Mortifying Sin
Concerning Hatred of Sin

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Teaching Ministries

Adult Sunday School
January 12, 2003
Class #16

Some Quotes from Richard Baxter (17th Century Puritan pastor)
Concerning Hatred of Sin (taken from "A Christian Directory")

Labor to know God, and to be affected with His attributes, and always to live as in His sight.

Consider well of the office, the bloodshed, and the holy life of Christ. His office is to expiate sin, and to destroy it. His blood was shed for it: His life condemned it. Love Christ, and you will hate that which caused His death. Love Him, and you will love to be made like Him, and hate that which is so contrary to Christ. These two great lights will show the odiousness of darkness.

Think well both how holy the office and work of the Holy Ghost is, and how great a mercy it is to us. Shall God Himself, the heavenly light, come down in to a sinful heart, to illuminate and purify it? And yet shall I keep my darkness and defilement, in opposition to such wonderful mercy?

Know and consider the wonderful love and mercy of God, and think what He has done for you; and you will hate sin, and be ashamed of it.

Think what the soul of man is made for, and should be used to, even to love, obey, and glorify our Maker; and then you will see what sin is, which disables and perverts it. How excellent, and high, and holy a work are we created for and called to! And should we defile the temple of God? And serve the devil in filthiness and folly, when we should receive, and serve, and magnify our Creator?

Think well what pure and sweet delights a holy soul may enjoy from God, in his holy service; and then you will see what sin is, which robs the soul of these delights, and prefers fleshly lusts over His delights.

When you have found out your disease and danger, give up yourselves to Christ as the Savior and Physician of souls, and to the Holy Ghost as your Sanctifier, remembering that He is sufficient and willing to do the work which He has undertaken. It is not you that are to be saviors and sanctifiers of yourselves. But He that has undertaken it, takes it for His glory to perform it.

Keep as far as you can from those temptations which feed and strengthen the sins which you would overcome. Lay siege to your sins, and starve them out, by keeping away the food and fuel which is their maintenance and life.

Live in the exercise of those graces and duties which are contrary to the sins which you are most in danger of. For grace and duty are contrary to sin, and kill it, and cure us of it, as the fire cures us of cold, or health of sickness.

Bestow your first and chiefest labor to kill sin at the root; to cleanse the heart, which is the fountain; for out of the heart come the evils of the life. Know which are the master- roots; and bend your greatest care and industry to mortify those (i.e., selfishness, pride, fleshliness, lust, fantasy, etc.)

Keep up above in a heavenly conversation, and then your souls will be always in the light . . . out of relish with the baits of sin.

Let Christian watchfulness be your daily work.

Take heed of the first approaches and beginnings on sin. Oh how great a matter does a little of this fire kindle! And if you fall, rise quickly by sound repentance, whatever it may cost you.

Make God's Word your only rule and labor diligently to understand it.

Be acquainted with your bodily temperature, and what sin it most inclines you to, and what sin also your calling or living situation leave you most open to, that there your watch may be stricter.

Wait patiently on Christ till He has finished the cure, which will not be till this trying life be finished. Persevere in attendance on His Spirit and means; for He will come in season, and will not tarry.

Thus I have given such directions as may help for humiliation under sin, or hatred of it, and deliverance from it.