Conversion by John Cotton of New England in 8o. A Brief of the Bibles History in 12o. by Enoch Clapham Occasionall Meditations by Joseph Hall in 12. A brief Exposition on the Epistle to the Hebrewes by David Dixon 8o. Short-hand writing by Thomas Shelton in 8o. Wollebii Compendium Thelogiae in 12o. Spare minutes or Warwicks Meditations in 1◠The Map of England with the Kings Short-hand writing by Henry Dix Luchans Dialogues translated into English in 4o. Holidaii Philosophia in 4o. Veneti Historia in 4o. Deaths Deliverance and Eliahs fiery Chariot in two Sermons by Alexander Grosse A Manuall of Controversies in English by Osiander in 8o. Munition against mans misery by R. Smith 12. Wit and Mirth by John Taylor in 8º Garden of spirituall Flowers in 12. Bible Battles by Bernard in 12. Monuments in the Saxon tongue written 700. years ago shewing that both the Old and New Testament Lords Prayer and the Creed were then used in the Mother tongue collected by William Lisle 4o. The Excellency of a gracious Spirit together with Moses Self-deniall by Ieremiah Burroughs 8o. Formulae Oratoriae in usum Scholarum concinnatae by Io. Clark of Lincoln in 12. Phraseologia puerilis or selected Latine and English phrases by Io. Clark in 12. The power of the Christian Magistrate in sacred things by Lewis du Moulin History reader in Oxford in 8o. Brief notes upon the whole book of Psalmes by George Abbot late published in 4o. Amicus Reipublicae the Common-wealths friend or an exact and speedy course to justice and right and for preventing and determining tedious Law-suits by Io. March of Grayes-Inne Barrister The Souls preparation for Christ by Thomas Hooker of New-England in 12. The Souls possession of Christ by Thomas Hooker of New-England in 12. The CONTENTS of the severall Sermons in the ensuing Work SERM. I. Doct. 1. JEsus Christ hath given himself for all that beleeve page 8. To what Christ gave himself for beleevers page 9 Use 1. The love of Christ to beleevers page 17 Use 2. Ground of consolation to beleevers page 18 Use 3. Motives to give up our selves to Christ page 19 Use 4. Perswasions to beleeve in Christ page 21 Doct. 2. Christ gave himself for beleevers to free them from guilt and punishment page 24 The Point opened page 25 And further cleared in four particulars page 27 Reas 1. From Christs love to God page 31 Reas 2. From Christs love to beleevers ibid. Use 1. Consolation to beleevers page 32 Use 2. Exhortation to two things page 34 Use 3. Instruction threefold 1. That there needs no satisfaction on our part page 39 2 The great bondage under iniquitie page 40 3 To love Christ that hath given himself page 41 SERM. II. Doct. 1. Christ is in every justified person page 48 In what respect Christ is in them page 49 The means whereby Christ is in them page 50 Use The readiest way to become justified page 51 Doctr. 2. In whomsoever Christ is there is a death of sin and a life of righteousness page 54 Degrees of the death of sin and life of righteousnesse page 56 How to know the death of sin and life of righteousness page 58 Use 1. Exhortaion to the death of sin and life of righteousnesse page 66 The bad use that the world makes of the falls of others page 70 Use 2. Comfort to those that die to sin page 72 Terrour to those that doe not page 75 SERM. III. Doctr. 1. God commandeth his children to doe nothing but he promiseth to inable them to perform it page 80 Reas 1. It is Gods purpose they should obey his Commandements page 81 Reas 2. All their obedience shall come from Christ page 82 Use 1. To shew that Gods Commandements are not grievous page 83 Use 2. How unexcusable defects o◠obedience are page 85 Use 3. The readie way to obey Gods Commandements page 88 Use 4. Consolation to Gods children page 90 Doct. 2. Sin shall not reign in Gods children to obey it as a King nor so as to damn them for obeying it page 93 Reas 1. All reign of sin to damnation from the Justice of God page 94 Reas 2. All Christs people must be like Christ page 95 Use 1. The falsnesse of that position that all are sinners alike page 97 Use 2. Consolation to Gods children page 98 Use 3. Exhortation to fight against sinne page 101 Doct. 3. All the incouragement we have from God is of grace page 102 Doct. 4. All the priviledges and mercies we injoy come by Christ and his Gospel Ibid. Use 1. To check their unthankfulnesse that injoy the Gospel page 105 Use 2. Exhortation to prize Christ and the Gospel page 106 Doct. 5. All that are in Christ are not under the Law but under Grace page 107 What it is to be under the Law Ibid. What it is to be under Grace page 111 Use 1. Comfort to those that are in Christ page 113 Use 2. Reproofe of uncomfortable Christians page 114 Use 3. Instructions to those that are out of Christ page 116 Use 4. Exhortation to get interest in Christ page 118 SERM. IV. Doct. The voyce of the Lord Christ is onely to be attended to and obeyed page 126 After what manner the voyce of Christ must be hearkened to page 127 The voyce of Christ made known two wayes page 135 Reas 1. Christ alone hath command over us page 136 Reas 2. The direction of Christ is surest Ibid. Reas 3. Christ onely is able to teach us page 137 Reas 4. Christ onely can teach the inward man Ibid. Use 1. Reproof of severall sorts that hear any thing but the voyce of Christ Ibid. Use 2. Reproof of the Saints in severall cases page 143 SERM. V. Doct. 1. All outward priviledges are not able to make a sound Saint of God page 157 Reas Outward matters work not on the heart page 159 Use 1. Reproof of those that trust to outward priviledges Ibid. Use 2. Exhortation not to rest in outward priviledges page 160 Doct. 2. Faith causeth fruitfulnesse page 163 Use Reproof of those that are unfruitfull page 164 Doct. 3. Every faithfull man doth imitate the actions of Abraham page 166 Severall steps of Abrahams obedience page 167 Reas The same promises and spirit in and to all beleevers page 176 Use 1. To shew who are true Saints page 177 Trials who be children of Abraham page 178 Use 2. No by-way to bring to happiness page 184 Use 3. Comfort to Gods people page 185 SERMON VI. Doct. People may injoy the means of knowledge and yet not profit by them but remain void of the knowledge of God page 194 Reas 1. From the blindness of mens mindes page 196 Reas 2. Because men are meerly naturall page 197 Reas 3. Resolution to keep some lust page 200 Difference between knowledge of Hypocrites and Saints page 206 Use 1. Reproof of conceited ignorant persons page 211 Use 2. Shewing the sinfulnesse of nature and blindnesse of mind page 212 SERM. VII Doct. Wicked men grow most rebellious under the best means page 221 Wherein this rebellion discovers it self page 225 Reas 1. From the love to sinne page 228 Reas 2. From the pride of mens hearts page 231 Use 1 For Examination page 234 Use 2. For Exhortation page 238 Means to come to submit to Christs yoak page 240.
had and what he received by faith they that beleeve as he did may expect the selfe same mercy that he had Now the faithfull of God and sonnes of Abraham are here described two wayes I say every faithfull man that is the sonne of Abraham that imitateth the faith of Abraham is discovered two wayes First Negatively What will not suffice to make a man the sonne of Abraham Secondly Affirmatively What God specially looks for at the hands of those that are to be the children of Abraham First Negatively thus Abraham is the father of circumcision not onely to them who are of the circumcision that is not onely theirs who have the priviledges of the Jewes the Word and the Oracles of God Circumcision and the Passeover T is true Abraham is their father but not onely theirs that have no more but those priviledges but also theirs that walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham So that by Circumcision you must here understand all these prerogatives and priviledges which the Jewes had above any other Nation and consequently that none of all those priviledges then could that none of ours as to be in the Church to be baptized c. now can make a man to be the sonne of Abraham Abraham is the father of the circumcision not to them who are of the circumcision onely but he is the father of the circumcision if they have faith They that have bare circumcision onely may indeed applaud themselves therein but they shall never receive thereby those things God hath promised This is the Negative Secondly The Affirmative part sheweth who they be indeed that shall truly be partakers of the comforts and graces of Abraham namely those that walk in the footsteps of that faith of Abraham If a man beleeve as he did work as he did walk as he did so onely he may come to have title unto and interest in the promises God hath vouchsafed in his Word Thus much for the opening of the words Come we now in the first place to speak of the negative part in which the Spirit of God is pleased to exclude all outward priviledges and prerogatives and to say thus Abraham is the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision onely that is if they injoy onely outward priviledges they are not the children of Abraham The point we learn hence is thus much That all outward priviledges as the hearing of the Word the partaking of the Sacraments and the like are not able to make a man a sound Saint of God The point is clear in the Text That if a man had circumcision that is if he had all those preferments that God vouchsafeth to a people in the face and bosome of his Church this would not doe him any good at all he hath no title to the promises because of these if he rest in them Abraham is not the father of those that are circumcised onely So that I say again all outward priviledges are not able to make a man a true Saint of God Our Saviour Christ speaking of Capernaum saith And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto heaven shalt be brought down to hell for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodome c. Mat. 11.23 Capernaum was lifted up to Heaven how In all those spirituall helpes and excellent meanes that God vouchsafed them above many others they were highly advanced in the enjoyment of heavenly priviledges they heard the Word of God and they saw the Miracles of Christ and yet Thou Capernaum shalt be deep in punishment thou wert lifted up to Heaven in regard of excellent priviledges but thou shalt be cast down to Hell in regard of thy impenitency and stubbornesse under them The Apostle Paul disputeth the point and makes the case clear Rom. 2.28 29. where he plucks away all these hopes and vain props which men raise to themselves from the having of outward priviledges He is not a Jew saith he that is one outwardly that is he is not therefore a true child of God and a faithfull man he hath not therefore saving faith because he is circumcised because he enjoyeth the liberties and priviledges of the people of God and liveth in the bosome of the Church but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumciston is that of the heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of men but of God You know that it was an ancient Proverb in Israel Is Saul also amongst the Prophets 1 Sam. 10.12 and 19.24 Yes Saul was amongst the Prophets and he that was once amongst the Prophets is now amongst the Devils in Hell Judas was highly promoted he lived as an Apostle amongst the Disciples heard out Saviour continually sate at table with him and yet for all this is now damned in hell for ever These were high priviledges and if these would have done the deed Judas had never perished Ishamel was circumcised and yet he was excommunicated out of Abrahams family the then Church of God and was a cast-away Instances are many in the Scriptures to this purpose but I list not to dwell longer upon the proofe of the point you see it is evident enough that bare priviledges be they never so high and excellent are not able to make one indeed a faithfull man before the Lord nor the sonne of Abraham I should have shewed the Reasons Alas outward matter 's never work upon the heart That which makes a man a Saint must work upon the soul Now the Word and the Sacraments barely considered cannot work upon the spirit unlesse the Lord work a new frame inwardly by the infusion of Grace Gal. 5.6 Circumcision and uncircumcision profiteth nothing but faith that worketh by love These outward things are too shallow to reach the inward man too weak to work so powerfully upon the soule of a Christian man as to bring the heart to God But I leave the strengthning of the point by Reasons and because I would not be prevented I come to the Uses The first Use I will hence raise is an Use of reproof This Doctrine confoundeth the carnall confidence of those Professors that living in the bosome of the Church place all their hopes and assurance of being saved upon this bottome because they have been baptized and come to Church and hear the Word and receive the Sacrament therefore of necessity they presume they must be accepted of God This was the old plea of the Jewes in Jeremies time When the Prophet came to them to reprove them for their sinnes and presse them to repentance they began to quarrell with him and to take up Bucklers against him and cried out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these These are the Fig-leaves wherewith poor and ignorant Christians think to hide themselves at this day Tell them of their saults bid them walk humbly and holily before God reprove them for their strange practises against God
Abraham That man that not onely enjoyeth the Priviledges of the Church but yeeldeth the obedience of faith according to the Word of God revealed and walketh in obedience that man alone shall be blessed with faithfull Abraham Two points may be hence raised but I shall hardly handle them both therefore I will passe over the first onely with a touch and that lieth closely couched in the Text That Faith causeth fruitfulness in the hearts and lives of those in whom it is Mark what I say A faithfull man is a fruitfull man Faith inableth a man to be doing Ask the Question By what power was it whereby Abraham was inabled to yeeld obedience to the Lord The Text answereth you They that walke in the footsteps not of Abraham but in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham A man would have thought the Text should have run thus They that walk in the footsteps of Abraham that is true too but the Apostle had another end therefore he saith They that walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham implying that it was the grace of faith that God bestowed on Abraham that quickned and inabled him to every duty that God required of him and called him to the performance of So that I say the Question being Whence came it that Abraham was so fruitfull a Christian what inabled him to do and to suffer what he did Surely it was faith that was the cause that produced such Effects that helped him to perform such actions The Point then you see is evident Faith is it that causoth fruit Hence it is that of almost all the actions that a Christian haah to doe faith is still said to be the worker If a man pray as he should it is the prayer of faith Jam. 5.15 If a man obey as he should it is the obedience of faith Rom. 16.26 If a man war in the Church militant it is the fight of faith 1 Tim. 6.12 2 Tim. 4.7 If a man live as a Christian and holy man he liveth by fasth Gal. 2.20 Nay shall I say yet more if he die as he ought he dieth by faith Heb. 11.13 These all died in faith What is that by the power of faith that directed and ordered them in the course of their death furnished them with grounds and principles of aflurance of the love of God made them carry themselves patiently in death I can say no more but with the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether yee bee in the faith Why doth not the Apostle say Examine whether faith be in you but whether yee bee in the faith His meaning is that as a man is said to be in drinke or to be in love or to bee in passion that is under the command of drinke or love or passion so the whole man must be under the command of faith as you shall see more afterwards If he pray faith must indite his prayer If he obey faith must work If hee live it is faith that must quicken him and if he die it is faith that must order him in death And wheresoever faith is it will doe wonders in the soul of that man where it is it cannot be idle it will have footsteps it sets the whole man on work it moveth feet and hands and cies and all parts of the bodie Mark how the Apostle disputeth 2 Cor 4.13 We having the same spirit of faith according as it is written I beleeved and therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore speak The faith of the Apostle which he had in his heart set his tongue a going If a man have faith within it will break forth at his mouth This shall suffice for the proof of the point I thought to have pressed it further but if I should I see the time would prevent me The Use therefore in a word is this If this be so then it falleth soul and is a heavie Bill of Indictment against many that live in the bosome of the Church Go thy wayes home and read but this Text and consider seriously but this one thing in it That whosoever is the son of Abraham hath faith and whosoever hath faith is a walker is a worker by the footsteps of faith you may see where faith hath been Will not this then I say fall marvellous heavie upon many souls that live in the bosome of the Church who are confident and put it out of all Question that they are true beleevers and make no doubt but that they have faith But look to it wheresoever faith is it is fruitfull If thou art fruitlesse say what thou wilt thou hast no faith at all Alas these idle Drones these idle Christians the Church is too too full of them Men are continually hearing and yet remain fruitless and unprofitable whereas if there were more faith in the world we should have more work done in the world faith would set feet and hands and eies and all on work Men go under the name of professors but alas they are but Pictures they stir not a whit Mark Where you found them in the beginning of the yeer there you shall find them in the end of the yeer as profane as worldly as loose in their conversations as formall in dutie as ever And is this faith Oh faith would work other matters and provoke a soul to other passages then these But you wil say May not a man have faith and not that fruit you speak of May not a man have a good heart to God-ward although he cannot find that abilitie in matter of fruitfulnesse My brethren be not deceived Such an opinion is a meer delusion of Satan whereever faith is it bringeth Christ into the soul Mark that Whosoever beleeveth Christ dwelleth in his heart by faith Eph. 3.17 And If Christ be in you saith the Apostle the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness Rom. 8.10 If Christ be in you that is Whosoever beleeveth in the Lord Jesus Christ dwels in such a man by faith now if Christ be in the soul the bodie cannot be dead but a man is alive and quick and active to holy duties ready and willing and cheerfull in the performance of whatsoever God requireth Christ is not a dead Saviour nor the Spirit a dead Spirit The second Adam is made a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 And wherever the Spirit is it works Effects suteable to it The Spirit is a Spirit of puritie a spirit of zeal c. and where it is it maketh pure and zealous c. When a man will say he hath faith and in the mean time can be content to be idle and unfruitfull in the work of the Lord can bee content to be a dead Christian let him know that his case is marvellously fearfull For if faith were in him indeed it would appear yee cannot keep your good hearts to your selves where ever fire is it will burn and where ever faith is it cannot be
my hands The like Christian courage was in Luther when his friends disswaded him to goe to Wormes If all the Tiles in Wormes were so many Devils said he yet would I goe thither in the name of my Lord Jesus This is the last step Now gather up a little what I have delivered He that is resolved to stoop to the call of God to prize the promises and breath after them to rest upon the Lord and to wait his time for bestowing mercy upon him to break through all impediments and difficulties and to count nothing too deare for God to be content to performe ready and cheerful obedience he that walketh thus and treadeth in these steps peace be upon him Heaven is hard by he is as sure of salvation as the Angels are it is as certain as the Lord liveth that he shall be saved with faithfull Abraham for he walketh in the steps of Araham and therefore he is sure to be where he is The case you see is clear and the point evident that every faithfull man may and must imitate faithfull Abraham It may be here imagined that we draw men up to too high a pitch and certainly if this be the sense of the words and the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this place what will become of many that live in the bosome of the Church Will you therefore see the point confirmed by reason The ground of this Doctrine standeth thus Every faithfull man hath the same faith for nature and for work that Abraham had therefore look what nature his faith was of and what power it had of the same nature and power every true Beleevers faith is Breifly thus The promises of God are the ground upon which all true faith resteth the Spirit of God it is that worketh this faith in all beleevers the power of the spirit is that that putteth forth it selfe in the hearts and lives of all the faithfull gather these together if all true beleevers have the same promises for the ground of their faith have one and the same spirit to work it have one and the same power to draw out the abilities of faith then certainly they cannot but have the very selfe same actions having the very selfe same ground of their actions Every particular beleever as the Apostle Peter saith 2 Pet. 1.1 hath obtained the like precious faith Mark that There is a great deal of Copper-faith in the world much counterfeit beleeving but the Saints doe all partake of the like precious faith As when a man hath but a Sixpence in silver or a Crown in gold those small pieces for the nature are as good as the greatest of the same metall so it is with the faith of Gods Elect. And look as it is in graffing If there be many Scions of the same kind grassed into one stock they all partake alike of the vertue of the stock just so it is here The Lord Jesus Christ is the stock as it were into which all the faithfull are grafted by the spirit of God and faith therefore whatsoever fruit one beareth another beareth also howsoever there may be degrees of works yet they are the same for nature As a little Apple is the same in tast with a great one of the same tree even so every faithfull man hath the same holinesse of heart and life because he hath the same principle of holinesse The fruit indeed that one Christian bringeth forth may be but poor and small in comparison of others yet it is the same in kind the course of his life is not with so much power and fulnesse of grace it may be as anothers yet there is the same true grace and the same practise in the kind of it for truth however in degree it differ Here by way of caution I will suggest too things to you 1. That howsoever all beleevers have the selfe same nature of faith yet all must not look to have the same measure of faith and the same degree of works 2. That faith doth not performe all its works at one time but groweth to a ripenesse upon severall occasions A Child is a perfect man in regard of parts though not of degrees he is able to eat and to see though he cannot walk and talk yet because he hath a reasonable soule as well as others he will walk and talk like others in due time So howsoever many of the Saints of God have not attained to those great actions of grace that others have yet having the same spirit and principle of grace within they shall be inabled hereafter to a further discharge of those holy services that God requireth Thus you see the point confirmed by reason if all the Saints of God are ingraffed into Christ indifferently if all have the same ground of faith and the same spirit to work it and to make it work they must needs have the same actions and fruits of faith because I say they have the selfe same causes of their faith Let us now come to see what benefit we may make to our selves of this point thus proved and confirmed And certainly the Use of this Doctrine is of great consequence In the first place it is a just ground of Examination For if it be true as it cannot be denyed the reasons being so strong and arguments so plain that every sonne of Abraham followeth the steps of Abraham then here you may clearly perceive who it is that hath saving faith indeed who they be that are true Saints and the sonnes of Abraham By the light of this truth by the rule of this doctrine if you would square your courses and look into your conversations you cannot but discern whether you have faith or no. That man whose faith she weth it selfe and putteth it selfe forth in its severall conditions agreable to the faith of Abraham that man that followeth the footsteps of the faith of Abraham let him be esteemed a faithfull man let him be reckoned for a true beleever But if any mans faith doe not this but be contrary unto or fall short of this in the truth I say not in the measure of it certainly it is counterfeit it is Copper-faith O the world of counterfeit faith then that is in the Church at this day It was the complaint of our Saviour Christ that when he should come he should scarce finde faith on the earth Luke 18.8 as if he should say It will be so little and so rare that one shall hardly know where to find a faithfull man It was the complaint of the Psalmist of old and is most true of these times that the faithfull faile from among the children of men Psal 12.1 Many a man hath a name that he is alive and yet is dead Rev. 3.1 Many have a fancie of faith yet upon the tryall we shall find that there are but few even of those that are interested in the title of Christians and live in the bosome of the Church that have any right or