A26892:1374
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.
§. 42. And O that this might be the happy fruit of these Directions with thee that art now reading or hearing them! That thou wouldst but offer up thy flaming Heart, to Jesus Christ our Great High-Priest, to be presented an acceptable sacrifice to God! Or if it flame not in Love as thou desirest, yet give it up to the Holy Spirit to increase the flames. Thou little knowest how much God setteth by a Heart. He calleth to thee himself, My son, give me thy heart. Prov. 23. 26. Without it, he cares not for any thing that thou canst give him: He cares not for thy fairest words without it: He cares not for thy loudest prayers without it: He cares not for thy costliest alms or sacrifices, if he have not ⟨p. 156⟩thy heart. If thou give all thy goods to feed the poor, and give thy body to be burnt, and have not Love, it will profit thee nothing: If thou speak with the tongue of Men and Angels, and hast not Love, thou art but as sounding brass or a tinkling Cymbal: If thou canst prophecy, and preach to admiration, and understand all mysteries and knowledge, and hadst faith to do miracles, and have not Love, thou art Nothing: 1 Cor. 13. 1, 2, 3. Thou hast but a shadow, and wantest that which is the substance and life of all. Come then and make an agreement with God, and resolve now to Offer him thy Heart: He asketh thee for nothing which thou hast not: It is not for riches and lands that he seeketh to thee; for then the poor might say as Peter, silver and gold have I none: Give him but such as thou hast, and it sufficeth. He knoweth that it is a polluted sinful heart: but give it him, and he will make it clean: He knoweth that it is an unkind heart, that hath stood out too long: but give it him yet, and he will pardon and accept it. He knoweth that it is an unworthy heart: but give it him, and he will be its worth. Only see that you give it him entirely and unreservedly; for he will not bargain with the Devil or the world, for the dividing of thy heart between them. A half heart and a hollow heart, that is but lent him till fleshly interest or necessity shall call for it again, he will not accept. Only resign it to him, and do but Consent that thy Heart be his, and entirely and absolutely his, and he will take it and use it as his own. It is his own by title; Let it be also so by thy Consent. If God have it not, who shall have it? Shall the world, or pride, or fleshly lust?