Wings of the Wind

Directions for profitable Reading the Holy Scriptures. Direct. 6

“Bring not a carnal mind, which savoreth only fleshly things and is enslaved to those sins which the Scripture doth condemn.
For the carnal mind is enmity against God, and neither is, nor can be subject to His Law (Rom 8:7-8). And the things of God are not discerned by the mere natural man, for they are foolishness to him, and they must be spiritually discerned (2Co 2:14); and enmity is an ill expositor. It will be quarrelling with all and making faults in the Word which findeth so many faults in you. It will hate that Word which cometh to deprive you of your most sweet and dearly beloved sin. Or, if you have such a carnal mind and enmity, believe it not, any more than a partial and wicked enemy should be believed against God Himself, Who better understandeth what He hath written, than any of His foolish enemies.“

(…to be continued)

(e) Rom. 8: 7, 8.
(f) 2 Cor. 2:14

From A Body of Practical Divinity, or A Christian Directory, Vol. 3

Richard Baxter (Click on this link for a short Biography)
Richard Baxter (Click on this link for a longer Biography)

Directions for profitable Reading the Holy Scriptures. Direct. 5

‘Remember that it is a universal law and doctrine, written for the most ignorant as well as for the curious; and therefore must be suited in plainness to the capacity of the simple, and yet have matter to exercise the most subtle wits; and that God would have the style, to savour more of the innocent weakness of the instruments, than the matter.’ Therefore be not offended or troubled when the style doth seem less polite than you might think beseemed the Holy Ghost; nor at the plainness of some parts, or the mysteriousness of others : but adore the wisdom and tender condescension of God to his poor creatures.
(…to be continued)

Richard Baxter (Click on Mr. Baxter’s name to learn more about him.)

From A Body of Practical Divinity, or A Christian Directory, Vol. 3.

“As a writer, few men have written more, or to better purpose. His books, for number and variety of matter, might form a library. They contain a treasure of controversial, casuistical, positive, and practical divinity. Such at least was the opinion of the judicious Dr. Bates; nor was he alone of this sentiment. The excellent bishop Wilkins did not hesitate to assert, ‘That he had cultivated every subject he had handled.'”

Directions for profitable Reading the Holy Scriptures. Direct. 4

Remember that it is a doctrine of unseen things, and of the greatest mysteries; and therefore come not to it with arrogance as a judge, but with humility as a learner or disciple: and if any thing seem difficult or improbable to you, suspect your own unfurnished understanding, and not the sacred Word of God. If a learner in any art or science, will suspect his teacher and his books, whenever he is stalled, or meeteth with that which seemeth unlikely to him, his pride would keep possession for his ignorance, and his folly were like to be uncurable.

From A Body of Practical Divinity, or A Christian Directory, Vol. 3.

Richard Baxter (Click on Mr. Baxter’s name to learn more about him.)

“As a writer, few men have written more, or to better purpose. His books, for number and variety of matter, might form a library. They contain a treasure of controversial, casuistical, positive, and practical divinity. Such at least was the opinion of the judicious Dr. Bates; nor was he alone of this sentiment. The excellent bishop Wilkins did not hesitate to assert, ‘That he had cultivated every subject he had handled;’ and the learned and ingenious Dr. Barrow gives this as his judgment concerning them, ‘That his practical works were never mended, and his controversial ones seldom confuted.’ Mr. Calamy tells us, ‘That the books he wrote amounted to more than one hundred and twenty,’ and an Editor, who published a Life of Mr. Baxter says, ‘He has seen one hundred and forty-five distinct Treatises, whereof four were folios, seventy-three quartos, forty-nine octavos, and nineteen twelves and twenty fours, besides single sheets, separate Sermons, and at least twenty-five Prefaces to other men’s works.'”

Directions for profitable Reading the Holy Scriptures. Direct. 3

Remember that it is the will and testament of your Lord, and the covenant of most full and gracious promises; which all your comforts, and all your hopes of pardon and everlasting life are built upon. Read it therefore with love and great delight. Value it a thousand fold more than you would do the letters of your dearest friend, or the deeds by which you hold your lands; or any thing else of low concernment. If the law was sweeter to David than honey, and better than thousands of gold and silver, and was his delight and meditation all the day, O what should the sweet and precious Gospel be to us!

From A Body of Practical Divinity, or A Christian Directory, Vol. 3.
(…to be continued)

Richard Baxter

Directions for profitable Reading the Holy Scriptures. Direct. 2

Remember that it is the very law of God which you must live by, and be judged by at last. And therefore read with a full resolution to obey whatever it commandeth, though flesh, and men, and devils contradict it. Let there be no secret exceptions in your heart, to baulk any of its precepts, and shift off that part of obedience, which the flesh accounteth difficult or dear.
(…to be continued…Direct 1 and 3 give balance to this seemingly legalistic Direct)

From A Body of Practical Divinity, or A Christian Directory, Vol. 3.

Directions for profitable Reading the Holy Scriptures. Direct. 1

Bring not an evil heart of unbelief. Open the Bible with holy reverence as the book of God, indited by the Holy Ghost. Remember that the doctrine of the New Testament was revealed by the Son of God, who was purposely sent from heaven to be the light of the world, and to make known to men the will of God, and the matters of their salvation. Bethink you well, if God should but send a book or letter to you by an angel, how reverently you would receive it? How carefully you would peruse it; and regard it above all the books in the world? And how much rather should you do so, by that book which is indited by the Holy Ghost, and recordeth the doctrine of Christ himself, whose authority is greater than all the angels? Read it not therefore as a common book, with a common and unreverent heart; but in the dread and love of God the author.
(to be continued…)

From A Body of Practical Divinity, or A Christian Directory, Vol. 3.

Part One