A Modern Day Job

‘Nay, it is a wonder of blindness, that this God-hating world & age should not perceive that they are God-haters, while they hate His servants to the death, and implacably rage against them, and hate His holy ways & kingdom’ - R Baxter, “ACD, v 1: Christian Ethics,” p 21 (1673)

‘Is the gospel a mystery? Then Christian, long for heaven; there, and only there, shall this mystery be fully known’ – William Gurnall, “The Christian in Complete Armour, vol 2,” p 564 (1665)

1/2 ‘Why did the world hate Christ Himself? He tells you, John 7:7, “The world cannot hate you, but Me it hateth, because I testify against it, that the works thereof are evil.” John 3:19, “This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world...'

2/2 '...and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.”’ - Richard Baxter, “A Christian Directory, vol 1: Christian Ethics,” p 21 (1673)

‘Pity thy weak brother, and take him by the hand for his help; but despise him not, God can make even him stand, and suffer thee to fall. Christ doth not quench the smoking flax, why should we?’ – William Gurnall, “The Christian in Complete Armour, vol 2,” p 564 (1665)

‘Yea, every ungodly man hateth God: indeed no man hateth Him as good, or as merciful to them; but they hate Him as holy & just, as one that will not let them have the pleasure of sin, w/o damning them’ - Richard Baxter, “A Christian Directory, v 1: Christian Ethics,” p 21 (1673)

‘Bear with one another’s imperfections. You see the gospel is a mystery, do you wonder therefore that any are not presently masters of their art. Christ bears with the saints’ imperfections; well may the saints one with another’ – William Gurnall, TCICA, vol 2, p 563 (1665)

1/2 ‘those are the enemies of God, and of the Redeemer, and of the Holy Ghost, that set up the base concupiscence of their flesh, and the honour and prosperity of this world, and the will of man...'

2/2 ‘...and refuse the government of God their Creator and Redeemer, and refuse the sanctifying teachings and operations of the Holy Ghost’ - Richard Baxter, “A Christian Directory, vol 1: Christian Ethics,” p 20 (1673)

‘Thou hast some patience, but hast thou learned to write after Job’s copy? Thou art not w/o faith, but art thou like Abraham – strong in faith to follow God when thou knowest not whither He will lead thee?’ – William Gurnall, “The Christian in Complete Armour, v 2,” p 563 (1665)

‘Some think it strange that any men should be called “haters of God;” & I believe you will find it hard to meet w/that man that will confess it by himself, till converting grace or hell constrain him’ - Richard Baxter, “A Christian Directory, vol 1: Christian Ethics,” p 20 (1673)

1/2 ‘Do we not see that those who in worldly affairs will give you a wise and solid answer, in the truths of the gospel they speak like children and babes?...'

2/2 ‘...Yea, even those that have some brain-knowledge of the Scriptures, how dry and unsavoury is their discourse of spiritual things!’ – William Gurnall, “The Christian in Complete Armour, vol 2,” p 561 (1665)

1/2 ‘I know many persons that are most deeply guilty, especially men of honour and esteem in the world, would scorn to have this title [of God’s enemy] given to themselves...'

2/2 ‘...but verily God is not fearful of offending them, nor so tender of their defiled honour, as they are of their own, or as they expect the preacher should be’ - Richard Baxter, “A Christian Directory, vol 1: Christian Ethics,” p 20 (1673)

1/2 ‘The gospel as a mystery shows us the reason why carnal men do so bungle when they meddle with matters of religion. Let them speak of gospel truths – what ignorance do they show?...'

2/2 ‘...Even as a countryman chops logic, and speaks of the liberal arts, so they of heavenly matters’ – William Gurnall, “The Christian in Complete Armour, vol 2,” p 561 (1665)

1/2 ‘As long as you are unconverted, you must needs be loathsome and abominable to God. His holy nature is unreconcilable to sin, and would be unreconcilable to sinners, if it were not that He can cleanse and purify them...'

2/2 ‘...Did you know what sin is, and know God’s holiness, you would understand this much better’ - Richard Baxter, “A Christian Directory, vol 1: Christian Ethics,” p 20 (1673)

‘The greatest enemies the gospel ever had were not the sensual and open profane – though these bad enough – but the superstitious and ignorantly devout, these have been they who have shown most fierceness and fury against the gospel’ – William Gurnall, TCICA, vol 2, p 561 (1665)