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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	bring_v	good_a	tree_n	9,027	5	9.0012	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26939	How to do good to many, or, The publick good is the Christians life directions and motives to it, intended for an auditory of London citizens, and published for them, for want of leave to preach them / by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1682 (1682)	Wing B1283; ESTC R5487	40,184	56

When it is said that God is Love the sense is the same that he is the infinite essential and efficiently and finally amiable perfect Good But tho no one of his Attributes in propriety and perfection are communicable else he that hath one part of the Deity must have all yet he imprinteth his similitude and image on his works And the impress of his Love and Goodness is the chief part of his Image on his Saints This is their very Holyness For this is the chief part of their likeness to God and dedication to him when the Spirit of Sanctification is described in Scripture as given upon believing it signifieth that our faithful perception of the redeeming saving love of God in Christ is that means which the Spirit of Christ will bless to the operating of the habit of holy Love to God and Man which become a new and divine nature to the Soul and is Sanctification it self and the true principle of a holy Evangelical Conversation And as it is said of God that he is Good and doth Good so every thing is enclined to work as it is Christ tells us the Good Tree will bring forth good fruits c. And we are Gods Workmanship Created in Christ Jesus to Good Works which God hath ordained that we should walk in them Eph. 2. 10. Yet man doth not Good as the Sun shineth by a full bent of natural necessitation else the World would not be as it is But as a free undetermined Agent which hath need to be commanded by a Law and stirr'd up by manifold Motives and Exhortations such as the Holy Ghost here useth in the Text. Where 1. Doing Good is the substance of the duty 2. Men are the objects 3. To all men is the extent 4 Especially to them of the Houshold of Faith is the direction for precedency 5. And while we have opportunity is the season including a Motive to make haste So large and excellent a Theme would require more than my allotted time to handle it fully Therefore I shall now confine my self to the duty Extended Do Good to All men Doct. To do Good to all men is all mens duty to which every Christian especially must apply himself All men should do it True Christians can do it through Grace and must do it and will do it A Good man is a common good Christs Spirit in them is not a dead or idle Principle It makes them in there several measures the Salt of the Earth and the Lights of the World They are fruitful branches in the true Vine Every Grace tendeth to well doing and to the Good of the whole Body for which each single Member is made Even Hypocrites as Wooden Legs are serviceable to the body but every living Member much more except some diseased ones who may be more troublesome and dangerous than the Wooden Leg. It 's a sign he is a branch Cut off and withered who careth little for any but himself The malignant Diabolist hateth the true and Spiritual Good The ignorant know not Good from Evil The erroneous take Evil for Good and Falshood for Truth The slothful Hypocrite wisheth much Good but doth but little The formal Ceremonious Hypocrite extols the Name and Image of Goodness The worldly Hypocrite will do Good if he can do it cheaply without any loss or suffering to his Flesh The Libertine Hypocrite pleadeth Christs Merits against the necessity of doing Good and looketh to be saved because Christ is Good tho he be barren and ungodly and some ignorant Teachers have taught them to say when they can find no true Faith Repentance Holiness or Obedience in themselves that it is enough to believe that Christ Believed and Repented for them and was Holy and Obedient for them He was indeed Holy and Obedient for Penitent Believers not to make Holiness and Obedience unnecessary to them but to make them sincerely Holy and Obedient to Himself and to excuse them from the necessity of that perfect Holiness and Obedience here which is necessary to those that will be Justified by the Law of Works or Innocency Thus all sorts of bad men have their oppositions to doing Good But to the sincere Christian it is made as Natural His heart is set upon it He is Created and Redeemed and Sanctified for it as the Tree is made for Fruit. He Studieth it as the chief Trade and Business that he liveth for He waketh for it Yea he sleepeth and eateth and drinketh for it even to enable his body to serve his Soul in serving that Lord whose Redeemed peculiar People are all Zealous of Good Works Tit. 2. 14. The Measure of this Zeal of doing Good is the utmost of their power with all their Talents in desire and sincere Endeavour The extent of the Object is to All tho not to all alike that is to as many as they can But for order sake we must here consider 1. Who this All meaneth and in what order II. What is Good And what is that Good which we must do IV. What Qualifications he must have that will do Good to many III. What Rules he must observe in doing it V. What works are they that must be done by him that would do good to many VI. What motives should quicken us to the practice VII Some useful consectaries of the point I. It is Gods prerogative to do good to all Mans ability will not reach to it But our all is as many as we can do good to 1. To Men of all sorts High and Low Rich and Poor Old and Young Kindred Neighbours Strangers Friends Enemies Good and Bad none excepted that are within our power 2. Not to a few only but to as many persons of all sorts as we can As he that hath true grace would still have more for himself so he that doth good would feign do more good and he that doth good to some would fain do good to many more All good is progressive and tendeth toward increase and perfection why are the faithful said to love and long for the day of Christs appearing but because it is the great Marriage day of the Lamb when all the Elect shall be perfected in our Heavenly Society and that makes it a much more desirable day than that of our particular glorification at death The perfection of the whole body addeth to the perfection of every part For it is a state of felicity in perfect Love And Love maketh every mans good whom we love to be as sweet to us as our own yea maketh it our own And then the perfection and glory of every Saint will be our delight and Glory And to see each single ones love united in one perfect joy and glory will add to each persons joy and glory And can you wonder if our little sparks of Grace do tend towards the same diffused multiplication and if every Member long for the compleating of the body of Christ O how much will this add to every faithful

Prayer Commandments and Catechism by rote and never understand them when a lively book that awakeneth their Consciences bringeth them to sensible consideration and to a true understanding of the same things which before they could repeat without sense or savour It is the Catechistical truths which most of our English Sermons press And the lively pressing them maketh them pierce deeper than a Catechism If men that in life or at death give a stated revenue for good works would settle the one half on a Catechizing English School and the other half on some sutable good books it may prove a very great means of publick reformation When a good book is in the House if some despise it others may read it and when one Parish is provided every years rent may extend the Charity to other Parishes and it may spread over a whole Country in a little time Most of the good that God hath done for me for knowledge or Conscience hath been by sound and pious books III. A great means of publick good is the right ordering of Families all the week but especially on the Lords day Tho the Ministry be the usual means of Converting Heathens and Insidels Christian Education by Parents is the first means appointed by God for the holy principling of youth Parents must teach them with unwearied diligence lying down and rising up Deut. 6. 11. And they that will expect Gods blessing must use his appointed means Nature teacheth men and brutes to provide for their off-spring with diligence and patience And as Grace teacheth believers to expect far greater things for themselves and their Children than this world affordeth so it obligeth them to be at so much greater diligence to obtain it An everlasting Kingdom deserveth more labour than a trade of full estate for the flesh If all Parents did their parts to make their Children Sanctified Believers as well as they expect the Schoolmaster should do his part to make them Scholars and the Master do his part to teach them their Trades we might hope that Ministers would find them fitter for Church work and that Godliness would not be so rare nor so many wicked Children break their Parent hearts But of this I have spoken lately in my Counsel to young men Religion is never like to prosper if it be not made a Family work If it be there made the chief business of the house and done with reverent seriousness and constancy if Magistracy and Ministry should fail yet families would propagate and preserve it Begin with a reverent beging the help and blessing of God then read his word and call upon his name Speak serious words of Counsel to inferiours spend the Lords day as much as may be in publick worship and the rest in reading Godly books and in singing Gods praise and calling on his Name Put suitable books into the hands of Servants and Children to read when they have leisure Encourage them in it with Love and rewards and keep them out of the way of temptation And then Gods blessing will dwell in your Families and they will be as Churches of God If any complain of negligent Ministers or persecuting Magistrates and will not do their own Family duties which none forbids they condemn themselves IV. If you would be publick blessings and do good to many do your best to procure a skilful faithful Ministry in the Church 1. Send no Son to the University who doth not first shew these three qualifications a capable natural wit and utterance a love to serious practical Religion a great desire to serve God in the Ministry tho it should be in suffering from men If they want any one of these design them to some other Calling devote not an undisposed Lad to the Ministry in hope that God will make him better but stay till he is better 2. Seeing Pastors are here obtruded on the flock it is a work of great importance for Religious Gentlemen to buy as many Advowsons or Presentations as they can that they may introduce the best that they can get God hath hitherto made use of the qualifications of the Ministers as the special means for the welfare of his Church The bare title and office is so far from sufficing without the skill and fidelity of the persons that such have been the great corrupters and disturbers of the Church When pious men have heaped up riches and honours on the Clergy these have been baits for the worst men to become seekers and make the sacred Ministry but a trade for wealth And if carnal worldly men be Ministers alas what plagues may they be to the people and themselves They will hate the Spiritual practice of doctrine which they Preach when they have told men of a Heaven and Hell and the necessity of a holy heart and life as if they had been in jeast they will take those for hypocrites that believe them and live accordingly They will take the best of the flock for their Enemies because they are Enemies to their hypocrisie and vice Instead of imitating Saint Paul Act. 20. who taught them publickly and from House to House day and night with tears they will turn the Ministry into Complement and formality and think that by saying a cold unskilful Sermon and by roteing over a few heartless words they have laudably performed their part They will take those for their best hearers who will most honour them and best pay them tho never so ignorant and ungodly and their spleen will swell against the best and most Religious people because they dislike their unfaithful lives and Ministration If Religion should be in publick danger these will be the Judas'es that will sell it for gain They will do anything rather than suffer much They are Ministers of the world and not of Christ Readier to make Crosses for others than to bear the Cross of Christ For it is Gain that is their Godliness And when their treachery is seen and hated they will hate the haters of it And the studies of Malignant men will be their Laboratories and the Pulpits the place where the sublimate and essence of malice must be vended How effectually will Satans work be done when it is performed in the formalities of the Sacred Ministry and in the name of Christ O what hath the Church suffered by a worldly graceless Ministry these thousand years and more and what doth it yet suffer by them in East and West But on the other side a skilful faithful Minister will Preach sound Doctrine and worship God with serious devotion and live to Christ and the Churches good He will speak the word of truth and life with truth and liveliness As one that believeth what he saith and feeleth the power of it on his heart Tho he must have Food and Rayment as other men it is the saving and edifing of Souls which is his work to which he bendeth all his studies for which he prayeth and longeth and in which he rejoyceth

do no harm and say as the slothful Servant here is thy Talent which I hid And some there be that in a blind jealousie of the Doctrine of Justication not understanding what the Word Justification signifieth Cry down even the words of James as if they were unreconcileable with Pauls and can scarce bear him that saith as Christ Mat. 12. By thy words thou shalt be Justified and by thy words thou shalt be Condemned As if they had never read well done good and faithful Servant c. for I was an hungry and ye fed me c. Nor Heb. 5. 9. He is the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him or Heb. 13. With such Sacrifice God is well pleased or he that doth righteosness is righteous or that we shall be judged according to our works or Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the tree of Life and may enter in by the Gates into the City Or Gal. 6. What a man soweth that shall he reap He that soweth to the Spirit of the Spirit shall reap Everlasting Life With many such No man well in his Wits can think that any thing we do can merits of God in commutative justice as if he received any thing from us This were even to deny God to be God But are we not undera law of Grace and doth not that Law command us obedience and the improvement of our Talents in doing good And shall we not be judged by that Law And what is Judging but Justifying or Condemning No works of ours can stand the tryal by the Law of Innocency or Works but only the perfect righteousness of Christ But he that is accused of final impenitency Infidelity Hypocrisie or unholyness if truly accused shall never be justified and if falsely must be justified against that charge by somewhat besides what is done out of him by Jesus Christ It is an easier thing to be zealous for an opinion which is sound or supposed such about works and grace than to be zealous of good works or zealously desirous of grace How sad use did Satan make of mens zeal for Orthodox words when the Nestorian Eutychian and Monothelite Controversies were in agitation He went for a hollow hearted Neuter that did not hereticate one side or other And I would that factious ignorant zeal were not still alive in the Churches How many have we heard on one side reviling Lutherans Calvinists Arminians Episcopal Presbyterians Independents c. To render them odious that never understand the true state of the difference And how fiercely do some Papists and others cry down Solifidians and perswade men that we are Enemies to good works or think that they are not necessary to Salvation because some rashly maintained that in a faction against George Major long ago or at least that they are no further necessary but as signs to prove that which God knoweth without them And on the other side how many make themselves and others believe that the true expositors of Saint James's words are almost Papists and teach men dangerously to trust to works for their Justification while they understand not what either of the Apostles mean by Justification Faith or Works Many so carefully avoid trusting to good works that they have none or few to trust to No doubt nothing of man must be trusted to for the least part that belongs to Christ But all duty and means must be both used and trusted for its own part Consider well these following motives and you will see why all Christians must be zealous of doing all the good they can 1. It rendreth a man likest to God to be good and to do good On which account Christ requireth it even towards our enemies Mat. 5. That we may be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect who doth good even to the unjust And he that is likest God is the best man most holy and most happy and shall have most Communion with God 2. And when Christ came down in flesh to call man home by making God better known to the world he revealeth him in his attractive goodness and that was by his own beneficence to Man He came to do the greatest good to be the Saviour of the world and to reconcile revolted man to God and all his life yea his death and his Heavenly intercession is doing good to those that were Gods Enemies And to learn of Christ and imitate his example is to be his true Disciples And what else do his Laws Command us They are all holy just and good and our goodness is to love them and obey them By keeping these we must shew that we are his Disciples When he tells you who you must do good to in the instance of the Samaritan he addeth go thou and do likewise Joh. 15. He largely tells us of what importance it is for every branch that is planted into him to bring forth fruit 3. It is much of the end of all the Sanctifying operations of theholy Spirit Grace is given us to use Even natural powers are given us for action What the better were man for a Tongue or hands or feet if he should never use them Life is a principle of action It were as good have no Life as not to use it And why doth God make men good but that they may do good even in their duty to God themselves and one another 4. It is Gods great mercy to mankind that he will use us all in doing good to one another And it s a great part of his wise Government of the world that in societies men should be tyed to it by the sense of every particular mans necessity And it is a great honor to those that he maketh his Almoners or Servants to convey his gifts to others God bids you give nothing but what is his and no otherwise your own than as his Stewards It s his bounty and your service or Stewardship which is to be exercised He could have done good to all men by himself alone without you or any other if he would But he will honour his Servants to be the Messengers of his bounty You best please him when you readily receive his gifts your selves and most fully Communicate them to others To do good is to receive good And yet he will reward such for doing and receiv 5. Self-love therefore should perswade men to do good to all You are not the least gainers by it your selves If you can trust Christ sure you will think this profitable Usury Is not a Cup of cold Water well paid for when Christ performs his promise And is it not a gainful loss which is rewarded in this Life an hundred fold and in the world to Come with Life Eternal Those that live in the fullest exercise of Love and doing good are usually most loved and many are ready to do good to them And this Exercise encreaseth all fruitful Graces And there is a present