A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian Ethics

by Richard Baxter

When hearing evil is a sin.

Direct. III. Know when the hearing of evil, and not hearing good, is your sin: that is, 1. When it is not out of any imposed necessity, but of your voluntary choice; and when you might avoid it upon lawful terms, without a greater hurt, and will not. 2. When you hate not the evil which you are necessitated to hear, and love not the good which through necessity you cannot hear; but your hearts comply with your necessities. 3. When you show not so much disowning and dislike of the evil which you hear, as you might do, without an inconvenience greater than the benefit; but make it your own by sinful silence or compliance. 4. When you are presumptuous and fearless of your danger.

The danger of hearing.

Direct. IV. Know wherein the danger of such sinful hearing lieth. As, 1. in displeasing God, who loveth not to see his children hearken to those that are abusing him, nor to see them playing too boldly about fire or water, nor to touch any stinking or defiling thing, but calls to them, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you," 2 Cor. vi. 16-18. 2. It is dangerous to your fantasy and memory, which quickly receiveth hurtful impressions by what you hear: if you should hear provoking words, even against your wills, yet it is hard to escape the receiving of some hurtful impression by them: and if you hear lascivious, filthy words against your wills, (much more if willingly), it is two to one but they leave some thoughts in your minds which may gender unto further sin. And it is dangerous to your passions and affections, lest they catch fire before you are aware. And it is dangerous to your understandings, lest they be perverted and seduced: and to your wills, lest they be turned after evil, and turned away from good; and alas! how quickly is all this done! 3. It is dangerous to the speaker, lest your voluntary hearing encourage him in his sin, and hinder his repentance. 4. And it is dishonourable to God and godliness.

Direct. V. Do your best to live in such company where you shall hear that which is good and edifying, and to escape that company whose conference is hurtful and corrupt. Run not yourselves into this temptation: be sure you have a call; and your call must be discerned, 1. By your office and place; whether any duty of your office or relation bind you to be there. 2. By your ends: whether you be there as a physician to do them good, (as Christ went among sinners,) or to do the work of your proper calling; or whether you are there out of a carnal, man-pleasing, or temporizing humour? 3. By the measure of your abilities to attain those ends. 4. By the measure of your danger to receive the infection. 5. By the quality of your company, and the probability of good or evil in the event.

When you are called into ill company.

Direct. VI. When you are called into ill company, go fortified with defensive and offensive arms, as foreseeing what danger or duty you are like to be cast upon. Foresee what discourse you are like to hear, and accordingly prepare yourselves: let your first preparation be to preserve yourselves from the hurt, and your next preparation to confute the evil, and convince the sinful speaker, or at least to preserve the endangered hearers, if you have ability and opportunity. If you are to hear a seducing, heretical teacher, there is another kind of preparation to be made. If you are to hear a beastly, filthy talker, there is another kind of preparation to be made. If you are to hear a cunning Pharisee, or malignant enemy of godliness, reproach, or cavil, or wrangle against the Scriptures, or the ways of God, there is another kind of preparation to be made. If you are to hear but the senseless scorns, or railings and bawlings of ignorant, profane, and sensual sots, there is another kind of preparation to be made. To give you particular directions for your preparations against every such danger would make my work too tedious; but remember how much lieth upon your own preparations or unpreparedness.

Direct. VII. Be not sinfully wanting in good discourse yourselves, if you would not be insnared by bad discourse from others. Your good discourse may prevent, or divert, or shame, or disappoint their evil discourse. Turn the stream another way; and do it wisely, that you expose not yourselves and your cause to scorn and laughter; and do it with such zeal as the cause requireth, that you be not borne down by their greater zeal in evil. And where it is unfit for you to speak, if it may be, let your countenance or departure signify your dislike and sorrow.

Direct. VIII. Specially labour to mortify those sins, which the unavoidable discourse of your company doth most tempt you to; that where the devil doth most to hurt you, you may there do most in your own defence. Doth the talk which you hear tend most to heresy, seduction, or to turn you from the truth? Study the more to be established in the truth; read more books for it; and hear more that is said by wise and godly men against the error which you are tempted to. Is it to profaneness or dislike of a holy life, that your company tempt you? Address yourselves the more to God, and give up yourselves to holiness, and let your study and practice be such as tend to keep your souls in relish with holiness, and hatred of sin. Is it pride that their applauding discourse doth tempt you to? Study the more the doctrine of humiliation. Is it lust that they provoke you to, or is it drunkenness, gluttony, sinful recreations, or excesses? Labour the more in the work of mortification, and keep the strictest guard where they assault you.

Direct. IX. Be not unacquainted with the particular weaknesses and dangers of your own hearts, or any of your sinful inclinations; that when you know where the wall is weakest, you may there make the best defence. That wanton word will set a wanton heart on fire, which a sober mind doth hear with pity as a bedlam kind of speech. A peevish, passionate heart is presently disturbed and kindled with those words which are scarce observed by a well-composed soul.