Richard Baxter

“ Christ is made light of, either because Men think he is theirs already, or because he may easily be theirs at any Time. It is true, that Grace is free, and the Offer is universal, where-ever the Gospel is preached. And it is true, that Men may have Christ whenever they are willing to comply with his Terms. But if you are not willing now, how can you think you shall be willing hereafter? If you can make your own Heart willing, why not do it immediately? Can you do it better, when Sin hath more hardened it, and God may have given you over to yourself? ”

“ Did you know what a hard Thing it is to be so much as willing to have Christ and Grace; when the Heart is given up to its own corrupt Bias, and the Spirit hath withdrawn its former Influences, you would not be so confident of your own Strength to believe and repent, nor would you from such foolish Confidence continue to make light of Christ. If indeed it be so easy a Matter, as you imagine, for a Sinner to believe and repent at any Time, how comes it to pass that it is done by so few, while Multitudes perish in their Impenitence, amidst all desireable Helps and Means? ”

“ But Men do not believe, while they say so, and even while they themselves think so. There is in them an evil Heart of Unbelief, which makes them depart from the living God. Tell any Man he shall have a Gift of ten Thousand Pounds, if he will but go some Miles for it; if he believes you; he will go; if he believes not, he will not go. And if he will not go, supposing her is able, you may be sure he does not believe. I know a slight Belief may consist with a wicked Life; but a sincere Belief is inconsistent with so great Neglect of the Things that are believed. ”

“ To compare the Care Men take for the World, with the Care of their Souls; and the Time they spend about the World, with the Time they employ for their Salvation. To see how the World fills their Mouths, their Hands, their Houses, their Hearts, while Christ hath little more than a bare Title of Respect. ”

“ God forbid, that having undertaken the sacred Office of revealing the Excellencies of Christ to the World, we should make light of him ourselves, and slight that Salvation which we daily preach. The Lord knows we are all of us so defective in our Esteem for Christ, and do our great Work so negligently, that we have Reason to be ashamed of our best Sermons; but should this Sin prevail in us, we are of all Men most miserable. ”

“ To come into their Company, and hear no Discourse but of the World. To come into their Houses, and hear and see Nothing but for the World, as if this World would last for ever, or would purchase them another. ”

“ If I ask the Ministers of the Gospel how their Labours succeed? They tell me, “People continue still the same, and give up themselves wholly to the World, so that they mind not what we say to them, nor will give a full Entertainment to the Word: and all because of the deluding World.” And O that too many Ministers themselves did not make light of that Christ whom they preach, thro’ being drawn away by the Love if this World! In a Word, Men of a worldly Disposition judge of Things according to worldly Advantages. ”

“ It is not therefore for Want of good Preachers, that Men make light of Christ and Salvation. The first News of Pardon for Sin, and the Hope of Glory, and the Danger of everlasting Misery, would turn the Hearts of Men within them, if they were as tractable in spiritual Matters, as in temporal. ”

“ I love not Censoriousness, Brethren; yet I dare not befriend so vile a Sin in myself, or others, under Pretence of avoiding it; especially when there is so great a Necessity first to heal it in us, who make it our Business to heal it in others. O that there were no Cause to complain that Christ is made light of by those that preach him!—Are not Studies neglected?—Are not Ministrations lifeless and formal?—How little is done out of the Pulpit, for reproving Sin, and saving Men’s Souls?—Is there not a perpetual Neglect of those Things in which the Interest of Christ consists ”

“ Till Men are deeply humbled, they can part with Christ and Salvation for a Lust, for a little worldly Gain, for that which is less than Nothing. But when God hath inlightened their Consciences, and broken their Hearts, then they would give a World for Christ; then they count all Things but Loss for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus their Lord. ”

“ Men have Houses and Lands to look after, Wife and Children, Body and outward Estate, and therefore they forget that they have a God, a Redeemer, a Soul to mind. These worldly Things are near at Hand, and therefore work naturally and forcibly; but the other are thought to be a great Way off, and therefore too distant to work on their Affections. Their Bodies have Life and Sense, and therefore if they want Meat, or Drink, or Cloaths, will feel their Wants, and make them known, and never rest till they are supplied. Men cannot make light of their bodily Necessities ”

“ Thus poor People are so attentive to their bodily Wants, as if they had Nothing else to mind; having their Trades and Callings to follow, and so much to do from Morning to Night, they can find no Tune for Christ and Salvation. ”

“ It must be allowed that the Thing is very reasonable and easy in itself to a pure Nature; but while Man is spiritually blind and dead, the Things are scarcely possible to him, which are ever so easy to others. To gracious Souls, it is the easiest and sweetest Life in the World, to live in the Love of God, and the Thoughts of that Life to come, where all their Hope and Happiness lieth. But it is as easy to remove Mountains, as to bring carnal Hearts to this. ”

“ These Men however condemn themselves; for if they think it so easy a Matter to repent, and believe, and so have Christ and Salvation, they have then the less Excuse for neglecting what they thought so easy. ”

“ The Things of the Spirit are not well known by bare Report, but by spiritual Taste, which none have but those that are taught by the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the Things that are freely given to us of God. ”