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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	work_n	world_n	wrong_n	15	3	8.3451	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27062	Two treatises tending to awaken secure sinners viz., 1. The terror of the day of judgment, from 2 Cor. 5. 10, 2. The danger of slighting Christ and his Gospel, from Matth. 22. 5 / by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. Terror of the day of judgment.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. Danger of slighting Christ and his gospel.	1696 (1696)	Wing B1443; ESTC R16419	109,733	266

TWO TREATISES Tending to awaken Secure Sinners Viz. 1. The Terror of the Day of Judgment from 2 Cor. 5. 10. 2. The Danger of slighting Christ and his Gospel from Matth. 22. 5. By RICHARD BAXTER The Gift of the Author LONDON Printed for Jonas Luntley at the Three Bibles in Little Lincolns-Inn-fields 1696. To the Ignorant or Careless Reader SEeing the Providence of God hath commanded forth these plain Discourses I shall hope upon Experience of his dealing in the like Cases with me that he hath some work for them to do in the World Who knows but they were intended for the saving of thy Soul by opening thine Eyes and awaking thee from thy Sin who art now in reading of them Be it known to thee it is the certain Truth of God and of high Concernment to thy Soul that they treat of and therefore require thy most sober Consideration Thou hast in them how weakly soever managed by me an Advantage put into thy Hand from God to help thee in the greatest Work in the World even to prepare for the great approaching Judgment and not to slight Christ and his Gospel In the Name of God I require thee cast not away this Advantage Turn not away thine Ears or Heart from this warning that is sent to thee from the living God! Seeing all the World cannot keep thee from Judgment let not all the World be able to keep thee from a speedy and serious Preparation for it Do it presently lest God come before thou art ready Do it seriously lest the Tempter over-reach thee and thou shouldst found among the foolish Self-deceivers when it is too late to do it better I intreat this of thee on the behalf of thy Soul and as th● und●●●st thy everlasting Peace with God that 〈◊〉 wouldest afford these Matters thy deepest Consideràtion Think on them whether they are not true and weighty Think of them lying down and rising up And seeing this small Book is faln into thy hands all that I would beg of thee concerning it is that thou wouldst bestow now and then an Hour to read it and read it to thy Family or Friends as well as to thy self and as you go consider what you read and pray to the Lord to help it to thy Heart and to assist thee in the Practice that it may not rise up in Judgment against thee If thou have not leisure at other take now and then an Hour on the Lord's Days or at Night to that purpose and if any Passage through brevity specially near th● Beginning seem dark to thee read it again and again and ask the help of an Instructer that thou mayest understand it May it but help thee out of the Snares of Sin and promote the saving of thy Immortal Soul and thy Comfortable Appearance at the great Day of Christ I have the thing which I intended and desired The Lord open thy Heart and accompany his Truth with the Blessing of his Spirit Amen A Discourse of the Terror of the Day of Judgment 2 Cor. 5. 10 11. For we must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his Body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Knowing therefore the Terrors of the Lord we perswade Men. IT is not unlikely that some of those Wits that are taken more with things new than with things necessary will marvel that I choose so common a Subject and tell me that they all know this already But I do it purposely upon these following Considerations 1. Because I well know it is these common Truths that are the great and necessary things which Mens everlasting Happiness or Misery doth most depend upon You may be ignorant of many Controversies and in●eriour Points without the Danger of your ●ouls but so you cannot of these Fundamentals ● Because it 's apparent by the Lives of Men that few know these common Truths savingly that think they know them 3. Because there are several Degrees of knowing the same Truths and the best are imperfect in Degree the principal Growth in Knowledg that we should look after is not to know more Matters than 〈◊〉 knew before but to know that better and with a clearer Light and firmer Apprehension which we da●kly and slightly knew before You may more safely be without any Knowledg at all of many lower Truths than without some ●arther Degree of the Knowledg of those which you already know 4. Besides it is known by sad Experience that many perish who know the Truth for want of the Consideration of it and making use of what they know and so their Knowledg doth but condemn them We have as much need therefore to teach and help you to get these Truths which you know into your Hearts and Lives as to tell you more 5. And indeed it is the Impression of these great and Master-Truths wherein the Vitals and Essentials of God's Image upon the Soul of Man doth consist and it is these Truths that are the very Instruments of the great Works that are to be done upon the Heart by the Spirit and our selves In the right use of these it is that the principal Part of the Skill and holy Wisdom of a Christian doth consist and in the diligent and constant Use of these lieth the Life and Trade of Christianity There is nothing amiss in Mens Hearts or Lives but is for want of sound Knowing and Believing or well using these Fundamentals 6. And moreover methinks in this Choice of my Subject I may expect this Advantage with the Hearers that I may spare that Labour that else would be necessary for the Proof of my Doctrine and that I may also have easier Access to your Hearts and have a suller Stroak at them and with less Resistance If I came to tell you of any thing not Common I know not how far I might expect Belief from you You might say These things are uncertain to us or all Men are not of this Mind But when every Hearer confesseth the Truth of my Doctrine and no Man can deny it without denying Christianity it self I hope I may expect that your Hearts should the sooner receive the Impression of this Doctrine and the sooner yield to the Duties it directs you to and the easier let go the Sins which from so certain a Truth shall be discovered The Words of my Text are the Reason which the Apostle giveth both of his perswading other Men to the Fear of God and his Care to approve to God his own Heart and Life They contain the Assertion and Description of the Great Judgment and one Use which he makes of it It assureth us that judged we must be and who must be so judged and by whom and about what and on what Terms and to what End The meaning of the Words so far as is necessary I shall give you briefly We all both we Apostles that preach the Gospel and you that hear it

Grace and did partake of some of the Redeemer's Mercy Tho the Gospel came not to all yet all ●ad that Mercy which could come from no other Foun●in but his Blood and which should have brought them ●●arer to Christ than they were though it were not ●fficient to bring them to Belief and which should ●ave led them to Repentance Romans 2. 4. For ●e neglecting of which they justsy perish and not ●eerly for sinning against the Law that was given Man in ●nnocency Were that so Christ would not judg them 〈◊〉 Redeemer and that for the Abuse or not Improvement of his Talents as he tells us he will do Mat. ●5 per to●um 4. If God will be the Judg then none can expect ●y any Shifts or Indirect Means to escape at that Day For how should it be 1. It is not possible that any should keep out of Sight or hide their Sin and the Evil of their Actions and so delude the Judg God will not be mocked now nor deceived then Gal. 6. 7. they grosly deceive themselves that imagine any such thing God must be Omni●cient and All-seeing or he cannot be God Should you ●ide your Cause from Men and from Devils and be ignorant of it your selves yet cannot you hide it from God Never did there a Thought pass thy Heart or a Word pass thy Mouth which God was not acquainted with and as he knows them so doth he observe them He ●s not as impersect Man taken up with other Business so that he cannot mind All. As easy is it with him t● observe every Thought or Word or Action of thine as if he had but that one in the World to observe and ●s easy to observe each particular Sinner as if he had not another Creature to look after in the World He is a Fool indeed that thinks now that God takes no notice of him Ezek. 8. 12. and 9. 9. or that thinketh then to escape in the Croud He that found out one Guest that had not on a Wedding-Garment Mat. 22. 12. will then find out every unholy Soul and give him so sad a Salutation as shall make him speechless Joh. 11. 11. For he knoweth vain Man be seech Wickedness also and will be not consider it 2. It is not possible that any should escape at that Day by any Tricks of Wit and false Reasoning in their own Defence God knoweth a sound Answer from an unsound and a Truth from a Lie Righteousness may be perverted here on Earth by out-witting the Judg but so will it not be then To hope any of this is to hope that God will not be God It is in vain then for the unholy Man to say he is holy or for any Sinner to deny or excuse or extenuate his Sin to bring forth the Counterfeit of any Grace and plead with God any Shells of hypocritical Performances and to think to prove a Title to Heaven by any thing short of God's Condition all these will be vain Attempts 3. And as impossible will it prove by Fraud or Flattery by Perswasion or Bribery or by any other Means to pervert Justice by turning the Mind of God who is the Judg Fraud and Flattery Bribery and Importunity may do much with weak Men but with God they will do nothing Were he changeable and partial he were not God 4. If God be Judg you may see the Cavils of Infidels are foolish when they ask How long will God be in trying and judging so many Persons and taking an Account of so many Words and Thoughts and Deeds Sure it will be a long Time and a difficult Work As if God were as Man that knoweth not things till he seek out their Evidence by particular Signs Let these Foo●s understand if they have any Understanding that the infinite God can shew to every Man at once all the Thoughts and Words and Actions that ever he hath been guilty of And in the twink of an Eye even at one view can make all the World to see their Ways and their Deservings causing their Consciences and Memories to present them all before them in such a sort as shall be equivalent to a verbal Debate Psal 50. 21 22. he will set them in Order before them 5. If Jesus Christ be the Judg then what a Comfort must it needs be to his Members that he shall be Judg that loved them to the Death and whom they loved above their Lives and he who was their Rock of Hope and Strength and the Desire and Delight of their Souls 6. And if Jesus Christ must be the Judg what Confusion will it bring to the Faces of his Enemies and of all that set light by him in the Day of their Visitation to see Mercy turned against them and he that died for them now ready to condemn them and that Blood and Grace which did aggravate their Sin to be pleaded against them to the Increase of their Misery How sad will this be 7. If the God of Love and Grace and Truth be Judg then no Man need to fear any Wrong No Subtlety of the Accuser nor Darkness of Evidence no Prejudice or Partiality or whatsoever else may be imagined can there appear to the Wrong of your Cause Get a good Cause and fear nothing and if your Cause be bad nothing can deliver you III. For the third Point Who are they that must be judged Answ All the rational Creatures in this lower World And it seems Angels also either all or some But because their Case is more darkly made known to us and less concerns us we will pass it by Every Man that hath been made or born on Earth except Christ who is God and Man and is the Judg must be judged If any foolish Infidels shall say Where shall so great a Number stand I answer him That he knoweth not the things Invisible either the Nature of Spirits and spiritual Bodies nor what Place containeth them or how but easily he may know that he that gave them all a Being can sustain them all and have room for them all and can at once disclose the Thoughts of all as I said before The first in Order to be judged are the Saints Mat. 25. and then with Christ they shall judg the rest of the World 1 Cor. 6. 2 3. not in an equal Authority and Commission with Christ but as the present Approvers of his righteous Judgment The Princes of the Earth shall stand then before Christ even as the Peasants and the Honourable as the Base the Rich and the Poor shall meet together and the Lord shall judg them all Prov. 22. 2. No Men shall be excused from standing at that Bar and giving up their Account and receiving their Doom Learned and unlearned young and old godly and ungodly all must stand there I know some have vainly imagined that the Righteous shall not have any of their Sins mentioned but their Graces and Duties only but they consider not that things will not then

from others and ask them What you shall do 〈◊〉 be saved how to prepare for Death and Judgment and ●ill you obey the Word of God in their Mouths If you will not do this much nor so much as enquire of those that should teach you nor use the Means which Christ hath established in his Church for your help ●our own Consciences shall one Day witness that you ●ere such as made light of Christ and Salvation If 〈◊〉 of you doubt whether it be your Duty thus to ask ●ounsel of your Teachers as sick Men do of their Phy●●cians let your own Necessities resolve you let God's ●●press Word resolve you see what is said of th●●icst● of the Lord even before Christ's coming when ●uch of their Work did lie in Ceremonials Mal. 2. 5 〈◊〉 My Covenant was with him of Life and Peace and I 〈◊〉 them to him to Levi for the fear wherewith he feared 〈◊〉 and was afraid before my Name The Law of Truth was 〈◊〉 his Mouth and Iniquity was not found in his Lips he walked with me in Peace and Equity and did turn many ●way from Iniquity For the Priests Lips should keep Know●●dg and they should seek the Law at his Mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts Nay you must not only enquire and submit to their Advice but also to their just Reprehensions and Church Censures And without proud Repining submit to the Discipline of Christ in their Hands if it shall be used in the Congregatio●s whereof you are Members 4. Will you for the time to come make Conscience of daily and earnest Prayer to God that you may have a Part in Christ and Salvation do not go out of Doors till you have breathed out these Desires to God do not lie down to rest till you have breathed out these Desires say not God knoweth my Necessity without so often praying for though he do yet he will have you to know them and feel them and exercise your D●sires and all the Graces of his Spirit in these Duties It is he that hath command●d to pray continually though he know your 〈◊〉 without 1 Thess 5. 17. Christ himself spent whole Nights in Prayer and encourageth us to this Course 〈◊〉 18. 1. If you will not be perswaded to this much how can you say that you make not light of Christ and Salvation 5. Will you for the time to come resolvedly cast away your known Sins at the Command of Christ If you have been proud or contentious or malicious and revengeful be so no more If you have been Adulterers or Swearers or Cursers be so no more You cannot hold these and yet set by Christ and Salvation What say you Are you resolved to let them go If not when you know 't is the Will of Christ and he hath told you such shall not enter into his Kingdom do not you make light of him 6. Will you for the time to come serve God in the dearest as well as the cheapest Part of his Service not only with your Tongues but with your Purses and your Deeds shall the Poor find that you see more by Christ than this World shall it appear in any good Uses that God calls you to be liberal in according to your Abilities Pure Religion and undefiled before God is this to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Affliction Jam. 1. ult Will you resolve to stick to Christ and make sure this Work of Salvation though it cost you all that you have in the World If you think these Terms too dear you make light of Christ and will be judged accordingly 7. Will you for the time to come make much of all things that tend to your Salvation and take every help that God offereth you and gladly make use of all his Ordinances Attend upon his strengthening Sacraments spend the Lord 's own Day in these holy Imployments Instruct your Children and Servants in these things Deut. 5. 6 7. get into good Company that set their Faces Heaven-ward and will teach you the way and help you thither and take heed of the Company of wicked Scorners or foolish voluptuous fleshly Men or any that would hinder you in this Work Will you do these things Or will you shew that you are Slighters of Christ by neglecting them 8. Will you do all this with Delight not as your Toil but as your Pleasure and take it for your highest Honour that you may be Christ's Disciples and may be admitted to serve and worship him and rejoice with holy Confidence in the sufficiency of that Sacrifice by which you may have Pardon of all your Failings and right to the Inheritance of the Saints in light If you will do these things sincerely you will shew that you set by Christ and Salvation else not Dearly Beloved in the Lord I have now done that Work which I came upon what Effect it hath or will have upon your Hearts I know not nor is it any further in my Power to accomplish that which my Soul desireth for you Were it the Lord's Will that I might have my wish herein the Words that you have this Day heard should so stick by you that the Secure should be awakened by them and none of you should perish by the slighting of your Salvation I cannot now follow you to your several Habitations to apply this Word to your particular Necessities but O that I could make every Man's Conscience a Preacher to himself that it might do it which is ever with you that the next time you go prayerless to Bed or about your Business Conscience might cry out Dost thou set no more by Christ and by Salvation that the next time you are tempted to think hardly of an holy and diligent Life I will not say to deride it as more ado th●● needs Conscience might cry out to thee Dost thou set so light by Christ and thy Salvation that the next time you are ready to rush upon known Sin and to please your fleshly Desires against the Command of God Conscience might cry out Is Christ and Salvation no more worth than to cast them away or venture them for thy Lasts that when you are following the World with your most eager ●esires forgetting the World to come and the Change that is a little before you Conscience might ●ry ou● to you Is Christ and Salvation no more worth than so That when you are next spending the Lord's Day in Idleness or vain Sp●rts Conscience might tell you what you are doing In a Word that in all your Neglects of Duty your sti●●ing at the supposed Labour or Cost of a godly Life yea in all your cold and lazy Prayers and Performances Conscience might tell you how unsutable such Endeavours are to the Reward and that Christ and Salvation should not be so slighted I will say no more but this at t●is time it is a thousand Pities that when God hath provided a Saviour for the World and when Christ hath suffered so much for their Sins and made so full a Satisfaction to Justice and purchased so glorious a Kingdom for his Saints and all this is offered so freely to Sinners to lost unworthy Sinners even for nothing that yet so many Millions should everlastingly perish because they make light of their Saviour and Salvation and prefer the vain World an● their Lusts b●fore them I have delivered my Message the Lord open your Hearts to receive it I have perswa●ded you with the Word of Truth and Soberness th● Lord perswade you more effectually or else all this i● lost FINIS Advertisement A Scriptural and Rational Account of the Christian Religion particularly concerning Justification only by the Propitiation and Redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ By Sir Edward Harley Knight of the Bath Printed for J. Luntley at the Bibles in Little Lincolns Inn-fields