A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian EthicsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian Ethics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
3. Observe well, whether their own profession do not condemn them; and
whether the very thing that they hate the godly for, be not that they
are serious in practising that which these malignants themselves
profess as their religion? And are they not then notorious
hypocrites,[40] to profess to believe in God, and yet scorn at those
that "diligently seek him?" Heb. xi. 6; to profess faith in Christ,
and hate those that obey him? to profess to believe in the Holy Ghost
as the sanctifier, and yet hate and scorn his sanctifying work? to
profess to believe the day of judgment, and everlasting torment of the
ungodly, and yet to deride those that endeavour to escape it? to
profess to believe that heaven is prepared for the godly, and yet to
scorn at those that make it the chief business of their lives to
attain it? to profess to take the holy Scripture for God's word and
law, and yet to scorn those that obey it? to pray after each of the
ten commandments, "Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to
keep this law," and yet to hate all those that desire and endeavour to
keep them? What impudent hypocrisy is joined with this malignity!
Mark, whether the greatest diligence of the most godly be not
justified by the formal profession of those very men that hate and
scorn them? The difference between them is, that the godly profess
christianity in good earnest, and when they say what they believe,
they believe as they say; but the ungodly customarily, and for
company, take on them to be christians when they are not, and by their
own mouths condemn themselves, and hate and oppose the serious
practice of that which they say they do themselves believe.
PART II.
_The Temptations whereby the devil hindereth Men's
Conversion; with the proper Remedies against them._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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