The Reformed Pastor - Tapa blanda

The Reformed Pastor is a faithful exposition of Acts 20:28, calling pastors to a ministry that extends the public preaching into patient, private instruction of the entire flock, until all have learned the basic truths of Scripture and had the applications of this truth pressed upon their lives. The greatest helpfulness of the book lies in Baxter's earnestness and urgency in exposing the glory and necessity of the work, and the wickedness that lies behind all of our excuses for not doing it. Once one starts reading The Reformed Pastor, it becomes clear why it is such a classic. The exhortations regarding humility, double-mindedness, discipline, purity and various other fruits of the spirit are as pertinent and necessary today as they were in Baxter's day. The problems that Baxter encountered sound eerily familiar: corrupt clergy abandoning their divine duty out of fear of men, the misunderstanding of the clergy regarding exactly what a minister does with his day, the lack of interest in many congregants regarding deep and doctrinal teaching, etc. The problems and temptations are neither new nor novel; what Baxter found to be the case in the church of the 17th century seems to still be the case in the church of the 21st century. Satan doesn't have a whole lot of new tricks up his sleeve, but the ones he has seem to be conditioned by experience to work quite well. Beyond timeless wisdom, Baxter has a way of articulating thoughts in profound and pithy ways. In talking about the need for simplicity in preaching, Baxter states "truth loves the light, and is more beautiful when most naked". Baxter’s call to humility is a necessary one, and the admonition to examine oneself is an unfamiliar one that all need reminding of. Baxter is like cough syrup for the soul; it's a hard swallow that heals what ails you.