A Christian Directory, Part 2: Christian EconomicsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 2: Christian Economics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
4. Hereupon a married life containeth far more temptations to
worldliness or covetousness, than a single state doth. For when you
think you need more, you will desire more: and when you find all too
little to satisfy those that you provide for, you will measure your
estate by their desires, and be apt to think that you have never
enough. Birds and beasts that have young ones to provide for, are most
hungry and rapacious. You have so many now to scrape for, that you
will think you are still in want: it is not only till death that you
must now lay up; but you must provide for children that survive you.
And while you take them to be as yourselves, you have two generations
now to make provisions for: and most men are as covetous for their
posterity, as if it were for themselves.
5. And hereupon you are hindered from works of charity to others: wife
and children are the devouring gulf that swalloweth all. If you had
but yourselves to provide for, a little would serve; and you could
deny your own desires of unnecessary things; and so might have
plentiful provision for good works. But by that time wife and children
are provided for, and all their importunate desires satisfied, there
is nothing considerable left for pious or charitable uses. Lamentable
experience proclaimeth this.
6. And hereby it appeareth how much a married state doth ordinarily
hinder men from honouring their profession. It is their vows of single
life that hath occasioned the papists to do so many works of public
charity, as is boasted of for the honour of their sect. For when they
have no children to bequeath it to, and cannot keep it themselves, it
is easy to them to leave it to such uses as will pacify their
consciences most, and advance their names. And if it should prove as
good a work and as acceptable to God, to educate your own children
piously for his service, as to relieve the children of the poor, yet
it is not so much regarded in the world, nor bringeth so much honour
to religion. One hundred pounds given to the poor shall more advance
the reputation of your liberality and virtue, than a thousand pounds
given to your own children, though it be with as pious an end, to
train them up for the service of the church. And though this is
inconsiderable as your own honour is concerned in it, yet it is
considerable as the honour of religion and the good of souls are
concerned in it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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