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A67782 The whole duty of a Christian, or, The character of a true beleever, that walks in some measure answerable to the Gospel, his Christian profession, and the millions of mercies he hath received ... by R.Y. of Roxwell in Essex. Younge, Richard. 1653 (1653) Wing Y195; ESTC R6055 69,319 64

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of which he was hewen and is not onely humbled thereby but forced with an holy admiration to wonder at the marvellous and extraordinary change which God hath wrought in him and also instructed to trust onely to Christs obedience in whom onely our good works are accepted and for whom alone they are rewarded To shut up all he endeavours so to live as if there were no Gospel and so to dye as if there were no Law CHAP. XXIV 1. ONely it remains that you look your selves in this Glasse and ●ry your selves by this touchstone for though others may give a shrewd ghesse yet the Mother knowes best whether the Child be like the Father or no and the signs of Salvation are to be sought in our selves as the cause in Iesus Christ our Justification is to be proved by the fruits of our Sanctification and though faith alone justifieth yet justifying faith is never alone but ever accompanied with spiritual graces the beauties of the soul and good works the beauty of graces yea they are as inseparable as the root and the sap the Sun and its light and as Fire may be discerned by heat and life by motion so a mans faith may be discerned by the fruits of it Nor can any one be deceived except he desires to deceive himself for every particular man is either the Child of God or the Child of the Devil as Chrysostome hath it for there is not a mean betwixt them and there be more differences between the Children of God and the Children of the Devil then there are between Men and Beasts whereof I have named not a few for whatsoever you may find the one herein set forth to speak think or do the other does the contrary and to have the true Character of an unbeliever you need but read this Chracter of a true Believer backward understand all by the rule of contraries and be satisfied I speak this to Naturians onely for the regenerate man knowes the one to be so by what he is and the other by what he hath been neither is there one of all these signes or characters but each experienced Christian finds it in some degree written in his heart as his conscience can bear me witnesse And would you know whether you belong to Christ This will inform you you will by help from above endeavour to bring into captivity every thought and thing to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. 1 Joh. 2. 4 but so have not you in the least so long as you love not or any way oppose the people of God for the very first part of conversion is to love them that love God 1 Ioh. 3. 10. yea in reason if the Image of God by faith were repaired in thee thou couldest not but be delighted with those that are like thy self And what saith S. Iohn He that pretends interest in God or Christ and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him 1 Ioh. 2. 4. and in the third Chapter and eighth Verse he affirms plainly That all wilful Sinners are the Devils servants And indeed let men flatter themselves or pretend what they will it cannot be denyed but the fruit tells best the name of the Tree the conversation above all shewes who carries the bridle of the will whether God or Satan and did not men purposely shut their eyes and stop their ears and harden their own hearts least they should see and hear and so be converted as our Saviour himself speaks Metth. 13. 15. they could not but know that the whole Bible beats upon this It is Saint Pauls everlasting rule Rom. 6. 16. Ye are his servants to whom ye obey And Saint Peters infallible Doctrine 2 Pet. 2. 19. Of whom a man is overcome unto him he is in bondage And Saint Iohns In this are the Children of God known and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God but of the Devil 1 Ioh. 3. 8 10. And after this manner does our Saviour reason with the Iewes Ioh. 8. 33 to 48. See then whose Commands ye do Gods or Satans if Satans then saith Saint Iohn Let no man deceive you through vain words for he onely that doth righteousnesse is righteous and he that doth unrighteousnesse is of the devil 1 Ioh. 3. 7 8. wherefore if thou art a common Drunkard or a continual Swearer or an usual companion of Harlots or an accustomary Deceiver or a frequent ●landerer of thy Neighbour or an open and common Sabbath-breaker or canst thou boast of thy sin and mischief or defend it If thou makest no conscience of Praying in thy Family if thou callest evil good and good evil if thou hatest thy Brother for doing that which is good as Cain did Abel if Ismael-like thou mockest or Cham-like thou scoffest at the religious or usest bitter jests against them though it be under the notion of Round-heads Puritanes Sectaries Black-coats or the like if thou raisest slanders of them or furtherest them being raised if thou dost rejoyce at the secret infirmities of the godly or open scandals of Hypocrites if thou dost carp and fret against the Word refusing to heart it or withstandest the preaching of it if being a Minister thou disgracest or r●vilest the godly in thy preaching so making sad the hearts of the righteous or justifi●st the wicked so strengthening them in their evil courses by preaching unto them peace if thou hast a base esteem of Gods people and their wayes and thinkest the worse of a man for scrupling small matters if thou makest Religion a cloak for villany if thou dost borrow or run in debt without care to pay again if thou delightest in cruelty if thou takest no care to provide for thine own Family if thou hadst rather the wicked should bear rule then the godly if thou art an enemy to reformation if thou hadst rather disobey God then displease great ones if thou desirest peace without any respect to truth if thou dost allow thy self in the practice of any known grosse sin if thou takest liberty to sin because God is merciful and forbears to execute judgment speedily if thou dost not believe all things to be ordered by Gods providence and in particular acknowledge him in all thou either receivest or sufferest if thou murmurest when thou wantest any thing without ever thinking of the many things thou hast beyond thy desert if thou canst hear God blasphemed and dishonoured without being moved thereat if the scandalous lives of Professors or the multitude of Heresies that are daily broached make thee think and speak evil of the way of truth if thou didst never see thy self out of measure sinful as being many wayes guilty of the breach of every of the Commandements in particular and so in a lost condition utterly despairing of all help in thy self acknowledging that thou hast deserved all the plagues of this life and of that which is to come if thou art not as
very observable shall I shew you how the Lord bles●eth him in every thing he takes in hand or that does befall him I pray observe the severals and then if you be not yet a Beleever you will neglect no means indeavouror opportunity to obtain such a blessed condition the particulars are many I le mention a few only First if he be in prosperity as he shall be sure to have plenty of all outward things if God sees that it would be good for him so that he shall lend to others but shall not borrow himself He will be accordingly thankfull and as God blesseth him more or lesse so will he do good and the more rich the more rich will he be in good works and the more ready to distribute and communicate For he is pitifull and ready to shew mercy where is need and to defend rescue and deliver the oppressed out of the hands of their enemies and oppressors if he have power and opportunity to do it And by reason of his bountifulnesse to the poor he becometh more rich so that he is not more ready to pray for blessings in his want then he is to give thanks for them being obtained And be he never so rich he is not high minded neither does he trust in uncertain riches but in the living God For in his prosperity he forgetteth not his former low estate but is ever medi●ating upon and admiring the Lords goodnesse towards him Yea he sets a Memo●andum upon every remarkable mercy that he may not forget it and admires that God should set his delight and love upon him and choose him above many others and this makes him strive to surpasse others in his love and service to God again Whereas unbeleevers when they are waxed fat with the good blessings of God they will spurn with the heel and forsake God that made them not once regarding the strong God of their salvation but provoke him with strange Gods and other abominations but it fares not so with the Beleever neither doth he so requite the Lord And as he is thankfull to the Author so likewise to any that he shall make instrumentall for his good thinking himself bound to remember and requite good turns 2. Secondly if he falls into adversity or any kind of distresse he knowes it is sent of the Lord in love and to do him good and to give him occasion of rejoycing afterwards He w●●l considers that scarce any thing more proves us his then his stripes that stripes from the Almighty are so farre from arguing his displeasure that contrarily there are few better tokens and pledges of his adoption and love and that they are bastards and not sonnes who are without correction And so it is that as many as God loves he rebukes and chastens And as it is sent for his good so it doth him good crosses in his estate diseases in his body maladies in his minde are medicines to his soul the impairing of the one is the repairing of the other His sinne dies with his fame or with his health or with his peace or with his outward estate Yea it both lessons his sins and increaseth his graces for God sends him afflictions both for his instruction and reformation to scout away the rust of corruption and to try the truth of his sanctification for the increase of his patience and the exercise of his faith and the improvement of his zeal and to provoke his importunity and to double his obligation to greaten each other grace and to augment his glory Again he inflicts a lesse punishment to avoid a greater and by smarting in his body state or name he is saved from smarting in his soul He is chastened that he may be converted not confounded his worser part to wit his body state or name is impoverisht that his better part that is his soul may be saved in the day of Judgement But see it in some particulars as first how it makes him humble and thankfull for he not only calls to minde his own unworthinesse of the least mercy he still injoyes and how he hath provoked the giver for he is ever meditating of what Christ hath done and suffered for him and how he hath provoked Christ but he also compares what he suffers with what he might have suffered arguing thus with himself He that hath taken this from me might have taken more he that afflicts me for a time could have held me longer he that hath touched me in part could have stricken me in whole he that laid this upon my body hath power to lay a greater rod both upon my body and soul without doing me the least wrong And so goes on I was born a childe of wrath and whereas God might have left me in that perishing condition and chosen others he hath of his free grace adopted me and left others And this makes him cry out O the depth as a mercy beyond all expression saying further O my soul thou hast nor room enough for thankfulnesse And the truth is if we could but seriously think upon our deliverance from hell fire it alone would be thought cause enough to make us both patient and thankfull though the things we now delight in be taken from us And sure I am nothing can be too much to endure for those pleasures in Heaven which shall endure for ever O that we could keep fast in our memories but these two things and upon all occasions make use of them and consider withall that the least mercy is beyond our best merit And no better remedy for impatience then to cast up our receits and compare them with our deservings But secondly Gods corrections are his instructions his lash●s lessons his scourges schoolmasters his chastisements advertisements to him by feeling of smart he learns to decline the cause Yea this hath taught him to fly from the works of darknesse at a great distance and to consider as well the bitternesse of what will follow as the sweetnesse of a momentary pleasure and so cleared his sight that he can now discern sinne in all he thinks and speaks and does for he is ever bewailing his wants and weaknesses the hardnes●e of his heart want of faith c. Thirdly it abundantly increaseth his joy and comfort for admit Satan and the world should deprive him of all outward comforts at once yet God at the same time will supply the want of these with comforts farre surpassing and transcending them as first the assurance of the pardon of sinne alone is able to clear all storm● of the minde it teacheth misery as sicknesse poverty famine imprisonment infamy c. even to laugh for then let death happen it matters not when a malefactor hath sued out his pardon let the Assizes come when they will the sooner the better But to this is added the peace of conscience the marrow of all comforts otherwise called the peace of God which passeth all understanding and surpasseth all commending for never did