A26892:1517
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.
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.
The true Doctrine of LOVE to GOD, to HOLINESS, to OUR SELVES and to OTHERS opened in certain Propositions; Especially for resolving the Questions, what self-love is lawful? What sinful? Whether God must be loved above our own felicity? And how? Whether to Love our felicity more than God may stand with a state of saving grace? Whether it be a middle state between sensuality and the Divine nature, to Love God more for our selves than for Himself? Whether to Love God for our selves be the state of a Believer as he is under the promise of the New Covenant? And whether the spirit and sanctification promised to Believers, be the Love of God for himself and so the Divine nature, promised to him that chooseth Christ and God by him out of self-love for his own felicity? How God supposeth and worketh on the principle of self-love in mans Conversion? With many such like. To avoid the tediousness of a distinct debating each Question.
Though these things principally belong to the Theory, and so to another Treatise in hand, called Methodus Theologiae; yet because they are also Practical, and have a great influence upon the more Practical Directions, and the right understanding of them, may help the Reader himself to determine a multitude of Cases of Conscience, the particular discussion and decision of which would too much increase this Volume, which is so big already. I shall here explain them in such brief Propositions as yet shall give light to one another, and I hope contain much of the true nature of Love, which is the mystery of the Christian Religion.
THough these things principally belong to the Theorie, and so to another Treatise in hand, called Methodus Theologiae; yet because they are also Practical, and have a great influence upon the more Practical Directions, and the right understanding of them, may help the Reader himself to determine a multitude of Cases of Conscience, the particular discussion and decision of which would too much increase this Volumn, which is so big already. I shall here explain them in such brief Propositions as yet shall give light to one another, and I hope contain much of the true nature of Love, which is the mysterie of the Christian Religion.