THE

PRACTICAL WORKS

OF THE

REV. RICHARD BAXTER.

VOLUME XVI.

CONTAININ

THE MISCHIEFS OF SELF-IGNORANCE, AND BENEFITS OF SELF-
ACQUAINTANCE; THE TRUE CATHOLIC, AND CATHOLIC
CHURCH DESCRIBED; CATHOLIC UNITY; MAKING
LIGHT OF CHRIST AND SALVATION, TOO OFT

THE ISSUE OF GOSPEL INVITATIONS.

VOL. XVI.

36

40

THE MISCHIEFS OF SELF-IGNORANCE, AND

BENEFITS OF SELF-ACQUAINTANCE.

PAGB

EPISTLE DEDICATORY, &c.

iii

The Text opened

33

Self-knowledge, what; and how many sorts ...

34

How far it is a shame to be ignorant of ourselves

The mischiefs of self-ignorance, 1. It cherisheth atheism.. 37

2. Causeth ignorance of the life to come

3. And of the evil of sin...

ibid.

4. It keepeth the soul from true humiliation

41

5. It maketh Christ undervalued ....

ibid.

6. It makes a holy conversation vilified

42

7. It makes men cheated by the world.

43

8. It causeth pride

44

9. It makes men run into temptations.

45

10. It makes temptations prevalent •

46

11. It makes men quarrel with God's word and ministers ibid.

* 12. It destroyeth charity

47

13. It is the cause of church-divisions..

48

14. It maketh men troublers of the state

15. It causeth errors.

52

16. It makes men unjust

53

17. It makes men unthankful

ibid.

18. It is an enemy to true peace and joy...

ibid.

19. It makes men repine at God's providence,...

54

20. It makes men lose their time, and neglect preparations

for death.

55

Use.

Self-ignorance detected and reproved

55

Discovered by some effects : 1. By men's unhumbleness

2. By the abounding of hypocrisy 61—3. By the love

of flattery, and impatience of plain reproof 63-

4. By men's partiality 65—5. When every man would
be a rule to others 68-6. By the great change that
approaching death,orotherawaking providences make

69—7. By men's quarrelling with others in their

sufferings, and overlooking the great cause in them-

selves 73— The discovery prosecuted

b

51

59

VOL. XVI,

PAGE

Motives.

1. If you know not yourselves, you cannot repent

2. Nor be duly sensible of your misery

ibid.

3. Nor indeed by Christians

80

4. You will not know what to do with yourselves.

86

5. You will not know how to apply the word

88

6. Nor how to confess or pray

90

7. Nor how to give thanks

93

8. Nor how to receive the Lord's-supper

96

9. All your studies will be irrational, preposterous, &c. 97

10. You will be much unuseful to others

101

11. You cannot well proceed to know extrinsic things

103

12. How many things have you to know about yourselves 105

Exhortation

106

Caution against excessive studying of ourselves

108

Who need this caution ..

110

Information : Why the sincere can discourse so fully and

savourily about heart-affairs ...,

116

And why they are so full in prayer, and others so empty .: 117

The excuses of the prayerless answered ..

118

Why the upright are so prone to self-accusing.

123

Motives to the Ungodly.

1. If you know not yourselves, you know not whether you

must dwell in heaven or hell....

124

2. All shall shortly know themselves...

126

3. And be surprised to find themselves in a mistake..... 132

How useful a companion conscience is to converse with.... 130

4. It is Satan's chief design to keep yourself ignorant.. 134

Yet some can go on in known misery

199

A threefold despair.....

141

In what cases the sincere may go on in sin against knowledge 142

But the ordinarily self-knowledge would do much..

143

Information: Why faithful ministers search so deep, and

speak go hardly of unrenewed souls

147

Questions to the unsanctified

158

What Christianity is, and who sincere in the covenant 163

Who certainly are unregenerate