A26932:405
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.
this cursed sin controlleth all, and condemneth the most holy commands of God, and calleth our most necessary duty a madness; and saith to us, What will you make people think you are mad? will you make them say you rage or rave? cannot you speak soberly and moderately? And thus doth Pride make many a mans Sermons, and what Pride makes the Devil makes; and what Sermons the Devil will make, and to what end, we may easily conjecture. Though the matter be of God, yet if the dress, and manner, and end be from Satan, we have no great reason to expect success.
And when Pride hath made the Sermon, it goes with them into the Pulpit, it formeth their tone, it animateth them in the delivery, it takes them off ⟨p. 170⟩from that which may be displeasing, how necessary soever, and setteth them in a pursuit of vain applause. And the sum of all this is, that, It maketh men both in studying and preaching to seek themselves, and deny God, when they should seek Gods glory and deny themselves. When they should ask, What should I say, and how should I say it, to please God best, and do most good? It makes them ask, What shall I say, and how shall I deliver it, to be thought a learned able Preacher, and to be applauded by all that hear me? When the Sermon is done, Pride goeth home with them, and maketh them more eager to know whether they were applauded, then whether they did prevail for the saving change of souls. They could find in their hearts, but for shame, to ask folks, how they liked them, and to draw out their commendation. If they do perceive that they are highly thought of, they rejoice as having attained their end; but if they perceive that they are esteemed but weak or common men, they are displeased as having mist the prize of the day.
And when Pride hath made the Sermon, it goes with them into the Pulpit, it formeth their tone, it animateth them in the delivery, it takes them off ⟨p. 170⟩from that which may be displeasing, how necessary soever, and setteth them in a pursuite of vain applause. And the sum of all this is, that, It maketh men both in studying and preaching to seek themselves, and deny God, when they should seek Gods glory and deny themselvs. When they should ask, What should I say, and how should I say it, to please God best, and do most good? It makes them ask, What shall I say, and how shall I deliver it, to be thought a learned able Preacher, and to be applauded by all that hear me? When the Sermon is done, Pride goeth home with them, and maketh them more eager to know whether they were applauded, then whether they did prevail for the saving change of souls. They could find in their hearts, but for shame, to ask folks, how they liked them, and to draw out their commendation. If they do perceive that they are highly thought of, they rejoyce as having attained their end; but if they perceive that they are esteemed but weak or common men, they are displeased as having mist the prize of the day.