Reformed Pastor - Baxter - III - Chapter 1 concluded

Required reading
Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter (we'll be reading from the 1862 edition available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example) - Conclude Chapter 1 by reading Section 2 (The motives to this oversight).

My summary
Now that Baxter has shown ministers their duties, he shows eight motives to awaken them to this duty. 

You are to heed yourselves because:
(i) you have heaven to win or lose;
(ii) you have a depraved nature and sinful inclinations;
(iii) the tempter will more ply you with his temptations than other men;
(iv) there are many eyes upon you and there will be many to observe your falls;
(v) your sins have more heinous aggravations than other men's;
(vi) such great works as yours require greater grace than other men's;
(vii) the honour of your Lord and Master, and his holy truth and ways, lies more on you than other men;
(viii) the success of all your labours depends upon this.

What grabbed me
Such a good chapter showing the damage that ministers can do if they are not careful.

I found particularly helpful the warning about Satan's desire to bring down ministers: 'O what a conquest will he think he hath got, if he can make a minister lazy and unfaithful, if he can tempt a minister into covetousness or scandal!  He will glory against the Church, and say, "These are your holy preachers!  See what their preciseness is, and whither it brings them."  He will glory against Jesus Christ himself, and say, "These are thy champions!  I can make thy chiefest servants abuse thee; I can make the stewards of thy house unfaithful."  If he did so insult God upon a false surmise, and tell him he could make Job curse him to his face, what will he do if he should prevail against you?  And at last he will insult as much over you, that he could draw you to be false to your great trust, and to blemish your holy profession, and to do so much service to him that was your enemy.  O, do not so far gratify Satan; do not make him so much sport; suffer him not to use you as the Philistines did Samson, first to deprive you of your strength, and then to put out your eyes, and so to make you the matter of his triumph and derision.'

Don't give the devil a foothold!

Next week's reading
Commence Chapter 2 by reading Section 1 (The nature of this oversight).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.