A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian EthicsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian Ethics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
Before I proceed to Satan's particular temptations, I will show you
the contrary methods of Christ in the conduct of his army, and
opposing Satan.
I. Christ's ends are, ultimately, the glory and pleasing of his Father
and himself, and the saving of his church, and the destroying the
kingdom of the devil; and next, the purifying his peculiar people, and
calling home all that are ordained to eternal life.
But more particularly, he looketh principally at the heart, to plant
there, 1. Holy knowledge. 2. Faith. 3. Godliness, or holy devotedness
to God, and love to him above all. 4. Thankfulness. 5. Obedience. 6.
Humility. 7. Heavenly-mindedness. 8. Love to others. 9. Self-denial,
and mortification, and contentment. 10. Patience. And in all these, 1.
Sincerity; 2. Tenderness of heart; 3. Zeal, and holy strength and
resolution. And withal to make us actually serviceable, and diligent
in our Master's work, for our own and others' salvation.
II. Christ's order in working is direct, and not backward, as the
devil's is. He first revealeth saving truth to the understanding, and
affecteth the will by showing the goodness of the things revealed; and
these employ the thoughts, and passions, and senses, and the whole
body, reducing the inferior faculties to obedience, and casting out by
degrees those images which had deceived and prepossessed them.
The matter which Christ presenteth to the soul, is, 1. Certain truth
from the Father of lights, set up against the prince and kingdom of
darkness, ignorance, error, and deceit. 2. Spiritual and everlasting
good, even God himself, to be seen, and loved, and enjoyed for ever,
against the tempter's temporal, corporal, and seeming good. Christ's
kingdom and work are advanced by light: he is for the promoting of
all useful knowledge; and therefore, for clear and convincing
preaching, for reading the Scriptures in a known tongue, and
meditating in them day and night, and for exhorting one another daily;
which Satan is against.
III. The means by which he worketh against Satan, are such as these:
1. Sometimes he maketh use of the very temper of the body as a
preparative; and (being Lord of all) he giveth such a temperature as
will be most serviceable to the soul; as a sober, deliberate, meek,
quiet, and patient disposition. But sometimes he honoureth his grace
by the conquest of such sins, as even bodily disposition doth
entertain and cherish.
2. Sometimes by his providence he withdraweth the matter of
temptations, that they shall not be too strong for feeble souls: but
sometimes his grace doth make advantage of them all, and leave them
for the magnifying of its frequent victories.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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