You shall find this to be God’s usual course: not to give his children the taste of his delights till they begin to sweat in seeking after them.
– Richard Baxter –
The First and Great Work of a Christian – Richard Baxter
The first and great work of a Christian is about his heart. There it is that God dwells by his Spirit, in his saints; and there it is that sin and Satan reign, in the ungodly. The great duties and the great sins are those of the heart. There is the root of good and evil: the tongue and life are but the fruits and expressions of that which dwells within.
– Richard Baxter –
1615 – 1691
Different From the Rest of Mankind – Richard Baxter
That this Spirit is given to all true believers is evident by the effects of his being given. They have ends, affections, and lives different from the rest of mankind; they live upon the hopes of a better life, and their heavenly interest overrules all the opposite interest of this world. In order to this they live under the conduct of divine authority, and to obey and please God is the great business of their lives.
– Richard Baxter –
from Dying Thoughts, 1683
Keep Your Heart on God – Richard Baxter
It is but right that our hearts should be on God, when the heart of God is so much on us.
– Richard Baxter –
1615-1691
Possession vs Preparation – Richard Baxter
The life to come depends upon this present life. As the life of adult age depends upon infancy, or the reward upon work; or the prize of racers or soldiers upon their running or fighting; or the merchant’s gain upon his voyage. Heaven is won or lost on earth; the possession is there, but the preparation is here.
– Richard Baxter –
from Dying Thoughts, 1683
Preaching as a Dying Man to Dying Men – Richard Baxter
I preached as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men.
– Richard Baxter –
Godliness is a Joy and Pleasure – Richard Baxter
Will you say that godliness is unpleasant, because it makes a man sorry for his ungodliness?… Would you wish a man that hath lived so long in sin and misery, to have no sorrow for it in his return—especially when it is but a healing sorrow, preparing for remission, and not a sorrow joined with despair, as theirs will be that die impenitently?
– Richard Baxter –
1615-1691
A Tender Love for Your People – Richard Baxter
Most people judge the counsel they receive by the way they receive the affection of their counselor. See that you feel a tender love for your people, and then let them feel it by your speeches and see it in your dealings with them … Let them see that all you do is for their own sakes and not for your own end.
– Richard Baxter –
1615-1691
The Free Gift of Salvation – Richard Baxter
Let “deserved” be written on the door of hell, but on the door of heaven and life [write]: “The free gift.”
– Richard Baxter –