A26892:8619
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.
Part 4 › Chapter 16: Special Directions for Christian Conference, Exhortation and Reproof.
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.
CHAP. XVI. Special Directions for Christian Conference, Exhortation and Reproof.
Tit. 1. Motives to Christian Conference and Exhortation.
THE right use of Speech being a duty of so great importance, as I have before showed about the Government of the Tongue, and it being a way of Communication by which we are all obliged to exercise our Love to one another, even in the greatest matter, the saving of souls, I shall first endeavour to persuade them to this duty who make too little conscience of it: and that by these following considerations.
THE right use of Speech being a duty of so great importance, as I have before shewed about the Government of the Tongue, and it being a way of Communication by which we are all obliged to exercise our Love to one another, even in the greatest matter, the saving of souls, I shall first endeavour to perswade them to this duty who make too little conscience of it: and that by these following considerations.
§. 1. Mot. 1. Consider that it is the exercise of our Humanity: Reason and Speech do difference us from Brutes. If by being Reasonable we are men, then by using Reason we live as men: And the first communicative use of Reason is by speech: By thinking, we exercise Reason for our selves: By speaking, we exercise it (first) for others. Therefore if our Reason be given us for the highest uses to our selves, (to know God and eternal life, and the Means thereto), then certainly our Speech is also given us, for the same highest uses, by way of Communication unto others. Use therefore your tongues to those nobles Ends, for which they were given you. Use them as the tongues of men, to the Ends which humane nature is created for.