A26939:81
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.
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⟩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.
And we must not look only to a present exigent or advantage, but foresee how our Actions will look hereafter, and what changes may put them under other judgments, and what the fruits may be to posterity. Many things cause death which give the Patient present ease.
7. He that will do good to many, must have Christian fortitude, and not be discouraged with difficulties and opposition: He must serve God for the good of men with absolute resolution, and not with the hypocrites reserves: He must be armed with patience against, not only the malice of enemies, but the ingratitude of friends: The follies, and quarrels, and mutinies and divisions, and often the abuses of those that he would do good to, must not overcome him. He must imitate God, and do good to the Evil, and bless those that curse him, and pray for them that despitefully use him: He must not promise himself more success than God hath promised him; nor yet despair and turn back discouraged: But Conscience must carry him on to the end through all, whatever shall befall him.