A saint or a brute the certain necessity and excellency of holiness, &c. ... / by Richard Baxter.

DOct. 1. One thing is Needful: It is one thing only that is abso∣lutely Necessary; but many things that men busie them∣selves about, that neglect this one.

In handling this, I must shew you, 1. In what respect it is that this Needful thing is said to be but One.

2. How it is that the troublesom matters of the world, are called many.

3. Whereto and how far this one thing is necessary.

4. Whether the rest are indeed unnecessary.

5. I shall assist you in the application of it to your selves, that it may reach the end to which I do intend it.

I. In what respect is the Needful thing but One?

Which will be the easier understood, when you know what the One thing Needful is: And it is, most directly, that which is our End, To be saved, and to Please the Lord, or to Glorifie God and enjoy him in Glory for ever: Which comprehendeth or implyeth the necessary means.

And this blessed state is One, considered 1. Objectively: It is One God that we have to please, and to behold, and love, and praise for ever. 2. It is One formally: that is, It is only the souls fruition of this One God that is our End and Blessedness. And thus the End being principally meant, it is said that One thing is neces∣sary;

though the Means may be more then One that are necessary to obtain it.

And yet even with respect unto the means, it may be said that One thing is necessary, by a General Comprehensive speech, as One containeth many parts: As to cure a sickness may be said to be the One thing needful to preserve a mans life; when yet that cure must be done by many acts and means: The means are but One thing as denominated from their End; even our everlasting hap∣piness. And they are but One as denominated from their Origi∣nal, they being all but the Will of God revealed in his Word for mans direction to salvation. And they are all One in the principal stock that proceedeth from this Original or root: and that is, the Lord Jesus Christ himself, who is therefore eminently called the way; because there is no other way or means, but what standeth in a due subordination to the Redeemer as the chief means, as well as to the pure God-head as the End.

Also as all the means of Gods appointment, have a union of Nature or similitude with the End: And as Gods Image is One in all his children, so is it, in their kind and measure, in all his Ordi∣nances and Means: They also in their kind and place are par∣takers of the Divine nature: The name of God is as it were written upon them, and his blessed nature legible in them.

Also the means are all but One, as all are parts of One holy frame, which most harmoniously concurr to the doing of one work: As all the wheels and other parts are but One Coach which carryeth us to our journeys end. As Christ and his Church are one Body, 1 Cor. 12. 12. So Christ and all subordinate means for the recovery and salvation of his own, are one Kingdom of God, and one way to the Father, and one salvation: I shall fullyer open it under the next head.

And now for the Negative, you may discern by what is said, 1. That here is no such unity as even in the end must confound God and man, or his glory and our salvation.

2. Nor is here any such Unity as doth confound the End and Means: no not the God-head with the man-hood of the Redeemer, much less with the inferiour kind of beings.

3. Nor is there any such Unity as doth confound all the means among themselves, and make all one; or exclude the rest by ex∣alting one; but rather each one doth suppose the rest, to consti∣tute the perfect frame. Christ doth not exclude Faith; nor Faith

••xclude Repentance; nor Faith and Repentance exclude Obedi∣••nce; nor doth the office of one of these exclude the use and ••ffice of the rest. Publike duties exclude not private; nor do ••rivate exclude publike: One part excludeth not another: ••eading excludeth not preaching, nor both of them praying; ••ut their nature and use bespeaketh a conjunction; The whole ••ody is not an eye or hand; nor doth the Unity exclude but in∣••lude even the smallest members.

4. Nor is there such a Unity as excludeth difference of Degrees: ••or one means may be more necessary and excellent then another: ••nd the same person by growing doth differ from himself as he ••as before: and one will hereafter excell another in Glory, ••s now they do in holiness and faithful improvement of their ••alents.