A26932:826
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. Be as serious in all, but specially in the Applicatory part as you can. I scarce fear any thing more, then least some careless Ministers will slubber over the work, and do all superficially and without life, and destroy this as they do all other duties, by turning it into a mere formality: putting a few cold questions to them, and giving them two or three cold words of advice, without any life and feeling in themselves, nor likely to produce any feeling in the hearers: But sure he that valueth souls, and knoweth what an opportunity is before him, will do it accordingly.
4. Be as serious in all, but specially in the Applicatory part as you can. I scarce fear any thing more, then least some careless Ministers will slubber over the work, and do all superficially and without life, and destroy this as they do all other duties, by turning it into a meer formality: putting a few cold questions to them, and giving them two or three cold words of advice, without any life and feeling in themselves, nor likely to produce any feeling in the hearers: But sure he that valueth souls, and knoweth what an opportunity is before him, will do it accordingly.
5. To this end, I should think it very necessary that we do both before and in the work, take special pains with our own hearts; especially to excite and strengthen our Belief of the Truth of the Gospel, and the Invisible Glory and Misery that is to come. I am confident this work will exceedingly try the strength of our belief: For he that is but superficially a Christian, and not sound in the faith, will likely feel his Zeal quite fail him (specially when the duty is ⟨p. 451⟩grown common) for want of a Belief of the things which he is to treat of to keep it alive. An affected fervency and hypocritical stage-action, will not hold up in such kind of duties long: A Pulpit shall have more of them, then a conference with poor ignorant souls: For the Pulpit is the hypocritical Ministers stage: There, and in the Press, and in Public acts, where there is room for ostentation, you shall have his best, and almost all. It is other kind of men that must effectually do the work now in hand.