A Christian Directory, Part 4: Christian PoliticsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 4: Christian Politics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
And, 3. To open their case to others, and tell them all, that they may
help to their preservation.
4. And especially to be willing to use the means, both physic, and
satisfying counsel, which tend to cure their disease. And if there be
any rooted cause in the mind that was antecedent to the melancholy, it
must be carefully looked to in the cure.
_Direct._ II. Take heed of worldly trouble and discontent; for
this also is a common cause. Either it suddenly casteth men into
melancholy, or without it of itself overturneth their reason, so far
as to make them violently despatch themselves; especially, if it fall
out in a mind where there is a mixture of these two causes: 1.
Unmortified love to any creature. 2. And an impotent and passionate
mind; their discontent doth cause such unquietness, that they will
furiously go to hell for ease. Mortify therefore first your worldly
lusts, and set not too much by any earthly thing: if you did not
foolishly overvalue yourselves, or your credit, or your wealth or
friends, there would be nothing to feed your discontent: make no
greater a matter of the world than it deserveth, and you will make no
such great matter of your sufferings.
And, 2. Mortify your turbulent passions, and give not way to Bedlam
fury to overcome your reason. Go to Christ, to beg and learn to be
meek and lowly in spirit, and then your troubled minds will have rest,
Matt. xi. 28, 29. Passionate women, and such other feeble-spirited
persons, that are easily troubled and hardly quieted and pleased, have
great cause to bend their greatest endeavours to the curing of this
impotent temper of mind, and procuring from God such strengthening
grace, as may restore their reason to its power.
_Direct._ III. And sometimes sudden passion itself, without any
longer discontent, hath caused men to make away themselves. Mortify
therefore and watch over such distracting passions.
_Direct._ IV. Take heed of running into the guilt of any heinous
sin. For though you may feel no hurt from it at the present, when
conscience is awakened, it is so disquieting a thing, that it maketh
many a one hang himself. Some grievous sins are so tormenting to the
conscience, that they give many no rest, till they have brought them
to Judas's or Ahithophel's end. Especially take heed of sinning
against conscience, and of yielding to that for fear of men, which God
and conscience charge you to forbear. For the case of many a hundred
as well as Spira, may tell you into what calamity this may cast you.
If man be the master of your religion, you have no religion; for what
is religion, but the subjection of the soul to God, especially in the
matters of his worship; and if God be subjected to man, he is taken
for no-god. When you worship a god that is inferior to a man, then you
must subject your religion to the will of that man. Keep God and
conscience at peace with you, if you love yourselves, though thereby
you lose your peace with the world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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