Part 1 › Chapter 3 › Direction 10 › Directions for faithful serving Christ, and doing Good., A Christian Directory by Richard Baxter (1673) | AskReformation

Skip to content

:1243p. 133

Answ. 1. Either you are already engaged in your Calling, or not: If you are, you must have greater reasons to desert it, than such as might require you at first not to choose it. 2. Either the Temptations to sin are such as good men ordinarily overcome, or they are extraordinarily great. You may more warrantably avoid such great ones as you are not like to overcome, than small or ordinary ones. 3. Either you are well furnished against these temptations, or not: If not, you must be more cautelous in approaching them: But if you are, you may trust God the boldlier to help you out. 4. Either they are temptations to ordinary humane frailties in the manner of duty, or temptations to more dangerous sin: The first will not so much warrant you to avoid doing good for to escape them, as the latter will. 5. The service that you are called to (being supposed great and necessary to be done by somebody) is either such as others will do better or as well if you avoid it, or not. If the Church or common good receive no detriment by your refusal, you may the more insist on your own preservation: But if the necessities of the Church or State, and the want of fitter instruments, or any apparent call of God, do single you out for that service, you must obey God whatever the difficulties and temptations are: For no temptation can necessitate you to sin; and God that calleth you, can easily preserve you: But take heed what you thrust your selves upon.

Answ. 1. Either you are allready engaged in your Calling, or not: If you are, you must have greater reasons to desert it, than such as might require you at first not to choose it. 2. Either the Temptations to sin are such as good men ordinarily overcome, or they are extraordinarily great. You may more warrantably avoid such great ones as you are not like to overcome, than small or ordinary ones. 3. Either you are well furnished against these temptations, or not: If not, you must be more cautelous in approaching them: But if you are, you may trust God the boldlier to help you out. 4. Either they are temptations to ordinary humane frailties in the manner of duty, or temptations to more dangerous sin: The first will not so much warrant you to avoid doing good for to escape them, as the latter will. 5. The service that you are called to (being supposed great and necessary to be done by somebody) is either such as others will do better or as well if you avoid it, or not. If the Church or common good receive no detriment by your refusal, you may the more insist on your own preservation: But if the necessities of the Church or State, and the want of fitter instruments, or any apparent call of God, do single you out for that service, you must obey God whatever the difficulties and temptations are: For no temptation can necessitate you to sin; and God that calleth you, can easily preserve you: But take heed what you thrust your selves upon.

:1245p. 133

Answ. The Apostle only requireth men to make no unlawful change (such as is the forsaking of a Wife or Husband) nor no unnecessary change as if it were necessary (as in the case of circumcision): But in the next words he saith [Art thou called being a servant? Care not far it: But if thou mayest be made free use it rather. He bids every man abide with God in the place he is called to, but forbids them not to change their state when they are called to change it. verse 24. He speaks more of relations (of single persons and married, servants and free, &c.) than o• trades or offices: And yet no doubt but a single person may be married, and the married must be separated; and servants may be free. No man must take up or change any calling without sufficient cause to call him to it: But when he hath such cause, he sinneth if he change it not. The Apostles changed their Callings, when they became Apostles; and so did multitudes of the Pastors of the Church in every age. God no where forbids men to change their employment for the better, upon a sufficient cause or call.

Answ. The Apostle only requireth men to make no unlawful change (such as is the forsaking of a Wife or Husband) nor no unnecessary change as if it were necessary (as in the case of circumcision): But in the next words he saith [Art thou called being a servant? Care not far it: But if thou maist be made free use it rather. He bids every man abide with God in the place he is called to, but forbids them not to change their state when they are called to change it. verse 24. He speaks more of relations (of single persons and married, servants and free, &c.) than o• trades or offices: And yet no doubt but a single person may be marryed, and the marryed must be separated; and servants may be free. No man must take up or change any calling without sufficient cause to call him to it: But when he hath such cause, he sinneth if he change it not. The Apostles changed their Callings, when they became Apostles; and so did multitudes of the Pastors of the Church in every age. God no where forbids men to change their employment for the better, upon a sufficient cause or call.

:1246p. 133–134

§. 26. Direct. 21. Especially be sure that you live not out of a calling, that is, such a stated course ¹of employment, in which you may best be serviceable to God. Disability indeed is an unresistible impediment. Otherwise no man must either live idly, or content himself with doing some little chars² as a recreation or on the by: But every one that is able, must be statedly, and ordinarily employed in such work, as is serviceable to God, and the common Good. Quest. But will not wealth excuse us? Answ. It may excuse you from some sordid sort of work, by making you more serviceable in other: but you are no more excused from service and work of one kind or other, than the poorest man: Unless you think that God requireth least, where He giveth most. Quest. Will not age excuse us? Answ. Yes, so far as it disableth you; but no further. Object. But I am turned out of my calling. Answ. You are not turned out of the service of God: He calleth you to that▪ or to another. Quest. But may I not cast off the world, that I may only think of my salvation▪ Answ. You may cast off all such excess of worldly cares or business as unnecessarily hinder you in spiritual things: But you may not cast off all bodily employment and mental labour in which you may serve the common Good. Every one that is a member of Church or common-wealth must employ their parts to the utmost for the good of the Church and common-wealth: Public service is Gods greatest service. To neglect this, and say, I will pray and meditate, is as if your servant should refuse your greatest work, and tie himself to some lesser easy part: And God hath commanded you some way or other to labour for your daily bread and not to live as drones on the sweat of others only. Innocent Adam was put into the Garden of Eden to dress it: And fallen man must eat his bread in the sweat of his brows: Gen. 3. 19. And he that will not work must be forbidden to eat, 2 Thes. 3. 6, 10, 12. And indeed it is necessary to our selves, for the health of our bodies, which will grow diseased with idleness; and for the help of our souls, which will fail if the body fail: And man in flesh must have work for his body as well as for his soul: ⟨p. 134⟩And he that will do nothing but pray and meditate, it's like will (by sickness or Melancholy) be disabled ere long either to pray or meditate: Unless he have a body extraordinary strong.

§. 26. Direct. 21. Especially be sure that you live not out of a calling, that is, such a stated course ¹of employment, in which you may best be serviceable to God. Disability indeed is an unresistible impediment. Otherwise no man must either live idely, or content himself with doing some little charres² as a recreation or on the by: But every one that is able, must be statedly, and ordinarily imployed in such work, as is serviceable to God, and the common Good. Quest. But will not wealth excuse us? Answ. It may excuse you from some sordid sort of work, by making you more serviceable in other: but you are no more excused from service and work of one kind or other, than the poorest man: Unless you think that God requireth least, where He giveth most. Quest. Will not age excuse us? Answ. Yes, so farr as it disableth you; but no further. Object. But I am turned out of my calling. Answ. You are not turned out of the service of God: He calleth you to that▪ or to another. Quest. But may I not cast off the world, that I may only think of my salvation▪ Answ. You may cast off all such excess of worldly cares or business as unnecessarily hinder you in spiritual things: But you may not cast off all bodily employment and mental labour in which you may serve the common Good. Every one that is a member of Church or common-wealth must employ their parts to the utmost for the good of the Church and common-wealth: Publick service is Gods greatest service. To neglect this, and say, I will pray and meditate, is as if your servant should refuse your greatest work, and tie himself to some lesser easie part: And God hath commanded you some way or other to labour for your daily bread and not to live as drones on the sweat of others only. Innocent Adam was put into the Garden of Eden to dress it: And fallen man must eat his bread in the sweat of his brows: Gen. 3. 19. And he that will not work must be forbidden to eat, 2 Thes. 3. 6, 10, 12. And indeed it is necessary to our selves, for the health of our bodies, which will grow diseased with idleness; and for the help of our souls, which will fail if the body fail: And man in flesh must have work for his body as well as for his soul: ⟨p. 134⟩And he that will do nothing but pray and meditate, it's like will (by sickness or Melancholy) be disabled e're long either to pray or meditate: Unless he have a body extraordinary strong.

1Direct. 21.
2Who excused from • calling▪

:1251p. 134

§. 30. Direct. 26. Expect your Reward from God alone, and look for unthankfulness and abuse ¹from men, or wonder not if it befall you: If you are not the servants of Men, but of God, expect your recompense from him you serve. You serve not God indeed, if his Reward alone will not content you, unless you have also mans reward. Verily you have your reward, if with the Hypocrite you work for mans approbation. Mat. 6. 2, 5. Expect especially if you are Ministers or others that labour directly for the good of souls, that many prove your enemies for your telling them the truth, and that if you were as good as Paul and as unwearied in seeking mens salvation, yet the more you love, the less you will (by many) be loved: and those that he could have wished himself accursed from Christ to save, did hate him and persecute him, as if he had been the most accursed wretch: A pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among the people, and one that turneth the world upside down, were the names they gave them; and where ever he came, bonds and imprisonment did attend him, and slandering, and reviling, and whipping, and stocks, and vowing his death, are the thanks and requital which he hath from those, for whose salvation he spared no pains, but did spend and was spent. If you cannot do good upon such terms as these, and for those that will thus requite you, and be contented to expect a reward in Heaven, you are not fit to follow Christ, who was worse used than all this, by those to whom he showed more love, than any of his servants have to show. Take up your cross, and do good to the unthankful, and bless them that curse you, and love them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you, if you will be the children of God. Mat. 5.

§. 30. Direct. 26. Expect your Reward from God alone, and look for unthankfulness and abuse ¹from men, or wonder not if it befall you: If you are not the servants of Men, but of God, expect your recompence from him you serve. You serve not God indeed, if his Reward alone will not content you, unless you have also mans reward. Verily you have your reward, if with the Hypocrite you work for mans approbation. Mat. 6. 2, 5. Expect especially if you are Ministers or others that labour directly for the good of souls, that many prove your enemies for your telling them the truth, and that if you were as good as Paul and as unwearied in seeking mens salvation, yet the more you love, the less you will (by many) be loved: and those that he could have wisht himself accursed from Christ to save, did hate him and pers•cute him, as if he had been the most accursed wr•tch: A pe••ilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among the people, and one that turneth the world upside down, were the names they gave them; and where ever he came, bonds and imprisonment did attend him, and slandering, and reviling, and whipping, and stocks, and vowing his death, are the thanks and requital which he hath from those, for whose salvation he spared no pains, but did spend and was spent. If you cannot do good upon such terms as these, and for those that will thus requite you, and be contented to expect a reward in Heaven, you are not fit to follow Christ, who was worse used than all this, by those to whom he shewed more love, than any of his servants have to shew. Take up your cross, and do good to the unthankful, and bless them that curse you, and love them that hate you, and pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you, if you will be the children of God. Mat. 5.

1Direct. 26.

:1255p. 134–135

Answ. 1. In all these cases about an erring or a doubting Conscience, forget not to distinguish be¹ tween the Being of a duty, and the Knowledge of a duty: and remember that the first Question is whether ⟨p. 135⟩this be my duty? and the next, How I may discern it to be my duty: And that God giveth it the Being by his Law, and Conscience is but to know and use it: And that God changeth not his Law and our duty, as oft as our opinions change about it. The obligation of the Law is still the same, though our Consciences err in apprehending it otherwise. Therefore if God command you a duty and your opinion be that he doth not command it, or that he forbids it, and so that it is no duty or that it is a sin, it doth not follow that indeed God commands it not because you think so: Else it were no error in you, nor could it be possible to err, if the thing become true, because you think it to be true. God commandeth you to Love him, and to worship him, and to nourish your children, and to obey the higher powers, &c. And do you think you shall be discharged from all these duties, and allowed to be profane, or sensual, or to resist authority, or to famish your children, if you can but be blind enough to think that God would have it so? 2. Your error is a sin it self: And do you think that one sin must warrant another? or that sin can discharge you from your duty, and disannul the Law? 3. You are a subject to God and not a King to your self: and therefore you must obey his Laws, and not make new ones.

Answ. 1. In all these cases about an erring or a doubting Conscience, forget not to distinguish be¹ tween the Being of a duty, and the Knowledge of a duty: and remember that the first Question is whether ⟨p. 135⟩this be my duty? and the next, How I may discern it to be my duty: And that God giveth it the Being by his Law, and Conscience is but to know and use it: And that God changeth not his Law and our duty, as oft as our opinions change about it. The obligation of the Law is still the same, though our Consciences err in apprehending it otherwise. Therefore if God command you a duty and your opinion be that he doth not command it, or that he forbids it, and so that it is no duty or that it is a sin, it doth not follow that indeed God commands it not because you think so: Else it were no error in you, nor could it be possible to err, if the thing become true, because you think it to be true. God commandeth you to Love him, and to worship him, and to nourish your children, and to obey the higher powers, &c. And do you think you shall be discharged from all these duties, and allowed to be prophane, or sensual, or to resist authority, or to famish your children, if you can but be blind enough to think that God would have it so? 2. Your error is a sin it self: And do you think that one sin must warrant another? or that sin can discharge you from your duty, and disannull the Law? 3. You are a subject to God and not a King to your self: and therefore you must obey his Laws, and not make new ones.

1Answ.