Baxter-Calvinist Economic View

MEHAP-Andrew Fortugno

Handout-Calvinist Economic view-Baxter

Baxter’s major theme in the economic section of his Christian Directory focus on being diligent in your business and avoiding idleness which leads to lust and sin.

1. “Take heed of idleness, and be wholly taken up in diligent business, of your lawful calling, when you are not excised in the more immediate service of god.”

a. “Idleness is the soil, the culture, and the opportunity of Lust and the idle person goeth to the School of the Devil.”

b. “ Leave they body and mind no leisure to think of tempting filthy objects”

c. “Ride early and go to bed late” Baxter expresses none of your time should be eve be wasted

d. The Rich and idle are more lustful and filthy than the poor labouring people

2. “Proportion the time of your sleep aright that you waste not your pretious morning hours sluggishly in your bed.”

a. Sleep only as much as your health demands

b. 6hours for health, 7 for less healthy, 8 for weak aged, pretty strenuous and busy days compared to today

3. “Follow the Labors of your calling and diligently”

a. Don’t be servant to your flesh

b. Keep idle thoughts from your mind

c. Scape the loss of precious time

d. Be in a course obedient to God

e. If you follow your work close when you are it, you will have more time for holy exercises

f. Treat your time as if it were your Gold and Silver, treat people who waste your time as thieves and robbers

4. “Especially be sure that you live not out of a calling, that is, such a stated course of employment, in which you may best be serviceable to god.”

a. Public Service is God’s greatest service

b. Refusing public service to pray and meditate would be to refuse god’s greatest service.

5. “It is lawful and meet to look at the commodity of your Calling in the third place, after the public good and your personal good of soul and bodily health.”

a. Prov. 23. 4. Labor not to be rich

b. Your end must to better provide to do God service.

c. “ You may labor to be Rich For God, though not for the flesh and sin.”