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
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.
§. 34. Tempt. 17. Another great Temptation to hinder Conversion, is the example and countenance of 1Great Ones that are ungodly▪ when Landlords and men in power are sensual, and enemies to a holy life, and speak reproachfully of it, their inferiors by the reverence which they bear to worldly wealth and greatness, are easily drawn to say as they: Also, when men reputed Learned and Wise, are of another mind; and especially when subtle enemies speak that reproach against it, which they cannot answer.
§. 34. Tempt. 17. Another great Temptation to hinder Conversion, is the example and countenance of 1Great Ones that are ungodly▪ when Landlords and men in power are sensual, and enemies to a holy life, and speak reproachfully of it, their inferiours by the reverence which they bear to worldly wealth and greatness, are easily drawn to say as they: Also, when men reputed Learned and Wise, are of another mind; and especially when subtile enemies speak that reproach against it, which they cannot answer.
§. 35. Direct. 17. To this I spake in the end of the first Part of this Chapter. No man is so great1 and wise as God. See whether he say as they do in his word! The greatest that provoke him can no more save themselves from his vengeance, than the poorest beggars! What work made he with a Pharaoh! and got himself a name by his hard heartedness and impenitency? He can send Worms to eat an arrogant Herod, when the people cry him up as a God! Where are now the Caesars and Alexanders of the world: The Rulers and Pharisees believed not in Christ;
to no profit, but to the subverting of the Hearers: Study to shew thy self approved
UNTO GOD,
a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
RIGHTLY DIVIDING
the word of Truth. But shun profane and vain Bablings; for they will increase unto more Ungodliness, and their Word will eat as doth a Canker.
2 Pet. 3. 16.In which (Pauls Epistles) are some things hard to be understood: which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures to their own destruction.
LONDON, Printed, by Robert White, for Nevill Simmons, at the Sign of the Princes Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard. 1673.
John 7. 48
. Wilt not thou therefore believe in him? The Governor of the Country condemned him to dye; and wilt thou condemn him? The Kings of the earth set themselves, and the Rulers take counsel together against the Lord and his anointed, saying, let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us,
. Wilt thou therefore join in the Conspiracy? When he that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh, the Lord shall have them in derision—He will break them with an iron rod, and dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel, unless they be wise, and kiss the Son, and serve the Lord with fear before his wrath be kindled and they perish,
. If thy Landlord or Great ones shall be thy God, and be honoured and obeyed before God and against him, trust to them, and call on them in the hour of thy distress, and take such a salvation as they can give thee: Teach not God what choice to make, and whom to reveal his mysteries to: He chooseth not always the Learned Scribe, nor the mighty man: Christ himself saith,
Even so Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight! If this reason satisfy you not, follow them, and speed as they. If they are Greater and Wiser than God, let them be your Gods, 1 Cor. 1. 26. You see your calling how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called▪ but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; and base things of the world, and things that are despised hath God chosen, and things that are not, to bring to nought things that are.
§. 35. Direct. 17. To this I spake in the end of the first Part of this Chapter. No man is so great1 and wise as God. See whether he say as they do in his word! The greatest that provoke him can no more save themselves from his vengeance, than the poorest beggars! What work made he with a Phara•h! and got himself a name by his hard heartedness and impenitency? He can send Worms to eat an arrogant Herod, when the people cry him up as a God! Where are now the Caesars and Alexanders of the world: The Rulers and Pharisees believed not in Christ; Iohn 7. 48. Wilt not thou therefore believe in him? The Governour of the Countrey condemned him to dye; and wilt thou condemn him? The Kings of the earth set themselves, and the Rulers take counsel together against the Lord and his anointed, saying, let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us, Psal. 2. 2, 3. Wilt thou therefore joyn in the Conspiracy? When he that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh, the Lord shall have them in derision—He will break them with an iron rod, and dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel, unless they be wise, and kiss the Son, and serve the Lord with fear before his wrath be kindled and they perish, Psal. 2. 4, 9, 10, 11, 12. If thy Landlord or Great ones shall be thy God, and be honoured and obeyed before God and against him, trust to them, and call on them in the hour of thy distress, and take such a salvation as they can give thee: Teach not God what choice to make, and whom to reveal his mysteries to: He chooseth not alwayes the Learned Scribe, nor the mighty man: Christ himself saith, Matth. 11. 25. I thank thee O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes: 2Even so Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight! If this reason satisfie you not, follow them, and speed as they. If they are Greater and Wiser than God, let them be your Gods, 1 Cor. 1. 26. You see your calling how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called▪ but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; and base things of the world, and things that are despised hath God chosen, and things that are not, to bring to nought things that are.
1Direct. 17.
2Read Mr. […] sermon •n 1 ••••▪ 1. 2•.Read Mr. 〈…〉 sermon •n 1 ••••▪ 1. 2•.
It is another kind of Greatness, Honour and Wisdom which God bestoweth on the poorest Saints, than the world can give; Worldlings will shortly be aweary of their portion: In your Baptism you renounced the world with its pomps and vanity: and now do you deify, what you then defied?
It is another kind of Greatness, Honour and Wisdom which God bestoweth on the poorest Saints, than the world can give; Worldlings will shortly be aweary of their portion: In your Baptism you renounced the world with its pomps and vanity: and now do you deifie, what you then defied?
§. 36. Temp. 18. Another Temptation is to draw on the sinner into such a custom in sin, and long 1neglect of the means of his Recovery, till his Heart is utterly Hardened.
§. 39. Direct. 19. Of this I entreat you to read the many Reasons which I have given to shame and1 waken delayers, in my Book of Directions for a sound Conversion.
§. 42. Temp. 21. If they will needs looks after Grace, he will do all he can to deceive them with counterfeits, 1and make them take a seeming half conversion for a saving change.
§. 44. Temp. 22. If he cannot make them flat Infidels, he will tempt them to question and contradict 1the sense of all those Texts of Scripture which are used to convince them, and all▪ those doctrines which grate most upon their galled consciences; as of the Necessity of Regeneration, the fewness of them that are saved, the difficulty of salvation, the torments of Hell, the necessity of mortification, and the sinfulness of all particular sins: They will hearken what Cavillers can say for any sin, and against any part of Godliness; and with this they wilfully delude themselves.
§. 45. Direct. 22. But if men are resolved to join with the Devil, and shut their eyes, and •avil1 against all that God speaketh to them to prevent their misery, and know not, because they will not know, what remedy is left, or who can save men against their wills? This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. He that doth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. John 3. 19, 20. In Scripture, some things are hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable, wrest to their own destruction, 2 Pet. 3. 16. Of particulars read the end of my Treatise of Conversion.
§. 45. Direct. 22. But if men are resolved to joyn with the Devil, and shut their eyes, and •avil1 against all that God speaketh to them to prevent their misery, and know not, because they will not know, what remedy is left, or who can save men against their wills? This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. He that doth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. John 3. 19, 20. In Scripture, some things are hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable, wrest to their own destruction, 2 Pet. 3. 16. Of particulars read the end of my Treatise of Conversion.
§. 46. Temp. 23. Yea, Satan will do his worst to make them Heretics, and teach them some doctrine 1of licentiousness suitable is their lusts: Its hard being wicked still against Conscience in the open light: This is kicking against the pricks: too smarting work to be easily born: Therefore the Devil will make them a Religion which shall please them, and do their sins no ha•m: Either a Religion made up of loose Opinions, like the Familists, Ranters, Libertines and Antinomians (and the Jesuits too much); or else made up of trifling formalities, and a great deal of bodily exercise and Stage-actings and complement, as much of the Popish devotion is: And a little will draw a carnal heart to believe a carnal doctrine: Its easier to get such a new Religion, than a new heart. And then the Devil tells them that now they are in the right way, and therefore they shall be saved. A great part of the world think their case is good, because they are of such or such a Sect, or Party, and of that which (they are told by their Leaders) is the true Church and way.
§. 46. Temp. 23. Yea, Satan will do his worst to make them Hereticks, and teach them some doctrine 1of licentiousness suitable is their lusts: Its hard being wicked still against Conscience in the open light: This is kicking against the pricks: too smarting work to be easily born: Therefore the Devil will make them a Religion which shall please them, and do their sins no ha•m: Either a Religion made up of loose Opinions, like the Familists, Ranters, Libertines and Antinomians (and the Jesuites too much); or else made up of trifling formalities, and a great deal of bodily exercise and Stage-actings and complement, as much of the Popish devotion is: And a little will draw a carnal heart to believe a carnal doctrine: Its easier to get such a new Religion, than a new heart. And then the Devil tells them that now they are in the right way, and therefore they shall be saved. A great part of the world think their case is good, because they are of such or such a Sect, or Party, and of that which (they are told by their Leaders) is the true Church and way.
§. 47. Direct. 23. But remember that what ever Law you make to your selves, God will judge1 you by his own Law. Falsifying the Kings Coin is no good way to pay a debt, but an addition of Treason to your former misery. It is a new and a holy heart and life, and not a new Creed, or a new Church or Sect that is necessary to your salvation. It will never save you to be in the soundest Church on earth, if you be unsound in it your selves; and are but the dust in the Temple that must be swept ou•: Much less will it save you, to make your selves a Rule, because Gods Rule doth seem too strict.
§. 47. Direct. 23. But remember that what ever Law you make to your selves, God will judge1 you by his own Law. Falsifying the Kings Coyn is no good way to pay a debt, but an addition of Treason to your former misery. It is a new and a holy heart and life, and not a new Creed, or a new Church or Sect that is necessary to your salvation. It will never save you to be in the soundest Church on earth, if you be unsound in it your selves; and are but the dust in the Temple that must be swept ou•: Much less will it save you, to make your selves a Rule, because Gods Rule doth seem too strict.
§. 48. Tempt. 24. Another way of the Tempter is, to draw men to take up with mere Convictions,1 instead of true Conversion: when they have but learnt that it is Necessary to salvation, to be Regenerate, and have the Spirit of Christ, they are as quiet, as if this were indeed to be regenerate, and to have the Spirit: As some think they have attained to perfection, when they have but received the opinion that perfection may here be had; so abundance think they have sanctification and forgiveness, because now they see that they must be had, and without sanctification there is no salvation: And thus the knowledge of all Grace and Duty shall go with them for the grace and duty it self; and their judgement of the thing, instead of the possession of it: and instead of having grace, they force themselves to believe that they have it.
§. 48. Tempt. 24. Another way of the Tempter is, to draw men to take up with meer Convictions,1 instead of true Conversion: when they have but learnt that it is Necessary to salvation, to be Regenerate, and have the Spirit of Christ, they are as quiet, as if this were indeed to be regenerate, and to have the Spirit: As some think they have attained to perfection, when they have but received the opinion that perfection may here be had; so abundance think they have sanctification and forgiveness, because now they see that they must be had, and without sanctification there is no salvation: And thus the knowledge of all Grace and Duty shall go with them for the grace and duty it self; and their judgement of the thing, instead of the possession of it: and instead of having grace, they force themselves to believe that they have it.
1Tempt. 24.
Puritans
England
Pastor at Kidderminster and prolific nonconformist author.
