A26932:668
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. And so great is the dullness of many that are willing, that they can scarce learn a leaf of a Catechism in a long time, and therefore will keep away, as ashamed of their ignorance, unless we are wise and diligent to encourage them.
2. And so great is the dulness of many that are willing, that they can scarce learn a leaf of a Catechism in a long time, and therefore will keep away, as ashamed of their ignorance, unless we are wise and diligent to encourage them.
3. And when they do come, so great is their ignorance and unapprehensiveness, that you will find it a wonderful hard matter to get them to understand ⟨p. 354⟩you, so that if you have not the skill of making things plain, you will leave them as strange to it, as before.
4. And yet harder will you find it to work things upon their hearts, and set them so close to the quick, as to make that saving change which is our end, and without which our labour is almost lost. Oh what a block, what a rock is a hardened carnal heart! How stiffly will it resist the most powerful persuasions! and hear of everlasting life or death as a thing of nothing! If you have not therefore great seriousness, and fervency, and working matter, and fitness of expression, what good can you expect? And when all is done, the spirit of Grace must do the work: But as God and men do use to choose instruments most suitable to the nature of the agent, work or end, so here the spirit of wisdom, life, and holiness, doth not use to work by foolish, dead or carnal instruments, but by such persuasions of Light, and Life, and Purity, as are likest to it self, and to the work that is to be wrought thereby.