A26932:688
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. V.
2. AND now Brethren, what have we to do for the time to come, but to deny our lazy contradicting flesh, and rouse up our selves to the business that we are engaged in. The harvest is great, the labourers are too few; the loiterers and contentious hinderers are many; the souls of men are precious; the misery of sinners is great; and the everlasting misery that they are near to is greater; the ⟨p. 368⟩beauty and glory of the Church is desirable; the joy that we are helping them to, is unconceivable; the comfort that followeth a faithful steward-ship is not small; the comfort of a full success also will be greater; to be co-workers with God and his Spirit, is not a little honour; to subserve the blood-shed of Christ for mens salvation is not a light thing: to lead on the Armies of Christ through the thickest of the enemies, and guide them safely through a dangerous wilderness, and steer the vessel through such storms, and rocks, and sands, and shelves, and bring it safe to the harbour of Rest, requireth no small skill and diligence: the fields now seem even white unto harvest, the preparations that have been made for us are very great; the season of working is more warm and calm, then most ages before us have ever seen: we have carelessly loitered too long already; the present time is posting away; while we are trifling, men are dying, & how fast are men passing into another world? And is there nothing in all this to awaken us to our duty, and to resolve us to speedy and unwearied diligence? Can we think that a man can be too careful and painful under all these motives and engagements? Or could that man be a fit instrument for other mens illumination, that were himself so blind? or for the quickening of others, that were himself so senseless? What Sirs, are you that are men of wisdom as dull as the common people? and do we need to heap up a multitude of words to persuade you to a known and weighty duty? One would think it should be enough to set you on work, to show a line in the Book of God, to prove it to be his will? or to prove to you that the work hath a tendency to mens salvation? ⟨p. 369⟩