A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian EthicsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian Ethics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
_Direct._ VI. But God telleth you, that "without holiness none shall
see him," Heb. xii. 14. The unlearned may be saved, but the ungodly
cannot, Psal. i. 6. Holiness is to the soul, as life to the body: he
that hath it not, is dead; though all have not the same degree of
health: sin is sin, and hated of God, in learned or unlearned. All men
have souls that need regenerating at first: and as all bodies that
live, must live on the earth, by the air, and food, &c.; so all souls
that live, do live upon the same God, and Christ, and heaven, by the
same word and Spirit; and all this may be had by the unlearned.
_Tempt._ VII. But, saith the tempter, God is not so unmerciful as to
damn all that are not holy: this is but talk to keep men in awe; and
not to be believed.
_Direct._ VII. But if God's threatenings be necessary to keep men in
awe, then are they necessary to be executed. For God needs not awe men
by a lie. He best knows to whom he will be merciful, and how far. Did
you never read, Isa. xxvii. 11, "It is a people of no understanding:
therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that
formed them will show them no favour." And Psal. lix. 5, "Be not
merciful to any wicked transgressors." Is he not just, as well as
merciful? Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. Do you not see that men are sick, and
pained, and die, for all that God is merciful? And do not merciful
judges condemn malefactors? Are not angels made devils by sin for all
that God is merciful? The devil knoweth this to his sorrow. "And if
God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell," 2
Pet. ii. 4, will he be unjust for you?
_Tempt._ VIII. But Christ died for all; and God will not punish him
and you both for the same fault.
_Direct._ VIII. Christ died so far for all that have the gospel, as to
procure and seal them a free and general pardon of all their sins, if
they will repent and take him for their Saviour, and so to bring
salvation to their choice. But will this save the ungodly obstinate
refusers? Christ died to sanctify, as well as to forgive, Eph. v. 27,
and to "purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works,"
Tit. ii. 14; and to "destroy the works of the devil," 1 John iii. 8;
and to bring all men under his dominion and government, Rom. xiv. 9;
Luke xix. 27. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, the same is
none of his," Rom. viii. 9.
_Tempt._ IX. No man can be certain of his salvation; but all must hope
well: and to raise doubts in men's hearts, whether they shall be saved
or no, will not help them, but puzzle them, and cast them into despair.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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