The crucifying of the world by the cross of Christ with a preface to the nobles, gentlemen, and all the rich, directing them how they may be richer / by Richard Baxter.

I Shall now take the freedom to come a little nearer you, and close with you upon the main of my business. Poor world∣lings! I come not hither to beat the air, nor to waste an hour in empty words: but it is Work that I come upon. An unpleasing Work to flesh and blood; even to take away your profits, and pleasures, and honours from you! to take away the world from you, and all that you have therein! Not out of your Hands, but out of your Hearts! Not against your wills, (for that is im∣possible) nor by unresistible force (I would I could do that) but by procuring your own consent, and perswading you to cast them away your selves. I cannot expect the consent of your flesh, and therefore I will not treate with it; but if yet you have any free use of your reason in matters of this nature, look back upon the Reasons that I have before laid down, and tell me whe∣ther you see not sufficient cause to forsake this world, and betake your selves to another course of life, and look another way for your felicity? This then is the upshot of all that I have been saying to you, and this is the Message that I have to you from God; to require you presently to renounce this world, and un∣feig••edly to despise it, and proclaim war against it, and to come over to him that is your rightful Lord, and will be your true and

durable Rest. What say you! Will you be divorced from the world and the flesh this day▪ and take up with a naked Christ alone, and the Hopes of an heavenly felicity which he hath pro∣mised? Will you bring forth that Traytor that hath had your hearts and lives so long, and let him die the death? Shall the world this day be Crucified to you, and you to it? I am to let you know, that this is the thing that God expecteth, and nothing less will serve the turn, nor will any worldly kind of Religious∣ness bring you to salvation. This world and flesh are enemies to God, and you have been guilty of High Treason against his Majesty by harbouring them, and serving them so long. And I am moreover to let you know, that God will have them down, one time or other: Either by his Grace, or by his Judgement▪ Had you rather that Death and Hell should make the separation, then that saving grace should do it? Will you still hide it as sugar under your tongue? Will you obstinately cleave to it, when you know its vanity, and the mischief that such contempt of God will bring? If you do so, God will embitter it to you in the end! and he will make it gall in your mouthes, and torment to your hearts, and you shall spit it out, and be forced to confess that it is no better then you were told. I do charge you there∣fore in the name of the Lord, that you renounce this world with∣out delay, and presently and effectually Crucifie it to your selves. You once did it by your parents in Baptism, and you have proved false to that profession: Now do it by your selves, and stand to what you do. If it had not been a part of Christianity, you had not been called to do it then: And therefore you may un∣derstand, that it is but to be Christians indeed that I perswade you. A Christian worldling, is as meer a fiction, as a Christian Infidel. Enter now into your own hearts with a Reforming zeal. It should be the Temple of the Holy Ghost: down then with every Idol that is there erected: Whip out the buyers and sellers, and overthrow the money Tables, and suffer it not to be made a den of thieves. Down with your Diana's: Though the world worship her; God and his sanctified ones despise her. What the ungodly say of our Zion, we say of your Babel, Down with it, rase it, even to the foundation: it is a thing to be destroyed: happy is he that dasheth the brats of worldly concupiscence against the stones, Psalm 137. 7, 8, 9. Mortifie your members

that are on earth. Crucifie this your p••••••ended King. Away with the world out of your hearts, it is not fit that it should there live.

Honourable, Worshipfull, and all Well-Beloved; I beseech you hear me not, as if I speak but words of course to you, or read you but a formal Lecture. I mean as I speak, and I prosess to the faces of you all, that either the world and flesh or you shall die. Kill it, or it will kill you; and Christ will destroy both it and you. Think not any more of a fleshly earthly minded man, that hath his affections on this world, as a tollerable sinner of the smaller size: I tell you, the Devil may as soon be saved, as a man that liveth and dyeth a sensualist. I mean not only the no∣torious Misers, or the infamous Drunkards, Gamesters or idle Gallants; but all men, even the most Civil or seemingly Religi∣ous, in whose hearts a worldly fleshly interest is predominant. If you are such, your Honours and Riches will not keep you from being fire-brands of hell. Down therefore with the world, and set up God alone in your souls.

I cannot but understand, that I am like to be an unwelcome Messenger to you, that come on such an ungratefull errand. If I came as the Levellers or Quakers, to cry down your pride and worldliness, with such mixtures of destraction as might make you laugh at me as a self-conceited fantasticall person, perhaps it would trouble you less to hear me. For you look on them as hi∣strionicall actors. Quakers do but jest with you, or harden you by their vanity: But we are in good sadness, and God himself is in good sadness with you. We must have your worldly Interest out of the very hearts of you; Christ will have your heart blood for it, if he shall not have it.

And here you may see, that it is no wonder if the serious faithfull Ministers of Christ, be men detested by most of the world, even of professed Christians themselves. For alas, what an errand is it that God doth send u••on! If I should take the Crown from the Princes head, and tread it in the dirt, what must I expect! If I came to take away your honours, or your estates, your houses, lands, or moneys; What must I expect! Do you not prosecute and hang Thieves for robbing you of some of these! Why though I do less in some respects, it is more that I am sent to do in other respects. Though we take not the Princes Crown from his head, we must take it from his heart. Though we take

not your money out of you•• purses, nor your goods out of your houses, nor your houses out of your possessions, we must at∣tempt to take them all out of your hearts. No wonder then if we be hated of all such; For at the heart it is that the world is sweetest to you: there it is nearest and dearest to you: and there is your carnal Interest deepest rooted. To be let blood in the very heart, will be more grievous to you then in the hand. And yet so it must be, that the heart blood of worldly Interest may be let out, in the Crucifying of it, as the world did let out the heart∣blood of Christ. What are all your suits at this Assize about! but against one man that robbed you of your money! against another that took your cattle! against another that would de∣prive you of your estate! and against another that hath wound∣ed your Honour and Reputation! and another that some how provoked you to revenge by contradicting your will. What wonder then if you should all turn your spleen against me, that would take not one of these, but all, and that from you all, and that from your very hearts. The flesh would be all, and have all; or else it were not the chiefest Idol: No marvel then if it storm, when we would take all from it.

And yet let me tell you, to abate your indgnation, that though we talk of casting down your Temple, we add withall, that it shall be built again in three daies: and the casting of it down, will tend to its greater glory. The world will be more honour∣able and usefull to you when it is Crucified, and the flesh when it is subjected, then now they be: But of that more anon.

Obj. Oh but, saith the Carnal Heart, Have my honours and dignities cost me so dear; have I been so long in getting my Riches, and shall I now part with all for your speeches? and do you think I am such a fool as to be worded out of them? Soft and fair: I came not by them so easily, nor will I so easily part with them, nor with the content and comfort that my heart hath in them.

Answ. Because that worldlings think themselves so wise, and put such a face of confidence on their dotage, I shall yet draw nearer you, and reason the ••ase a little further with you, and to that end I shall propound these following Questions, desiring your serious answer.