A26939:96
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.
V. But what is it that a man should do, that would do good to all or many? There are some Good Works which are of far greater tendency than others; to the good of many, some of them I will name to you.
I. Do as much good as you are able to mens bodies in order to the greater good of Souls. If nature be not supported, men are not capable of other good. We pray for our daily bread before pardon and spiritual blessings; not as if it were better, but that nature is supposed before grace, and we cannot be Christians if we be not men: God hath so placed the soul in the body, that good or evil shall make its entrance by the bodily senses to the Soul. This way God himself conveyeth many of his blessings, and this way he inflicteth his Corrections: Ministers that are able, and willing to be liberal, find by great experience, that kindness and bounty to mens bodies openeth their Ear to Counsel, and maketh them willing to hear instruction: Those in France that are now trying mens Religion in the Market, and are at work with Money in one hand and a Sword in the other, do understand this to be true. All men are sensible of pain or pleasure, good or evil to the flesh, before they are sensible what's necessary for their Souls. You must therefore speak on that side which can hear, and work upon the feeling part if you will do good.
Besides this, your Charity may remove many great impediments, and temptations: It is no easy thing to keep Heavenly thoughts upon your mind, and specially to delight in God, and keep the relish of his Law upon your hearts, while pinching wants are calling away your mind and disturbing it with troublesome passions: To suffer some hunger, and go in vile Apparel is not very difficult: But when there is a Family to provide for, a discontented Wife and Children to satisfy, Rents, and Debts, and Demands unpaid, it must be an excellent Christian that can live contentedly, and cast all his useless care on God, and keep up