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B07200 Good Christian looke to thy creede : for a true triall of an holy profession, and of the truth of religion, from all crooked by-paths. / By Richard Bernard rector of Batcombe in Sumersetshire.. Bernard, Richard, 1568-1641. 1630 (1630) STC 1941.5; ESTC S90465 12,536 39

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reformed in life and haue the stipulation of a good conscience as all haue that bee baptised with the holy Ghost which is that inward baptisme II. That he made a great and solemne Couenant then before God and before the Lords people 1. To forsake the Deuill the world and the flesh and neuer to be led by them 2. To fight under Christs Banner against all Christs and his spirituall Enemies continuing Christs faithfull Souldier and Seruant to his liues end III. That this Couenant thus made so solemnely so sealed with Christs pretious blood the performance of it will be assuredly required at his hands one day Q. How may a man stirre vp his soule to the thought of heauenly things and to amendment of life from the Lords Supper A. By considering what the whole action setteth forth vnto him I. A liuely representation vnto our eyes in the signes of the death and passion of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ the blessed propitiation and sacrifice for our sinnes II. Gods infinite mercie in giuing his sonne and Christs vnspeakeable loue in being willing to die for vs miserable sinners III. Hereupon to iudge of the desperate and vtterly forlorne estate of all mankinde with losse of Gods fauour and the hope of heauen being accursed for euer and damned in Hell if this had not beene a remedie beyond merit of all men and Angels and the worth of ten thousand Worlds And that therefore wee owe to God for this so vnspeakable a benefit our bodies our soules our goods our liues yea all and euery thing whatsoeuer we be to his glory and praise Q. Surely mee thinkes that these things should presse the most rebellious heart that may be to haue remorse for sinne and to leaue off all his impious courses and to set himselfe carefully to the holy seruice of his Maker and Redeemer But yet I finde by experience euery where that is not so What thinke you may be the cause that most for all this liue so securely without any feare of Hell and are so vainely confident of their enioying of Heauen and yet no better prepared for it A. The maine reason is the ignorance of their spirituall estate through the darknesse that is in them and inbred corruption dimming the eye-sight of the Soule that they cannot see what they are nor whither they be going Q. In how many things doe this ignorance of themselues appeare A. Principally in two things Q. Which is the first A. That they cannot be perswaded that they bee so bad as they indeed are This conceit we may see in Hazael 2. Kings 8. 13. who would no more beleeue what the Prophet spake of his cruell nature then hee could beleeue himselfe of a man to be turned into a dog The proud Pharisee denied himselfe to bee an extortioner or vniust Luke 18. 11. And yet he was full of Rauin Luke 11. 39. The Priests in Mal. 1. 6. 7. would not be held despisers and polluters of Gods Name nor the Iewes guilty of blood Ier. 2. 34. 35. nor the wicked at the last day to haue beene vnmercifull but will out-face Christ with a flat deniall Mat. 25. yea Peter was tainted with this conceitednesse for by no words of Christ would he beleeue himselfe to be such a Coward as to bee brought to deny Christ Matth. 26. and yet he did the malitious will not be malitious nor the proud proud nor the couetous nor the vaine glorious so nor so Q. How commeth this conceite to bee so strong in them A. Through ignorance of their owne corrupruptions the deceitfulnesse of their owne hearts and carelesnesse to try and search out their waies to know themselues Q. Which is the other thing in which the ignorance of themselues appeareth A. In being conceited that they are farre better then indeed they be The Iewes guilty of blood said we are innocent Ier. 2. 35. The blinde guides Matth. 13. will boast that they see Ioh. 9. 41. Rom. 2. 17. 24. They that are nothing yet will thinke themselues something Gal. 6. 3. Zidkias will suppose himselfe to haue the Spirit of of God 1. Kings 22. when it was a lying spirit of Sathan The Rich young man Matth. 19. 20. held himselfe perfect and wanting nothing such a conceited foole was the Laodicean Angell Reu. 3. yea there is a generation pure in their owne eyes and yet are not clensed from their filthinesse Pro. 30. 12. Q. What maketh them to be then conceited of themselues A. I. A flattering humour in them apt to soothe themselues in their owne conceit Psa 6. 2. And so to blesse themselues against all dangers Deut. 29. 18 19. Amos 9. 10. Esa 28. 15. Ier. 5. 12 13. Zeph. 1. 12. Psal 10. 6. II. Gods passing them ouer with silence and not afflicting nor punishing them wherevpon they thinke God to be like vnto themselues to allow of their courses Psal 50. 21. Else not to see or not to regard their wayes or seeing them yet that hee then forgiue them so doe they put Gods Iudgements farre away out of their sight Psal 10. 5 11 13. III. By comparing themselues first with their owne selues looking onely vpon that which they like and that which they thinke others will like in them as the Pharise who looked vpon his fasting praying tything Luke 18. and what euill he had not done but not what euill he did Secondly By comparing themselues with other like themselues doing what they doe the Pharises said doe any of the Pharises and Elders Ioh. 7. 45. 48 belieue on him so the false Apostles did 2. Cor. 10. 12. Thirdly By comparing themselues with such as are in their conceit worse then themselues Thus the Pharisee preferred himselfe before the poore Publican Luke 18. And the Elder sonne before his prodigall brother Luke 16. 29. Not then discerning his contempt to his Father and his vnnaturalnesse to his Brother Fourthly By comparing themselues with the Godly not in beholding their vertues but their falls from which if they can finde themselues cleere outwardly then they lift vp their crests and crow alowd in their owne praises IV. By doing sometimes some things which procure them some praises with the Godly as Iehu did who had Ionadab with him in his zealous prosecution of Gods Command against the house of Ahab and Baals Priests V. By hauing some forme of Godlinesse though they be without the power thereof 2. Tim. 3. 5. By saying some prayers by comming to Gods House they thinke the euils done is acquitted thereby Ier. 7. 10. and they for comming to heare God Word to be accepted of Christ Luke 13. 26. VI. By their outward prosperity and wealth sometimes so they doe thinke themselues wise Prou. 28. 11. and blesse God because they are rich though the manner of getting be naught Zacha. 11. 5. and hauing no changes like other men they grow secure without feare of euill Psal 10. 6. VII By their conscience lying a sleepe or dead in
them neuer troubling them which commeth to passe either through grosse ignorance or wilfull carelesnesse going on in sin and so grow obstinate through custome in sinning they conclude peace with God and so to be in a happy estate Deut. 29. 19. when all this time the strong man keepes house in them Luke 11. 21. VIII Because they liue perhaps very ciuilly and quietly walking in morall honesty with praise of men abstayning from outward scandalous courses whoredome drunkennesse coozening trickes and other foule euils which they see others to commit vpon which they conciude making withall a generall profession of Christianity that they are indued with heauenly graces of Gods regenerating Spirit not knowing or not considering that this may be but the restrayning power of God as in Abimelech Gen. 20. 6. or feare and shame with holding as it did the Enemies of Christ and of his Apostles Acts 4. 14. 21. or some awe and respect vnto some man of authoritie and wisedome as in Acts 5. 34. 38 39. or onely some pollicie to abstaine for a time as in Absalon and in Haman who forbore a space from outward 2 Sam. 13 22 violence Ester 5. 10. or it may be a well tempered nature guided by worldly wisedome and not by sauing grace IX Because they can and doe sometimes commend good things in those that are worthy praise doe allow of them and desire their company as Iehu did Ionadabs Adoniah Ionathans 1. Kings 1. 41. Darius Daniels good and liberty Dan. 6. or for that they can speake against the euill deeds of others iustly to be condemned as did the Scribes and Pharises Mat. 23. 29 30 34. vpon these things they conclude that they loue the Godly and hate the wicked and so thinke themselues to be in a good case when yet we see how the wicked may doe as much X. When some afflictions befall them then if they can say that these are crosses which God sends them for tryalls or for their sinnes and can say with some light sigh God haue mercy on vs and can say I pray God we may make a good vse thereof they conclude that they are penitent that they haue made a good confession and that they are humble and are very good Christians although they remaine altogether the same persons they were before These and many other such like reasons doe make them to thinke so well of themselues Q. But why doe not such labour to finde out their deceits and learne better to know themselues A. The Reasons may be these I. Their not giuing Credit to their Teachers instructions concerning these things and the need of trying themselues II. Their not discerning wherein other either are or can be in better case before God then they themselues for they perceiue not the inward power of Religion and liuely effectualnesse of grace they being sensuall hauing not the holy Spirit 1. Cor. 2. 9. 10 11 14. Iude 9. III. Their ignorance of the true meanes to finde out themselues and carelesnesse to know them thinking the labour but a needlesse curiosity IV. Their being busied about the World following their profits or pleasures or hunting after honours fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the minde as the Apostle speaketh wherewith they are so taken vp as they cannot possible attend to these things of an higher Nature and deeper straine V. Their presumptuous conceit of mercy and putting vp all on Christs score without any more adoe till they come to their sicke bed and to bid farewell for euer to the World VI. Their liberty which in many things they take to themselues agreable to their corrupt nature to the fashions and customes of the World according to the present times which they inwardly effecting neither can nor will let goe suffereth them not to come to a more narrow search of their wayes nor to a more strict examination of their courses VII The liberty which they see most doe take such as be of the wiser sort so reputed in the world learned men great persons in Church and common wealth whom they set before them as patterns and doe desire to follow VIII And lastly their Iudgement indifferent in Religions this or that they holding it fit for priuate persons to professe the Religion of the State be it what it will be without dispute whether right or wrong of God or man These if men would examine themselues throughly shall be found the reasons why men make no straiter steps in their profession of Religion Q. Verily it 's very likely but seeing too many make an indifferency of Religion Let mee question you further in a few things Tell me whether there bee any other Religion then the true Religion A. True Religion is the onely Religion and is but only one all other are superstitions and Idolatry and no Religion indeed but humane or diabolicall inuentions drawing men from the true God and worship of his Name Q. What is then true Religion A. True Religion and vndefiled before God the Father is the true worship and right seruing of him according to his owne Will in Spirit and in Truth Q. Seeing false religions will pretend much what are the certaine markes of true Religion differing it from all these false religions A. I. It teacheth and directeth to onely one and that the true and euer liuing God The Trinity in Vnity and the Vnity in Trinity II It teacheth and directeth to a true and right worshipping of the same God in Spirit and Truth III. It teacheth and directeth to one onely true Rule euen his owne Will made knowne hy his owne Word how and according to which this his worship is to be done and none otherwise IV. It teacheth and directeth man to the right knowledge of himselfe to know that he was perfect by Creation but by the fall is wholly corrupted and seperated from Gods fauour till reconciliation be made V. It teacheth and directeth to one onely most sure and certaine meanes of mans recouery into Gods assured loue againe euen by Iesus Christ his sacrifice mediation and intercession making an attonement and purchasing for vs an eternall inheritance VI. It teacheth and directeth vs how to bee thankefull for so great mercies both for matter manner and end thereof in well pleasing obedience to God in duties of loue and charity to our neighbour and to keepe our selues vnspotted of the world Q. This indeed is true Religion but now in your profession can you difference your selfe rightly by some one maine point or other from all sorts of wicked ones and from their paths of death and damnation A. Yes I suppose if you please to try me Q. How difference you your selfe from the Atheist and his Atheisme A. By beleeuing a God and liuing thereafter Q. How from the Gentiles the Heathen Idolatours and their Gentilisme A. By beleeuing one God the true God and worshipping him without any Idoll or Image Q. How from the meere Naturalist knowing God by his workes and