List | next: The imitation of Christ
The reformed pastor by R. Baxter
by Richard Baxter
- Login or register to forward title to your Kindle or delivery email
- download the converted book to your desktop.
- Enter rr2.mobi/bxD in your Kindle browser to download
- Click on cover to see Google Books preview
- There is a used print copy of this title at alibris.com
Excerpt:
3. I confess I would not have men lie too long under temptations to incontinency, lest they wound themselves and their profession by their falls. But yet methinks it is hard that men can do no more to mortify the concupiscence of the flesh, that they may live in a single condition, and have none of those temptations. from wife and children, to hinder them from furthering their ministerial ends by charitable works. If he that marrieth not, doth better than he that doth, surely ministers should labour to do that which is best. And if he that can "receive this saying," must receive it, we should endeavour after it. This is one of the highest points of the Romish policy, which alleges that it is the duty of bishops, priests, and other religious orders, not to marry, by which means they have no posterity to drain the church's revenues, nor to take up their care; but they make the public cause to be their interest, and they lay out themselves for it while they live, and leave all they have to it when they die. It is a pity that, for a better cause, we can no more imitate them in self-denial, where it might be done. -
4. But they that must marry, should take such as can maintain themselves and their children, or maintain them at the rate which their temporal means will afford, and devote as much of the church means to the church's service as they can.
I would put no man upon extremes. But in this case, flesh and blood doth make even good men so partial, that they take their duties, and duties of very great importance, to be extremes. If worldly vanities did not blind us, we might see when a public, or other greater good, did call us to deny ourselves and our families. Why should we not live more nearly and poorer in the world, rather than leave those works undone, which may be of greater use than our plentiful provision? But we consult in points of duty with flesh and blood; and what counsel it will give us, we may easily know. It will tell us we must have a competency; and many pious men's competency is but little below the rich man's rates in the parable. If they be not clothed in the best, and "fare sumptuously every day," they have not a competency. A man that preacheth an immortal crown, should not seek after transitory vanities. And he that preacheth the contempt of riches, should himself contemn them. And he that preacheth self-denial and mortification, should practise these virtues in the eyes of them to whom he preacheth, if he would have his doctrine believed. All Christians are sanctified, and therefore themselves, and all that they have, are consecrated " to the Master's use." But ministers are doubly sanctified: they are devoted to God, both as Christians and as ministers; and, therefore, they are doubly obligated to honour him with all they have.
O, brethren, what abundance of good works are before us, and to how few of them do we put our hands! I know the world expecteth more from us than we have: but if we cannot answer the expectations of the unreasonable, let us do what we can to answer the expectations of God, and of conscience, and of all just men. "This is the will of God, that with well-doing we should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men."
Those ministers especially, that have larger incomes, must be larger in doing good. I will .give but one instance at this time. There are some ministers who have a hundred and fifty, two hundred, or three hundred pounds a-year of salary, and have so large parishes, that they are not able to do a quarter of the ministerial work, nor once in a year to deal personally with half their people for their instruction, and yet they will content themselves with public preaching, as if that were all that was necessary, and leave almost all the rest undone, to the everlasting danger or damnation of multitudes, rather than maintain one or two diligent men to assist them. Or if they have an assistant, it is but some young man who is but poorly qualified for the work, and. not one that will faithfully and diligently watch over the Hock, and afford them that personal instruction which is so necessary. If this be not serving ourselves of God, and selling men's souls for our fuller maintenance in the world, what is? Methinks such men should fear, lest, while they are accounted excellent preachers and godly ministers by men, they should be accounted cruel soul-murderers by Christ! and lest the cries of those souls which they have betrayed to damnation, should ring in their ears for ever and ever! Will preaching a good sermon serve the turn, while you
never look more after them, but deny them that closer help that is necessary, and alienate that maintenance to your own flesh, which should provide relief for so many souls? How can you open your mouths against oppressors, when you yourselves are so great oppressors, not only of men's bodies, but of their souls? How can you preach against unmercif ulness, while you are so unmerciful? And how can you talk against unfaithful ministers, while you are so unfaithful yourselves? The sin is not small, because it is unobserved and is not odious in the eyes of men, nor because the charity which you withhold is such as the people blame you not for withholding. Satan himself, their greatest enemy, hath their consent all along in the work of their perdition. It is no extenuation, therefore, of your sin, that you have their consent: for that you may sooner have for their everlasting hurt, than for their everlasting good.
And now, brethren, I beseech you to take what has been said into consideration; and see whether this be not the great and lamentable sin of the ministers of the gospel, that they give not up themselves, and all that they have, to the carrying on of the blessed work which they have undertaken: and whether flesh-pleasing, and self-seeking, and an interest distinct from that of Christ, do not make us neglect much of our duty, and serve God in the cheapest and most applauded part of his work, and withdraw from that which would subject us to cost and sufferings? And whether this do not show, that too many of us are earthly that seem to be heavenly, and mind the things below while they preach the things above, and idolize the world while they call men to contemn it? And -as Salvian saith, " Nullus salutcm plus negligit quam qui Deo aliquid anteponit:"—" Despisers of God will prove despisers of their own salvation."
