A26892:1279
A Christian Directory
A Christian directory, or, A sum of practical theology and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortify every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.A Christian directory, or, A summ of practical theologie and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortifie every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1673
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Part 1 › Chapter 3 › Direction 10 › Directions for faithful serving Christ, and doing Good.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
§. 41. Quest. 10. Seeing then that I am sure before hand that I cannot Preach, or Hear, or Pray,1 or do any good action without sin, must I not, by this rule, forbear them all?
- 1Quest.
Answ. No: because your infirmities in the performance of your duty, which you would avoid1 and cannot, are not made the condition of your action, but are the diseases of it; They are not chosen and approved of: The duty is your duty notwithstanding your infirmities; and may be accepted of: for you cannot serve God in perfection till you are perfect: and to cast away his service is a far greater sin, than to do it imperfectly. But you may serve him without such wilful chosen sin; if not in one way, yet in another. The imperfection of your service is repented of while it is committed: but so is not your approved chosen sin. For a man to make a bargain against God, that he will commit a sin against him, though the action be the same which he hath often done before in pardonable weakness, this is to turn it to a presumptuous heinous sin. If he do it for worldly gain or safety, he selleth his obedience to God for trifles. If he do it to serve God by, he blasphemeth God, declaring him to be Evil and a lover of sin, or so Impotent as not to be able to do good, or attain his ends by lawful means. It is most dangerous to give it under our hands to the Devil that we will sin, on what pretence soever.
Answ. No: because your infirmities in the performance of your duty, which you would avoid1 and cannot, are not made the condition of your action, but are the diseases of it; They are not chosen and approved of: The duty is your duty notwithstanding your infirmities; and may be accepted of: for you cannot serve God in perfection till you are perfect: and to cast away his service is a farr greater sin, than to do it imperfectly. But you may serve him without such willful chosen sin; if not in one way, yet in another. The imperfection of your service is repented of while it is committed: but so is not your approved chosen sin. For a man to make a bargain against God, that he will commit a sin against him, though the action be the same which he hath often done before in pardonable weakness, this is to turn it to a presumptuous heinous sin. If he do it for worldly gain or safety, he selleth his obedience to God for trifles. If he do it to serve God by, he blsphemeth God, declaring him to be Evil and a lover of sin, or so Impotent as not to be able to do good, or attain his ends by lawful means. It is most dangerous to give it under our hands to the Devil that we will sin, on what pretence soever.