PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian Ethics
Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691 · 543,786 words · 710 reading sections
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2. Behold God also in his covenant of grace, which he hath made in Christ. In that you may see such sure, such great and wonderful mercies, freely given out to a world of sinners, and to yourselves among the rest, as may afford abundant matter for love and thankfulness to feed on while you live. There you may see how l…
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3. Behold also the loveliness of God in his holy ones, who bear his image, and are advanced by his love and mercy. If you are christians indeed, you are taught of God to love his servants, and to see an excellency in the saints on earth, and make them the people of your delight, Psal. xvi. 1, 2; 1 Thess. iv. 9. And thi…
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We are exceeding apt to be over-desirous of sight; and to take nothing as an object fit to affect us, which sense perceiveth not. When we have the surest evidence of the truth of things unseen, it hardly satisfieth us, unless we may see or feel. And hereupon, our love to God is hindered; while we think of him as if he …
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_Direct._ XII. It is a powerful means to kindle the love of God in a believer, to foresee by faith the glory of heaven, and what God will be there to his saints for ever.[117]--And thus to behold God in his glory, is the use of grace. Though the manner of knowing him thus by faith, be far short of what we there expect,…
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_Direct._ XIV. Yet let not weak-headed or melancholy persons set themselves on those methods or lengths of meditation, which their heads cannot bear; lest the tempter get advantage of them, and abate their love, by making religion seem a torment to them; but let such take up with shorter, obvious meditations, and exerc…
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_Answ._ 1. Though I am not come to the point of trying and discerning grace, I shall give you this much help in the way, because it is so useful to the exercises of love. (1.) If you have not enjoying, delighting love, yet try whether you have not desiring, seeking love. Love appeareth as truly in desiring and seeking …
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_Direct._ XVI. Improve thy sense of natural and friendly love, to raise thee to the love of God.--When thou seest or feelest what love a parent hath to children, and a husband to a wife, or a wife to a husband, or faithful friends to one another; think then,--What love do I owe to God! Oh how inconsiderable is the love…
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_Direct._ XVII. Think oft, how delightful a life it would be to thee, if thou couldst but live in the love of God: and then the complacency will provoke desire, and desire will turn thy face towards God, till thou feel that thou lovest him.--The love of a friend hath its sweetness and delight: and when we love them, we…
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_Direct._ XVIII. In thy meditations upon all these incentives of love, preach them over earnestly to thy heart, and expostulate and plead with it by way of soliloquy, till thou feel the fire begin to burn.--Do not only think on the arguments of love, but dispute it out with thy conscience, and by expostulating, earnest…
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And oh that this might be the happy fruit of these directions with thee that art now reading or hearing them! that thou wouldst but offer up thy flaming heart to Jesus Christ our great High Priest, to be presented an acceptable sacrifice to God! Or, if it flame not in love as thou desirest, yet give it up to the Holy S…
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If I have not prevailed with your hearts for God, by all that I have said, your consciences shall yet bear me witness, that I showed you God's title, and love, and goodness, and said that which ought to have prevailed; and you shall find ere long, who it is that will have the worst of it: but if you resolve and give th…
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III. The counterfeits of this trust are these: 1. When indeed we trust in our wit, or power, or shifts, or friends, or in some means or creatures only, or in co-ordination with God; but pretend and think that we do it but in subordination to him, and that our primary trust is in him alone. The detection of this is by t…
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Hence it is, that trust in God is so frequently and earnestly commanded in the Scriptures, and such blessings promised to it, as if it were the sum of godliness and religion. Jer. xvii. 5, 7, "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.--Blessed is the man …
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_Direct._ V. Consider of the greatness of the sin of distrust; how it denieth God in his attributes, and usually supposeth the creature to be above him.--Either thou doubtest of, or deniest his power to help thee, or his wisdom as deficient in making his promises, or finding out the means of thy deliverance, or his goo…
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_Direct._ X. Make use of the natural love of quietness, and thy natural weariness of tormenting cares, and fears, and sorrows, to move thee to cast thyself on God, and quiet thy soul in trusting on him.--For God hath purposely made thyself and all things else insufficient, unsatisfactory, and vexatious to thee, that th…
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_Direct._ XIII. When commands will not prevail, rebuke and chide thy unbelieving heart, and reason it out of its distrustful cares, and fears, and sorrows.--Say to it, as David oft, Psal. xlii. and xliii. "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou so disquieted within me? Trust in God, for I shall yet give hi…
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_Direct._ XIV. Take not the sayings of the tempter or thy own distrustful heart for the sayings of God, or for any reason against thy confidence in him.--Some take all the malicious suggestions of the devil, for reasons of their disquietness and fears, as if it were the Spirit of God that raised all the terrors and mol…
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_Direct._ II. Understand how much of this holy delight may be hoped for on earth.[122]--Though too many christians feel much more fear and sorrow in their religion than delight, yet every true christian doth esteem God more delectable, or fit and worthy of his delights, if he could enjoy him; whereas to the carnal, fle…
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_Direct._ III. Understand what there is in God and holiness, which is fit to be the soul's delight.--As, 1. Behold him in the infinite perfections of his being; his omnipotence, omniscience, and his goodness; his holiness, eternity, immutability, &c. And as your eye delighteth in an excellent picture, or a comely build…
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_Direct._ IV. Understand how much these holy delights are pleasing unto God, and how much he is for his people's pleasure.--For it much hindereth the joy of many christians, that they think it is against the will of God, that such as they should so much rejoice; or at least that they apprehend not how much he hath comm…
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_Direct._ V. Take special notice of the reasons why God commandeth you to delight in him, and consequently how much of religion consisteth in these delights.--1. Thou vilifiest and dishonourest him, if thou judge him not the worthiest for thy delights. 2. If thou delight not in him, thy thoughts of God will be seldom, …
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On the contrary, the benefits which follow our delight in God, (besides the sweetness of it,) are unspeakable. Those which are contrary to the forementioned hurts, I leave to your own consideration. 1. Delight in God will prove that thou knowest him, and lovest him, and that thou art prepared for his kingdom; for all t…
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_Direct._ IX. Take heed of an impatient, peevish, self-tormenting mind, that can bear no cross; and of overvaluing earthly things, which causeth impatience in the want of them. Make not too great a matter of fleshly pain or pleasure.--Otherwise your minds will be called to a continual attendance on the flesh, and taken…
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_Direct._ XIV. Make use of all that prosperity, and lawful pleasure, which God giveth you in outward things, for the increase and advantage of your delight in God.--Though corrupted nature is apter to abuse prosperity and earthly delights, than any other state, to the diverting of the heart from God; and almost all the…
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_Direct._ XX. Pretend not any other religious duties against your delights in God and holiness; but use them all in their proper subservience to this.--Penitent sorrow is only a purge to cast out those corruptions which hinder you from relishing your spiritual delights. Use it therefore as physic, only when there is ne…
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True thankfulness to God is discerned from counterfeit, by these qualifications: 1. True thankfulness having a just estimate of mercies comparatively, preferreth spiritual and everlasting mercies before those that are merely corporal and transitory. But carnal thankfulness chiefly valueth carnal mercies, though notiona…
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_Direct._ I. Understand well how great this duty is, in the nature of the thing, but especially how the very design and tenor of the gospel, and the way of our salvation by a Redeemer, bespeaketh it as the very complexion of the soul, and of every duty.--A creature that is wholly his Creator's, and is preserved every m…
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_Direct._ II. Let the greatness of the manifold mercies of God, be continually before your eyes.--Thankfulness is caused by the due apprehension of the greatness of mercies. If you either know them not to be mercies, or know not that they are mercies to you, or believe not what is said and promised in the gospel, or fo…
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_Direct._ III. Be well acquainted with the greatness of your sins, and sensible of them as they are the aggravation of God's mercies to you.--This is the main end why God will humble those that he will save; not to drive them to despair of mercy, nor that he taketh pleasure in their sorrows for themselves; but to work …
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_Direct._ X. Bethink thee how thou wouldst value thy mercies, if thou wert deprived of them.--The want of them usually teacheth us most effectually to esteem them. Think how thou shouldst value Christ and hope, if thou wert in despair! and how thou wouldst value the mercies of earth, if thou wert in hell! and the merci…
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_Direct._ XIV. Make conscience ordinarily of allowing God's mercies as great a room in thy thoughts and prayers, as thou allowest to thy sins, and wants, and troubles.--In a day of humiliation, or after some notable fall into sin, or in some special cases of distress, I confess sin and danger may have the greater share…
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_Direct._ XVIII. Put not God off with verbal thanks, but give him thyself and all thou hast.--Thankfulness causeth the soul to inquire, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me?" Psal. cxvi. 12. And it is no less than thyself and all thou hast that thou must render; that is, thou must give God…
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To glorify God is not to add to his essential perfections, or felicity, or real glory.[127] The glory of God is a word that is taken in these various senses: 1. Sometimes it signifieth the essential, transcendent excellencies of God in himself considered; so Rom. vi. 4; Psal. xix. 2. 2. Sometimes it signifieth that glo…
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_Direct._ V. Answer all his blessed attributes with suitable affections, (as I have directed in my "Treatise of the Knowledge of God," and here briefly direct. iv.) and his relations to us with the duty which they command, (subjection, love, &c.) as I have opened in the foregoing directions. We glorify him in our heart…
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1. It is the giving to God his chiefest due.[129] A speaking of him as he is; and when we have spoken the highest, how far fall we short of the due expression of his glorious perfections! Oh how great praise doth that almightiness deserve, which created and conserveth all the world, and overruleth all the sons of men, …
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3. The praise of God is the highest and noblest work in itself. (1.) It hath the highest object, even the glorious excellencies of God. Thanksgiving is somewhat lower, as having more respect to ourselves and the benefits received; but praise is terminated directly on the perfections of God himself. (2.) It is the work …
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6. The praises of God do exercise our highest graces: praise is the very breath of love, and joy, and gratitude: it tendeth to raise us above ourselves, and make our hearts to burn within us, while the glorious name of God is magnified: it hath the most pure, and spiritual, and elevating effect upon the soul; and there…
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10. To be much employed in the praises of God, will acquaint the world with the nature of true religion, and remove their prejudice, and confute their dishonourable thoughts and accusations of it, and recover the honour of Christ, and his holy ways, and servants. Many are averse to a holy life, because they think that …
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_Direct._ VI. Especially let the Lord's day be principally spent in praises and thanksgivings for the work of our redemption, and the benefits thereof.--This day is separated by God himself to this holy work; and if you spend it (ordinarily) in other religious duties, that subserve not this, you spend it not as God req…
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_Direct._ X. Whenever God's holy name or word is blasphemed, or used in levity or jest, or a holy life is made a scorn, or God is notoriously abused or dishonoured, be ready to reprove it with gravity where you can; and where you cannot, at least let your detestation of it be conveniently manifested.--Among those to wh…
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_Direct._ III. It glorifieth God, by showing the excellency of faith, when we contemn the riches and honour of the world, and live above the worldling's life; accounting that a despicable thing, which he accounts his happiness, and loseth his soul for.--As men despise the toys of children, so a believer must take the t…
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_Direct._ V. It much honoureth God, when the hopes of everlasting joys do cause believers to live much more joyfully than the most prosperous worldlings.--Not with their kind of doting mirth, in vain sports and pleasures, and foolish talking, and uncomely jests; but in that constant cheerfulness and gladness, which bes…
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_Direct._ VIII. It honoureth God and our profession, when you abound in love and good works; loving the godly with a special love, but all men with so much love, as makes you earnestly desirous of their welfare, and to love your enemies, and put up wrongs, and to study to do good to all, and hurt to none.--To be abunda…
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_Direct._ XI. It much glorifieth God to worship him rationally and purely, in spirit and in truth, according to the glory of his wisdom and goodness; and it dishonoureth him to be worshipped ignorantly and carnally, with spells, and mimical, irrational actions, as if he were less wise than serious, grave, understanding…
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_Direct._ XII. If you will glorify God in your lives, you must be above a selfish, private, narrow mind, and must be chiefly intent upon the public good, and the spreading of the gospel through the world.--A selfish, private, narrow soul brings little honour to the cause of God: it is always taken up about itself, or i…
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[80] Laert. saith of the magi, that they did Deorum vacare cultui: signa statuasque reprehendere: et eorum imprimis, qui mares esse deos et fœminas dicunt, errores improbare. Signa et statuas ex disciplinæ instituto è medio tulisse: and that some thought that the Jews came from them, p. 4, 6. And Laertius himself saith…
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[90] Rejectis propheticis et apostolicis scriplis, Manichæi novum evangelium scripserunt: et ut antecellere communi hominum multitudini et semi-dei viderentur, simularunt enthusiasmos seu afflatus, subito in turba se in terram objicientes, et velut attoniti diu tacentes; deinde tanquam redeuntes ex specu Trophonio et p…
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[112] "Sell all and give to the poor, and follow me." But sell not all, except thou follow me: that is, except thou have a vocation, in which thou mayest do as much good with little means, as with great. Lord Bacon's Essay 13. [113] Absurdum est unum laute vivere, cum multi esuriunt. Quanto enim gloriosius est multis …
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[133] I pass not this by as a small matter, to be passed by also by the reader. For I take the love of God kindled by faith in Christ, with the full denial of our carnal selves, to be the sum of all religion. But because I would not injure so great a duty by saying but a little of it; and therefore desire the reader, w…
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_The true doctrine of love to God, to holiness, to ourselves, and to others, opened in certain propositions; especially for resolving the questions, What self-love is lawful?--what sinful?--Whether God must be loved above our own felicity, and how?--Whether to love our felicity more than God, may stand with a state of …
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11. The rational powers cannot nullify the sensitive, nor directly or totally hinder the action of them; but they may and must indirectly hinder the act, by avoiding the objects and temptations, by diverting the thoughts to higher things, &c.; and may hinder the effects by governing the locomotive power. 12. Sensitive…
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24. All the goodness of the creature doth formally consist in its threefold relation to God, viz. 1. In the impresses of God as its first Efficient or Creator; as it is his image, or the effect and demonstration of his perfections, viz. his infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. 2. In its conformity to his directions, o…
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44. The love of the universe, as bearing the liveliest image or impress of its cause, is an eminent secondary love of God, and a great help to our primary or immediate love of him. Could we comprehend the glorious excellency of the universal creation, in its matter, form, parts, order, and uses, we should see so glorio…
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55. The loving of ourselves sensually, preferring our present life and earthly pleasure before our higher spiritual felicity in heaven, and our neglecting to love holiness, and seek it for ourselves, and then to love God in ourselves, is a neglect and hinderance of the love of God. 56. Man hath not lost so much of the…
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68. And indeed the state of sin lieth both in man's fall from God to self, and in the mistake of his own felicity, preferring even for himself a sensible good before a spiritual, and the creature before the Creator: and therefore he must be rectified in both. 69. And the hypocrite's uneffectual love to God and holines…
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74. Though no man indeed love God as God, who loveth him not as better than himself, and therefore loveth him not better, and as his absolutely ultimate end; and though no man desire holiness indeed, who desireth not to be devoted absolutely to God before and above himself: yet is it very common to have a false, imperf…
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82. Though it be essential to divine love, and consequently to true holiness, to love God for himself, and as better than ourselves, (or else we love him not as God, as is before said,) yet this is hardly and seldom perceived in the beginning in him that hath it; because the love of ourself is more passionate, and rais…
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(6.) He is willing and desirous for the time to come, to love God as God above himself, and to please him before himself; that is, to have a heart disposed to do it. (7.) He findeth that he cannot do it of himself, nor with his old carnal, indisposed heart. (8.) He believeth that Christ, by his doctrine and Spirit, i…
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90. Therefore, I conceive, that in our first believing in Christ, even to justification, though our reason tell us that he is more amiable than ourselves, and we are desirous so to love him for the future, and have an obscure, weak beginning of love to God as God, or as so conceived: yet, 1. The strength of sensitive s…
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97. Therefore, when we are promised the Spirit, to be given to us if we believe in Christ, and sanctification is promised us, with justification, on this condition of faith, this is part of the meaning of that promise;--that, if we truly take Christ for our Saviour, to bring us to the love of God, though at present we …
802 wordsSource & rights
Public domain in the USA; original historical text digitized by Project Gutenberg.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.