This is contents of the book written by Richard Baxter.
The Character of a sound, confirmed Christian. (by Richard Baxter)
1. He liveth by such a faith of unseen things that governeth his soul instead
of sight – 20
2. He hath cogent reasons for his religion …… 22
3. He seeth the well-ordered frame of sacred verities, and the integral parts
in their harmony or concert; and settest not up one truth against another 24
4. He adhereth to them, and practiseth them, from an inward con-natural
principle, called ” the Divine nature,” and ” the Spirit of Christ” . 25
5. He serveth not God for fear only, but for love 26
6. He loveth God, 1. Much for his goodnes to himself. 2. And more for his goodness to the church. 3. And most of all for his essential goodness and perfection ………… 28
7. He taketh this love and its expressions, for the heart and height of all his
religion ………… 80
8. He hath absolutely put his soul, and all his hopes into the hand of Christ, and liveth by faith upon him as his Savior 31
9. He taketh Christ as the Teacher sent from God, and his doctrine for the
truest wisdom, and learneth of none but in subordination to him . . 82
10. His repentance is universal and effectual, and hath gone to the root of
every sin ………… 84
11. He loveth the light, as it sheweth him his sin and duty, and is willing to
know the worst of sin, and the most of duty . . . . . . . 86
12. He desireth the highest degree of holiness, and hath no sin which he had
not rather leave than keep, and had rather be the best, though in poverty,
than the greatest in prosperity …….. 88
13. He liveth upon God and heaven as the end, reward, and motive of his life 39
14. He counteth no cost or pains too great for the obtaining it, and hath nothing
so dear which he cannot part with for it 40
15. He is daily exercised in the practice of self-denial, as (next to the love of
God) the second half of his religion 48
16. He hath mortified his fleshly desires, and so far mastereth his senses and ap
petite, that they make not his obedience very uneasy or uneven 46
17. He preferreth the means of his holiness and happiness, incomparably before
all provisions and pleasures of the flesh 48
18. He is crucified to the world, and the world to him by the cross of Christ, and
condemneth it through the belief of the greater things of the life to come 49
19. He forseeth the end in all his ways, and judgeth of all things as they will
appear at last 51
20. He liveth upon God alone, and is content with his favor and approbation,
without the approbation and favor of men 54
81. He hath absolutely devoted himself, and all that he hath to God, to be used
according to his will 55
22. He hath a readiness to obey, and a quick and pleasant compliance of his will
to the will of God -57
23. He delighteth himself more in God, and heaven, and Christ, and holiness,
than in all the world: religion is not tedious and grievous to him . 58
24. He is conscious of his own sincerity, and assured of his justification, and title
to everlasting joys ……….. 63
25. This assurance doth not make him more careless and remiss, but increaseth
his love.and holy diligence 64
26. Yet he abhorreth pride as the firstborn of the devil, and is very low and
vile in his own eyes, and can easily endure to be low and vile in the eyes,
of others 67,
27. Being acquainted with the deceitfulness of the heart, and the methods of
temptation, he liveth as among snares, and enemies, and dangers, in a constant watch; and can conquer many and subtle, and great temptations(through grace) 67
28. He hath counted what it may cost him to be saved, and hath resolved not to
stick at suffering, but to bear the cross and be conformed to his crucified
Lord, and hath already in heart forsaken all for him 68
29. He is not a Christian only for company or carnal ends, or upon trust of other
men’s opinions, and therefore would be true to Christ, if his rulers, his teachers, his company, and all that he knoweth should forsake him. . . .71
30. He can digest the hardest truths of Scripture, and the hardest passages of
God’s providence 72
31. He can exercise all his graces in harmony, without neglecting one to use another, or setting one against another 73
32. He is more in getting and using grace, than in inquiring whether we have
it, (though he do that also in its place) …… 74
33. He studieth duty more than events, and is more careful what he should be
towards God, than how he shall hero be used by him . . . .75
34. He Is more regardful of his duty to others, than of theirs to him, and had
much rather suffer wrong than do it ……. 75
35 He keepeth up a constant government of his thoughts, restraining them
from evil, and using them upon God, and for him . …. 78
36. He keepeth a constant government over his passions, so far as that they per
vert not his judgment, his heart his tongue or actions . .78
37. He governeth his tongue, employing it for God, and restraining it from evil 79
38. Heart-work and heaven-work arc the principal matters of his religious discourse, and not barren controversies or impertinences … 81
39. He liveth upon the common great substantiate of religion, and yet will not
deny the smallest truth, or commit the smallest sin, for any price that man
can offer him 84
40. He is a high esteemer, and careful redeemer of time, and abhorreth idleness and diversions which would rob him of it 85
41. His heart is set upon doing all the good in the world that he is able: it is his daily business and delight 81
42. He truly loveth his neighbor as himself 88*
43. He hath a special love to all godly Christians as such, and such as will not
stick at cost in its due expressions ; nor be turned into bitterness by tolerable differences .89
44. He forgiveth injuries, and loveth his enemies, and doth them ill the good he
can: from the sense of the love of Christ to him * . . 91
45. He doth as he would be done by ; and is as precise in the justice of his dealings with men, as in acts of piety to God 92
46. He is faithful and laborious in his outward trade or calling, not out of covetousness, but obedience to God 94
47. He is very conscionable in the duties of his several relations, in his family
or other society, as a superior, inferior, or equal 95
4S. He is the best subject, whether his rulers be good or bad, though infidel and
ungodly rulers may mistake, and use him as the worst ‘ ‘. . . 96
49. His trust in God doth overcome the fear of man, and settle him in a constant fortitude for God 101
50. Judgment and zeal conjunct are his constitution; his judgment kindleth
zeal, and his zeal is still judicious 103
51. He can bear the infirmities of the weak, and their censures and abuses of
himself; and requiteth them not with uncharitable censure or reproach . 106
62. He is a high esteemer of the unity of Christians, and abhorreth the principles, spirit, and practices of division 107
53. He seeketh tho church’s unity and concord, not upon partial, unrighteous,
or impossible, but upon the possible, righteous terms here mentioned .114
54. He is of a mellow, peaceable spirit; not masterly, domineering, hurtful, unquiet, or contentious 120
55. He most highly regardeth the interest of God, and men’s salvation in the
world; and regardeth no secular interest of his own, or any man’s, but in subserviency thereto 124
56. He is usually hated for his holiness by the wicked, and censured for his
charity and peaceableness by the factious and the weak; and is moved by
neither from the way of truth ………. 128
57. Though he abhor ungodly, soul-destroying ministers, yet he reverenceth the office as necessary to the church and world; and highly valueth the the holy, faithful laborers 129
58. He hath great experience of the providence, truth, and justice of God, to fortify him against temptations to unbelief …… 130
59. Though he greatly desireth lively affections and gifts, yet ho much more
valueth the three essential parts of holiness, 1. A high estimation in the understanding of God, Christ, holiness, and heaven, above all that be set in
any competition. 2. A resolved choice and adhesion of the will, to these
above and against all competitors. 3. The seeking them first, in the endeavors of the life. And by these he judgeth of the sincerity of his heart. 131
60. He is all his life seriously preparing for his death, as if it were at hand;
and Is ready to receive the sentence with joy; but especially he longeth for
the blessed day of Christ’s appearing, as the answer of all his desires and hopes
I just wondered how much you can get about the perfection of the saints from the contents of the book. That raised my eyebrows. I understand that that is a perfect standard, but isn’t that our present goal? Isn’t being like Christ, more holy, more righteous the number one priority for every Christian? To all these I would add – the strong and confirmed Christian is the one who truly understands how sinful he is.