A26932:344
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.
6. Our whole work must be carried on in a sense of our insufficiency, and in a Pious, Believing dependence upon Christ. We must go to him for Light, and Life, and strength, who sends us on the work; And when we feel our own faith weak, and our hearts grown dull, and unsuitable to so great a work as we have to do, we must have recourse to the Lord that sendeth us, and say, Lord, wilt thou send me with such an unbelieving heart to persuade others to believe? must I daily and earnestly plead with sinners about everlasting life and death, and have no more belief and feeling of these weighty things my self? O send me not naked and unprovided to the work; but as thou commandest me to do it, furnish me with a spirit suitable thereto. As Austin saith, (de Doctr. Christ. l. 4.)
6. Our whole work must be carried on in a sense of our insufficiency, and in a Pious, Believing dependance upon Christ. We must go to him for Light, and Life, and strength, who sends us on the work; And when we feel our own faith weak, and our hearts grown dull, and unsuitable to so great a work as we have to do, we must have recourse to the Lord that sendeth us, and say, Lord, wilt thou send me with such an unbelieving heart to perswade others to believe? must I daily and earnestly plead with sinners about everlasting life and death, and have no more belief and feeling of these weighty things my self? O send me not naked and unprovided to the work; but as thou commandest me to do it, furnish me with a spirit suitable thereto. As Austin saith, (de Doctr. Christ. l. 4.)
A Preacher must labour to be heard understandingly, willingly and obediently, & hoc se posse magis pretate or ationum, quam oratoris facultate non dubitet: ut or ando pro see ac pro aliis, quos est allocuturus, sit prius orator quam doctor; & in ipsahora accedens, priusquam exeat, proferat linguam ad Deum, levet animam sitientem, &c. Prayer must carry on our work as well as preaching; He preacheth not heartily to his people, that will not pray for them; If we prevail not with God to give them faith and Repentance, we are unlike to prevail with them to Believe and Repent. Paul giveth us frequently his example, of praying night and day for his hearers; When our own hearts are so far out of order, and theirs so far out of order, if we prevail not with God to mend and help them, we are like to make but unsuccessful work.