A26892:1315
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 11 › Directions for Loving God as our Father and Felicity.
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.
§. 6. 4. Our first special Love to God, is orderly and rationally to be raised, by the belief of his Goodness 1in him self, and his common Love and Mercy to sinners, manifested in his giving of his Son for the world, and giving men the Conditional promise of pardon and salvation, and offering them Christ and life eternal, and all this to us as well as others: and not to be caused by the belief or persuasion of his special peculiar electing, redeeming, or saving love to us above others, that have the same invitations and offers. It is the knowledge of Common Love and Mercy, and not of special Love and Mercy to us, as already possessed, that is appointed to be the motive of our first special Love to God: (Yet there is in it an apprehension that he is our only possible felicity, and that he will give us a special interest in his favour, if we return by faith in Christ unto him.) For 1. Every man is bound to Love God with a special Love: but every man is not specially beloved by him: And no man is bound to Love God as one that specially Loveth him, but those that indeed are so beloved by him: For else they were bound to believe a falsehood, and to Love that which is not; and grace should be an error and deceit. The object is before the act. Gods special Love must in it self be before its Revelation: and as Revealed it must go before our belief of it; and as believed, it must go before our Loving it, or Loving him as such, or for it. 2. The first saving faith is inseparably conjunct with special Love: For Christ is believed in and willed, as the Way or Means to God as the End: (otherwise it is no true faith.) And the Volition of the End (which is Love) is in order of nature before the choice or Use of the Means as such: And if we must Love God as one that specially Loveth us, in our first Love, then we must Believe in him as such by our first faith: And if so, it must be to us a Revealed Truth. But (as it is false to most that are bound to believe, so) it is not Revealed to the Elect themselves: For if it be, it is either by ordinary or extraordinary revelation: If by ordinary, either by Scripture directly, or by Evidences in our selves which Scripture maketh the Characters of his Love. But neither of these: For Scripture promiseth not salvation to named, but described persons:
§. 6. 4. Our first special Love to God, is orderly and rationally to be raised, by the belief of his Goodness 1