A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian Ethics

by Richard Baxter

Here then make use of Jesus Christ, the great Revealer of God and his will to the blinded world, and the great Confirmer of the divine authority of his word. Life and immortality are brought more fully to light by the gospel, than ever they were by any other means. Moses and the prophets did bring with their doctrine sufficient evidence of its credibility. But Christ hath brought both a fuller revelation, and a fuller evidence to help belief. An inspired prophet, which proveth his inspiration to us, is a credible messenger: but when God himself shall come down into flesh, and converse with man, and teach him the knowledge of God, and the way to life, and tell him the mysteries of the world to come, and seal his testimony with unquestionable proofs, who will not learn of such a Teacher? and who will deny belief to such a Messenger, except absurd, unreasonable men? Remember, then, when ignorance or unbelief would hinder your access to God, that you have the ablest Teacher and the surest Witness to acquaint you with God in all the world. If God had sent an angel from heaven, to tell you what he is, and what he requireth of you, and what he will do for you, would it not be very acceptable to you? But he hath done much more; he hath sent his Son:[86] the Deity itself hath appeared in flesh: he that hath seen God, and he that is God, hath come among men to acquaint them with God. His testimony is more sure and credible than any angel's. Heb. i. 1-3, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past to the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son." John i. 18, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." We have "neither heard the voice of God, nor seen his shape," John v. 37. "No man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God; he hath seen the Father," John vi. 46. "No man knoweth the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him," Matt. xi. 27. What more can we desire, that is short of the sight of the glory of God, than to have him revealed to us by a messenger from heaven, and such a messenger as himself has seen him, and is God himself? Plato and Plotinus may describe God to us according to their dark conjectures; something we may discern of him by observing his works; but Christ hath declared what he saw, and what he knew, beyond all possibility of mistake. And lest his own testimony should seem questionable to us, he hath confirmed it by a life of miracles, and by rising from the dead himself, and ascending visibly to heaven; and by the Holy Ghost, and his miraculous gifts, which he gave to the messengers of his gospel. Had it been no more than his resurrection from the dead, it had been enough to prove the utter unreasonableness of unbelief.

2. It is also a great impediment to the soul in its approach to God, that infinite distance disableth us to conceive of him aright. We say, as Elihu, Job xxxvi. 26, "Behold, God is great, and we know him not." And, indeed, it is impossible that mortal man should have any adequate apprehensions of his essence. But in his Son he hath come down to us, and showed himself in the clearest glass that ever did reveal him. Think of him therefore as he appeared in our flesh; as he showed himself in his holiness and goodness to the world. You may have positive thoughts of Jesus Christ; though you may not think that the Godhead was flesh, yet may you think of it as it appeared in flesh. It may quiet the understanding to conceive of God as incarnate, and to know that we cannot yet know him as he is, or have any adequate conceptions of him. These may delight us till we reach to more.

3. It hindereth the soul's approach to God, when the infinite distance makes us think that God will not regard or take notice of such contemptible worms as we: we are ready to think that he is too high for our converse or delight. In this case the soul hath no such remedy, as to look to Christ; and see how the Father hath regarded us, and set his heart upon us, and sent his Son to seek and save us. Oh wonderful, astonishing condescension of eternal love! Believe that God assumed flesh to make himself familiar with man; and you can never question whether he regard us, or will hold communion with us.

4. It hindereth our comfortable access to God, when we are deterred by the glory of his infiniteness and majesty. As the eye is not able to gaze upon the sun, unless it be overshadowed; so the soul is afraid of the majesty of God, and overwhelmed by it, when it should be delighted in it. Against this there is no such remedy, as to behold God appearing to us in his Son, where his majesty is veiled, and where he approacheth us familiarly in our nature, to invite us to him with holy confidence and reverent boldness. Christ did not appear in a terrible form: women durst discourse with him; beggars, and cripples, and diseased people durst ask his help; sinners durst eat with him: the proud contemned him, but the lowly were not frightened from him. He "took upon him the form of a servant, and made himself of no reputation," that he might converse familiarly with the meanest, and those of no reputation. Though we may not debase the Godhead, to imagine that it is humbled in glory, as it was on earth, in the flesh of Christ; yet this condescension is unspeakable encouragement to the soul to come with boldness unto God, that was frighted from him.

5. When the guilt of sin affrighteth us from God, and we are thinking that God will not accept such great offenders as we have been, then Christ is our remedy, who hath paid our debt, and borne our stripes, and procured and sealed us a pardon by his blood.[87] Shall pardoned sins drive us from him that pardoneth them? He hath justified us by his righteousness. The curse and damnation are terrible indeed; but he hath taken them away, and given us a free discharge.

6. The infirmities also of our souls in duty, are oftentimes a great discouragement to us, in our approaches to the most holy, jealous God. To find so little knowledge of God, so little love to him, such cold desires, such wandering and distracted thoughts, such dull requests: it is hard to have lively and thankful apprehensions of God's acceptance of such defective, lame meditations or prayers; but we are apt to think that he will abhor both them and us, and that he can take no pleasure in them, yea, that it is as good not pray at all. Here faith hath full relief in Christ: two things it can say from him to encourage the fearful soul: (1.) That our acceptance with the Father is through the merits of his Son; and he is worthy, though we are unworthy. If we have but the worthiness of faith, and repentance, and sincere desire, Christ hath the worthiness of perfect holiness and obedience for us. We go not to the Father in our own names, but in his; and whatever we ask the Father in the name of Christ according to his will, he will give it us, John xvi. 23; xiv. 13; xv. 16. (2.) That all the infirmities of our souls and services are forgiven us through Christ: he hath undertaken to answer for them all, and to justify us from all such accusations. By faith thou mayst, as it were, hear Christ thus speaking for thine encouragement: Go boldly, poor sinner, into my Father's presence: fear not the guilt of thy sins, nor the imperfection of thy prayers; as long as thou truly repentest of them, and desirest to be delivered from them, and trustest in me, I am thy worthiness; my righteousness is perfect without spot; I have taken all thy faults and failings upon me; I have undertaken to answer for all the imperfections of thy holy things: sincerity is thy endowment; perfection is mine: trust me in the performance of the trust which I have undertaken.

7. Sometimes, the soul that would draw near to God, is overwhelmed with grief and terror, so that the sense of sin, and danger, and misery do even distract men, and cast them into an agony; so that they say with David, Psal. lxxvii. 2-4, "My soul refused to be comforted, I remembered God and was troubled; I complained: and my spirit was overwhelmed. Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak." Yea, they think they feel God thrust them from him, and tell them that he hath utterly forsaken them. In this case, faith must look to Christ, and remember that he was in an agony when he prayed, and in greater agony than ever you were, so that he sweat even drops of blood; and yet in that agony he prayed more earnestly, Luke xxii. 44. He himself once cried out upon the cross, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" and yet he was the beloved of the Father, and is now at his right hand in glory: and all this he did that we might not be forsaken. He hath removed the enmity: he hath reconciled us to God. By grief he passed himself to joy, and he will wipe away his servants' tears, and cause their griefs to end in joy.

8. Sometimes, the soul that would draw near to God, is molested with a storm of hideous temptations, and even confounded with a swarm of disordered, perplexed thoughts. Satan assaulteth it with temptations to despair, temptations to horrid blasphemous thoughts, temptations to entangle, intermit, corrupt, or pervert the duty which they are about; so that the soul is discouraged, overwhelmed, and broken with the inward assaults, and troubles, and distractions which it undergoeth. In this case faith hath a Saviour suitable to our relief. It can look to him that was tempted in all points like as we are, without sin, and is now such a High Priest as can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; and therefore we may come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need, Heb. iv. 14-16. "In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest, in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people: for he himself having suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted," Heb. ii. 17, 18. He submitted not only to be tempted by Satan, but tempted in a wilderness, where he had no man to comfort him; and to be tempted to the most horrid blasphemy and wickedness, even to fall down and worship the devil himself: and he suffered the tempter violently to carry him to the pinnacle of the temple, Matt. iv. What should we think of ourselves, if we had been used thus? Should we not think that God had utterly forsaken us? He suffered himself to be tempted also by men; by the abuses and reproaches of his enemies; by the desertion of his followers; by the carnal counsel of Peter, persuading him to put by the death which he was to undergo. And he that made all temptations serve to the triumph of his patience, and conquering power, will give the victory also to his grace, in the weakest soul.

9. It would be the greatest attractive to us to draw near to God, and make the thoughts of him pleasant to us, if we could but believe that he dearly loveth us, that he is reconciled to us, and taketh us for his children, and that he taketh pleasure in us, and that he resolveth for ever to glorify us with his Son; and that the dearest friend that we have in the world, doth not love us the thousandth part so much as he. And all this in Christ, is clearly represented to the eye of faith. All this is procured for believers by him; and all this is given to believers in him: in him God is reconciled to us: he is our Father, and dwelleth among us, and in us, and walketh in us, and is our God, 2 Cor. vi. 16-18. Light and heat are not more abundant in the sun, than love is in Jesus Christ. To look on Christ, and not perceive the love of God, is as to look on the sun, and not to see and acknowledge its light. Therefore whenever you find your hearts averse to God, and to have no pleasure in him, look then to Jesus, and observe in him the unmeasurable love of God: that "you may be able to comprehend with all the saints, what is the breadth and length, and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fulness of God," Eph. iii. 18, 19. Love and goodness are that to the will, which delicious sweetness is to the sensitive appetite. Draw near then and taste the feast of love which God hath prepared and proposed by his Son. Dost thou not see or feel the love of God? Come near, and look upon God incarnate; upon a crucified Christ; upon the covenant sealed in his blood; upon all the benefits of his redemption; upon all the privileges of the saints; and upon the glory purchased, possessed, and promised by him: put thy hand into his wounded side, and be not faithless, but believing; and then thou wilt cry out, "My Lord, and my God."

10. So also, when the soul would fain perceive in itself the flames of love to God, it is the beholding of Christ by faith, which is the striking of fire, and the effectual means of kindling love. And this is the true approach to God, and the true communion and converse with him: so far as we love him, so far we draw near him, and so far we have true communion with him. Oh what would the soul of a believer give, that it could but burn in love to God, as oft as in prayer, or meditation, or conference, his name and attributes are mentioned or remembered! For this, there is no such powerful means, as believingly to look on Christ, in whom such glorious love appeareth, as will draw forth the love of all that by a lively faith discern it. Behold the love that God hath manifested by his Son, and thou canst not but love him who is the spring of this transcendent love. In the law God showeth his frowning wrath; and therefore it breedeth the "spirit of bondage unto fear:" but in Christ God appeareth to us not only as loving us, but as love itself; and therefore as most lovely to us, giving us the spirit of adoption, or of filial love, by which we fly and cry to him as our Father.