A26892:1596
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.
78. Therefore though in Love of Friendship, a Union of both parties, and consequently a conjunct interest of both (and not one alone) do make up the ultimate End of Love; yet here it should be with an utter disproportion, we being obliged to know God as Infinitely Better than our selves, and therefore to Love him incomparably more (though yet it will be but according to the proportion of the faculties of the Lover.)
79. The purest process of Love therefore, is first thankfully to perceive the Divine Efficiencies, and to Love God as communicative of what we and all things are, and have, and shall receive, and therein to see his perfect Goodness in Himself, and to Love him as God for that Goodness; wherein is nothing but the final Act which is our Love, and the Final Object which is the Infinite Good: so that the Act is mans (from God) but nothing is to be joined with God as the absolutely final Object; For that were to join somewhat with God as God.
79. The purest process of Love therefore, is first thankfully to perceive the Divine Efficiencies, and to Love God as communicative of what we and all things are, and have, and shall receive, and therein to see his perfect Goodness in Himself, and to Love him as God for that Goodness; wherein is nothing but the final Act which is our Love, and the Final Object which is the Infinite Good: so that the Act is mans (from God) but nothing is to be joyned with God as the absolutely final Object; For that were to joyn somewhat with God as God.
80. And though it be most true, that this Act may be made the object of another Act, and (as Amesius saith, Omnium gentium consensu dicimus Volo Veil, so) we may and must say Ammo Amare, I Love to Love God, and the very exercise of my own Love is my Delight, and so is my Felicity in the very Essential Nature of it (being a complacency, and being on the highest objective Good): And also this same Love is my Holiness, and so It and I are Pleasing unto God, yet these are all consequential to the true notion of the final Act, and circularly lead to the same again: We must Love our Felicity and Holiness which consisteth in our Love to God, but as that which subordinately relateth to God, in which he is first glorified; and then finally pleased; and so from his Will which we delight to please, we ascend to his total perfect Being, to which we adhere by perfect Love. In a word, our Ultimate End of Acquisition (and Gods own, so far as he may be said to have an End) is the pleasing of the Divine Will, in his Glorification: And our ultimate End of Complacency objectively, is the Infinite Goodness of the Divine Will and Nature.