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cause_n	free_a	grace_n	love_n	2,934	5	6.6495	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34877	A supplement to Knowledge and practice wherein the main things necessary to be known and believed in order to salvation are more fully explained, and several new directions given for the promoting of real holiness both of heart and life : to which is added a serious disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the times, viz. swearing, lying, pride, gluttony, drunkenness, uncleanness, discontent, covetousness and earthly-mindedness, anger and malice, idleness / by Samuel Cradock ... useful for the instruction of private families.	Cradock, Samuel, 1621?-1706.	1679 (1679)	Wing C6756; ESTC R15332	329,893	408

what sweet Meditations should we have of Gods Mercy Love thankfulness and praise should be our daily exercise Had we Davids heart what Songs of praise would the consideration of Gods Mercy teach us to indite How affectionately should we recount the Mercies of our youth and riper years Yea of every state and condition we have been in to the honour of our great Benefactor But especially if God hath touched our hearts with his saving grace if he hath effectually called us and inabled us to repent of our sins and believe in his Son O then how should we bow down our heads and adore his free grace as the cause thereof If we have received any grace tending to our own sanctification or the edification of others Let us say as Paul did 1 Cor. 15.20 By the grace of God I am that I am Thirdly The meditation of Gods goodness and mercy to us should possess us with a superlative love to God Most certainly the prevailing love of God is the surest evidence of true sanctification He that hath most love has most grace And if you truly love God you will be loath to offend him The love of God doth not reign in that soul where the love of the World or of the Flesh or Pleasure reigneth Fourthly The Mercy of God should teach us to imitate him in this Attribute We should labour to be mercifull as our Heavenly Father is mercifull that is as to the manner though we cannot reach to the measure The goodness of God should possess us with a desire to be conformed to his goodness in our measure Summae Religionis est imitari quem colis Now God is mercifull two ways especially in Giving Forgiving First In Giving O how does the Lord supply our wants daily Let us therefore shew mercy to those that want our help Secondly In Forgiving O what a vast number of debts does the Lord forgive us Gods mercy to us layes the greatest Obligation imaginable upon us to forgive others (c) A Christian may remember offences in cautelam though not in vindictam Matth. 18.23 Shall not we forgive an Hundred Pence who have had Ten Thousand Talents forgiven unto us Fifthly We should especially observe and take notice of the mercy of God so highly manifested in the design of our Redemption 1 Joh. 4.10 Here is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins Was there ever Mercy like this We have reason to cry out O the depth of the riches of the mercy of God! O Lord what is man that thou art so mindful of him or the Son of man that thou thus visitest him with thy favour and mercy Sixthly Gods goodness and mercy should encourage our Souls to trust in him How many friends have some men with whom they dare trust their Estates or Lives because they are confident they truly love them And shall we not trust God who is love it self 1 John 4.16 I come now to the last of Gods communicable Attributes which I shall speak unto which is His faithfulness in keeping of his Covenant and Promises V. God is Faithful Faithful One letter of Gods glorious Name is abundant in truth or faithfulness The Scriptures abundantly bear Testimony unto this Deut. 7.9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God the faithfull God which keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandements to a Thousand Generations Isai 49.7 The Lord who is faithfull Rom. 3.4 Let God be true that is owned and acknowledged for such though all mankind should be false and deceitful Now Gods Faithfulness is manif●sted Two ways In fulfilling his promises In accomplishing his Threatnings God cannot in any case fail of his word It is impossible for him to lie Heb. 6.18 Tit. 1.2 As God is light and in him there is no darkness 1 Joh. 1.5 So he is truth and in him there is no falshood The strength of Israel will not lye 1 Sam. 15.29 And Numb 23.19 God is not a man that he should lye God hath promised to them that repent and believe in his Son that they shall be saved He hath promised to give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him Luk. 11 9. And we have reason firmly to believe these promises As for Temporal things he hath not promised them to any of his Children absolutely but with a tacit condition if he in his infinite Wisdom see it good and expedient for them So that as to these we must humbly refer our selves to his infinite Wisdom 'T is true we are required to pray for these Temporal things in faith but not with an assured particular perswasion that God will give us the very particular things we ask but with a faith of dependance on God and submission to his Holy will When we act faith on the All-sufficiency and Power of God and humbly resign our selves to his Holy will we may be said to pray in faith I come now to the Lessons which we are to learn from the consideration of this Attribute First We should learn from hence that the commands of God are serious and his promises and threatnings will certainly be accomplished There is nothing of reason or sence can be spoken against an Holy life by any one who believes the veracity and faithfulness of God and the truth of his Word Hath God said and do you believe it that he will come in flaming Fire to take vengeance on all them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thess 1.8 And can you continue in ignorance and disobedience Hath he said that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 And can you continue in unrighteousn●ss Hath he said Heb. 12.14 Without Holiness no man shall see the Lord and can you slight Holiness And mock at serious Piety If you believ'd God to be faithfull and his Word true how could these things be so Secondly Gods faithfulness is a great aggravation of the heinousness of the sin of unbelief He that believeth not God hath made him a lyer faith the Apostle 1 Joh. 5.10 And this is the rather to be heeded that we may stir up in our selves a diligent watchfulness against this sin which with many is accounted but a meer infirmity O what matter of humiliation doth our proneness to this sin namely to distrust God justly minister unto us Many men hardly trust the promises of God so much as they would the word of a mortal man whom they account honest and just Certainly Gods faithfulness and truth should teach us to hate every motion to unbelief Vnbelief is the very bane of all Religion so far as it prevails Let it be our great care therefore to extirpate all remainders of this sin of Infidelity out of our hearts Thirdly If God be faithful this should be a great encouragement to us to trust in him and

But does not the annexing of such a condition as this unto forgiveness lessen the grace and bounty of it Answer No in no wise For consider these things 1. The dispensing of pardon and forgiveness upon such a condition as faith in Christ which includes Gospel obedience is one of the most effectual means to introduce sanctity and holiness into the World For what more effectual way can there be to do it than to make it conditionally necessary to justification and salvation 2. Gods immutable holiness and justice is hereby made more illustrious and his solemn hatred and dislike of sin is more manifested For hereby 't is evident that God will save no man in his sins but from his sins Whom he justifies he will sanctify No mans sin is so forgiven that the least allowance is vouchsafed to it None but such as are sanctified can be accepted of him 3. Whatever is by the Gospel conditionally required of us is fully and freely given us Faith and every other grace is the gift of God We perform the condition required of us solely by the power of his grace freely given unto us And all the rewards of the Gospel are but the gracious remunerations of Gods own gifts and graces Free grace and divine bounty is the root that bears all And therefore the holiest men on earth have the greatest cause to be most humble For having received most they ought most to abase themselves 4. 'T is fit that all who shall be saved should be rationally satisfied of the excellency of that life the Gospel calls them unto For the precepts of the Gospel are framed and calculated for our advantage and benefit The commands of Christ are in no wise grievous to any man truly and rationally informed of his own interest The Gospel commands us to be sober righteous and godly and 't is rationally best for us so to be both in order to our own good and the good and benefit of others among whom we live And therefore 't is fit we should make a solemn choice of this life for our selves and seriously resolve as men of truth and fidelity to pursue it There ought to be sincerity of intention and endeavour in us to live this life though we do not arrive at perfection of action We should therefore examine what is the deliberate choice of our wills whether to be Sanctified by the Spirit of Christ as well as to be justified by his merits Christ will not judge of us by a suddain passionate choice but by our rational and advised choice And we must especially take heed of all degrees of insincerity and hypocrisie which of all sins under the Gospel does most dangerously border on a breach of the condition required Believe it those things that keep people usually from the good things of the Gospel are either a direct refusal of Christ or a sloathful carelesness unconcerned neglect of him or a prevailing falseness in the course of Gospel obedience I shall conclude all that I shall say upon this argument with these four particulars 1. Our Lord and Saviour did certainly perform all things that were required to be performed by him as our mediator 2. By reason of the high dignity of his person his obedience and sufferings are of more value and worth than the obedience and sufferings of all mankind would have been 3. These things being performed by him in our nature and wholly upon o●r account God accepts them for us though not as done by us and reckons all the benefits and advantages of them to us 4. If we desire to partake of the benefits of Christs active and passive obedience we must sincerly believe in him and take him for our Lord and Saviour and if our Faith be a true justifying Faith it will purify our hearts and reform our lives Having thus explained this Doctrine of the forgiveness of sins let us now consider what improvement we should make of it 1. Let us admire the infinite goodness of God that there is a possibility of pardon for the children of men who are naturally under wrath There is none for the Angels that fell 2. Let us often meditate upon and admire the way of it 1. No pardon to be obtained for man without a Mediator And where could fallen man have found a Mediator that would have undertaken his cause 2. No ordinary Mediator would suffice If all the holy Angels had joyned together it would have not been sufficient Only the eternal Son of God could effect it 3. Let us consider that Christ obtained our peace not by a bare mediation but by paying a price for us and making full satisfaction to the Will and Justice of God by his obedience and sufferings 3. Let us often admire the benefits of it 1. It is not only a great mercy in it self but the foundation of all other mercies 'T is the Queen of mercies that hath a glorious train of other mercies attending it Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven whose iniquities are covered to whom the Lord imputeth not transgression None of the antient Philosophers ever gave such a definition of happiness 2. The sense of this mercy makes all afflictions more easie to be born What can hurt us if God be reconciled to us 3. Pardoning mercy brings healing with it unto the Soul Christ Sanctifies those by his Spirit whose pardon he procures by his Merits 4. It affords great comfort against death which is otherwise terrible of terribles 4. If pardoning mercy be so great a mercy let us often consider how vile and wretched those persons are who slight this mercy But who are they 1. All careless ones who neglect this great salvation and prefer the things of the World before it 2. All wicked and prophane ones who go on daily increasing their guilt not minding to make peace with God 3. All that rest on any thing besides Christs righteousness and intercession for the procuring their pardon with God 5. Let us all examine our selves whether we have obtained this blessedness or no. Many content themselves with weak grounds on which they build their hopes of pardon 1. They are not so bad as others They think they are sinners yet guilty but of few sins in comparison of what others are guilty of I answer Possibly they may not be so bad as others yet they may be in a very bad condition for all that out of which if they do not get they will be everlastingly miserable 2. Others think well of them Be it so But we shall not stand or fall by mans Judgment 3. They live civilly so they may do and yet be unconverted and without true conversion and regeneration no salvation is to be expected 6. Seeing God is ready to forgive let us all endeavor to secure this blessedness to our selves 1. Let us seek it as earnestly as ever we sought any thing in the World 2. those that must shortly be arraigned If a guilty Malefactor knew

should we tempt people to eat more than they judge conducing to their health 9. Look upon the practice of the ancient Christians those great patterns of Abstinence They were much in fasting and prayer and strangers to Gluttony and excess Nay among the Heathens themselves we may find some great examples of temperance in this kind We read of the Platonick Suppers that were frugal and learned They cared not so much to fill the bellies as the minds of their Guests Their meat was good and sufficient but their discourse better We read also what Socrates said to his friends at his moderate Supper If ye be vertuous this will suffice If ye be not ye are not worthy of this And we read of some famous men of old who to divert and keep them from intemperance in this kind used to have some good Book read to them at their Tables that minding what was read might make them less mind their appetite This is reported particularly of Pomponius Atticus and Carolus Magnus and this custome came afterwards into Colledges and Religious houses and is observed in some of them at this day 10. Go sometime into the houses of the Poor and see what mean sare and provisions they live upon The very sight of a poor mans diet now and then methinks in all likelihood should do a voluptuous Glutton good Seeing affecteth more than hear-say 11. Yet after all that hath been said take heed of running into the contrary extream place not more Religion in external abstinence and fastings than you ought to do Do not think that abstaining from flesh on such and such dayes and glutting your selves with fish or other delightful meats is pleasing to God or acceptable in his sight Neither think that abstinence from meats will prove you holy without abstinence from sin Where hath God required of you that you must eat no Flesh for forty dayes together at one time of the year or for two or three dayes in a week God hath indeed injoyned us temperance at all times And every one should duly consider his own constitution and temper and how far either eating or fasting may be a help and furtherance to him in his duty towards God and so without raising perplexing scruples to himself make use of them accordingly CHAP. V. Of Drunkenness IN treating of this subject I shall proceed in this method 1. I shall shew what is to be esteemed Drunkenness 2. What are the causes of it 3. The heinousness of this sin 4. Shall answer the vain excuses that persons addicted to this vice do usually make for themselves 5. Shall give some remedies and directions against it For the First What is to be esteemed Drunkenness Drunkenness is a voluptuous excess in drink to the depravation of reason Drunkenness and Gluttony are sins much of the same nature only there is this difference The understanding usually is more hurt and the reason more disturbed by excess in drink than by excess in meat Drunkenness doth usually more brutifie a man and make him more like a beast than excess in eating doth and so is a more scandalous sin And therefore humane Laws have provided a penalty against Drunkenness but not against Gluttony Now Drunkenness in the largest sence extendeth both to the affection and to the effect He is a Drunkard reputatively and in the sight of God who would drink to excess if he had it and would lie at the Ale-house or Tavern and drink as others do but cannot by reason of his want of money so that he is not restrained by his will * Voluntas est homo nihil aliud sumus nisi voluntates August but by his necessity And further you must observe that 't is not only the highest degree of drunkenness that is to be called by that name but lower degrees of it also that disturb and disorder the reason and understanding of a man may justly so be called There are several degrees of drunkenness short of the highest They that drink beyond what nature or moderate refreshment require and spend whole dayes or a great part of them at Taverns or Ale-houses at that vile exercise of drinking though they do not drink themselves drunk and can bear it and carry it away better than others yet they are very culpable in the sight of God Some men that can bear much drink without intoxication may be more guilty in the sight of God of excess than others who by a small quantity upon a surprize are drunk before they are aware He that hath by drinking disturbed his reason and disabled and hindred it from the performance of its proper work and office is drunken in some degree But he that hath quite disabled it is stark drunk I know it will here be said that a glass of wine or strong beer moderately taken is many times very useful to give a man an assistant alacrity in his work and duty and the service God requires of him No doubt a man may lawfully add the refocillation refreshment and alacrity to his Spirits which maketh him more ready and chearful in the duties of his general or particular calling But the excess is that which we here speak against as that which is alwayes to be avoided And so much of the first particular what drunkenness is 2. We come now to inquire into the causes of drunkenness And we shall find there are many causes of it 1. An inordinate love unto and an eager appetite after drink which some have brought themselves unto by their deboshes and excesses These persons have so much of the brute in them and so little of the man that their appetite is quite too hard for their reason They will tell you possibly that they know they should abstain but they cannot and why can they not namely for want of a resolved will And thus going on in this wicked course their immoderate appetite to drink draws them to drink till they are drunk and that drunkenness causeth a praeternatural thirst and that thirst a new drunkenness and so adding drunkenness to hi●st Deut. 29.19 They by degrees inslave themselves to this vice 2. Love of good fellowship as they call it and merry company where they drive away all thoughts that favour of sound reason the fear of God or care of their Souls They love such company where they may talk their pleasure over their cups and may laugh and scoff at those that are seriously Religious and dare not do as they do But alass the end of such mirth what is it but heaviness and grief and vexation of spirit Poor Wretches Is this the merriment you so much covet and delight in keep it to your selves No wise or good man envies you or would be your Partner in it upon any terms Were I your enemy I would not wish you so much harm and misery as you voluntarily choose for your selves 3. Slight thoughts of this sin not considering that 't is one of the black list which excludes

Souls How ready was he to comply with his Fathers will The Cup that my Father hath given me to drink shall I not drink it sayes he John 18.11 and Luke 22.42 Father if thou be willing remove this Cup from me yet not my will but thy will be done 1 Pet. 2.21 Christ suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously 4. He teacheth this lesson by his Spirit Now the spirit teacheth contentment these wayes 1. By convincing the Soul of the reasonablnest of it He shews that it is most fit and reasonable that God being our Creator and having absolute soveraignty and dominion over us and being infinitely wise holy just and gracious we should submit to him and lie at his feet 2. By strengthning our faith in the promises of God 3. By strengthning our hearts to bear the burden of afflictions Eph. 3.16 We are strengthned sayes the Apostle with might by his spirit in the inner man And Col. 1.11 Strengthned with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness And 2 Tim. 1.7 God hath not given us the Spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound mind 4. By shedding abroad a sense of Gods love into our hearts Rom. 8.16 The spirit beareth witness with our spirits that we are the Children of God and if Children then heirs heirs of God and j ynt heirs with Christ And so we rejoyce in hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.2 And this hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the H●ly-Ghost which is given unto us And thus we see how Christ teacheth this lesson by his word by his example and by h●s Spirit Would yo● learn this lesson put your selves under Christs institution Particularly labour to practice these things 1. Break off your sins by true repentance and secure the pardon and forgiveness of all your transgressions by Faith in Christs blood A condemned man hath no contentment in any thing he enjoys But a man pardoned is content and well pleased with a Morsel The Apostle tells us Rom 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus There may be much tribulation to such but thanks be to God no condemnation 2. Labour to be holy in all manner of conversation For Godliness is profitable unto all things having the promises of this life and t●at which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Keep and cherish a good consci●●ce and a good conscience will cherish and comfort you 3. Prepare for afflictions and think it no strange thing when they happen to you And when they come meet them as discreet Abigal met David Let not my Lord be angry Beg of God that though he do chastise thee yet he would not be angry w th thee Earnestly implore him that though there be much bitterness yet there may be no wrath in thy Cup. And pray also that all your afflictions may be sanctified to you and may do you that good which God sent them for And be more careful of your carriage under afflictions than troubled at them 4. Moderate your desires after worldly things Though God cut you short as to the things of the world yet think often of your portion and inheritance in the other life Take Mr. Herberts pious counsel Pag. 131. Content thee greedy heart Modest and moderate Joyes to those that have Title to more hereafter when they part Are passing brave Let the upper Springs into the low Descend and fall and thou dost flow What though some have a fraught Of Cloves and Nutmegs and in Cinnamon sail If thou hast wherewithal to spice a draught When griefs prevail And for the future time art heir To the Isle of Spices is' t not fair 5. Be humble under a sense of your own weakness and earnestly beg strength from Christ to inable you to be content in every condition A Believers strength both for doing and suffering the will of God is from Christ Psal 131.3 When I cried unto thee saies the Psalmist thou strengthnedst me with strength in my Soul 6. When thou art strengthned to bear afflictions with a quiet placid and sedate mind give all the glory unto Christ and say as Paul did 1 Tim. 1.12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me 7. Be not secure but watch and pray lest you enter into temptation Moses though the meekest man upon the earth in his time yet once fell into such a fit of discontent and passion and spake so unadvisedly with his lips that God was angry with him and would not let him go into Canaan Now if a person of so eminent grace so failed what eruption of discontent may we be subject to if left to our selves CHAP. VIII Of Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness IN handling of this Subject I shall proceed in this Method 1. I shall shew what Covetousness it 2. In what particulars it discovers it self 3. The causes of it 4. The marks and characters of such as are covetous 5. The great evil of it 6. I shall give some directions and prescribe some remedies against it For the First Covetousness is an inordinate and excessive love of riches and an immoderate desire and hankering after them The simple desire so riches is not Covetousness but an inordinate and over-greedy desire of them And therefore this sin is especially in the heart One may have little and yet be Covetous One may be rich and yet free from Covetousness 2. Covetousness discovers it self in these Particulars 1. In getting wealth unconscionably without regard either to Piety Equity Justice Charity or Humanity When men have their hearts so bent and set upon the World that they use indirect means to get it such as are Oppression Over-reaching Cheating Lying Stealing And so in treasuring up Wealth they treasure up wrath to themselves 2. In an unduede taining and with-holding from the Poor through hard-heartedness and penuriousness what is fit to be given to them When a man is so strait-hearted and strait-handed in works of Charity so cruel so hard and miserable that he gives not at all to the poor or very little and only what is extorted from him with great difficulty and importunity When men are continually hoarding up for themselves but have no bowels or pity for the poor or their indigent relations and though they have enough and abound yet are inordinately carking and caring for more still being perplexed with an Infidel fear lest they should want when they are old Like Symonides who being asked why he was Covetous in his old age Answered I had rather leave riches to my enemies when I die than stand in need of my friends while I live 3. In spending too sparingly and niggardly when men that have plentiful estates have not hearts to allow themselves