glorycloud's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oh wonderful, astonishing condescension of eternal love! It is now in the snow flow 10:30 AM Tuesday morning. I am down in the lower level writing now on one of our lap top computers. Computers are a blessing. I came down here to quote from a book I have been reading the last couple of days titled, "Baxter's Practical Works" Volume 1 A Christian Directory" by Richard Baxter (1615-1691) ". . .the greatest manual on Biblical counseling ever produced. . ." Dr. Timothy Keller. I got out "A Christian Directory" by the Puritan Richard Baxter the other day because I wanted to read what he had to say on death. Recently two people my wife knows have died of cancer. When someone dies that we are aware of it is good to meditate on death. We are all going to die and it is very important that we all be prepared to die and meet the Lord Jesus Christ. I also got out "The Practical Works of Richard Baxter" Four Volumes because recently I listened to a book review on Proust's massive work "Remembrance Of Things Past" and said this work was over a million words. When I heard that I remembered that Richard Baxter's treatise, "The Saint's Everlasting Rest" (found in Volume 3 of "Baxter's Practical Works") was over three million words. Many years ago I read a large amounts of,"The Saint's Everlasting Rest" by Richard Baxter. Back in 1990 Soli Deo Gloria Publishers reprinted,"The Practical Works of Richard Baxter" 4 Volumes, which I have in our library. I first came across the writings of Richard Baxter many years ago when I was on staff at the Richmond Rescue Mission, Richmond California. I bought a slim paperback volume back then titled "An Alarm to the Unconverted" by Richard Baxter, which is found in Volume 2 of "Baxter's Practical Works". Later on I bought a paperback published by the Banner Truth Trust titled, "The Reformed Pastor" by Richard Baxter, which is found in Volume 4 "Baxter's Practical Works". I have been reading off and on the practical writings of Richard Baxter for many years. A Christian can not go wrong reading, "The Practical Works of Richard Baxter" Four Volumes. I will quote Richard Baxter from his work "A Christian Directory"- "4. It hindereth our comfortable access to God, when we are deterred by the glory of his infiniteness and majesty. As the eye is not able to gaze upon the sun, unless it be overshadowed; so the soul is afraid of the majesty of God, and overwhelmed by it, when it should be delighted in it. Against this there is no such remedy, as to behold God appearing to us in his Son, where his majesty is veiled, and where he approacheth us familiarly in our nature, to invite us to him with holy confidence and reverent boldness. Christ did not appear in a terrible form: women durst discourse with him; beggars, and cripples, and diseased people durst ask his help; sinners durst eat with him: the proud contemned him, but the lowly were not frightened from him. He "took upon him the form of a servant, and made himself of no reputation," that he might converse familiarly with the meanest, and those of no reputation. Though we may not debase the Godhead, to imagine that is is humbled in glory, as it was on earth, in the flesh of Christ; yet this condescension is unspeakable encouragement to the soul to come with boldness unto God, that was frightened from him." Richard Baxter pg. 66 Christian Ethics 11:21 a.m. - 2016-01-19 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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