A26892:897
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.
§. 19. II. I shall next give you some particular Directions, besides those fore-going, to help you to think of sin as it is, that you may hate it: For your cleansing and cure consisteth in this: so far as you hate sin, it is mortified, and you are cured of it. And therefore as I have anatomized it, that you may see the hatefulness of it, I shall direct you to improve this for your cure.
§. 20. Direct. 1. Labour to know God, and to be affected with his Attributes, and always to live as 1in his sight. No man can know sin perfectly; because no man can know God perfectly. You can no further know what sin is, than you know what God is whom you sin against. For the formal malignity of sin is Relative, as it is against the Will and Attributes of God. The godly have some knowledge of the malignity of sin, because they have some knowledge of God that is wronged by it. The wicked have no practical prevalent knowledge of the malignity of sin, because they have no such knowledge of God. They that fear God, will fear sinning: They that in their hearts are bold unreverently with God, will in heart and life be bold with sin: The Atheist that thinketh there is no God, thinks there is no sin against him. Nothing in the world will tell us so plainly and powerfully of the evil of sin, as the knowledge of the Greatness, Wisdom, Goodness, Holiness, Authority, Justice, Truth, &c. of God. The sense of his presence therefore, will revive our sense of sins malignity.
§. 20. Direct. 1. Labour to know God, and to be affected with his Attributes, and alwayes to live as 1in his sight. No man can know sin perfectly; because no man can know God perfectly. You can no further know what sin is, than you know what God is whom you sin against. For the formal malignity of sin is Relative, as it is against the Will and Attributes of God. The godly have some knowledge of the malignity of sin, because they have some knowledge of God that is wronged by it. The wicked have no practical prevalent knowledge of the malignity of sin, because they have no such knowledge of God. They that fear God, will fear sinning: They that in their hearts are bold unreverently with God, will in heart and life be bold with sin: The Atheist that thinketh there is no God, thinks there is no sin against him. Nothing in the world will tell us so plainly and powerfully of the evil of sin, as the knowledge of the Greatness, Wisdom, Goodness, Holiness, Authority, Justice, Truth, &c. of God. The sense of his presence therefore, will revive our sense of sins malignity.