and our wisdom, health and fafety, must now come after, by the way of recovery and cure. The first born of lapfed man was a malignant perfecuting Cain. The firft bom of believing Abraham, was a perfecutor of him that was born after the Spirit, 1 John 3. 12. Gal. 4.29. And the first born of this Ifaac himself, was a profane Efau, that for one morfel fold his birth-right, Heb. 12. 16. And naturally we are all the off-fpring of this profaneness, and have not acquaintance enough with God, and with healthful holinefs, and with the everlafting heavenly Glory, to make us cordially preferr it before a forbidden cup, or morfel, or a game at foolery, or a filthy luft; or before the wind of a gilded fools acclamation and applause; or the cap and counterfeit fubjection of the multitude: But the fortuna, non tua turba (ut Ov.) & quos fportula fecit amici (ut Juv.) who will ferve mens lufts, and be their fervants, and humble attendants to damnation, are regarded more than the God, the Saviour, the Sanctifier, to whom thefe perfidious rebels were once devoted. That you and yours may live that more wife and delightful life, which confifteth

in the daily fight of Heaven, by a Living Faith, which worketh by Love, in conftant Obe dience, is the principal end of this publick appellation: That what is here written for the ufe of all, may be firft and fpecially useful to you and yours, whom I am fo much bound to love and honour; even to your fafe and comfortable life and death, and to your future joy and glory; which is the great defire of

Feb. 4. 1669.

Your obliged Servant,

RICH. BAXTER.

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THE

THE

PREFACE.

F.

Reader,

F it offend thee, that the Parts of this Treatife are fo unlike, understand 1. That they are for Various ufes: The first Part to make men willing, by awakening perfwafions; and the reft, to direct them in the exercifes of Faith, who are first made willing. 2. That I write not to win thy praife of an artificial comely Structure, but to help fouls to Holiness and Heaven; and to thefe ends I labour to Juit the means. 3. That the first Sermon was published long ago; "and"

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the

the Bookfeller defiring me to give him some additions to it, I thought meet first to make up the exciting part in the fame ftyle, and then to add a Directory for the practice of judicious Believers.

2. And if it offend thee that the fecond Part containeth but fuch matter as I have already publifhed, in my Reafons of the Chriftian Religion, underftand 1. That I perceived that that Treatife was neglected by the more unlearned fort of Chriftians, as not defcending enough to their capa cities and that it would be useful to the confir mation of their Faith, to draw forth fome of the most obvious Arguments, in as plain a manner, and as briefly as I could, that length nor obfcu rity might not deprive them of the benefit, who are too flothfull, or too dull, to make use of more copious and accurate difcourfe. 2. And I knew not how to write a Treatife of the Ufes of Faith, which should wholly leave out the Confirmations of Faith, without much reluctancy of my Reafan

3. And again, I fay, I can bear the difpraife of Repetition, if I may but further mens Faith and Salvation.

3. And if it offend thee that I am so dull in all the Directive part, I cannot well do both works at once, awaken the Affections, and accm.

rately

rately direct the mind for practice: Or at least if I bad spoken all those Directions in a copious applica tory Sermon ftyle, it would have fwelled the Book to a very tedious coftly volume: And Affection must not too much interpofe, when the Judgment is about its proper work. And being done in the be ginning, it may be the better spared afterward.

4. If it offend you that I open the Life of Faith in fomewhat an unusual manner, I answer for my Jelf, that if it be Methodical, true and apt for ufe, Ido that which I intend: And on a fubject fo frequently and fully handled, it were but an injury to the Church, to fay but the fame which is faid already: Mr. John Ball, Mr. Ezekiel Culverwell, and Mr.Samuel Ward in a narrower room have done exceeding well upon this fubject. If you have nothing more than they have Jaid, read their Books only, and let this alone.

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5. If it offend you that the Directions are many of them difficult, and the ftyle requireth a flow confiderate Reader, I answer, the nature of the Jubject quirethit, and without voluminous tedion/nefs, it cannot be avoided. Blame therefore your unprepared ignorant minds; and while you are yet dull of hearing, and fo make things hard to be uttered to your understanding, because you have ftill need of Milk, and cannos digeft ftrong meat: but must again བ 3

be