A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian Ethics

by Richard Baxter

23. Therefore it is the duty of the intellectual creature to love God totally, without any exceptions or restrictions, with all the power, mind, and will, not only in degree above ourselves and all the world, but also as God, with a love in kind transcending the love of every creature.

24. All the goodness of the creature doth formally consist in its threefold relation to God, viz. 1. In the impresses of God as its first Efficient or Creator; as it is his image, or the effect and demonstration of his perfections, viz. his infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. 2. In its conformity to his directions, or governing laws, and so in its order and obedience. 3. And in its aptitude and tendency to God as its final cause, even to the demonstration of his glory, and the complacency of his will.

25. All creative good is therefore derivative, dependent, contingent, finite, secondary, from God, by God, and to God, receiving its form and measure from its respect to him.

26. Yet as it may be subordinately from man, as the principle of his own actions, and by man as a subordinate ruler of himself or others, and to man as a subordinate end; so there is accordingly a subordinate sort of goodness, which is so denominated from these respects unto the creature, that is himself good, subordinately.

27. But all this subordinate goodness (bonum a nobis, bonum per nos, bonum nobis) is but analogically so; and dependently on the former sort of goodness, and is something in due subordination to it, and against it, nothing, that is, not properly good.

28. The best and excellentest creatures, in the foresaid goodness related to God, are most to be loved; and all according to the degree of their goodness, more than as good in relation to ourselves.

29. But seeing their goodness is formally their relation unto God, it followeth that they are loved primarily only for his sake, and consequently God's image or glory in them is first loved; and so the true love of any creature is but a secondary sort of the love of God.

30. The best being next to God is the universe, or whole creation, and therefore next him most to be loved by us.

31. The next in amiableness is the whole celestial society, Christ, angels, and saints.

32. The next, when we come to distinguish them, is Christ's own created, glorified nature in the person of the Mediator, because God's glory or image is most upon him.