A saint or a brute the certain necessity and excellency of holiness, &c. ... / by Richard Baxter.

HAving hastily run over these things to help you in the Tryal, I will add some Directions to help you in the practice, and therein yet fullyer to acquaint you, Wherein true Godliness doth consist.]

Briefly to lay before you first the meer enumeration of the chief points wherein sound Godliness doth consist, to help your memories, while you see them close together. 1. Sound Godliness consisteth in a solid understanding of the sub∣stantial points of Religion. 2. In a sound belief of the Truth of Gods word, and the reality of the unseen things. 3. In an adhearing to the holy Scriptures as the Divine Rule of faith and life. 4. In the Love of God in Jesus Christ, excited by the belief of his Love revealed by Jesus Christ. 5. In true humility, and low thoughts of our selves, and low expectation from others. 6. In a heavenly mind that most regardeth the things above, and seeketh them as our only felicity at home. 7. In self denyal, and mortification, and temperance, and victory over the desires of the flesh. When we can deny our own conceits, and interests and wills for God: and are dead to the world, and are not servants to our fleshly appetites or senses, or to the things below. 8. In thankful∣ness for received Mercies, and Praising the Glorious name of God. 9 In the willing and diligent use of the means that God hath appointed us for salvation. 10. In charity or Love to

all men, even our enemies; and a special love to true Be∣lievers. 11. In a love to the holy communion of Saints, especially in publike worship. 12. In a tender desire of the unity of the Saints, and their concord and increase of Cha∣rity; and a trouble at their discord and divisions. 13. In dealing Justly in our places with all men, and carefully avoiding all that may be injurious to any. 14. In study∣ing to do all the good we can: and doing it to our power; especially to the houshold of faith. 15. In a conscionable discharge of the duties of our relations, as Rulers, Teach∣ers, Parents, Masters, subjects and inferious. 16. In watch∣fulness against Temptations, and avoiding occasions of sin. 17. In serious preparations for sufferings and death, and patient bearing them when they come. These are the things that Godliness doth consist in.

And now out of all I will draw up ten practical directions, which in a special manner I would intreat you to Practice, if you would be solidly Godly, and not be deceived with names or counterfeits.

Direct. 1. Be sure to live upon the substantials of Religion, and let them receive no detriment by a pretence of zeal for lesser points: Lay not your Religion in uneffe∣ctual opinions; and let lower truths and duties keep their places, and not be set above the higher.

Dir. 2. See that your Religion be principally seated in the Heart. Understand it as well as you can (lest it be taken from you;) but never think it is savingly your own while it is but in the brain: so much you believe in∣deed as you Love, and as hath imprinted the Image of God upon your hearts: Ever see that your wills be Resolved for God and holiness; and that you be able truly to say, I would

be perfect: and I would fain be better then I am.]

Direct. 3. Be sure you take up with God alone as your whole felicity, and think not that there is a necessity of the approbation of men, or of liberty, plenty, life or any thing besides God. Do not only think that there is a God, and a life of Glory for you: but Live upon them, and be moved and actuated by them: Trust to them; and take them for your part. Live by faith, and not by sight.

Direct. 4. Live daily upon Christ as the only Media∣tor, without whom we have no access to God, acceptance with him, or receivings from him. Look for all that you have from God to come by him; Live on him for Reconc liation, for Teaching, for Preservation, for Commu∣nication, for Consolation, and for Salvation. Let Christ make your thoughts of God more familiar, as now Reconci∣led and Condescending to us.

Direct. 5. Obey the sanctifying motions of the spi∣rit: and if you have disobeyed, Repent; not despairing, but returning to obedience; but see that you live not in any known sin, which a sanctified will can enable you to avoid. Resist sins of passion; but most carefully take heed of sins of interest, deliberately chosen, and kept up▪ as necessary or good.

Direct 6. Make it the principal work of your Reli∣gion and your Lives, to inflame your hearts with the Love of God, as he is presented amiable in his won∣derful Grace in Jesus Christ. Strive no further to

effect your hearts with Fears or Griefs, or other troubling passions, then as tendeth to the work of Love, or is a just expression of it. Go daily to promises, and mercies, and Christ, and Heaven, of purpose for fewel to kindle Love: Be much therefore in Thankfulness and Praise, which are works of Love. All goeth on sweetly, and easily, and acceptably, that is carryed on by Love. That is the best soul, and likest to God, that hath most of Love to God and Godliness 〈…〉〈…〉 that is the best service, and likest to the work of 〈…〉〈…〉, that hath most of Love: Let the principal striving and pleading with your hearts be to kindle Love: and your prin∣cipal complaints for the want of it.

Direct. 7. Keep up Charity to all, even unto enemies; and special Love to all the Godly. And therefore hate back-biting and slandering, and making the worst of other mens actions: Take them as thieves that come to rob you of your Charity: He that speaks evil of another, perswadeth you so far to hate him (unless it be in Charity, perswading you to seek his cure.) Hear the reproacher and back-biter un∣derstandingly, as if he said, in words, as he doth in sense, [I pray you hate such a man, or abate your Love to him.] As the way to cause Love is to represent the object Lovely, which doth much more then to command me to Love it: So the way to cause Hatred, is to represent the object hateful or unlovely, which is more then to bid us hate our brother. And he that hateth his brother is a man-slayer; and none such have eternal life abiding in them. Away theresore with those Volumes of Learned slanders and reproaches, begotten betwixt uncharitableness and self love, (or pride;) and take them as the Devils Books, that are written to draw thee to hate thy Brother. Frown also upon the censorious: Take heed also of divisions and parties, because they are enemies

to universal Love; and are but Imposthumes or Biles of the Church, where Zeal and Love are diseasedly drawn into a narrow compass; and that is appropriated to a few, that should be common to all Believers. Cherish meekness and pa∣tience, and reject all that carnal Zeal or Envy, Contention and Animosities, which are contrary to Love. Read and study well the third Chapter of St. James, and the Epistle of John.

Direct. 8. Understand the preciousness and use of time. Love Diligence the better, because it is a Redeem∣ing of time; a doing much in a little time. Hate that which would rob you of so precious a commodity.

Direct. 9. See that there be no predominant selfish∣ness or worldly interest unmortified at the heart. Study duty, and do it faithfully, and trust God with Life, Estate, and Events: and shift not for your selves by sinfull means.

Direct. 10. Maintain your authority over your sense and fleshly appetites: Captivate not Reason to the Brutish part; especially under pretence of liberty. Use your bodies as may strengthen them, and best fit them for the work of God: Let them have so much delight in things allowed as conduceth to this; but take heed of making the delights of flesh and sense your end, or allowing your selves in an unpro∣fitable pleasing of your enemy; or of corrupting your minds, and rellishing too much sweetness in the things of the flesh, and losing your rellish of Spiritual things. Set not the bait too near you: Keep the Gun-powder from the fire. He that be∣lieveth that if ever he be damned, it will be for Pleasing his flesh before God; and if ever he be saved, he must be first and

principally saved from the inordinate Pleasures of the flesh, will not be so forward as brutish Infidels are, to seek out for ••elights, and plead for all that pleaseth them as harm∣••••ss.

Having thus in the Introduction shewed you [What Godliness is,] and How it may be known; and What you must do to be soundly and sincerely Godly, I hope you are prepared for the following Discourse, of the Certain Necessity and Excellency of Godliness, which tends to ••etch over the delaying, resisting, unresolved wills, of those that are yet in the BRUTISH state, and are strangers to the Dispositions, Employments, Desires, Hopes and Joyes of true Believers. The Lord concurre effe∣ctually with his Blessing!

Amen.