A Christian Directory

Name: A Christian Directory
Author: Richard Baxter

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.

Richard Baxter 1615–1691London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1673

[35], 929, [5], 214 p., [1] leaf of plates : port. · 1.2M words · Wing B1219 · ESTC R21847

Title page typeset from the transcription.

Part 1 › Chapter 1 › Part 1 › Direction 7: Direction 7. IF thou wouldst be converted and saved, be not a malicious or peevish enem…Part 1 › Chapter 1 › Part 1 › Direction 7: Direction 7. IF thou wouldst be converted and saved, be not a malicious or pievish enem…

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.

[ Earlier:239–251 of 9,947

:239p. 12

Direction 7. IF thou wouldst be converted and saved, be not a malicious or peevish enemy to those¹ that would convert and save thee: Be not angry with them that tell thee of thy sin or duty, as if they did thee wrong or hurt.

Direction 7. IF thou wouldst be converted and saved, be not a malicious or pievish enemy to those¹ that would convert and save thee: Be not angry with them that tell thee of thy sin or duty, as if they did thee wrong or hurt.

1Direct. 7.

:240p. 12

§. 1. God worketh by instruments: When he will convert a Cornelius, a Peter must be sent for and willingly heard. When he will recall and save a sinner, he hath usually some public Minister or private friend, that shall be a messenger of that searching and convincing truth, which is fit to awaken them, enlighten them and recover them. If God furnish these his instruments with compassion to your souls, and willingness to instruct you, and you will take them for your enemies, and peevishly quarrel with them, and contradict them, and perhaps reproach them, and do them a mischief for their good will, what an inhumane barbarous course of ingratitude is this? Will you be angry with men for endeavouring to save you from the fire of Hell? Do they endeavour to make any gain or advantage by you? or only to help your souls to Heaven? Indeed if their endeavours did serve any ambitious¹ design of their own, to bring the world (as the Pope and his Clergy would do) under their own jurisdiction, you had reason then to suspect their fraud. But the truth is, Christ hath purposely appointed, his greatest Church-Officers to be but Ministers, even the servants of all, to rule and save men as Volunteers, without any coercive Power, by the Management of his powerful Word upon their consciences, and to beseech and entreat the poorest of the flock, as those that are not Lords over Gods heritage, nor masters of their faith, but their servants in Christ, and helpers of their joy; that so when ever we deliver our message to them, they may see that we exercise not dominion over them, and aim at no worldly honours, or gain, or advantage to our selves, but at the mere conversion and saving of their souls: whereas if he had allowed us to exercise authority as the Kings of the Gentiles, and to be called Gracious Lords, and to encumber our selves with the affairs of this life, our doctrine would have been rejected by the generality of the world, and we should always have come to them on this great disadvantage, that they would have thought that we sought not them, but theirs; and that we preached not for them, but for our selves, to make a prize of them:

[ Earlier passages Later passages ]

A Christian Directory

Direction 7. IF thou wouldst be converted and saved, be not a malicious or peevish enemy to those¹ that would convert and save thee: Be not angry with them that tell thee of thy sin or duty, as if they did thee wrong or hurt.

Direction 7. IF thou wouldst be converted and saved, be not a malicious or pievish enemy to those¹ that would convert and save thee: Be not angry with them that tell thee of thy sin or duty, as if they did thee wrong or hurt.

Direction 8. IF thou art willing indeed to be converted, do thy best to discover that yet thou art unconverted,¹ and in a lost and miserable state.

Transcription key

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36

Direction 7. IF thou wouldst be converted and saved, be not a malicious or peevish enemy to those1 that would convert and save thee: Be not angry with them that tell thee of thy sin or duty, as if they did thee wrong or hurt.

Direction 7. IF thou wouldst be converted and saved, be not a malicious or pievish enemy to those1 that would convert and save thee: Be not angry with them that tell thee of thy sin or duty, as if they did thee wrong or hurt.

Direction 8. IF thou art willing indeed to be converted, do thy best to discover that yet thou art unconverted,1 and in a lost and miserable state.

Transcription key

Direction 7. IF thou wouldst be converted and saved, be not a malicious or peevish enemy to those¹ that would convert and save thee: Be not angry with them that tell thee of thy sin or duty, as if they did thee wrong or hurt.

Direction 7. IF thou wouldst be converted and saved, be not a malicious or pievish enemy to those¹ that would convert and save thee: Be not angry with them that tell thee of thy sin or duty, as if they did thee wrong or hurt.

Direction 8. IF thou art willing indeed to be converted, do thy best to discover that yet thou art unconverted,¹ and in a lost and miserable state.