a Holy Life for Personal and Family Instructions ALL is not not done when men have begun a Religious Life All Trees that blossom prove not fruitful and all Fruit comes not to perfection Many fall off who seemed to have good Beginnings And many dishonour the Name of Christ by their Scandals and Infirmities Many do grieve their Teachers Hearts and lamentably disturb the Church of Christ by their Ignorance Errors Self-conceitedness Unruliness Headiness Contentiousness Sidings and Divisions Insomuch that the Scandals and the Feuds of Christians are the great Impediments of the Conversion of the Infidel and Heathen World by the exposing Christianity to their contempt and scorn as if it were but the Error of men as unholy and worldly and proud as others that can never agree among themselves And many by their Passions and Selfishness are a Trouble to the Families and Neighbours where they live And more by their Weaknesses and great Distempers are Snares Vexations and Burdens to themselves Whereas Christianity in its true Constitution is a Life of such Holy Light and Love such Purity and Peace such Fruitfulness and Heavenliness as if it were accordingly shewed forth in the Lives of Christians would command Admiration and Reverence from the World and do more to their Conversion than Swords or Words alone can do and it would make Christians useful and amiable to each other And their Lives a Feast and pleasure to themselves I hope it may prove some help to these Excellent Ends and to the securing Mens Salvation if in a few sound Experienced Directions I open to you the Duties of a Christian Life I. Keep still the true Form of Christian Doctrine Desire and Duty orderly printed on your Minds That is Understand it clearly and distinctly and remember it I mean the Great Points of Religion contained in Catechisms You may still grow in the clearer understanding of your Catechisms if you live an hundred Years Let not the Words only but the Matter be as familiar in your Minds as the Rooms of your House are Such solid Knowledge will establish you against Seduction and Unbelief and will be still within you a ready Help for every Grace and every Duty as the Skill of an Artificer is for his Work And for want of this when you come among Infidels or Hereticks their Reasonings may seem unanswerable to you and shake if not overthrow your Faith And you will easily err in lesser Points and trouble the Church with your Dreams and Wranglings This is the Calamity of many Professors that while they will be most censorious Judges in every Controversie about Church-matters they know not well the Doctrine of the Catechism II. Live daily by Faith on Jesus Christ as the Mediator between God and you Being well-grounded in the Belief of the Gospel and understanding Christ's Office make use of him still in all your Wants Think on the Fatherly Love of God as coming to you through him alone and of the Spirit as given by him your Head and of the Covenant of Grace as enacted and sealed by him and of the Ministry as sent by him and of all Times and Helps and hopes as procured and given by him When you think of Sin and Infirmity and Temptations think also of his sufficient pardoninâ— justifying and victorious Grace When thou thinkest of the World the Flesh and the Devil think how he overcometh them Let his Doctrine and the Pattern of his most perfect Life be always before you as your Rule In all your Doubts and Fears and Wants go to him in the Spirit and to the Father by him and him alone Take him as the Root of your Life and Mercies and live as upon him and by his Life and when you die resign your Souls to him that they may be with him where he is and see his Glory To live on Christ and use him in every Want and address to God is more than a general confused Believing in him III. So believe in the Holy Ghost as to live and work by him as the Body doth by the Soul You are not baptized into his Name in vain but too few understand the sense and reason of it The Spirit is sent by Christ for Two great Works 1. To the Apostles and Prophets to inspire them infallibly to preach the Gospel and confirm it by Miracles and leave it on Record for following Ages in the Holy Scriptures 2. To all his Members to illuminate and sanctifie them to believe and obey this Sacred Doctrine beside his common Gift to many to understand and preach it The Spirit having first indicted the Gospel doth by it first regenerate and after govern all true Believers He is not now given â—s for the revealing of new Doctrines but to understand and obey the Doctrine revealed and sealed by him long ago As the Sun doth by its sweet and discreet Influence both give and cherish the natural life of things Sensitive and Vegetative so doth Christ by his Spirit our spiritual Life As you do no work but by your natural Life you should do none but by your spiritual Life You must not only Believe and Love and pray by it but manage all your Calling by it for Holiness to the lord must be written upon all All things are sanctified to you because you being sanctified to God devote all to him and use all for him and therefore must do all in the Strength and Conduct of the Spirit IV. Live wholly upon God as All in All As the first Efficient principal Dirigent and final Cause of all things Let Faith Hope and Love be daily feeding on him Let Our Father which art in Heaven be first inscribed on your Hearts that he may seem most amiable to you and you may boldly trust him and filial Love may be the spring of Duty Make use of the Son and Spirit to lead you to the Father and of Faith in Christ to kindle and keep alive the Love of God God's Love is our Primitive Holiness and especially 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 Gift of the Spirit
Death they shall be gloriâ—â—ed with him in Heaven for ever And the Unbelievers Impenitent and Ungodly shall go to everâ—â—sting Punishment And having commanded his Apostles to Preach the Gospel to all the World and promised his Spirit he ascended into Heaven Where he is the Glorified Head over all Things to the Church and our prevailing Intercessor with the Father who will there receive the departed Souls of thâ— Justified and at the end of this VVorld will come again and raise all the Dead and will Judge all according to their VVorks and justly execute his Judgment III. I believe that God the Holy Spirit was given 〈◊〉 the Father and the Son to the Prophets Apostles 〈◊〉 Evangelists to be their Infallible Guide in Preachâ—â—â— and Recording the Doctrine of Salvation and the Witness of its certain Truth by his manifold Divine Operations and to quicken illuminate and sanctifie all true Believers that they may overcome the Flesh thâ— VVorld and the Devil And all that are thus sanctified are one holy Catholick Church of Christ and mâ—â—â— live in holy Câ—mmunion and have the pardon 〈◊〉 their Sins and shall have everlasting Life Believing in God the Father Son and Holy Spirit do presently absolutely and resolved 〈◊〉 give up my self to him my Creator and reconciled God and Father my Saviour and Sanctifier And repenting of my Sins I renounce the Devil the World and the sinful desireâ— of the Flesh And denying my self and taking up mâ— Cross I consent to follow Christ the Captain 〈◊〉 my Salvation in hope of his promised Grace and Glory A Short CATECHISM for those that havâ—â— Learned the first Quest 1. WHat do you believe concerning GOD 1 Assent Answ There is one onely God aâ— Infinite Spirit of Life Understanding and Will mâ—â—â— perfectly Powerful Wise and Good The Father the Word and the Spirit The Creator Governour and end of all things Our Absolute Owner our most Just Ruler and our most Gracious and most Amiâ—ble Father Quest 2. What believe you of the Creation and the nature of Man and the Law which was given to him Answ God created all the World And made MAN in his own Image an imbodied Spirit of Life Understanding and Will with holy Liveliness Wisdom and Love to know and love and serve has Maker here and for ever and gave him the inferiour Creatures for his use But forbad him to eat of the Tree of Knowledge upon pain of Death Qu. What believe you of Man's fall into sin and misery Ans Man being tempted by Satan did by wilful sinning fall from his Holiness his Innocency and his Happiness under the Justice of God the condemnation of his Law and the slavery of the Flesh the World and the Devil whence sinful guilty and miserable Natures are propagated to all Mankind And no meer Creature is able to deliver us Quest 4. What believe you of Man's Redemption by Jesus Christ Answ God so loved the World that he gave his only Son to be their Saviour Who being GOD and One with the Father took our Nature and became MAN being conceived by the Holy Ghost Born of the Virgin Mary and called JESUS CHRIST who was perfectly holy without sin fulfilling all Righteousness and overcame the Devil and the World and gave himself a Sacrifice for our Sins by suffering a Cursed Death on the Cross to ransom us and reconcile us unto God and was buried and went among the Dead the third day he rose again having conquered Death and having sealed the New Covenant with his Blood he commanded his Apostles and other Ministers to Preach the Gospel to all the World and promised the Holy Ghost And then Ascended into Heaven where he is God and Man the Glorified Head over all things to his Church and our prevailing Intercessor with God the Father Quest 5. What is the New Testament or Covenant 〈◊〉 Law of Grace Answ God through Jesus Christ doth freely give to all Mankind himself to be their Reconciled God and Father his Son to be their Saviour and his Holy Spirit to be their Sanctifier if they will believe and accept the Gift and will give up themselves to him accordingly Repenting of their sins and consenting to forsake thâ— Devil the World and the Flesh and sincerely though not perfectly to obey Christ and his Spirit to the end according to the Law of Nature and his Gospel Institutions that they may be glorified in Heaven for ever Quest 6. What believe you of the Holy Ghost Answ God the Holy Spirit was given by the Father and the Son to the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists to be their Infallible Guide in Preaching and Recording the Doctrine of Salvation and the Witness of its certain Truth by his manifold Divine Operations And he is given to quicken illuminate and sanctifie all true Believers and to save them from the Devil the World and the Flesh Quest 7. What believe you of the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints and the Forgiveness of Sins Answ All that truely consent to the Baptismal Covenant are one sanctified Church or Body of Christ and have Communion in the same Spirit of Faith and Love and have the forgiveness of all their sins and all that by Baptism visibly Covenant and that continue to profess Christianity and Holiness are the universal visible Church on Earth and must keep holy Communion with Love and Peace in the particular Churches in the Doctrine VVorship and Order Instituted by Christ Quest 8. What believe you of the Resurrection and Everlasting Life Answ At Death the Souls of the Justified go to Happiness with Christ and the Souls of the Wicked â—o Misery And at the end of this World Christ will â—ome in Glory and will raise the Bodies of all Men â—rom Death and will Judge all according to their Works And the Righteous shall go into Everlasting Life where being made perfect themselves they shall 〈◊〉 God and perfectly Love and Praise him with Christâ— and all the glorified Church and the rest into Everâ—asting punishment Quest 9. You have told me what you Il. Consent Believe Tell me now what is the full Resolution and Desire of your Will concerning all this which you Believe Answ Believing in God the Father Son and Holy â—pirit I do presently absolutely and resolvedly give up my self to Him my Creator and reconciled God and Father my Saviour and my Sanctifier And Repenting of my Sins I renounce the Devil the World and the sinful desires of the Flesh And denying my self and taking up my Cross I consent to follow Christ the Captain of my Salvation In hope of the Grace and Glory promised Which I daily desire and â—eg as he hath taught me saying Our Father which 〈◊〉 in Heaven c. Quest 10. What is that Practice which by this Covenant 〈◊〉 are obliged to Answ According to the Law of Nature and Christs â—nstitutions I must desiring Perfection sincerely Obey him in a Life of Faith and Hope and