A26932:162
Gildas Salvianus: The Reformed Pastor
Gildas Salvianus, the reformed pastor showing the nature of the pastoral work, especially in private instruction and catechizing : with an open confession of our too open sins : prepared for a day of humiliation kept at Worcester, Decemb. 4, 1655 by the ministers of that county, who subscribed the agreement for catechizing and personal instruction at their entrance upon that work / by their unworthy fellow-servant, Richard Baxter ...Gildas Salvianus, the reformed pastor shewing the nature of the pastoral work, especially in private instruction and catechizing : with an open confession of our too open sins : prepared for a day of humiliation kept at Worcester, Decemb. 4, 1655 by the ministers of that county, who subscribed the agreement for catechizing and personal instruction at their entrance upon that work / by their unworthy fellow-servant, Richard Baxter ...
London: printed by Robert White for Nevil Simmons, 1656
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.
SECT. XV.
7. Take heed to your selves; for the honour of your Lord and Master, and of his holy Truth and ways, doth lie more on you then on other men. As you may do him more service, so also more dis-service then others. The nearer men stand to God the greater dishonour hath he by their miscarriages: and the more will they be imputed by foolish men, to God himself. The heavy Judgement was threatened and executed on Eli and on his house, because they kicked at his sacrifice and offering: 1 Sam. 2. 29. For therefore was the sin of the young men great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord; vers. 17. It was that great aggravation, of causing the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme; which provoked God to deal sharplyer with David then else he would have done, 2 Sam. 12. 11, 12, 13, 14. If you are indeed Christians, the glory of God is dearer to you then your lives. Take heed therefore what you do against it, as you would take heed what you do against your lives. Would it not wound you to the heart to hear the name and truth of God reproached for your sakes! To see men point to you, and say, There goes a covetous Priest, a secret Tippler, a scandalous man; these are they that Preach for strictness, when themselves can live as loose as others; they condemn us by their Sermons, and condemn themselves by their lives: For all their talk they are as bad as we. O Brethren, could your hearts endure to hear men cast the dung of ⟨p. 37⟩your iniquities in the face of the Holy God, and in the face of the Gospel, and of all that desire to fear the Lord? would it not break your hearts to think on it, that all the poor godly Christians about you should suffer reproach for your mis-doings? why, if one of you that is a Leader of the Flock should but once be ensnared in a scandalous crime, there is scarce a man or woman that seeketh diligently after their salvation, within the hearing of it but besides the grief of their hearts for your sin they are likely to have it cast in their teeth by the ungodly about them, though they never so much detest it and lament it. The ungodly husband will tell the wife, and the ungodly parents will tell their children, and neighbours and fellow servants will be telling one another of it, and saying, These are your godly Preachers? you may see what comes of all your stir; are you any better then others? you are even all alike.