A26892:8233
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.
They have seldom leisure to hear a Sermon, and less to pray: The Lords Day is usually taken up in matters that concern the lives, and therefore can pretend necessity: So that it must be a very resolute, confirmed, vigilant person, that is not alienated from God. And then it is a course of life, which giveth great opportunity to the Tempter, and advantage to temptations, both to errors in judgement, and viciousness of heart and life: He that never tried it can hardly conceive how difficult it is to keep up piety and innocency in an Army. If you will suppose that there is no difference in the Cause, or the Ends and Accidents; I take it to be much more desirable to serve God in a Prison than in an Army; and that the condition of a Prisoner hath far less in it to tempt the foolish or to afflict the wise, than a military. (Excepting those whose life in Garrisons and lingering Wars, doth little differ from a state of peace.) I am not simply against the lawfulness of War (Nor as I conceive, Erasmus himself, though he saw the sinfulness of that sort of men; and use to speak truly of the horrid wickedness and misery of them, that thirst for blood, or rush on Wars without necessity.) But it must be a very extraordinary Army, that is not constituted of Wolves and Tigers; and is not unto common honesty and piety, the same that a Stews or Whore-house is to chastity. And O how much sweeter is the work of an honest Physician that saveth1 mens lives, than of a Soldier, whose virtue is showed in destroying them? Or a Carpenters or Masons that adorneth Cities with comely buildings, than a Soldiers that consumeth them by fire!
They have seldome leisure to hear a Sermon, and less to pray: The Lords Day is usually taken up in matters that concern the lives, and therefore can pretend necessity: So that it must be a very resolute, confirmed, vigilant person, that is not alienated from God. And then it is a course of life, which giveth great opportunity to the Tempter, and advantage to temptations, both to errors in judgement, and vitiousness of heart and life: He that never tryed it can hardly conceive how difficult it is to keep up piety and innocency in an Army. If you will suppose that there is no difference in the Cause, or the Ends and Accidents; I take it to be much more desirable to serve God in a Prison than in an Army; and that the condition of a Prisoner hath far less in it to tempt the foolish or to afflict the wise, than a military. (Excepting those whose life in Garrisons and lingring Wars, doth little differ from a state of peace.) I am not simply against the lawfulness of War (Nor as I conceive, Erasmus himself, though he saw the sinfulness of that sort of men; and use to speak truly of the horrid wickedness and misery of them, that thirst for blood, or rush on Wars without necessity.) But it must be a very extraordinary Army, that is not constituted of Wolves and Tygers; and is not unto common honesty and piety, the same that a Stews or Whore-house is to chastity. And O how much sweeter is the work of an honest Physicion that saveth