Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

Dircll.3· Dirtrl. 5· DiteQ.Il. Virt/:1·7· [ajes abaut Sla1Jes. l.he wrong be no greater than the o:her did him, yet being now done hy you, it is your hn. Q!1efl. But ffl4J I not return Mm to him that I bought him ofl A~[tV. No : fo~ that is but injuring him by d.eli~ering him to~nether to continue the injury. To fay as FtloJtt, [ l am Innocent of the blood of thts )Ufi man J wtll be no proof of your innocency rea Gods Law bindcth you to Love and works of Love, and therefore you fhould do your bell ~~ tree h_im: He dut is bound to help to favt ·a man,. that is fain into the h_:tnd of thieves by the high way, tf he thouid buy that man as a fl.tve of the thtcvcs, may not after gJVe him up to the thieve!; agcin. But to proceed in the D :redions. , Dir~:d-. 3· S(~ ferve Y?ur~ own ncctffities by your fiaves as to prefer Gods intcrefi, and their fpiri~ tual anJ t:vc::tla!hng happmels. Teach t~em the way to Heaven, and do all for their fouls which 1 have before direChd you to do for all your other fervams. Though you may mitke fame difference in !heir Lah ·Hr and dyrt and cltJIIIbing, yet none a5 to the funhering of their falvation. If they be Infidels. u{c them fu as tendcrh to win them to Chritl, and the love of Religiou, by !hewing them that Chrifiians are lefs worldly, lefi cruel and paffionate, and more wife and charitable and holy and meek, than any other perfons arc. \Vo to them that by their cruelty and covetoufnefs do fcandal:ze even fllves, and hinder their convcrfion and falvation. D.r<C!. 4· By how much rhe hardnefs of rheir condirion dorh make rheir livesuncomforrab!e, and God harh call rhem low" rhan your fdYes, by fo much rhe more let your chariry piry rhem, and la· hour to abate their burden, and fweeten their lives to them, as much as your condition will allow. And rtmember that even a lhve may be one of thofe Neighbours that you are bound to love as your [elv<S, and 10 do 10 as you would be done by if your cafe were his. Which if you do, you will need .no more diredion for his relit f. Dirt et. 5· Remember that you m1y require no more of an innocent thve, than you would or might do of an o1dtnary fervant, if he were at your will, and did not by contralt t>:ctpt fomethingas to La– . hour or ufage, which dfe you would think juft and meet to have required of him. · Diretl'. 6. If they are lnti.dels, neither be too hafiy in baptiling chem, when they ddire it, nor too flow. Not fo hatly as to put them on it, befOre they underfiand what the B1ptifmal C(:Venant is ; or before you fee any likelyhood rhat rhey fhould be ferious in making fuch a Covenanr. Nor yet fo flow as to let them alone to linger put their lives in the Hate of thofe wirhc;mt the Church. But haHen rhem to Learn, and fiir up their defires, and look after them as the ancient Churches did after their Car<chumens: And when you fee rhem fit by ~"o,.,/tdgt, btlie(, dejire and refolution, 10 Vowrhem– fdv<~ 10 God on rhe rerms of the holy Covenanr, then pur them on robe baprized. Bur if you fhould feel an abJtc:ment of you~ defires of their Converfion, becaufe you Challlofe their fervke, ( much more if ever you had a with rhar rhey might nor be converted, which is plain Dtvilifm,) !er it be rhe mat· tcr of your deep humiliation, and repentance. Direct. 7· Make it your chief end in buying and uGng llaves, to win them to Chrifl and fave their fouls. Do not only endeavour iron the buy, when you have firfi confulted your own commo– dity; but make this more of your end than your commodily it felf; and let their falvation be far more valued by you rhan rheir f<rvicc : And carry your fclves to rhem, as thofe rhat are fenGb!e that rh<y are Redeemed wirh rhem by Chriil from the llavery of Satan, and may live wirh them in the !ibwy oft!tc Sain!S in Glory. CHAP• .

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