28. He hath counted what it may cost him to be saved, and hath resolved not to stick at suffering, but to bear the 29. He is not a Christian only for company or carnal ends, or upon trust of other men's opinion, and therefore would be true to Christ, if his rulers, his teachers, his company, and all that he knoweth, should forsake him 31. He can exercise all his graces in harmony, without neg- 32. He is more in getting and using grace, than in inquiring whether he have it, though he do that also in its place. 244 33. He studieth duty more than events, and is more careful 34. He is more regardful of his duty to others, than of theirs 35. He keepeth up a constant government of his thoughts, 36. He keepeth a constant government over his passions, so 37. He governeth his tongue; employing it for God, and re- 38. Heart-work and heaven-work are the principal matters 39. He liveth upon the common great substantials of religion, and yet will not deny the smallest truth, or commit the smallest sin, for any price that man can offer him . . 255 40. He is a high esteemer, and careful redeemer of time, and abhorreth idleness, and diversions which would rob him 41. His heart is set upon doing all the good in the world that and such as will not stick at cost in its due expressions, nor be turned into bitterness by tolerable differences 266 44. He forgiveth injuries, and loveth his enemies, and doth them all the good he can, from the sense of the love of 45. He doth as he would be done by; and is as precise in 46. He is faithful and laborious in his outward trade or call- 48. He is the best subject, whether his rulers be good or bad, 50. Judgment and zeal are conjoined in him: his judgment 51. He can bear the infirmities of the weak, and their cen- 52. He is a high esteemer of the unity of Christians, and abhorreth the principles, spirit, and practices of division 291 53. He seeketh the church's unity and concord not upon 54. He is of a mellow, peaceable spirit: not masterly, domi- neering, hurtful, unquiet, or contentious. 55. He highliest regardeth the interest of God, and men's salvation in the world, and regardeth no secular interest of his own, or any man's, but in subserviency thereto 316 56. He is usually hated for his holiness by the wicked, and 57. Though he abhor ungodly soul-destroying ministers, yet he reverenceth the office as necessary to the church and world; and highly valueth the holy, faithful labourers 58. He hath great experience of the providence, truth, and 59. Though he greatly desireth lively affections and gifts, yet he much more valueth the three essential parts of holi- ness 1. A high estimation in the understanding of God, Christ, holiness, and heaven, above all that can be set in any competition; 2. A resolved choice and adhe- sion of the will, to these above and against all com- petitors; 3. The seeking them first in the endeavours of the life; and by these he judgeth of the sincerity of 60. He is all his life seriously preparing for his death, as if it were at hand, and is ready to receive the sentence with joy; but especially he longeth for the blessed day of EDITOR'S PREFACE. A WORK of Baxter's needs no other introduction to the public, than the name of its author. Few, if any, of our religious writers, have been more generally and deservedly popular. But the very circumstance of Baxter's popularity as an author, and the consequent multiplicity of his writings, has caused some of his works, which were valuable enough to have given celebrity to other names, to remain partially overlooked. This has been the case, to a certain extent, with the Treatise which is here presented to the public. No new edition of it has appeared for many years; and in consequence of the scarcity of copies, it has not been sufficiently known to be properly appreciated. It is one of a series of works which, as Baxter informs us, he was recommended to undertake by Archbishop Usher, the first of them being the "Call to the Unconverted," and the others relating to the practical exercise of religion in the heart and life. The ministerial usefulness of Baxter, and his great experience as a shepherd of Christ's flock, qualified him beyond any man of his day to do justice to these subjects. Accordingly he wrote as one that had authority," or as one standing on an eminence, from whence he could discern all the inequalities, the windings, the deceptions, and false appearances, of the human heart. 66 This work was dedicated to Baxter's flock at Kidderminster, amongst whom he had preached the word of life with the zeal of an apostle, both publicly and from house to house, during sixteen years. The substance of it had been delivered to them from the pulpit. After eight years of involuntary absence, he thus renews his religious instructions, and presses upon their notice the important truths which he had formerly taught amongst them being present, that now much more "in his absence they might work out their salvation with fear and trembling." He mournfully, but affectionately, recals to their remembrance the years which he had spent in their society; speaks of the comfort he had enjoyed in ministering to them; and declares his sorrow at not being permitted to continue his labours amongst them at a time when his greater expérience would have rendered him more useful. Then he entreats them to receive the word of exhortation, that they might grow in grace, and be preserved unto the kingdom of their blessed Master. The directions, though dedicated to Baxter's former flock, are not less applicable to Christians in general. The work is full of deep thought, wisdom, and experience. He unfolds the secret workings of the heart, as one who had long and accurately observed what had passed within himself, and describes all the forms and indications of spiritual disease, as a physician who has often and successfully prescribed for them. He speaks So attached was he to his flock at Kidderminster, that he made every exertion to continue amongst them. Whilst he refused a bishopric, he entreated to be permitted to retain this cure; and when this was denied him, he offered to be the curate of the vicar, with or without any pecuniary allowance for his services, or to serve there on any terms. |