A26892:8635
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 › Section 1: Tit. 1. Motives to Christian Conference and Exhortation.
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.
§. 11. Mot. 11. Yea when Ministers are wanting, through scarcity, persecution, or unfaithfulness and negligence, the peoples holy profitable conference, would do much towards the supplying of that want. There have few places and ages of the World been so happy, but that learned, able, faithful Pastors have been so few, that we had need to pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth more: And it is nothing unusual to have those few silenced or hindered from the Preaching of the Gospel, by the factions or the malignity of the World! And it is yet more common to have ignorant or ungodly persons in that office, who betray the peoples souls by their usurpation, impiety or slothfulness. But if in all such wants, the people that fear God, would do their part in private conference, it would be an excellent supply. Ministers may be silenced from public preaching, when you cannot be silenced from profitable discourse.
§. 11. Mot. 11. Yea when Ministers are wanting, through scarcity, persecution, or un•aithfulness and negligence, the peoples holy profitable conference, would do much towards the supplying of that want. There have few places and ages of the World been so happy, but that learned, able, faithful Pastors have been so few, that we had need to pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth more: And it is nothing unusual to have those few silenced or hindered from the Preaching of the Gospel, by the factions or the malignity of the World! And it is yet more common to have ignorant or ungodly persons in that office, who betray the peoples souls by their usurpation, impiety or slothfulness. But if in all such wants, the people that fear God, would do their part in private conference, it would be an excellent supply. Ministers may be silenced from publick preaching, when you cannot be silenced from profitable discourse.
§. 12. Mot. 12. It is a duty that hath many great advantages for success. 1. You may choose your season: If one time be not fit you may take another. 2. You may choose the person, whom you find to have the greatest necessity or capacity, and where your labour is likelyest to take. 3. You may choose your subject, and speak of that which you find most suitable. There is no restraint nor imposition upon you, to hinder your liberty in this. 4. You may choose your arguments by which you would enforce it. 5. Interlocutory conference keepeth your auditors attentive, and carrieth them on along with you as you go. And it maketh the application much more easy, by their nearness and the familiarity of the discourse: when Sermons are usually heard but as an insignificant sound, or words of course. 6. You may at your pleasure go back and repeat those things which the hearer doth not understand or doth forget: which a Preacher in the Pulpit cannot do without the censure of the more curious auditors. 7. You may perceive by the answers of them whom you speak to, what particulars you need most to insist on, and what objections you should most carefully resolve: