over the visible Profession of the Truth in the Churches of Britain and Ireland there is no cause to be staggered in the Faith of Romes fatal Period being near but to look hereon according to the Scripture as the last attempt of that wounded Adversary which will be found in the issue to have the most immediate Connexion with his greatest downfal and the Reviving Glory of the Church for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her SECTION IV. Qu. VVHat is specially called for in this day of such as are accountable for so great a Talent of Light and Confirmations to our Faith Ans If this were suitably taken to Heart we could not but reckon our selves under the greatest excitement and call to such an improvement hereof I. That we account it not enough to have a Faith for quieting our own Spirits but also to confirm others by putting to our Seal that God is true in the great Assurances of his Word and to Sanctifie him before the World which is so important a Duty as the Lord was wroth even with a Moses and Aaron for one short-coming when he called for the same Numb 20.12 and it 's sure in no time was such a special trust more reposed thereon than in this Age both as a publick Debt on the Church and Personal on each Christian how to witness for the Lord upon that great Interest of his Faithfulness and for Transmitting the same to the Ages to come by a Confirmatory Seal and Testimony thereto II. To reckon our selves also under some more than ordinary call this day each in their present Capacity and Station to appear for the Credit of the Truth and stemm so visible and impetuous a Tide as is now running of distrust and of a discreditable faintness for it may be said never was the Church under the New Testament so remarkably held under such a Trial as that wherein the Lord did prove the Church of Israel Numb 14. Or had a more evident resemblance thereto in the same Circumstances as in this day if they were seriously pondered As I. How in the same manner such a false and evil report is too visibly raised upon the blest ways of the Lord to discourage and faint the Spirits of his People as was then by the Spyes that there were insuperable difficulties in the way of the Promise by Reason of the Anakims and of their walled Cities and did thus oppose the Credit of Sense to all these Assurances which God had given to their Faith II. That this highly dishonourable Cowardice and Distrust did so seize on that People as was like to resolve in a visible revolt and to cry for a Leader to go back to Egypt again which amongst too many in this time may be justly feared III. That this was after such extraordinary Confirmations which the Lord had given to the Faith of his Church then who had by his own immediate and out-stretched hand so lately brought them out of the House of Bondage and from the Iron Furnace in Egypt as rendred their misbelief to be a guilt under such Aggravations as the Holy God did in that manner plead Vers 22. These ten times have they tempted me who have seen my Glory and my Miracles which I did in the Wilderness c. IV. But herein we hope and are Confidently sure of a blessed Disparity in this resemblance as to the numerousness of such who shall be found of the Reformed Churches to Act something of that part which these Heroick Witnesses Caleb and Joshua did and were then put to stand alone therein who through Grace shall yet appear with some measure of that Spirit and withstand so high a Tide of fears discouragement and unbelief as is at this day and thus to plead against the same as these did Num. 14.9 If the Lord delight in us then let us not rebel against him neither fear the greatest difficulties that can be in the way c. V. And is not the same Precedent of Providence of so singular a respect as the Lord did then testifie to his Caleb and Joshua who were of another Spirit in following him fully in that day a continued Assurance for all who shall be helped to any honourable appearance of this kind by making them see and inherit the Truth of his Promise yea that such a residue as out-lives this great and amazing storm shall have something of that Testimony to bear also which Caleb gave Josh 14.8 10. My Brethren which went up with me made the Heart of the People faint but I fully followed the Lord my God and now behold the Lord hath kept me alive c. O blessed they whose Souls are raised with that Holy Zeal for the Truth to stand up in this great breach by a resolute Profession of their Faith and Witness to the Faithfulness of God as such great and extraordinary Confirmations given thereto now call for III. It is one of the special Duties of this day we stand also accountable for how to stemm this high and growing Tide of Prejudice and Reproach against the Reformed Religion which in some unusual way is now aloft and raging and by Manifestation of the Truth to gain some more awful regard hereof on mens Conscience that they may see something of the Glory of our Profession and in what manner it maintains its Conquest as no way else can possibly claim I. Which reckons none to be the true and genuine Professours hereof who imbrace not the same upon Evidence and with respect to its Intrinsick Excellency and worth nor does Judge the Interest of Religion to go by number and poll where this is wanting but pursues that end to have men ingaged first to be Christians that they may be true and sincere Protestants and therefore can admit no such Methods of any base Compliance with the Humour and Interests of Men which its Principles will not bear II. Which in its course is ever regular and Certain according to the Rule of an Unchangeable and Eternal Truth without dependence on the will of man herein or any mutable Revolutions of the Time III. Which doth with the greatest lustre shine forth in the Brightest Light and is maintained by the clearest Knowledge yea by the furthest plainness and openness of Heart towards all commends it self so that the World may see it espouseth not mens Affection before it gains on their Conscience and it hath their Judgement fixed on a judicious Tryal before their Resolution nor accounts the Truth of Religion can ever subsist by an external shew and Profession without its known Evidence and the Efficacy thereof on mens Souls IV. Which sincerely follows the Catholick Interest of Christianity and publick good of Mankind in promoting the great Ends of the Gospel so as the World may see its highest Intent is to exalt all Divine Institutions and advance the Simplicity and Spirituality of Gospel Administrations according to the revealed Rule amongst Men as that which doth most nearly
the Gospel with so clear and strong a conveyance thereof is yet so little operative on most the same might be said also of the whole letter of the Scripture but tho this tends not in the least to resolve our Religion into any meer exercise of reason and leaves the whole work of the Spirit in its energy and operation therewith on mens souls intire yet doth it fully evince such a sufficiency of evidence with the Christian faith as makes any doubtfulness herein simply impossible through want of the greatest advantage of means yea such as are of another kind than to induce only a probable perswasion of the same VI. Because it is one of the saddest Symptoms of the present State of Religion that so few almost in whole Congregations can give any clear Assent to the Truth and Certainty thereof but to Amazement both live and die Strangers to the same yea how many of these who are otherwise Serious in Religion yet have their Faith starved this way and are destitute of any such support but as it is not the numerousness of Professours but the Strength and solidity of their Faith wherein the Churches Strength most lies and hath more flourished in a few such to beget a greater Awe and Veneration of Religion amongst Men than at other times in the greatest Multitude so is it the Glory of Divine Truth that it can subsist by its own proper Evidence and preserve its Station in the worst of times when all External Arguments do most visibly cease Posit VI. That it 's fully demonstrable and clear how no simple instructing of men in the general Principles of Religion can be the proper and adequate means for such a Faith of Assent to the Truth thereof on its own Evidence or answer that Apostolick Pattern of laying the Foundation Heb. 6.2 But that some special Duties else are called for to so high an end such wherein not only that true Primitive Confirmation in the Christian Faith might have some Practical use but we might also Hope therewith for a more remarkable out-letting of Confirming Influences of the Spirit of God What is to be understood herein I shall humbly offer in a few particulars I. That it is one of the greatest concerns of the Ministerial Work and of the Key of Doctrine to have all who hear the Gospel in the first place pressed to take Religion so far to Heart as to make a serious inquiry into the Grounds and Reasons hereof and thus to know their being on sure ground herein not because they know not another way but because they know this is the alone way of Truth to which they dare trust their Immortal Souls II. That for this End the Supream Truths of Relion be represented with that certainty of Evidence and Demonstration as both such great and marvellous things do require and the temper of such a gain-saying Age now calls for and to have this pressed more on mens Judgment and Conscience that the things of God which are of the highest Consequence Reality and Substance can have no possible Reception by any implicite or probable belief thereof nor can admit any pretence for the same when the Lord hath given such kind of Proofs and Evidence as leaves mens darkness herein without any shaddow of excuse II. That it peculiarly belongs to the Catechetical Work of Religion to take some account of the meanest Professours thereof and with a special respect to the Youth of their Faith of Assent to the Doctrine of Christ on what grounds and certainty of evidence this is founded and for their instructing therein as well as in the general Principles of Religion when one of the most ruining things to the Church lies here that the Profession of most is laid in so deep an Ignorance as they have almost nothing to say for the same but a naked Affirmation I know the difficulty hereof for the weak may be objected but without just cause since as the Prime Truths of Religion are few easie and plain for the meanest Capacity so also are the Primary Evidences and Demonstrations of our Faith if such once with that desire did search after the same as for a hidden and invaluable Treasure wherein this respect should be still had to difference betwixt what is Initial and of a more fundamental concern for the weak and what may tend to an higher growth and increase of others III. It should be of greatest use and advantage also for the same end that the young growth now coming up in the Church were put to give some explicit Evidence of their Consent and Choice of the Profession of Christ so far as may witness a Ratification of the Baptismal Covenant now as their own proper Deed wherein they were implicitely ingaged in their Infancy Some special Grounds and Reasons for this are I. Because God will have his Service freely entred in and upon choice as that way which is most agreeable to his Honour for as the Covenant binds mutually so do the Seals thereof also and therefore upon our part is Baptism a Sacramental Oath of Allegiance to God II. Because it tends to a more resolute and firm adherence to the Service of God that this business should be personally brought home to Mens Conscience especially before their first admittance to the Sacrament of the Lord's supper and thus to ingage them as Joshua did Chap. 24.22 Ye are witnesses against your selves herein and they said We are witnesses III. Because this is expresly held forth 1 Pet. 3.21 where Baptism is called the answer of a good conscience toward God upon this ground that such then who were come to years of knowledge were personally brought to confirm by their own consent that solemn Ingagement and Dedication by Baptism to be the Lords and therefore it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is vox juris and signifies sponsio stipulatio publica inter Christianum Dominum Christum as the most Judicious Commentators on that Scripture do clearly render it and so this was a special part of the Primitive Practice not only with respect to such who were Converted from Heathenism but were born within the Church and Partakers of that Seal of Baptism in their Infancy to bring them to answer to that great Demand of the Covenant Do you now Consent upon Evidence and Choice to be the Lords and to be a Subject of his Kingdom and embrace the Laws thereof and do you thus in Sincerity and Truth declare the same wherein you have a good Conscience before God And of what blessed Fruit and Advantage should this be both for the Increase and Honour of the Gospel if this were more deeply taken to Heart for some Practical use according to the Rule and Primitive Pattern in the Churches of Christ IV. It were specially desirable also that there be some clear view and summary by it self of the most cogent Grounds and Demonstrations of the Christian Faith with respect both to the
to a further establishing of the Reformed Churches there as though such had Intentionally acted for the same when if second Causes had brought forth their Ordinary effects it might have been judged impossible to fail XIII We have seen that issue of all the Councels Expence and Cruelty of Philip the II. of Spain to bear down the Truth of the Gospel in the Netherlands which was to the furthest setling of this Illustrious State and the Church of Christ there yea how their Conspicuous Rise and Flourishing even in the Externals and their resolute adherence to the Truth of Christ did most visibly keep together XIV We know that deluge of Blood which so quickly followed the French Massacre and the most dismal time which ever that Nation knew did then visibly Contemporate with such a time of their greatest Rage and Persecution against the Truth and that Event of the Third Vial most clearly fulfilled herein Rev. 16.5 6. Thou art Righteous O Lord which art and wast and shalt be because thou hast judged thus for they have shed the Blood of thy Saints and Prophets and thou hast given them Blood to drink in great measure XV. Yea have we not seen how four Kings of France Successively were in less than thirty years taken away in the same continued pursuit how to destroy the Church there in whom that whole race of the Valois was thus extinct yea in the manner of their Death were most remarkable Monuments of Divine Judgment as the most famous Writers of that time do attest XVI We have seen what marvellous effects did follow those Bloody Years of Queen Mary's Reign in England to promote and commend the Protestant Doctrine to Mens Consciences there with so great a Triumph as it had in the Sufferings of such choice and excellent witnesses for Christ and hath brought in more Rent to the Praise and Glory of their Blessed Head than may to the furthest compense all that Blood of the Saints there though highly Precious in the Eyes of the Lord. XVII We have seen likewise the Blood and Cruelty of late against the Protestants in Bohemia in a short time most Visibly returned on the Authors thereof and how the immediate Finger of God might be seen in calling forth the Swedes to avenge the same and in that desolating stroak which followed in Germany XVIII We have seen in these late Times the Issue of that horrid Massacre on the Protestants in Ireland to the utter ruine in a very few years after of that Barbarous Party who had thus acted herein XIX We have seen what wonderful Providences did attend the actings of that poor handful of Protestants in the Valleys of Piedmont since the Reformation upon the account of that Bloody Massacre which was set on foot there against them which was so astonishing as all might see an extraordinary Appearance of the Lord herein as is clearly attested by the most Faithful Histories of that time XX. And can it be forgot unto this day how visibly a Divine Hand did appear in breaking that great Spanish Armado in the Year 1588. which had been for some years in Contriving against England XXI Astonishing and specially Demonstrative of the immediate Power and Presence of God and matter of Wonder and Praise also for after Ages was that solemn time of the Reformation of the Church in Scotland for planting the Reformed Religion there with that zeal and oneness of Spirit as did then appear in all ranks to imbrace and adhere to the Profession thereof amidst the greatest threatnings of their Adversaries so as a few Years did bring forth that which would have seemed strange for an Age to accomplish yea that we find betwixt the last Martyr for the Truth there who was burnt at St. Andrews 1558. and the establishment of the Protestant Religion and full abolishment of Popery with the full Concurrence of Civil Authority herein in July 1560. was but little above two Years to shew what great things the Lord can do above all Humane Council or Confidence XXII It 's sure we have seen in what remarkable degrees these last Vials of the Holy Judgment of God have taken place on the Kingdom of Antichrist and how Conspicuous the Event hath been of that Prophecy 2 Thes 2.8 in these great Effects and Consumption thereof by the Ministry of the Gospel as an assured Pledge of the full Accomplishment of what remains herein XXIII And as every step of the Churches Rise hath been still advanced in a continued Conflict betwixt the Truth and Antichrist so have we still seen when the Assault and Opposition hath been greatest it s most remarkable tendency to a greater Victory which were it rightly considered upon clear and solid grounds from the Scripture the most formidable appearances of Trouble from this Adversary would with more Comfort than Fear this day be looked on so that whatever be the nearest and most immediate events yet is it sure as the Lord is true whose Word is passed hereon that whosoever gives their Power and Strength to support that Interest of Antichrist shall lose the day and find their Cause desperate for the party with whom they contend herein is the Son of God against whom no humane Power shall ever be able to stand These are but a few which are here mentioned of the great Acts of our God in behalf of his Truth to be still as present in our sight in a time when the Spirits of many are ready to Stagger and Faint and here mentioned to lay no stress or weight of the Authority of the Truth and Doctrine of our Profession thereon but on the alone Revelation of the Scripture but they are such an undeniable Seal for Confirming our Faith and of so known Publick and famous Evidence as should be no less considered and taken to Heart now than in the time when the Lord thus appeared herein SECTION III. Qu. VVHat present Judgment are we called to have of this Time upon clear and assured grounds from the Scripture that we may know under what aspect thereof the present State of Religion and of the Reformed Churches is under when so great a Crisis is this day as would seem to be in the very Height of its Conflict whether as to Life or Death Ans It is no present Appearance of the time that must Direct our Faith nor should we either stretch our Fears or Expectations of Things and Events beyond what the God of Truth doth warrand in his Word but it 's clear if we credit the same and admit the Divinity of the New Testament there is no just Cause of Hesitation or Darkness as to what the Lord is bringing forth for his Church now in these latter days nor can there be any pretence to seek another Light either from the Stars above or the Diviners of this Time when so woful a Trade hath got up in the World that men wtll thus go to the God of Ekron as though there were not a
and Man upon the Truth and Assurance of his Word and that the highest Trial and Probation of a Christian in which all the Trials of his Life do still meet may be resolved here if they receive the Testimony of God in his Word as an absolute Security to relie on yea or not And tho this is the peculiar Glory of the only true God to have an absolute Dependance of his whole Work on himself and to be the alone Centre of his Peoples rest yet may nothing be more evident than that with most he bears that Name of being their trust when the whole burden and weight thereof lies alone upon visible grounds so that those Bonds and Promises which he hath himself given unto men do bâ—ar no more Credit than they have some External Surety of in the Earth which they still look after to stand as it were good and responsible for the same which is the highest Indignity can be offered to the glorious Majesty of God 9. He does much take to Heart this present Period of time wherein the fluctuating suspence and halting of so many under a visible Profession of the Truth is now one of the most dismal Signs hereof and that it seems to be the time wherein the Lord will in an unusual way take this Generation off from any implicite Profession of the same and when that great Roll of Visible Professors in all the Reformed Churches may be ere long in that manner called as each must answer to his own Name and be put to stand to the Proof before the World when no Temporal Interest but Internal Motives and Certainty of the Truth upon its own Evidence must bear one out yea that the most establisht may ere long find it not easie to be kept from Staggering and a few days come in the Churches way more remarkable for Trial than have been in some Ages before CHARACT II. A truly confirmed Christian may be thus also stated as one who is in the first place most deeply taken up about that rare Plot of Mans Redemption and to see these great and wonderful Truths there not singly and apart but in that Harmony Order and Consent of all the parts thereof as they are linkt together in this marvellous frame so as to make the whole one entire piece And whereof no part does in the least interfere with another Which he finds to be one of the most Principal Demonstrations of this great Mystery of the Gospel which the Lord hath given for Confirming his Peoples Faith And thus in another manner than formerly can he now entertain his Soul herewith and have his Joy unspeakably heightened 1. To see at once the ruined State of fallen Man and what a Flood-gate of all Evil is let loose on Adams Race not only Morally in Sin but what is Penal in the Woe and Miseries thereof yea such a State where all Hope of relief is for ever cut off in the way of Nature or by any created help and where the Execution of a Righteous Sentence on men for the voluntary Violation of a Law Just Holy and Good can be no Impeachment in the least of the Righteousness of God But then therewith he does see such a relief brought to Light as can not only answer the whole extent of this ruin but the Glory of God more eminently displayed therein than if the Law had been obeyed or absolutely executed in its Penalty on the whole race of man Yea which makes this more wonderful to see a higher Dispensation of Grace unto man now under the Gospel than was to Adam in his Primitive State whereby innumerable Christians are made to endure and prevail over stronger Assaults than broke him even in his Integrity which is a thing so marvellous that the great and Infinite God only could find out and effect it 2. He does now see how clear a Consistence and Harmony is here that he who had no Sin by Inhesion but was Holy harmless and Undefiled should be under the greatest weight of Sin by Imputation and by the exactest Rule of Divine Justicâ— be made liable to answer both the whole Duty and full Penalty of the Law having as Surety betwixt the Creditor and Debtor put himself in his Peoples room to answer the full demands thereof both for Debt and Duty 3. It is here he does see that blest Consent and Harmony betwixt the spotless Justice of God and his marvellous Grace so as his Love is to the highest glorified in that marvellous way which secures the full and compleat Satisfaction of his Law and all the rights of Inviolable Justice 4. Whilst he is thus dazled with the greatness of such a Light and put to enquire what such a mystery can mean he is then further led on to see that rare Plot and Contrivance of the Covenant of Reconciliation between God and Man here within time to be the very Duplicate and Counterpart of that Eternal Transaction and Stipulation between the Father and the Son and thus sees whatever God hath declared and promised in the former to his Church was first promised and secured to our Blessed Head in the Covenant of Redemption wherein as with a Reverend and Awful Distance so with the greatest Evidence of Light he is made to see here these reciprocal Obligations betwixt them and mutual Trust for making good the whole Terms thereof in the appointed time 5. He does also clearly see that rare Order and Harmony of time in these signal Periods of the Revelation of this great Mystery of Christ which from its more dark Discovery and Dawning did still more gloriously open its self to the Church by a gradual Light and unvailing of the same as the Sun in its Course unto the perfect day yea he hath his Faith thus unspeakably confirmed to see herewith the Gospel Church being still the same whither of Jews or Gentiles and how that Series and Consent hath yet never been broken off since the beginning of a Church called forth from the Residue of Mankind set apart as a peculiar People for the Lord where none ever had Right and Priviledge to be Members of the same but by Faith in the Messias and Profession of their Obedience to his Laws 6. It is in this Union and Harmony he sees all the Branches and Parts of Gospel Obedience most exactly meer and terminate to advance both the greatest Excellency and Blessedness of Man and Assimilate him to the Blessed Image of God Yea how all the Rules and Precepts thereof do so entirely Conspire for this end as may constrain the Woâ—ld to see and admire the Glorious Nature and Perfections of him whose Laws these are wherein he does so brightly shine forth 7. Nor can he look seriously herein and not see that sweet concord as a part of this Harmony which is betwixt the Promissory and Mandatory part of the Gospel so as the Christians Comfort is most fully established and no Duty abolished but the very Path-road to
Duty or Comfort in their passage thorow time yea nothing is in the least here to subject the Credit of our Faith to mens Rational Comprehension but rather tends to enervate wholly the strâ—ngth of any such Tenet and take off all pretence for the same But it 's sure also I must quit all solid Security in the way of Religion and any clear founding in the Light and Certainty of the Scripture or admit these things as undeniable 1. That supernatural Faith is the most highly rational Light that 's within time And that none who profess the Name of Christ can be of so low a size as should not be pressed and excited to be much about this Ground-work of knowing the Truth and Principles of their Profession upon its own Evidence yea are thus called as new born Babes to drink in the sincere Milk of the Word 1 Pet. 2. Which as it 's clearly in the Original is the rational Milk of the Word to be thus received no less on Conviction and Certainty of the Judgment than with the out going of their affections 2. That as it 's not conceiveable how a true and firm Assent can be to Divine Truth but on its known Certainty so here is no resolving of the Christians Faith on the strongest rational Evidences hereof which must still be resolved on the Testimony of God made clear and evident to them to be such 3. It is sure also the Lord hath not given so large a measure of these Grounds and Demonstrations of his Truth with such redoubled Arguments of that kind to be of so small regard as is with most But for some great and universal use hereof to the whole Church and knew how needful such Assistances to the Faith of his People would be whilst they are on the Earth 4. That these means which tend most convincingly to found a rational Assurance in the Judgment are the proper Vehicle of the Spirit of God by which his sealing Work should be both sought and expected nor can I judge how the Credit and use hereof should be so small and not on the same Ground quit any External Ordinance of the Gospel which without the Spirit of the Lord can never profit nor how we should expect and suit his Confirming Work on the Soul when these greatest Confirming Means which he hath given to the Church have no just weight But oh how wonderful a Teacher is the Holy Ghost when such ordinary means fail and are inaccessible by furnishing his People then with these strongest Arguments of Love and Power who having had but small Measures of Light yet were not unfaithful to improve the smallest degree of such a Talent 5. Yea so great a thing is it to attain a solid Faith of Things wholly remote from our Sense and so far above the reach and Apprehension of Nature or to have an absolute reliance on an invisible Refuge for our present and Eternal State as no common Assent can answer when the very rest and quiet of the Soul must needs lie in the sure and firm Perswasion hereof 6. It is too visible also how little the Practical Vse of such a mean hath yet been essaied in the Church thaâ— all who are members thereof might no less know the Strength and Firmness of the Foundation of their Faith by its own Evidence than the General Articles of Religion The most usual instructing work lies almost wholly about the Noetick part of Divinity there seems not that serious regard to press the Dianoetick part hereof on Mens Conscience as if this were to be restrained to a few who are more Knowing Learned and of an Inquisitive Spirit about the rational Certainty of the Truth and for whom these choice and abundant helps of this kind which are in this Age seem more peculiarly directed It 's sure that the Christian Faith in the first-times did remarkably then spread and prevail by these clear Evidences hereof to the Judgment made Effectual by the Spirit of God more than by extraordinary Miracles Nor knew they otherwise whaâ— lt was to be Christians but by imbracing the Truth with a full Assurance of Vnderstanding no less than of Delight and Affection But if it be objected it is not the Case now where Religion is planted in a Nation and hath an uncontrollable Publick Profession under the support of Humane Laws I know no admitted weight this can have except that it should be granted that Christians now be Born and not new-created 7. Yea is it not sure tho it seem little understood that the primary Grounds and Evidences of our Faith are not only as to their End demonstrative of the Truth and Divinity of the Scripture but are upon the Matter such Demonstrations also which most natively result from the same by infallible Consequence and are thus to be accounted not as Humane but Divine Arguments given us by the Spirit of God 8. I shall but further add how such as do seriously ponder things will find this Demonstration to be no more important than clear that to be a Confirmed Christian and a Confirmed Protestant are Convertible Terms and that if they that are under that Deplorable Bondage and Darkness of Popery were but once awaked to see the Truth and Certainty of the Christian Faith by its Intrinsick and Objective Evidence and taken off that brutish Credulity and Dependance on the alone Credit of others herein it might be said the strongest Engine to hold up that Profession were then broke and we should see the Doctrine and Rule of Faith to be of such full and perspicuous Evidence from the Scripture as without Blasphemy they could not seek from the Lord to give them a plainer Rule than what he hath there given READER IT 'S like thou mayest think strange how these few Sheets in the close fall in here after the foregoing part was finished but the they meet in one Design and Interest yet was not this then intended until the former was done and if it might tend to a solid use and Fruit unto any I shall forbear a further Apology herein I may truly say the weight of the Subject hath carried it some further length than was designed when I so much sought to be short as I aim at in any thing of this kind that through my desire to avoid any unnecessary multiplying of Words I fear lest it may make some things â—â—em a little dark at the first view Tho I hope not upon any serious perusal of the same Two things I must further crave leave to add 1. That when some Succinct View of the great Assistances and Confirmations of our Faith is here offered which these of the lowest Capacity of the Church might with that advantage improve as in a few hours by reading it some times over may be so far impressed on their Mind and Judgment that they could give some clear and judicious account thereof it may be by such but seriously weighed and taken to Heart of what concern the use hereof is 2. That I humbly judge also it were a most special Service for the Truth in this day to have some short Directory and remembrancer of the great Acts of the Lord and Monuments of his Providence now under the New Testament in that manner held forth as might most tend to some Universal Use of all within the Church I Confess my desire pressed me to some small Essay herein with intent to have joyned it to this Work but having with much Convictâ—on laid this wholly aside as to any further appearance that way so is it with an Earnest Desire that some more qualified might take to Heart and under their Hand so great a Service both for their Generation and Posterity It is sure the Lord hath designed his People to be taught the greatness of his Works as well as the precepts of his Word and as no Duty is more pressed than this under the Old Testament both as to Publick and Family Instruction so are we no less accountable in these last times for this Improvement of such as are of known publick and uncontrolable Evidence and should be the care of each Age to have that Solemn Remembrance kepâ— up hereof so as not a few but the very Multitude within the Church might be as a publick Library and Repository of the same FINIS