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.
Direct. 11. Do all in faith and Hope: Believe what you may get of God in prayer, and by an1 obedient hearing of his word! Would you not go cheerfully to the King, if he had promised you to grant whatever you ask? Hath not God promised you more, than Kings can give you? Oh it is an unbelieving and a despairing heart, that turneth all into dead formality. Did you but Hope that God would do all that for you, which he hath told you he will do, and that you might get more by prayer than by your trades, or projects, or all your friends, you would go to God with more earnestness and more delight?
Direct. 12. Apply all the Word of God to your selves according to its usefulness. Ask as you1 go, How doth this concern me? this reproof, this mark, this counsel, this comfort, this exhortation, this direction: Remember as much as you can; but especially the most practical useful parts. Get it home so deep upon your hearts, that it may not easily slide away? Root it by close application, as you go, that affection may constrain you to remember it.
Direct. 13. Above all, Resolve to obey what God shall make known to be his will: Take heed lest1 any wilful sin should escape the power of the Word; and should ordinarily go away with you as it
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.
came. Careless hearing and careless living tend most dangerously to a hardened heart, and a forsaken state. If you regard iniquity in your heart, God will not hear your prayers. The sacrifice of the wicked is abominable to him. The foolish shall not stand in his sight, he hateth all the workers of iniquity. He that turneth away his ear from hearing, (that is, obeying) the Law, even his prayer is abominable. To the wicked saith God, What hast thou to do to take my Covenant into thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction, and hast cast my words behind thee? Obedience is better than sacrifice. He that nameth the name of Christ must depart from iniquity, or else God will not find his mark upon him, nor take him to be one of his: Christs sheep know his voice and follow him, and to them he will give eternal life. But if you had Preached or done miracles in his name, he will say to you, Depart from me, I know you not, if ye be workers of iniquity. Look therefore to your foot (to your heart and life) when you go to the house of God, and be more ready to hear (his Law that must govern you, that you may know his will and do it) than to offer the sacrifice of fools, (that is, disobedient sinners) that think by sacrifices and outside worship to get pardon for an unholy life, and to reconcile God to them in their sins, not knowing that thus they add sin to sin.
If you seek God daily, and delight to know his ways, as a Nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinance of their God; If you ask of him the ordinances of justice (sound doctrine, regular worship, strict discipline) and take. delight in approaching to God; If you humble your
souls with frequent fasts; and yet live in a course of wilful disobedience, you labour in vain, and aggravate your sins, and Preachers had need to lift up their voices and be louder Trumpets to tell you of your sins, than to other men. But if ye will wash you, and make you clean and put away the evil of your doings, cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgement, relieve the oppressed, &c.
You may then come with boldness, and confidence unto God. Otherwise to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices?
Direct. 13. Above all, Resolve to obey what God shall make known to be his will: Take heed lest1 any wilful sin should escape the power of the Word; and should ordinarily go away with you as it2 came. Careless hearing and careless living tend most dangerously to a hardened heart, and a forsaken state. If you regard iniquity in your heart, God will not hear your prayers. The sacrifice of the wicked is abominable to him. The foolish shall not stand in his sight, he hateth all the workers of iniquity. He that turneth away his ear from hearing, (that is, obeying) the Law, even his prayer is abominable. To the wicked saith God, What hast thou to do to take my Covenant into thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction, and hast cast my words behind thee? Obedience is better than sacrifice. He that nameth the name of Christ must depart from iniquity, or else God will not find his mark upon him, nor take him to be one of his: Christs sheep know his voice and follow him, and to them he will give eternal life. But if you had Preacht or done miracles in his name, he will say to you, Depart from me, I know you not, if ye be workers of iniquity. Look therefore to your foot (to your heart and life) when you go to the house of God, and be more ready to hear (his Law that must govern you, that you may know his will and do it) than to offer the sacrifice of fools, (that is, disobedient sinners) that think by sacrifices and outside worship to get pardon for an unholy life, and to reconcile God to them in their sins, not knowing that thus they add sin to sin.3 If you seek God daily, and delight to know his wayes, as a Nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinance of their God; If you ask of him the ordinances of justice (sound doctrine, regular worship, strict discipline) and take. delight in approaching to God; If you humble your4 souls with frequent fasts; and yet live in a course of wilful disobedience, you labour in vain, and aggravate your sins, and Preachers had need to lift up their voices and be lowder Trumpets to tell you of your sins, than to other men. But if ye will wash you, and make you clean and put away the evil of your doings, cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgement, relieve the oppressed, &c. 5You may then come with boldness, and confidence unto God. Otherwise to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices?
your oblations will be vain, and your incense abominable. If ye be wil•ing and obedient, you shall be blessed: but if ye refuse and rebel ye shall be destroyed; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. If you do well shall you not be accepted? but if ye do evil,1 sin lieth at the door. Let your profession be never so great, and your parts and expressions never so Seraphical, sin is a reproach to any people: And if you would hid your selves from justice in the purest Church, among the holiest people, and the most numerous and longest prayers, be sure that your sin will find you out. Your secret lust, your covetous over-reaching, your secret gluttony or2 tippling▪ much more your crimson sins will surely find you out.
your oblations will be vain, and your incense abominable. If ye be wil•ing and obedient, you shall be blessed: but if ye refuse and rebel ye shall be destroyed; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. If you do well shall you not be accepted? but if ye do evil,1 sin lyeth at the door. Let your profession be never so great, and your parts and expressions never so Scraphical, sin is a reproach to any people: And if you would hid your selves from justice in the purest Church, among the holiest people, and the most numerous and longest prayers, be sure that your sin will find you out. Your secret lust, your covetous over-reaching, your secret gluttony or2 tipling▪ much more your crimson sins will surely find you out.
Alas, what •hen will those miscreants do, whose sins are scarlet bloody persecutions, under pretence1 of promoting unity and obedience and the Catholic Church, while the Cloak or Cover of it is but the thin transparent Spider-web of humane Traditions, and numerous Ceremonies, and childish complementing with Go•; And when they have nothing but the prayers of a long Liturgy, to cover the effects, of their earthly, sensual and diabolical zeal and wisdom (as St. James calls it, 3. 15, 16.) and to concoct the Widows houses which they devour, and to put a reverence upon the office and work, which they labour all the week to render reproachful, by a sensual, luxurious, idle life, and by perfidious making merchandise of souls.
Alas, what •hen will those miscreants do, whose sins are scarlet bloody persecutions, under pretence1 of promoting unity and obedience and the Catholick Church, while the Cloak or Cover of it is but the thin transparent Spider-web of humane Traditions, and numerous Ceremonies, and childish complementing with Go•; And when they have nothing but the prayers of a long Liturgie, to cover the effects, of their earthly, sensual and diabolical zeal and wisdom (as St. Iames calls it, 3. 15, 16.) and to conc•ct the Widdows houses which they devour, and to put a reverence upon the office and work, which they labour all the week to render reproachful, by a sensual, luxurious, idle life, and by perfidious making merchandize of souls.
As ever you care what becometh of your souls, take heed lest sin grow bold under Prayers, and grow familiar and contemptuous of Sermons and holy speeches, and lest you keep a custom of Religious exercises, and wilful sins. For oh how doth this harden now, and wound hereafter. He is the best hearer, that is the holiest liver, and faithfullest obeyer.
As ever you care what becometh of your souls, take heed lest sin grow bold under Prayers, and grow familiar and contemptuous of Sermons and holy speeches, and lest you keep a custome of Religious exercises, and wilful sins. For oh how doth this harden now, and wound hereafter. He is the best hearer, that is the holiest liver, and faithfullest obeyer.
Direct. 14. Be not a bare hearer of the Prayers of the Pastor, (whether it be by a Liturgy, or1 without.) For that is but hypocrisy, and a sin of omission; You come not thither only to hear prayers, but to pray. And kneeling is not praying; but it is a profession that you pray. And will you be prayerless even in the house of Prayer, and when you profess and seem to pray? and so add hypocrisy to impiety? I fear many that seem Religious and would have those kept from the Sacrament that Pray not in their Families, do very ordinarily tolerate themselves in this gross omission, and mocking of God, and are Prayerless themselves even when they seem to Pray.
Direct. 14. Be not a bare hearer of the Prayers of the Pastor, (whether it be by a Liturgie, or1 without.) For that is but hypocrisie, and a sin of omission; You come not thither only to hear prayers, but to pray. And kneeling is not praying; but it is a profession that you pray. And will you be prayerless even in the house of Prayer, and when you profess and seem to pray? and so add hypocrisie to impiety? I fear many that seem Religious and would have those kept from the Sacrament that Pray not in their Families, do very ordinarily tolerate themselves in this gross omission, and mocking of God, and are Prayerless themselves even when they seem to Pray.
Direct. 15. Stir up your hearts in a special manner to the greatest alacrity and joy, in speaking1 and singing the Praises of God. The Lords day is a day of Joy and Thanksgiving and the Praises of God are the highest and holyest employment upon Earth. And if ever you should do any thing with all your might, and with a joyful and triumphing frame of soul, it is this. Be glad that you may join with the Sacred Assemblies, in heart and voice, in so Heavenly a work. And do not as some humoursome peevish persons (that know not the danger of that proud disease) fall to quarrelling with Davids Psalms; as unsuitable to some of the hearers, or to nauseate every failing in the Met••, so as to turn so holy a duty into neglect or scorn (for, alas, such there are near me where I dwell); nor let prejudice against melody, or Church-music (if you dwell where it is used) possess you with a splenetic disgust of that which should be your most joyful work. And if you know how much the incorporate soul must make use of the body in harmony, and in the joyful praises of Jehovah, do not then quarrel with lawful helps, because they are sensible and corporeal.
Direct. 15. Stir up your hearts in a special manner to the greatest alacrity and joy, in speaking1 and singing the Praises of God. The Lords day is a day of Joy and Thanksgiving and the Praises of God are the highest and holyest employment upon Earth. And if ever you should do any thing with all your might, and with a joyful and triumphing frame of soul, it is this. Be glad that you may joyn with the Sacred Assemblies, in heart and voice, in so Heavenly a work. And do not as some humersome pievish persons (that know not the danger of that proud disease) fall to quarreling with Davids Psalms; as unsuitable to some of the hearers, or to nauseate every failing in the Met••, so as to turn so holy a duty into neglect or scorn (for, alas, such there are near me where I dwell); nor let prejudice against melody, or Church-musick (if you dwell where it is used) possess you with a splene•ick disgust of that which should be your most joyful work. And if you know how much the incorporate soul must make use of the body in harmony, and in the joyful praises of Iehovah, do not then quarrel with lawful helps, because they are sensible and corporeal.
Direct. 16. Be very considerate and serious in Sacramental renewings of your Covenant with God.1 O think what great things you come thither to Receive. And think what a holy work you have to2 do: And think what a Life it is that you must promise. So solemn a Covenanting with God, and of so great importance, requireth a most holy, reverent and serious frame of soul. But yet let not the unwarrantable differencing this Ordinance from Gods praises and the rest, seduce you into the common errors of the times: I mean, 1. Of those that hence are brought to think that the Sacrament should never be received without a preparatory day of humiliation, above the preparation for an ordinary Lords days work. 2. And therefore receive it seldom; whereas the primitive Churches never spent a Lords day together without it. 3. Those that turn it into a perplexing terrifying thing, for fear of being unprepared, when it should be their greatest comfort, and when they are not so perplexed about their unpreparedness to any other duty. 4. Those that make so great a difference betwixt this and Church-prayers, praises and other Church-worship, as that they take this Sacrament only for the proper work and privilege of Church-members; And thereupon turn it into an occasion of our great contentions and divisions, while they fly from Sacramental Communion with others, more than from Communion in the other Church-worship. O what hath our subtle enemy done against the Love, Peace and Unity of Christians, especially in England, under pretence of Sacramental purity?
Direct. 16. Be very considerate and serious in Sacramental renewings of your Covenant with God.1 O think what great things you come thither to Receive. And think what a holy work you have to2 do: And think what a Life it is that you must promise. So solemn a Covenanting with God, and of so great importance, requireth a most holy, reverent and serious frame of soul. But yet let not the unwarrantable differencing this Ordinance from Gods praises and the rest, seduce you into the common errours of the times: I mean, 1. Of those that hence are brought to think that the Sacrament should never be received without a preparatory day of humiliation, above the preparation for an ordinary Lords days work. 2. And therefore receive it seldom; whereas the primitive Churches never spent a Lords day together without it. 3. Those that turn it into a perplexing terrifying thing, for fear of being unprepared, when it should be their greatest comfort, and when they are not so perplexed about their unprepar•dness to any other duty. 4. Those that make so great a difference betwixt this and Church-prayers, praises and other Church-wo•ship, as that they take this Sacrament only for the proper work and priviledge of Church-members; And thereupon turn it into an occasion of our great contentions and divisions, while they fly from Sacramental Communion with others, more than from Communion in the other Church-worship. O what hath our subtle enemy done against the Love, Peace and Unity of Christians, especially in England, under pretence of Sacramental purity?
Direct. 17. Perform all your Worship to God, as in heart-Communion with all Christs Churches1 upon Earth; Even those that are faulty, though not with their faults. Though you can be present but with one, y•• consent as present in spirit with all, and separate not in heart, from any one; any further than they separate from Christ.
Direct. 19. Y••, remember in all, what Relation you have to the Heavenly Society and Chore, and1 think how they Worship God in Heaven, that you may strive to imitate than in your degree. Of which more an•n.
Direct. 20. Let your whole course of life after, savour of a Church-frame; Live as the servants of1 that God wh•m you Worship; and as ever before him. Live in the Love of those Christians with whom you have Communion: and do not quarrel with them at home, nor despise, nor persecute them with whom you join in the Worshipping of God. And do not needlessly open the weaknesses of the Minister to prejudice others against him and the Worship. And be not Religious at the Church alone, for then you are not truly Religious at all.
Direct. 20. Let your whole course of life after, savour of a Church-frame; Live as the servants of1 that God wh•m you Worship; and as ever before him. Live in the Love of those Christians with whom you have Communion: and do not quarrel with them at home, nor despise, nor persecute them with whom you joyn in the Worshipping of God. And do not needlesly open the weaknesses of the Minister to prejudice others against him and the Worship. And be not Religious at the Church alone, for then you are not truly Religious at all.
THE oversight and neglect of our duty concerning the souls of the blessed, now with Christ,1 doth very much harden the Papists in their erroneous excesses here about. And if we will ever reduce them, or rightly confute them, it must be by a judicious asserting of the Truth, and observing so much with them as is our duty, and commending that in them which is to be commended, and not by running away from truth and duty that we may get for enough from them and error: For error is an ill way of confuting error. The practical Truth lieth in these following Precepts.
THE oversight and neglect of our duty concerning the souls of the blessed, now with Christ,1 doth very much harden the Papists in their erroneous excesses here about. And if we will ever reduce them, or rightly confute them, it must be by a judicious asserting of the Truth, and observing so much with them as is our duty, and commending that in them which is to be commended, and not by running away from truth and duty that we may get for enough from them and errour: For errour is an ill way of confuting errour. The practical Truth lyeth in these following Precepts.
1I have said more of •his since, in my ••••e of Faith.
§. 1. Direct. 1. Remember that the departed souls in Heaven are part, and the noblest part of the Body 1of Christ and family of God, of which you are inferior members; and therefore that you owe them greater Love and Honour, than you ow[…]ny Saints on Earth.
§. 1. Direct. 1. Remember that the departed souls in Heaven are part, and the noblest part of the Body 1of Christ and family of God, of which you are inferiour members; and therefore that you owe them greater Love and Honour, than you ow〈…〉ny Saints on Earth.
1Direct. 1.
Puritans
England
Pastor at Kidderminster and prolific nonconformist author.
