A26932:732
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.
4. What have we our time and strength for, but to lay it out for God? What is a Candle made for, but to be burnt? Burnt and wasted we must be, and is it not fitter it should be in lighting men to heaven, and in working for God, then in living to the flesh? ⟨p. 395⟩How little difference is there between the pleasure of a long life and of a short, when they are both at an end? What comfort will it be at death, that you lengthened your life by shortening your work? He that works much; liveth much: Our life is to be esteemed according to the ends and works of it, and not according to the mere duration. As Seneca can say of a drone, ibi jacet, non ibi vivit; & diu fuit, non diu vixit: Will it not comfort us more at death to review a short time faithfully spent, then a long time unfaithfully?
4. What have we our time and strength for, but to lay it out for God? What is a Candle made for, but to be burnt? Burnt and wasted we must be, and is it not fitter it should be in lighting men to heaven, and in working for God, then in living to the flesh? ⟨p. 395⟩How little difference is there between the pleasure of a long life and of a short, when they are both at an end? What comfort will it be at death, that you lengthened your life by shortening your work? He that works much; liveth much: Our life is to be esteemed according to the ends and works of it, and not according to the meer duration. As Seneca can say of a drone, ibi jacet, non ibi vivit; & diu fuit, non diu vixit: Will it not comfort us more at death to review a short time faithfully spent, then a long time unfaithfully?
4. And for the matter of Visitations and Civilities, if they be for greater ends, or use, then our Ministerial employments are, you may break a Sabbath for them; you may forbear preaching for them, and so may forbear this private work; But if it be otherwise, how dare you make them a pretence to neglect so great a duty? Must God wait on your friends? What if they be Lords, or Knights, or Gentlemen? Must they be served before God? Or is their displeasure or censure a greater hurt to you, then Gods displeasure? Or dare you think, when God shall question you for your neglects, to put him off with this excuse, Lord I would have spent more of my time in seeking mens salvation, but that such a Gentleman and such a friend would have taken it ill if I had not waited on them. If you yet seek to please men, you are no longer the servants of Christ. He that dares spend his life in flesh-pleasing and man-pleasing, is bolder then I am. And he that dares wast his time in complements, doth little consider what he hath to do with it. O that I could but improve my time according to my convictions of the necessity of improving it! He that