Richard Baxter encourages believers to help as many people as they can through their work

O  CHRISTIANS! Go on in doing good to all men with cheerfulness, for it all tendeth to make up the body of Christ, and to prepare for that glorious state and day; every soul you convert, every brick that you lay in the building, tendeth to make up the house and city of God.

But as all motion and action is first upon the nearest object, so must ours; and doing good must be in order: first we must begin at home and with our own souls and lives; and then to our nearest relations, and friends, and acquaintance, and neighbours; and then to our societies, church, and kingdom, and all the world. But mark that the order of execution, and the order of estimate and intention, differ. Though God set up lights so small as will serve but for one room, and though we must begin at home, we must far more esteem and desire the good of multitudes, of city, and church, and commonwealth; and must set no bounds to our endeavours, but what God and disability set. 

(Richard Baxter, How to Do Good to Many, 1682)

By Richard Baxter

[Christian History originally published this article in Christian History Issue #89 in 2006]

Richard Baxter was a 17th-century pastor and author.
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