“We must study as hard how to live well as how to preach well.”
Source: The practical works of ... Richard Baxter, with a life of the author and a critical examination of his writings by W. Orme
“Life is short, and we are dull, and eternal things are necessary, and the souls that depend on our teaching are precious.”
Source: The practical works of ... Richard Baxter, with a life of the author and a critical examination of his writings by W. Orme
“Lord, I surrender. I am completely overcome by your love.”
“In a divine commonwealth holiness must have the principal honor and encouragement, and a great difference be made between the precious and the vile.”
Source: Richard Baxter & Puritan Politics
“Make careful choice of the books which you read:
let the holy Scriptures ever have the preeminence.”
Source: The practical works of Richard Baxter: with a life of the author and a critical examination of his writings by William Orme
“Take heed to yourselves, lest you perish while you call upon others to take heed of perishing, and lest you famish yourselves while you prepare their food.”
Source: The Reformed Pastor, Showing the Nature of the Pastoral Work ... Reprinted from the Edition of 1656, with an Appendix Afterwards Added
“A foolish physician he is, and a most unfaithful friend, that will let a sick man die for fear of troubling him; and cruel wretches are we to our friends, that will rather suffer them to go quietly to hell, then we will anger them, or hazard our reputation with them.”
Source: The Saints' Everlasting Rest
“We shall then have joy without sorrow, and rest without weariness...Be of good cheer, Christian, the time is near, when God and thou shalt be near, and as near as thou canst well desire. Thou shalt dwell in his family.”
“It is true, that men may have Christ whenever they are willing to comply with His terms. But if you are not willing now, how can you think you shall be willing hereafter?”
“Till men are deeply humbled, they can part with Christ and Salvation for a lust, for a little wordly gain, for that which is less than nothing. But when God hath enlightened their consciences, and broken their hearts, then they would give a world for Christ.”
“'Tis hard preaching a stone into tears, or making a rock to tremble.”
Source: The Practical Works of the Late Reverend and Pious Mr. Richard Baxter: In Four Volumes ; with a Preface, Giving Some Account of the Author and of this Edition of His Practical Works
“The devils never had a Savior offered to them, but you have; and do you yet make light of Him?”
“The heart is naturally hard, and grows harder by custom in sin, especially by long abuse of mercy, neglect of the means of grace, and resisteing the spirit of grace.”
“What we most value, we shall think no pains too great to gain.”
“See that your chief study be about heart, that there God's image may be planted, and his interest advanced, and the interest of the world and flesh subdued, and the love of every sin cast out, and the love of holiness succeed; and that you content not yourselves with seeming to do good in outward acts, when you are bad yourselves, and strangers to the great internal duties. The first and great work of a Christian is about his heart.”
Source: The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter: With a Life of the Author, and a Critical Examination of His Writings
“Never does sin so reign in the Church or State, as when it has gained reputation,or, at least, is no disgrace to the sinner,nor is a matter od offence to we who behold it.”
“Is it but right that our hearts should be on God, when the heart of God is so much on us.”
Source: The Saints' Everlasting Rest: And, A Call to the Unconverted
“Is it not enough that all the world is against us, but we must also be against one another? O happy days of persecution, which drove us together in love, whom the sunshine of liberty and prosperity crumbles into dust by our contentions!”
Source: The saints' everlasting rest; The divine life; and Dying thoughts; also, A call to the unconverted; and Now or never. Carefully revised
“In my library I have profitably and pleasantly dwelt among the shining lights, with which the learned, wise, and holy men of all ages have illuminated the world.”
Source: The Dying Thoughts: Of the Reverend Learned and Holy Mr. Richard Baxter; ... Abridged by Benjamin Fawcett
“I preached as never sure to preach again, And as a dying man to dying men.”
Source: Making Light of Christ and Salvation: Too Oft the Issue of Gospel Invitations: A Call to the Unconverted to Turn and Live: The Last Work of a Believer ... of the Shedding Abroad of God's Love ...
“Surely love is both work and wages.”
Source: The Saints' Everlasting Rest
“To live among such excellent helps as our libraries afford, to have so many silent wise companions whenever we please.”
Source: The Reformed Pastor, Showing the Nature of the Pastoral Work ... Reprinted from the Edition of 1656, with an Appendix Afterwards Added
“Study hard, for the well is deep, and our brains are shallow.”
Source: The Reformed Pastor
“O what a blessed day that will be when I shall . . . stand on the shore and look back on the raging seas I have safely passed; when I shall review my pains and sorrows, my fears and tears, and possess the glory which was the end of all!”
Source: The Saint's Everlasting Rest: Or, A Treatise of the Blessed State of the Saints in Their Enjoyment of God in Heaven
“A man pleaser cannot be true to God, because he is a servant to the enemies of his service; the wind of a man's mouth will drive him about as the chaff, from any duty, and to any sin.”
Source: A Christian Directory, Or, A Body of Practical Divinity and Cases of Conscience: Christian ethics, (or private duties)
“Prayer is the breath of the new creature.”
Source: The Practical Works of Richard Baxter; with a Preface, Giving Some Account of the Author, and of this Edition of His Practical Works; an Essay on His Genius, Works, and Times ...
“Prayer must carry on our work as much as preaching; he preacheth not heartily to his people that will not pray for them.”
Source: The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, with a Life of the Author, and a Critical Examination of His Writings
“Hell is paved with infants skulls.”
“Dangers breed fears, and fears more dangers bring.”
“Unity in things Necessary, Liberty in things Unnecessary, and Charity in all.”
Source: The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, with a Life of the Author, and a Critical Examination of His Writings
“Sit not down without assurance. Get alone, and bring thy heart to the bar of trial; force it to answer the interrogatories put to it; set the qualifications of the saints on one side, and the qualifications of thy soul on the other side, and then judge what resemblance there is between them.”
“If a man that is desperately sick today, did believe he should arise sound the next morning; or a man today, in despicable poverty, had assurance that he should tomorrow arise a prince: would they be afraid to go to bed....?”
“Death is half disarmed when the pleasures and interests of the flesh are first denied.”
Source: A Treatise of Selfdenyall
“In our first paradise in Eden there was a way to go out but no way to go in again. But as for the heavenly paradise, there is a way to go in, but not way to go out.”
“I tell you again, God hath not ordinarily decreed the end without the means; and if you will neglect the means of salvation, it is a certain mark that God hath not decreed you to salvation. But you shall find that He hath left you no excuse, because He hath not thus predestined you.”
Source: The practical works of ... Richard Baxter, with a life of the author and a critical examination of his writings by W. Orme
“My Lord, I have nothing to do in this World, but to seek and serve thee; I have nothing to do with a Heart and its affections, but to breathe after thee. I have nothing to do with my Tongue and Pen, but to speak to thee, and for thee, and to publish thy Glory and thy Will. What have I to do with all my Reputation, and Interest in my Friends, but to increase thy Church, and propagate thy holy Truth and Service? What have I to do with my remaining Time, even these last and languishing hours, but to look up unto thee, and wait for thy Grace, and thy Salvation?”
Source: The saints' everlasting rest; The divine life; and Dying thoughts; also, A call to the unconverted; and Now or never. Carefully revised
“It is past all question, and agreed on by all sides, that no religion will save a man who is not serious, sincere, and diligent in it. If thou be of the truest religion in the world, and are not true thyself to that religion, the religion is good, but it is none of thine.”
Source: The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter: With a Life of the Author, and a Critical Examination of His Writings
“That which once was, will be no more. Yesterday will never come again. To-day is passing, and will not return. You may work while it is day; but when you have lost that day, it will not return for you to work in. While your candle burns, you may make use of its light, but when it is done, it is too late to use it.”
Source: Now or never: the holy, serious, diligent believer justified, excited & directed ...
“We are ignorant of things necessary, because we learn things superfluous and unnecessary”
Source: The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter: With a Life of the Author, and a Critical Examination of His Writings
“We must feel toward our people as a father toward his children; yea, the most tender love of a mother must not surpass ours. We must even travail in birth, till Christ be formed in them. They should see that we care for no outward thing, neither liberty, nor honor, nor life, in comparison to their salvation... When the people see that you truly love them, they will hear anything from you...Oh therefore, see that you feel a tender love for your people in your hearts, and let them perceive it in your speech and conduct. Let them see that you spend and are spent for their sakes.”
“Tomorrow is always the sluggard's working day; today is his holiday”
“I like to hear a man dwell much on the same essentials of Christianity. For we have but one God, and one Christ, and one faith to preach; and I will not preach another Gospel to please men with variety, as if our Saviour and our Gospel had grown stale.”
Source: The practical works of Richard Baxter: with a life of the author and a critical examination of his writings by William Orme
“Be careful how you spend your time: Spend your time in nothing which you know must be repented of.”
“Keep up your conjugal love in a constant heat and vigor. Love will suppress wrath: you cannot have a bitter mind upon small provocations, against those that you dearly love.”
“If life be long, I will be glad, Tthat I may long obey; If short, yet why should I be sad, To soar to endless day?”
“Such is the depth of the Christian Scriptures, that even if I were attempting to study them and nothing else from early boyhood to decrepit old age, with the utmost leisure, the most unwearied zeal, and talents greater than I have, I would be still daily making progress in discovering their treasures.”
“Keep company with the more cheerful sort of the Godly; there is no mirth like the mirth of believers.”
Source: The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, with a Life of the Author, and a Critical Examination of His Writings
“Lay siege to your sins, and starve them out by keeping away the food and fuel which is their maintenance and life.”
Source: The practical works of Richard Baxter: with a life of the author and a critical examination of his writings by William Orme
“While doubt cannot be expelled, it can be subdued.”
“I remember myself, that when I was young, I had sometime the company of one ancient godly minister, who was of weaker parts than many others, but yet did profit me more than most; because he would never in prayer or conference speak of God, or the life to come, but with such marvelous seriousness and reverence, as if he had seen the majesty and glory which he talked of.”
Source: The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, with a Life of the Author, and a Critical Examination of His Writings
