What We Must Do to Be Saved

The tractate by Baxter herein re-printed in a limited private edition, was unknown to Calamy, and also escaped his best Biographer — Orme, as well as Darling, in his “Cyclopaedia BibHographica.” My copy was formerly in the celebrated Library of Dr Philip Bliss of Oxford. It is bound richly in morocco, and marked by him as “not in the Bodleian Catalogue, 1843.” Another copy is in the British Museum Library: but I have not met with any mention of it elsewhere. As a book it is among the rarest of Baxter’s, and I have heard of prices being given for it recently, that recall the Bibliomania days of the Roxburghe Sale. Intrinsically it is packed with “judicious” thought, and has all its saintly author’s best characteristics, being scriptural, fervent to passion of entreaty, pungent, pointed, unmistakable: withal it is pure “Bread of Life” for the humblest. I give the text with scrupulous fidelity, and have added a few slight foot-notes. The original title-page will be found on the opposite page. May all to whom the little book comes “be saved,” and by His mercy evidence it here in a “holy life!”

A. B. G.

Liverpool.

IGNORANT persons cannot remember long and many words, nor understand a brief style and few words. This maketh it impossible to write

a Catechism that shall not be unsuitable either to the understanding or the memory of such. I must therefore desire the Teacher to make up the unavoidable defect, by opening the meaning, — especially of the Catechisms, — to the children and servants, when they have learned and say the words. Read the Instructions often to them and press all as you go, on their affections. For the bare words without a present guide may else be all lost.

1. To keep up the resolutions of the converted. And

2. To instruct those in families that need them. Though the saving of souls be a matter of inexpressible importance,* yet — the Lord have mercy upon them! — what abundance are there that think it not worthy of their serious enquiry, nor the reading of a good book, one

* Mark viii. 36: Matthew vi. 33: Job xxi. 14, and xxii. 17: Psalm i. 2, 3, and xiv. 12.

hour in a week! For the sake of these careless slothful sinners, I have here spoken much in a little room, that they may not refuse to read and consider so short a lesson, unless they think their souls worth nothing. Sinner! As thou wilt shortly answer it before God, deny not to God, to thyself and me, the sober pondering and faithful practising these few directions: —

I. Begin at home, and know thyself Consider what it is to be a man.”^ Thou art made a nobler creature than the brutes. They serve thee, and are governed by thee; and death ends all their pains and pleasures. But thou hast reason to rule thyself and them; to know thy God, and foresee thy end, and know thy way, and do thy duty. Thy reason, and free-will, and executive power, are part of the image of God upon thy nature: so is thy dominion over the brutes, as, under him, thou art their owner, their ruler, and their end. But thy holy wisdom, and goodness, and ability, is the chief part of his image on which thy happiness depends. Thou hast a soul that cannot be satisfied in knowing, till thy knowledge reach to God himself :t nor can it be disposed by any other; nor can it or the societies of the world, be well governed according to its nature, without regard to his sovereign authority and without the hopes and fears of joy and misery hereafter ;J nor can it be happy § in anything but seeing and loving and delighting in this God as he is revealed in the other world. And is this nature given thee in vain? If the nature of all things be fitted to its use and end, then it must be so with thine.

II. By knowing thyself then, thou must needs know that there is a God IT and that he is thy maker and infinite in all perfections; and that he is thy Owner, thy Ruler

* Psalm viii. 4-6: Genesis i. 26, 27: ix. 6: Col. iii. 10. t John xvii. 3: i John iv. 6, 7: Jeremiah ix. 24. X Luke xii. 4, 5. § Psalm xvi. 5-1 1. II Isaiah xlv. 18.

Psalm xiv. i: Genesis i. i: Revelation i. 8: Romans i. 19, 20: Psalm xlvi. 10: ix. 10: c. andxxiii.: xix. 1-3: xlvii. 7: Ezekiel xviii. 4: Genesis xviii. 25: Malachi i. 6.

and thy Felicity or End. He is mad that seeth not that such creatures have a cause or maker: and that all the power and wisdom and goodness of the world, is caused by a power and wisdom and goodness which is greater than that of all the world. And who can be our Owner but he that made us? And who can be our highest Governor but our Owner, whose infinite power wisdom and goodness maketh him only fit thereto? And if he be our Governor, he must needs have laws, with rewards for the good and punishments for the bad; and must judge and execute accordingly. And if he be our” chiefest Benefactor, and all that we have is from him, and all our hope and happiness is in him, nothing can be more clear than that the very nature ol man doth prove that in hope of future happiness, he should absolutely assign himself to the will and disposal of this God, and that he should absolutely obey him,^’ and that he should love and serve him with all his power: it being impossible to love, obey and please that God too much who is thus our cause, our end, our all.

III. By knowing thus thyself and God, it is easy to know what primitive holiness and godliness is. Even this hearty, entire and absolute resignation of the soul to God, as the infinite power, wisdom, and goodness: as our Creator, our Owner, Governor, and Felicity or P2nd: fully submitting to his disposal, obeying his laws, in hope of his promised rewards and fear of his threatened punishments: and loving and delighting in himself and all his appearances in the world: and desiring and seeking the endless right and enjoyment of him in heavenly glory, and expressing these affections in daily prayer, thanksgiving and praise. This is the use of all thy faculties, the end and business of thy life, the health and happiness of

* Matthew xxii. 37: Jeremiah v. 22: 2 Corinthians v. 8,9: Titus ii. 14: 2 Corinthians viii. 5, and vi. 16-18: 1 Peter ii. 9: Psalm 10: xxxvii. 4: xl. 8: Colossians iii. i, 2: Matthew vi. 20, 21: 2 Cor. iv, 17, 18.

thy soul. This is that hoHness or godliness which God doth so much call for.

IV. And by this it is easy to know what a state of sin and ungodliness is.”^ Even the want of all this holiness, and the setting of carnal self instead of God. When men are proudly great and wise and good in their own eyes, and would dispose of themselves and all their concernments, and would rule themselves and please themselves, according to the fleshly appetite and fancy: and therefore love most the pleasures and profits and honours of the world as the provision to satisfy the desires of the flesh: and God shall be no further loved, obeyed, or pleased than the love of fleshly pleasures will give leave, nor shall have anything but what the flesh can spare: this is a wicked, a carnal, an ungodly state; though it break forth in various ways of sinning.

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