A Christian Directory, Part 3: Christian EcclesiasticsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 3: Christian Ecclesiastics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
1. Our tongues and bodies are made to exercise and show forth that
acknowledgment and adoration of God which is in our hearts. And as he
denieth God with the heart who doth not believe in him and worship him
in his heart, so he denieth God imputatively with his tongue and life,
who doth not profess and honour him with his tongue and life; and so
he is a practical atheist. Isa. xlv. 23-25, "I have sworn by myself,
the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not
return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
Surely shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and
strength--In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and
shall glory." So Phil. ii. 9-11, "Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name above every name, that at the name
of Jesus every knee should bow--and that every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Isa. xliv.
5, "One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call him by the
name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the
Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel."
2. The public assemblies, and worship of God, are purposely appointed
by him, that in them we might make open profession of our religion. He
that denieth profession, denieth the public faith and worship of the
church, and denieth baptism and the Lord's supper, which are
sacraments appointed for the solemn profession of our faith.
3. Our profession is needful to our glorifying God. Men see not our
hearts, nor know whether we believe in God or not, nor what we believe
of him, till they hear or see it in our profession and actions. Paul's
life and death was a profession of Christ, that in his "boldness
Christ might be magnified in his body," Phil. i. 20. Matt. v. 14-16,
"Ye are the light of the world: a city that is set on a hill cannot be
hid. Neither do men light a candle to put it under a bushel, but on a
candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house. Let
your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father which is in heaven."
4. Our profession is the means of saving others: that which is secret,
is no means to profit them. They must see our good works that they may
glorify God, Phil. i. 12-14.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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