A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian EthicsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian Ethics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
11. Remember also how little he made provision for the flesh, and
never once tasted of any immoderate, sinful pleasure. How far was he
from a life of voluptuousness and sensuality! Though his avoiding the
formal fastings of the Pharisees, made them slander him as a
"gluttonous person," and "a wine-bibber," Matt. xi. 19, as the sober
christians were called _carnivori_, by those that thought it unlawful
to eat flesh; yet so far was he from the guilt of any such sin, that
never a desire of it was in his heart. You shall never find in the
gospel that Christ spent half the morning in dressing him, choosing
rather to shorten his time for prayer, than not to appear sufficiently
neatified, as our empty, worthless, painted gallants do: nor shall you
ever read that he wasted his time in idle visitations, or cards, or
dice, or in reading romances, or hearing stage-plays: it was another
kind of example that our Lord did leave for his disciples.
12. Mark also, how far Christ was from being guilty of any idle, or
lascivious, or foolish kind of talk; and how holy and profitable all
his speeches were: to teach us also to speak as the oracles of God,
such words as tend to edification, and to administer grace unto the
hearers, and to keep our tongues from all profane, lascivious, empty,
idle speeches.
13. Remember, that pride, and passion, are condemned by your pattern.
Christ bids you "Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and
you shall find rest unto your souls," Matt. xi. 28, 29. Therefore he
resolveth that "except" men "be converted and become as little
children, they shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven," Matt,
xviii. 3. Behold therefore the Lamb of God, and be ashamed of your
fierce and ravenous natures.
14. Remember that Christ your Lord and pattern did humble himself to
the meanest office of love, even to wash the feet of his disciples:
not to teach you to wash a few poor men's feet, as a ceremony once a
year, and persecute and murder the servants of Christ the rest of the
year, as the Roman Vice-Christ doth; but to teach us, that if he their
Lord and Master washed his disciples' feet, we also should stoop as
low in any office of love, for one another, John xiii. 14.
15. Remember also that Christ your pattern spent whole nights in
prayer to God;[97] so much was he for this holy attendance upon God:
to teach us to "pray always and not wax faint," Luke xviii. 1. And not
to be like the impious God-haters, that love not any near or serious
addresses unto God, nor those that use them, but make them the object
of their cruelty or scorn.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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