A26892:1346
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.
§. 25. Direct. 8. Labour for the truest and fullest conceptions of the Goodness and excellencies of God, which are his Amiableness; and abhor all misrepresentations of him as unlovely. That which is apprehended as unlovely cannot be loved: And that which is apprehended as evil is apprehended as unlovely. Therefore it is the grand design of Satan to hide Gods Goodness, and misrepresent him as evil: Not to deny him to be Good in himself (for in that he hath no hope to be believed); but to persuade men that he is not Good to them▪ or to make them forget or overlook his goodness. Not to1 persuade them that God is Evil in himself; but that he is evil to them, by restraining them from their beloved sins, and hating them as sinners, and resolving to damn them if they go on impenitently. This which is part of the Goodness of God, he maketh them believe is evil, by engaging them in a way and interest, which he knoweth that God is engaged against, and enticing them under the strokes of his Justice: And he tempteth believers themselves to poor diminutive unworthy thoughts of the Goodness and Mercifulness of God, and to continual apprehensions of his wrath and terrors: And if he can make them believe that God is their enemy, and think of him only as a consuming fire, how little are they like to Love him? If Christians knew how much of the Devils malice against God and them, doth exercise it self in this, to make God appear to man unlovely, they would more studiously watch against such misrepresentations, and fly from them with greater hatred. Not that we must first by the advice of arrogant Reason and self-love, as some do, draw a false description of Goodness and Amiableness in our minds, and make that the measure of our judgement of God, his nature, attributes and decrees; nor take his Goodness to be only his suitableness to our opinions, wills and interest: But we must take out from the word and works of God that true description of his Goodness which he hath given of himself, and expunge out of our conceits whatsoever is contrary to it. Think of Gods Goodness in proportion with his other attributes. [O my soul, how unequally hast thou thought of God? Thou easily believest that his Power is Omnipotence, and that his Knowledge is Omniscience; but of his Goodness how narrow and poor are thy conceivings? As if it were nothing to his Power and Knowledge.
§. 25. Direct. 8. Labour for the truest and fullest conceptions of the Goodness and excellencies of God, which are his Amiableness; and abhor all misrepresentations of him as unlovely. That which is apprehended as unlovely cannot be loved: And that which is apprehended as evil is apprehended as unlovely. Therefore it is the grand design of Satan to hide Gods Goodness, and misrepresent him as evil: Not to deny him to be Good in himself (for in that he hath no hope to be believed); but to perswade men that he is not Good to them or to make them forget or overlook his goodness. Not to