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.

Direct. 3.

THE Crucifying of the world doth very much depend upon the Crucfying of the flesh. For I have told you before, that the flesh is the master Idol, and the world is but its provision, and the Devils bait. And therefore it is the life of carnality that is the life of the world in you. When men have an Appetite that must needs be satisfied, and must have the meat and drink which it desires, and it is as much to them to deny their appetites, as if it were some great and weighty busi∣ness; these beasts are far from Crucifying the world. For they must needs look after provision for these Appetites: He that must have the sweetest morsel••, and the pleasants drink, must needs look after provision to maintain it. And he that hath a Proud corrupted mind, that must needs be somebody in the eyes of others, and therefore must needs be cloathed with the best, and placed with the highest, and keep company with the greatest, or the idlest and merri est companions, this man doth think that he must needs have provision to maintain all this. No man doth ad∣mire the world, but he that Judgeth by his fleshly Interest, and is a s••ive to his sensuality. Set Reason in the throne: let ••aith il∣luminate and advance it: subdue your inordi••ate se••••ual de∣sires: And then the world will wither of it self. The servants will hide their heads, or comply, if the Master be once conquer∣ed. Nay you may then press the world upon a better service. Remember that your sensual Appetite was made in order to the

preservation of your Natures, and to be ruled by Reason; if therefore it would become the predominant faculty, and would take up with its own delights as your end, and would rebell against its Guide and Master; its time then to use it as a rebell should be used, and with Paul, to buffet it, and bring it into sub∣jection. And if you can do this, the work is done. Its a childish, if not a bruitish thing, and below a man, to be captivated unto sense. Its the content of the higher faculties, that are the plea∣sures of a man: The pleasing of the throat is common to us with the swine. Its the basest Spirit, that makes the greatest matter of sensual things: and so must be drowned in unprofit∣able cares, What he shall eat or drink, and wherewith he shall be cloathed. What matter is it to a wise man, Whether his meat be sweet or bitter, or whether his drink be strong or small, or whe∣ther his cloaths be fine or homely; or whether he be honoured, or derided or past by; save only as these things may have re∣lation to greater things; and as the body must be kept in a ser∣viceable plight; and we must value that capacity most, in which we may best do our Masters work. Keep under the flesh, and you will easily overcome the world: Otherwise you strive against the the stream. While you have unmortified raging appetites, and corrupted fancies, and sensual minds, you are byassed to the world, and if the rub of a Sermon or sickness may turn you out of your way awhile, the byass will prevail, and you will quickly be on it again. If you dam up the stream of these unmortified affections, they will rage the more; and if you stop them for a while, by good company or some restraint, yet will they shortly break over all, and be more violent then before. All your stri∣ving by waies of meer restraint, are to little purpose, till the flesh it self be subdued. It is but as if you should strive with a greedy dog for his bone, and with an hungry Lyon to bereave him of his prey: be sure they will not easily part with it. Its the case of many deluded people, that have some knowledge of Scri∣pture, enough to convince them, and tip their tongues, and strive to restrain them from their sensual waies, but not enough to mor∣tifie the flesh, and change their souls. O what a combate is there in their lives! The flesh will have its prey, and pleased it must be: Their conscience tells them, It will cost thee dear? Their flesh like an hungry dog is ready to seize upon that which it de∣sires:

And conscience doth as it were stand over it with a staff, and saith, Meddle with it if thou dare: And sometime the poor sinner is restrained▪ and sometime again he ventureth upon the prey, and he that had condemned himself for his sin, doth turn to his former vomit, and once more he must have his whore, or his cups; and then conscience takes him by the throat and ter∣rifieth him; and makes him forbear a little while again: And thus the poor sinner is tost up and down; and Satan leads him captive at his will: And because he findeth a combate within him, he thinks it is the combate between the flesh and the sancti∣fying Spirit; when alas, its no more but the combate between the flesh and an inlightened conscience, assisted with the motions of common grace, which because they resist and trample under∣foot, their condemnation will be the greater. Would you then have the boiling of your corruptions abated? Put out the fire that causeth them to boil; or else you trouble your selves in vain. Mortifie the flesh once, and get it under, and scorn to be a slave to a sensual appetite, but let it be all one to you to displease it as to please it, and leave such trifles as pleasant meats, and drinks, and dwellings, and fine cloathes, to children and fools that have no greater things to mind, and use the flesh as a ser∣vant to the soul, supplying it with necessaries, but correcting it if it do but crave superfluities; Do this and you will easily Crucifie the world. For the world is only for the flesh. For saith Iohn, 1 Iohn 2. 16. All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and pride of life, which are not of the Father, but of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof, but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever.] Re∣member that he that saith in my text, that he is Crucified to the world, doth say also, Gal. 5. 24. that, They that are Christs have Crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.] This is to kill the world at the Root, (for it is Rooted in the fleshly Interest.) When otherwise you will but lop off the branches, and they will quickly grow again.