LITMIR.BIZ

      Preface by the Editor.

      Of this work as published by the Author, the following was the title: ‘Gildas Salvianus: The Reformed Pastor, showing the nature of the Pastoral work; especially in Private Instruction and Catechizing; with an open CONFESSION of our too open SINS: Prepared for a Day of Humiliation kept at Worcester, December 4, 1655, by the Ministers of that County, who subscribed the Agreement for Catechizing and Personal Instruction at their entrance upon that work, By their unworthy fellow Servant, Richard Baxter, Teacher of the Church at Kederminster.’

      Of the excellence of this work, it is scarcely possible to speak in too high terms. It is not a directory relative to the various parts of the ministerial office, and in this respect it may, by some, be considered as defective; but, for powerful, pathetic, pungent, heart-piercing address, we know of no work on the pastoral office to be compared with it. Could we suppose it to be read by an angel, or by some other being possessed of an unfallen nature, the reasonings and expostulations of our author would be felt to be altogether irresistible; and hard must be the heart of that minister, who can read it without being moved, melted, and overwhelmed, under a sense of his own shortcomings; hard must be his heart, if he be not mused to greater faithfulness, diligence, and activity in winning souls to Christ. It is a work worthy of being printed in letters of gold: it deserves, at least, to be engraven on the heart of every minister.

      But, with all its excellencies, the ‘REFORMED PASTOR,’ as originally published by our author, labors under considerable defects, especially as regards its usefulness in the present day. With respect to his works in general, he makes the following candid, yet just acknowledgment:—“Concerning almost all my writings, I must confess that my own judgment is, that fewer, well studied and polished, had been better; but the reader, who can safely censure the books, is not fit to censure the author, unless he had been upon the place, and acquainted with all the occasions and circumstances. Indeed, for the Saints’ Rest, I had four months’ vacancy to write it (but in the midst of continual languishing and medicine); but, for the rest, I wrote them in the crowd of all my other employments, which would allow me no great leisure for polishing and exactness, or any ornament; so that I scarce ever wrote one sheet twice over, nor stayed to make any blots or interlinings, but was glad to let it go as it was first conceived. And when my own desire was, rather to stay long upon one thing, than run over many, some sudden occasions or other extorted almost all my writings from me; and the apprehension of present usefulness or necessity prevailed against all other motives.”{1}

      The Reformed Pastor appears to have been written under the unfavourable circumstances here alluded to—amidst disease and languishment—and to have been hurried to the press, without that revision and correction which were of so much importance to its permanent usefulness. The arrangement is far from logical: the same topics, and even the same heads of discourse are repeated in different parts of the work. It

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