Part 1 › Chapter 3 › Direction 10: DIRECT. X. Your lives must be laid out in doing God service, and doing all the good you…, A Christian Directory by Richard Baxter (1673) | AskReformation

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4. The Redeemed are not Masterless, but have still a Lord, who hath now a double Right to govern them: And this Governor giveth them a Law: And this Law requireth us to do good works, as much as we are able, (though not so terribly yet) as obligingly as the Law of Works: And by this Law (of Christ) we must be Judged: And thus we must be judged according to our works: and to be judged ¹is nothing else but to be Justified or Condemned: Such works therefore are Rewardable according to the Distributive Justice of the Law of Grace, by which we must be Judged: And the ancient Fathers who (without any opposition) spoke of Good works as Meritorious with God, meant no more, but that they were such as the Righteous Judge of the world will Reward according to the Law of Grace, by which he judgeth us. And this doctrine being agreed on as certain truth, there is no controversy left with them, but whether the word Merit was properly or improperly used: And that both Scripture and our common speech alloweth the Fathers use of the word, I have showed at large in my Confession.

4. The Redeemed are not Masterless, but have still a Lord, who hath now a double Right to govern them: And this Governour giveth them a Law: And this Law requireth us to do good works, as much as we are able, (though not so terribly yet) as obligingly as the Law of Works: And by this Law (of Christ) we must be Iudged: And thus we must be judged according to our works: and to be judged ¹is nothing else but to be Iustified or Condemned: Such works therefore are Rewardable according to the Distributive Iustice of the Law of Grace, by which we must be Iudged: And the antient Fathers who (without any opposition) spoke of Good works as Meritorious with God, meant no more, but that they were such as the Righteous Iudge of the world will Reward according to the Law of Grace, by which he judgeth us. And this doctrine being agreed on as certain truth, there is no controversie left with them, but whether the word Merit was properly or improperly used: And that both Scripture and our common speech alloweth the Fathers use of the word, I have shewed at large in my Confession.

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9. Therefore as an act of Mercy to us, and for his own Glory (as at first he made all things very good, so) he will make the new creature according to his Image, which is Holy, and Just, and Good, and will use us in good works; and it is our honour, and gain, and happiness to be so used by him: As he will not communicate Light to the world without the Sun (whose glory derogateth not from his honour). So will he not do good works in the world immediately by himself only; but by¹ his servants, whose calling and daily business it must be, as that which they are made for, as the Sun is made to give light and heat to inferior things: Ephes. 2. 10. Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. Christ was far from their opinion that think all good works that are attributed to good men are dishonourable to God.

9. Therefore as an act of Mercy to us, and for his own Glory (as at first he made all things very good, so) he will make the new creature according to his Image, which is Holy, and Iust, and Good, and will use us in good works; and it is our honour, and gain, and happiness to be so used by him: As he will not communicate Light to the world without the Sun (whose glory derogateth not from his honour). So will he not do good works in the world immediately by himself only; but by¹ his servants, whose calling and daily business it must be, as that which they are made for, as the Sun is made to give light and heat to inferiour things: Ephes. 2. 10. Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven. Christ was far from their opinion that think all good works that are attributed to good men are dishonourabie to God.

1Vir bonus est qui prodest quibus potest, nocet autem nemi••. P. Scalig. Ne pigeat Evangelicum Ministrum, aeg•otum visitare, xenio aliquo recreare, famelicum cibario saltem pane pascere, nu•um operire, paup•r•m cu• non est adjutor, a divitum calumniis & potentia eripere, pro afflictis principem magistratumve convenire: r•m familia•em c•nsili▪ augegere, morientibus sedulo & benign astare, lites & dissidia componere, &c. Acosta l. 4. c. 18 p. 418.Vir bonus est qui prodest quibus potest, nocet autem nemi••. P. Scalig. Ne pigeat Evangelicum Ministrum, aeg•otum visitare, xenio aliquo recreare, famelicum cibario saltem pane pascere, nu•um operire, paup•r•m cu• non est adjutor, a divitum calumniis & potentia eripere, pro afflictis principem magistratumve convenire: r•m familia•em c•nsili▪ augegere, morientibus sedulo & benigne astare, lites & dissidia componere, &c. Acosta l. 4. c. 18 p. 418.

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§. 4. Direct. 1. Be sure that you have that Holiness, Justice and Charity within, which are the necessary ¹Principles of good works. For a good Tree will being forth good fruit, and an evil Tree evil fruit: Make the Tree good, and the fruit good: A good man out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart, bringeth forth evil things: As out of the Heart proceed evil works, Matth. 15. 19, 20. So out of the heart must good works come: Matth. 7. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Can the dead do the works of the living? Or the unholy do the works of holiness? or the unrighteous do the works of justice? or the uncharitable do the works of charity? Will he do good to Christ in his members on earth, who hateth them? Or will he not rather imprison them, than visit them in prison, and rather strip them of all they have, than feed and clothe them? Or if a man should do that which materially is good, from pride, or other sinful principles, God doth not accept it, but taketh all sacrifice but as Carrion, that is offered to him without the Heart.

§. 4. Direct. 1. Be sure that you have that Holiness, Iustice and Charity within, which are the necessary ¹Principles of good works. For a good Tree will being forth good fruit, and an evil Tree evil fruit: Make the Tree good, and the fruit good: A good man out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart, bringeth forth evil things: As out of the Heart proceed evil works, Matth. 15. 19, 20. So out of the heart must good works come: Matth. 7. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Can the dead do the works of the living? Or the unh•ly do the works of holiness? or the unrighteous do the works of justice? or the uncharitable do the works of charity? Will he do good to Christ in his members on earth, who hateth them? Or will he not rather imprison them, than visit them in prison, and rather strip them of all they have, than feed and clothe them? Or if a man should do that which materially is good, from pride, or other sinful principles, God doth not accept it, but taketh all sacrifice but as Carrion, that is offered to him without the Heart.

1Direct. 1.