A26932:236
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.
2. The next part of the Ministerial work, is for the building up of those that are already truly converted. And according to the various states of these, the work is various. in general, as the persons are either such as are young and weak, or such as are in danger of growing worse, or such as are already declining, so our work is all reducible to these three, Confirmation and Progress, Preservation and Restoration.
2. The next part of the Ministerial work, is for the building up of those that are already truly converted. And according to the various states of these, the work is various. in general, as the persons are either such as are young and weak, or such as are in danger of growing worse, or such as are already declining, so our work is all reducible to these three, Confirmation and Progress, Preservation and Restauration.
1. We have many of our flock that are young and weak; though of long standing, yet of small proficiency or strength, Heb. 5. 11, 12. And indeed it is the most common condition of the godly: Most of them ••ick in weak and low degrees of grace: And it is no easy matter to get them higher. To bring them to higher and stricter opinions, is ⟨p. 72⟩very easy; that is, to bring them from the truth into error, on the right hand as well as on the left: but to increase their knowledge and gifts is not easy; but to increase their graces is the hardest of all. It is a very troublesome thing to be weak: It keepeth under dangers, it abateth consolation, and delight in God, and taketh off the sweetness of his ways, and maketh us go to work with too much backwardness, and come off with little peace or profit: It maketh us less serviceable to God and man, to bring less honour to our Master and profession, and do less good to all about us. We find small benefit by the means we use: we too easily play with the Serpents baits, and are ensnared by his wiles. A Seducer will easily make us shake, and evil may be made appear to us as Good, truth as falsehood, sin as a duty; and so on the contrary; we are less able to resist and stand in an encounter; we sooner fall; we hardlier rise; and are apter to prove a scandal and reproach to our profession; We less know our selves, and are more apt to be mistaken in our own estate not observing corruptions when they have got advantage: we are dishonourable to the Gospel by our very weakness, and little useful to any about us; and in a word, though we live to less profit to our selves or others, yet are we unwilling and too unready to dye.