A26939:77
How to do good to many, or, The public good is the Christians life…How to do good to many, or, The publick good is the Christians life…
How to do good to many, or, The public good is the Christians life directions and motives to it, intended for an auditory of London citizens, and published for them, for want of leave to preach them / by Richard Baxter.How to do good to many, or, The publick good is the Christians life directions and motives to it, intended for an auditory of London citizens, and published for them, for want of leave to preach them / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Rob. Gibs, 1682
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.
But yet there is no trust to be put in these men, further than ⟨p. 10⟩their own interest must stand or fall with the Common good: If God and Heaven and Conscience be not more powerful with a man than worldly interest, trust him not against the stream and tide, or when he thinks he can make a better bargain for himself. He that will sell Heaven and Christ for the world, will sell you for it, and sell his Country for it, and sell Religion, truth and honesty for it. And if he scape here the end of Ahithophel and Judas, he will venture on all that's out of sight. Christ was the grand Benefactor to the world, and the most excellent teacher of Love and self-denial and contempt of the world, to all that will follow him in doing good to many.
But yet there is no trust to be put in these men, further than ⟨p. 10⟩their own interest must stand or fall with the Common good: If God and Heaven and Conscience be not more powerful with a man than worldly interest, trust him not against the stream and tide, or when he thinks he can make a better bargain for himself. He that will sell Heaven and Christ for the world, will sell you for it, and sell his Country for it, and sell Religion, truth and honesty for it. And if he scape here the end of Achitophel and Judas, he will venture on all that's out of sight. Christ was the grand Benefactor to the world, and the most excellent teacher of Love and self-denyal and contempt of the world, to all that will follow him in doing good to many.
4. He that will do much good must be good himself: Make the tree good if you would have good fruit. Operari sequitur esse. A bad man is an Enemy to the greatest good that he should do. Malignity abhorreth serious piety, and will such promote it? If Elijah be a man of Miracles, he shall hear, Hast thou found me, O my Enemy: And Michaiah shall hear, I hate him, for he Prophesieth not good of me but evil. Feed him with the Bread and Water of Affliction.