A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian EthicsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian Ethics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
Holiness consisteth not in a mere forbearance of a sensual life, but
principally in living unto God. The principle or heart of holiness is
within, and consisteth in the love of God, and of his word, and ways,
and servants, and honour, and interest in the world, and in the soul's
delight in God, and the word and ways of God, and in its inclination
towards him, and desire after him, and care to please him, and
lothness to offend him. The expression of it in our lives, consisteth
in the constant, diligent exercise of this internal life, according to
the directions of the word of God. If thou be a believer, and hast
subjected thyself to God, as thy absolute Sovereign, King, and Judge,
it will then be thy work to obey and please him, as a child his
father, or a servant his master, Mal. i. 6. Do you think that God will
have servants, and have nothing for them to do? Will one of you
commend or reward your servant for doing nothing, and take it at the
year's end for a satisfactory answer or account, if he say, I have
done no harm? God calleth you not only to do no harm, but to love and
serve him with all your heart, and soul, and might. If you have a
better master than you had before, you should do more work than you
did before. Will you not serve God more zealously than you served the
devil? Will you not labour harder to save your souls than you did to
damn them? Will you not be more zealous in good, than you were in
evil? "What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now
ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free
from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto
holiness, and the end everlasting life," Rom. vi. 21, 22. If you are
true believers, you have now laid up your hopes in heaven, and
therefore will set yourselves to seek it, as worldlings set themselves
to seek the world. And a sluggish wish, with heartless, lazy, dull
endeavours, is no fit seeking of eternal joys. A creeping pace
beseemeth not a man that is in the way to heaven; especially who went
faster in the way to hell. This is not running as for our lives. You
may well be diligent and make haste, where you have so great
encouragement and help, and where you may expect so good an end, and
where you are sure you shall never, in life or death, have cause to
repent of any of your just endeavours; and where every step of your
way is pure, and clean, and delectable, and paved with mercies, and
fortified and secured by divine protection; and where Christ is your
conductor, and so many have sped so well before you, and the wisest
and best in the world are your companions. Live then as men that have
changed their master, their end, their hopes, their way, and work.
Religion layeth not men to sleep, though it be the only way to rest.
It awakeneth the sleepy soul to higher thoughts, and hopes, and
labours, than ever it was well acquainted with before. "He that is in
Christ, is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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