A26939:80
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.
5. He that will do much good in the world, must be furnished with considerable abilities: Especially prudence, and skill in knowing, when, and to whom, and how to do it. Without this he will do more harm than good: Even good men when they have done much good, by some one miscarriage, tempted by the remnants of selfishness and Pride, and by unskilful rashness, have undone all the good they did, and done as much hurt as wicked enemies. There goeth so much to public good, and so many snares are to be avoided, that rash self-conceited half-witted men do seldom do much, unless under the conduct of wiser men.
5. He that will do much good in the world, must be furnished with considerable abilities: Especially prudence, and skill in knowing, when, and to whom, and how to do it. Without this he will do more harm than good: Even good men when they have done much good, by some one miscarriage, tempted by the remnants of selfishness and Pride, and by unskilful rashness, have undone all the good they did, and done as much hurt as wicked enemies. There goeth so much to publick good, and so many snares are to be avoided, that rash self-conceited halfwitted men do seldom do much, unless under the conduct of wiser men.
6. He that will be a public blessing to the world, must ⟨p. 11⟩have a very large prospect, and see the state of all the world, and foresee what is like to come. He must not live as if his neighbourhood were all the Land, or his Country, or his Party were all the Church, or all the World. He must know what relation all our actions have to other Nations, and to all the Church of Christ on earth: The want of this Universal prospect involveth many in censorious and dividing Sects, who would abhor that way, if they knew the case of all the Church and world.
6. He that will be a publick blessing to the world, must ⟨p. 11⟩