Directions to Natural Man

Richard Baxter's "A Christian Directory" contains different types of spiritual directions. The first type is addressed to the natural man. We already mentioned in the previous article our presuppositions about this natural man. And also in the first article, we mentioned that in Chapter 1 of Christian Ethics, after enumerating the presuppositions, the next topic is about 20 directions to the natural man (pp. 13-61), which seven of them is the subject of the present article. Let us start with the 1st direction:

Direction # 1 - If you really want to become a child of God and be sanctified, "remain not in a state of ignorance; but do your best to come into light, and understand the Word of God in the matters of salvation" (p. 13).

The greatest knowledge you can attain in this life is to learn how "to obey your Maker, and to save your soul" (ibid.). If it is really true that the knowledge of the law, of trade, and of business is as important as knowing "how to be reconciled to God, to be pardoned and justified, to please your Creator, to prepare in time for death and judgment, and an endless life", then let natural knowledge be given the priority (ibid.). "But if all earthly things be dreams and shadows, and valuable only as they serve us in the way to heaven, then surely the heavenly wisdom is the best" (ibid.). It is unfortunate to see a man who is an expert in the law, in many "languages, sciences, and arts, and yet" does not know how to live for God, "to mortify the flesh, to conquer sin, to deny himself . . ." (p. 14).

Direction # 2 - Do your best to understand the meaning of what it is to be under the state of sin, and what it is to be under the state of grace. 

It is either you are under the state of sin or under the state of grace. You must be certain about it. And for you to know which state describes your condition, you must understand first the meaning of both.

A man under the state of sin has "habitually and predominantly a greater love to some pleasures, or profits, or honors of this world, than he has to God and to the glory which he has promised; he prefers and seeks and holds his fleshly prosperity in this world before the favor of God and the happiness of the world to come" (p. 19). Furthermore, "His heart is turned from God unto the creature, and is principally set on things on earth" (ibid.). His sin is blindnes of the heart and the "idolatry of his soul" (ibid.). 

On the other hand, the state of grace is also "a state of holiness" and "the habitual and predominant devotion and dedication of soul, and body, and life, and all that we have to God: an esteeming, and loving, and serving, and seeking him, before all the pleasures and prosperity of the flesh: making his favor, and everlasting happiness in heaven our end, and Jesus Christ our way, and referring all things in the world unto that end, and making this the scope, design, and business of our lives" (ibid.). Moreover, "It is a turning from a deceitful world to God; and preferring the Creator before the creature, and heaven before earth, and eternity before an inch of time, and our souls before our corruptible bodies, and the authority and laws of God, the universal Governor of the world, before the word or will of any man, how great soever. . ." (ibid.).

Direction # 3 - For you to know the kind of life under the state of grace, "believe the Word of God, and those that have tried it", and don't listen to the word of those who do not know the things that they despise (p. 20).

There is no one wiser than God. His mind about life under the state of grace is revealed in the Bible. Therefore, instead of listening to the despisers of holy living, better consult what the Bible says about it. Besides the Bible, the other source that you must listen to is the testimony of godly men. They themselves experience the kind of life under grace. Never listen to the voice of those who know nothing about this life. The natural thing for ungodly men to do is to slander the ways of God and of his followers. "No wisdom, no measure of holiness or righteousness will exempt the godly from their malice; otherwise, Christ himself at least would have exempted . . . " (ibid.). 

Read John 15: 18-20.

Direction # 4 - For your mind to "be enlightened and your heart renewed, be much and serious in reading the word of God, and those books that" are suitable to your condition, and listen to the preaching of God's word (p. 22). 

Under this direction, you will observe that Richard Baxter has a high view of the Holy Scriptures and preaching for the conversion of the soul. He describes that the Word of God has power to root out corruption and to enter grace into the human soul for it has a "heavenly light" and "majesty" channeled through reading and listening (ibid.). We find several Bible passages to prove the power of God's Word (Psalm 19:7,8,11; Acts 8; 2:37; 16:14; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Corinthians 10:4,5). Selected examples include the conversion of the eunuch, the 3,000 on the day of Pentecost, and Lydia through the ministry of the Word. 

As for books that apply the Word of God into your situation, try Baxter's "Directions for a Sound Conversion", which you can find in Volume 8 of his Practical Works. 

Direction # 5 - Use your reason in matters of salvation.

"Sinners are exceeding blind and erroneous about the things of God, yet all God's precepts are so reasonable", says Baxter (p. 23). However, the evil one has been successful in "silencing", "laying asleep", and "drowning" the voice of reason "with the noise and crowd of worldly business" (pp. 23-24). As our author further explains this direction, we see here how his view of reason is radically different from popular view. Consistent to his concept of man under two states, his idea of reason is also influenced by sin and grace. For him, "Sin, as it is in the understanding, is nothing but unreasonableness; a blindness and error; a loss and a corruption of reason in the matters of God and our salvation" (p. 24). On the other hand, "grace, as in the understanding, does cure this folly and distraction, and make us reasonable again; it is but the opening of our eyes, and make us wise in the greatest matters" (ibid.). 

And then our author challenges you, his readers, to use your reason in looking for answer to the "great, important questions" in life: "Where must I abide forever? What must I do to be saved? What was I created and redeemed for?" (ibid.). And then he asks you to set aside time to contemplate about these matters, to think "that time is hasting to an end, that judgment is at hand, where you must give account of all your hours, of your lusts, and passions, and desires; of all your thoughts, and words, and deeds. . ." (ibid.). And then Baxter concludes his exposition by asking another series of questions: 

"Would it not be strange that a man should be penitent and godly, that never once thought of the matter with any seriousness in his life? Can so many and great diseases of soul be cured, before you have once soberly considered that you have them, and how great and dangerous they are, and by what remedies they must be cured? Can grace be obtained and exercised, while you never so much as think of it? Can the main business of our lives be done without any serious thoughts; when we think it fit to bestow so many upon the trivial matters of this world? Do the world and the flesh deserve to be remembered all the day, and week, and year? and do not God and your salvation deserve to be thought on one hour in a day, or one day in a week? Judge of these things, but as a man of reason" (p. 25).

Direction # 6 - Do not allow "company, pleasure, or worldly business, to divert or hinder you from . . . serious considerations" (ibid. ).

The evil one uses diversion as his common tool to keep you from thinking about "spiritual and eternal things" (p. 26). He does this by "putting some other thoughts into your mind, and some other work into your hand; so that you can never have leisure for any sober thoughts of God. . ." (ibid.). That is why "whenever the Spirit of God knocks at your door, you are so taken up with other company, or other business, that you cannot hear, or will not open to him" (ibid.). There are numerous occasions that God "has been ready to teach you but you were not at a leisure to hear and learn", that God has spoken to "your conscience, and checked you in your sin, and called you aside to consider soberly about your spiritual everlasting state" but "the noise of foolish . . . pleasures, or the bustles of encumbering cares and business have caused you to stop your ears, and put him off. . ." (ibid.). 

Perhaps you're thinking that "you set some limits to your folly," and thinks to do just "a litte while: but when one pleasure withers, the devil will provide a fresh one for you; and when one business is over, which causes you to pretend necessity, another, and another, and another will succeed, and you will think you have such necessity still, until time is gone, and you see too late . . ." (p. 27). "Resolve, therefore, that whatever company, or pleasure, or business would divert you, that you will not be be . . . taken off from minding the one thing necessary" (ibid.). 

Read Matthew 16:26.

Direction # 7 - Be not angry with those who "tell you of your sin or duty, as if they thy did you wrong or hurt" (ibid.).

Maybe you are thinking that the preacher is too direct and sharp in exposing your sin. However, God knows best "what medicine and diet is fitted for your disease. . . . and that your disease is so obstinate that gentler means have been too long frustrate, and therefore sharper must be tried: else why were you not converted by gentler dealing until now?" (ibid.). 

All in all, there are 20 total directions given to the natural man. I want to stop at the 7th direction, and will resume the 8th to the 20th in the next articles. So far we have seen that the first three directions dealt with the importance of knowledge particularly knowledge of the two states of man and the reliable source of such knowledge; the 4th direction about the power of the Word and importance of biblical and practical books; 5th direction about reason; 6th direction about diversion, and; the 7th direction about right attitude towards messengers of God.

Source: 

Baxter, R. (1830). The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter: with A Life of the Author, A Critical Examination of His Writings by the Rev. William Orme. Volume 2: A Christian Directory or, a Sum of Practical Theology Part 1 Christian Ethics (or Private Duties). London: Paternoster Row. 616 pages.

The Kind of Natural Man Presupposed

A convinced atheist is not included in the supposed readers of Christian Directory. To make this clear, Richard Baxter made an important qualification in chapter 1 of Christian Ethics. Here we learn that the chapter is not applicable to all natural man. He mentioned 18 presuppositions that describe the kind of natural man he expects that would benefit from his writings. I reduce, simplify and personalize the paragraphs so that readers will easily understand the essence of these presuppositions:

Presupposition # 1 - I suppose that you recognize yourself as a man with "reason and natural free-will" "capable of loving and serving" your Creator (p. 6).

Presupposition # 2 - I assume that you acknowledge that flesh should not rule over you, that you are created for the purpose of loving and serving your Maker. 

Pressupposition # 3 - I presuppose that you "have a natural self-love" (p. 7) for your personal happiness. You neither want to be hated by God nor suffer misery in hell as your eternal destiny. 

Presupposition # 4 - I presume that you deny that you are your own maker, and that the power and wisdom you have came from you, and instead, you acknowledge the existence of God the Creator of all things and that all wisdom and power are his. 

Presupposition # 5 - I suppose that you recognize that the Creator is not only the Owner, but also the Governor of all things. As a Governor, He has his laws that demand duties from you and he executes his judgment on the basis of these laws, and that he promises rewards and threatens punishment.

Presupposition # 6 - I presuppose that as a man, you are convinced that "God must be absolutely submitted to, and obeyed before all others in the world, and loved above all friends, or pleasures, or creatures whatsoever" (p. 8).

Presupposition # 7 - I assume that accepting the kind of God that I have told you so far, you also accept that your highest good can only be found in submission and obedience to your God, and your greatest harm is to stand in opposition to him and his will. 

Presupposition # 8 - (I think this is a repetition of presupposition # 5 expressed differently and with some addition). 

Presupposition # 9 - I presume that since you accepted that your highest good is found in God, therefore you also recognize that a man who devotes his life into his service will never be a loser. 

Presupposition # 10 - I presuppose that you cannot say for "sure that there is not another life for man, in which his present obedience shall be rewarded, and disobedience punished" (p. 10). I assume that you dare not deny the possibility or probability of another life. 

Presupposition # 11 - I suppose that you are aware about "vanity of all the glory and pleasures of the flesh; and that they are all so quickly gone," and you accept that even time itself is so short, "quickly gone, and then it is nothing!" (p. 10). From this consideration, therefore you "easily conclude, that the bare probability or possibility of an endless happiness, should be infinitely preferred before such transitory vanity, even the greatest matters that can be expected here; and that the probability or possibility of endless misery in hell, should engage us with far greater care and diligence to avoid it, . . ." (ibid.). 

Presupposition # 12 - I assume that "You see that a religious, holy life, is every man's duty," not only because God is our Creator, "but also, because as lovers of ourselves, our reason commandeth us to have ten thousandfold more regard of a probable or possible joy and torment which are endless, than of any that is small and of short continuance" (ibid.). And since you think this is the case, "then it is most evident, that there is such a life to come indeed, and that it is more than probable or possible, even certain" (pp. 10-11). Or if you deny the existence of such a life to come, you cannot avoid to conclude that God has deceived mankind with delusion and false hopes. 

Presupposition # 13 - I presuppose that since you accepted the existence of a life to come, you also "confess, that all things in this life, whether prosperity or adversity, honour or dishonour, are to be esteemed and used as they refer to the life to come" and that the things that are good in this life are those that advance "the happiness of our endless life" (p. 11). 

Presupposition # 14 - I presume that you "confess that God cannot be too much loved, nor obeyed too exactly, nor served too diligently . . . and that no man can make too sure of heaven, or pay too dear for it, or do too much for his salvation, . . . . And that you have nothing else that is so much worth your time, and love, and care, and labour" and that "there is no need of stopping men in their love, and care, and labour for God and their salvation; which is worth more than ever we can do, and where the best are apt to do too little" (ibid.). 

Presupposition # 15 - I suppose that you know "that this present life is given us on trial, to prepare for the life that shall come after . . . . and that time cannot be recalled, when it is gone; and therefore that we should make the best of it while we have it" (p. 12). 

Presupposition # 16 - I assume that since you accept "matters of everlasting consequence," your "thoughts of them should be frequent and very serious, and your reason should be used about these things, by retired, sober deliberation" (ibid.). 

Presupposition # 17 - I suppose that you are well-acquainted with yourself and you know "whether your heart and life" "are more for heaven or for earth" and therefore you are capable of judging yourself (ibid.). 

Presupposition # 18 - Finally, I suppose "that you take on you also to believe in Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost the Sanctifier, and that the Scriptures are the Word of God" (ibid.). 

After reading all these 18 presuppositions, it appears that our author assumes too much from his readers. However, he explains that all these assumptions are not for those under the state of grace, but for natural man who at least accept the existence of God and uses his reason. 

Source: 

Baxter, R. (1830). The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter: with A Life of the Author, A Critical Examination of His Writings by the Rev. William Orme. Volume 2: A Christian Directory or, a Sum of Practical Theology Part 1 Christian Ethics (or Private Duties). London: Paternoster Row. 616 pages.

A Ministry Tool for Young Pastors

After surveying the content of Christian Directory, I am convinced that the message of Richard Baxter needs to be heard by Christian pastors today especially those who are preparing for Christian ministry. It is better to know how to do the ministry early than realizing its need after several years of serving in the field. I am saying this after spending seminary training for ministry for more than five years and more or less 20 years in field ministry.

The Christian Directory is divided into four parts: Christian ethics, Christian economics, Christian ecclesiastics, and Christian politics. Christian ethics is also described as private duties, Christian economics as family duties, Christian ecclesiastics as church duties, and Christian politics as duties to our civil leaders and to our society.

Part 1 has 616 pages, part 2 has 512 pages, part 3 has 636 pages, and part 4 has 571 pages. As you can see, the total number of pages is 2, 335. Rewriting these four volumes to suit my goal is not easy. By necessity, my strategy is to simply write small pieces of articles after reading few pages. I cannot wait to finish all the four volumes before I will start to write. I compare this strategy to a man manually harvesting in a ricefield that after holding too much grain, I have to set them aside in one basket or container, and start picking up the grain again. 

In this article, I want to start with Christian ethics.

Christian ethics has four chapters. After a brief inroduction (pp. 1-5), chapter 1 contains assumptions about the natural man whom the directions are aimed at (pp. 6-12), followed by 20 directions (pp. 13-61), and two separate sections about temptations (pp. 62-80 and pp. 81-88). Chapter 2 talks about 20 directions for weak Christians to find strength and grow (pp. 89-169). Chapter 3 explains the 17 general directions how to walk with God. The focus of this chapter is to present the essentials of godliness and Christianity (pp. 170-494). Chapter 4 deals with directions against unbelief (pp. 495-512), against hardness of heart (pp. 513-526), hypocrisy (pp. 527-547), and man-pleasing (pp. 548-616).

Though the book was published in 1830, it was actually "written in 1664 and 1665" (p. v). Not like the typical book we read today, it starts with an advertisement that presents the purpose of Christian Directory, the types of readers in mind, the defects of the book, anticipated objections, and requests to both critics and readers. 

The author's purpose in writing the Christian Directory is to promote practical obedience and holiness of life. We learn this as Baxter describes the scope of his treatise: 

"I do especially desire you to observe, that the resolving of practical cases of conscience, and the reducing of theoretical knowledge into serious Christian practice, and promoting a skillful facility in the faithful exercise of universal obedience, and holiness of heart and life, is the great work of this treatise . . . " (p. vi). 

This purpose is made clear through the identification of three types of readers Richard Baxter had in mind: young pastors, heads of families, and to Christians in general. He aims to provide a ready reference ("promptuary") for young pastors "for practical resolutions and directions"(p. viii) related to ministry, a biblical guide for fathers to read to their families, and a useful directory for private Christians in times of doubts. 

As to the defects of the book, the writer identifies three. The first two are related to his particular situation and the other one pertains to the 3rd and 4th parts of Christian Directory. Baxter wrote the book during the time that he "was forbidden by the law to preach" (p. vii) and had no access to his library. As a result, he just depended on his memory, which ended to a wrong placement of some church cases. The other defect is the lack of footnote citations. 

Concerning the 3rd and 4th parts of The Directory, Baxter acknowledges the limitation of content "about the power and government of God's officers in church and state" (p. viii). He also adds that if anything in his writings show "disloyalty, or disrespect to Authority, Government, Unity, Concord, Peace or Order; or from any opposition to Faith, Piety, Love, or Justice. . ."(ibid.), he renounces it and wants it removed. 

Among the seven anticipated objections, I selected four: 

Objection # 4: "Your ecclesiastical cases are dangerously reconciling, tending to abate men's zeal against error" (p. xiii). 

Objection # 5: "Are all these numerous Directions to be found in Scripture? Shew us them in Scripture, or you trouble the church with your own inventions" (ibid.). 

Objection # 6: "You confound your reader by curiosity of distinctions" (p. xiv). 

Objection # 7: "Is this your reducing our faith to the primitive simplicity, and to the creed ? What a toilsome task do you make religion by overdoing ? Is any man able to remember all these numberless Directions ?" (ibid.).

Objection # 4 is related to "the danger of peace and reconciliation", objection # 5 is about the biblicality of the Directions, objection # 6 is about the danger of unnecessary distinction of terms, and objection # 7 is about complicating the Christian faith. Baxter briefly answered the first three objections. Concerning the last objection, he gave a longer response.

Richard Baxter was against false orthodoxy. He was for church unification. In his mind, the danger during his time was not in peace and reconciliation, but excesive orthodoxy. I think our time is different. It is the exact opposite. The danger today is the wrong kind of ecumenism at the expense of truth.

Our author upholds that believers are first humans before we become Christians. He also believes in the divinity of natural law. He thinks that the Bible is not contrary to reason and other sciences. Instead, they must "all be sanctified and used for divinity" (p. xiii). Plainly, he replied to the fifth objection that the Directions are biblical in the sense "that as all good commentaries, and sermons, and systems of theology, are in Scripture. . ." (ibid.). 

In responding to the sixth objection, Baxter distinguished between unnecessary and necessary distinctions. He acknowledges the existence of necessary distinction for without it, "ambiguity and confusion" breed and feed "pernicious controversies" (p. xiv). But this is different from unnecessary distinction, which he describes as "vain distinction", which actually leads to meaningless fights over words (logomachy) (ibid.). The solution to this vain distinction is not the absence of distinction, but appropriate distinction (orthotomy) or correct handling of the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). 

As to the charge of complexity, Baxter claims that he was in fact zealous to reduce the Christian faith into its primitive simplicity for without it, there will never be peace and harmony. However, it is a different matter to say that we don't need books but the creed and the Bible for books are nothing but human inventions. Baxter perceives that books are simply tools or aids to facilitate the practice of Christian duty. And besides, Baxter wrote the Directions not that people would memorize all of them, but to serve as a handy reference as needs arise. 

Richard Baxter ends the Advertisement with requests both to his critics and his readers. To his critics, his request was that if they found errors in the book, they should tell the author directly with convincing proofs and if in any case Baxter's work was missing something, he encouraged them to do better. To his readers, his advise is to simply ignore any part of the book that is not helpful to Christian obedience and holy living, and focus instead in applying practical truths. The author is convinced that the "PRACTICAL RELIGION" promoted in the book "will afford both to church, state, and conscience, more certain and more solid peace" than false orthodoxy (p. xv). 

Let me conclude this article with two important quotes:

"Nothing is well done by him that beginneth not at home: as the man is, so is his strength, and work" (p. vi). 

". . . it is an age . . . where our greatest and most costly services of God, are charged on us as our greatest sins . . . " (p. xvi).

I consider the first quote very important particularly for men who neglect their personal and domestic duties due to their zeal for church ministry and social change. No amount of success in ministry and public service will compensate for personal and family failures. 

As to the last quote, I consider it strange and should serve as a serious rebuke to our age. If in the time of Richard Baxter, which most 21st century pastors would consider a "golden age" in England, and yet the author could describe his generation in such a lowly state, what will be the appropriate description for our generation, which falls far below than Baxter's time?

Source: 

Baxter, R. (1830). The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter: with A Life of the Author, A Critical Examination of His Writings by the Rev. William Orme. Volume 2: A Christian Directory or, a Sum of Practical Theology Part 1 Christian Ethics (or Private Duties). London: Paternoster Row. 616 pages.