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A65555
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A practical and plain discourse of the form of godliness, visible in the present age and of the power of godliness: how and when it obtains; how denied or oppressed; and how to be instated or recovered. With some advices to all that pretend to the power of godliness. By Edward Lord Bishop of Cork and Rosse.
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Wettenhall, Edward, 1636-1713.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing W1512; ESTC R222295
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59,356
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200
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an Angel of Light yet certainly docendi causd doctrinally we may distinguish betwixt negligent loose Professors of Christian Religion at large and starch'd designing Counterfeits I take it to be the former sort the Apostle chiefly deciphers and condemns but I must not exclude the later What the Power of Godliness means we may collect easily by the Opposition it bears to the Form The Form is the imperfect Image and Shew the Power is that Energy Force Virtue and Efficacy which the Principles of Godliness understood and believed are apt to have upon mens Hearts and Lives In those men in whom a serious devout and self-denying temper a just and holy Life is found in those I say and in those alone the Power of Godliness takes place and appears Now as to the Phrase of Denying the Power of Godliness it is only an Hebraism a verbis ad facta ducta translatione applying that way of speech to things which properly belongs to words or verbal Assertions When we agree not to or when we oppose and gainsay any thing that is avowed to us we are said to deny it In like manner when we yield not to or oppose that force and efficacy which the Doctrine of Godliness in its own nature is apt to have upon us we are in the Apostles Language said to deny the Power of Godliness So that the general sense of these terms Denying the Power of Godliness is to obstruct and suppress that influence which the Christian Faith and Law believed and received would naturally have upon us The sum then of this part of the Apostles Prediction is that in the later Ages of Christianity there should be a multitude in the Christian Church who should retain only some knowledg usages and outward shew of Christianity and so the name of Christians but as to the Christian spirit and temper this they should oppress and destroy by wicked and abominable Lives § 4. Now I charge this Character upon the generality of Christians in the present age It is I say a sad truth and ought to be matter of deep and daily Lamentation that after so long enjoyment of the noon day light of the Gospel after so many amazing Blessings and awakening Judgments after our having been toffed and as it were emptied from vessel to vessel Jer. 24. 11. after so many pretended endeavors and perhaps real struglings towards the purest Reformation all that there is of Religion visible in the Christian Commonalty is only some superficial Knowledg of and a bold claim to Christianity some outside Formalities of Divine Worship and customary Devotions but as to a true sense of Piety and the real Fear of God as to a cordial Belief of the Gospel of Christ Jesus influencing and changing mens hearts and lives how rarely is it to be found How difficult to be effected Good God! In what a strange Latitude must the Name Christian be taken that we who at present live may in any proportion be truly denominated Christians § 5. Nor is this Charge at all extravagant or unreasonable it will be sadly made good by particulars I say then 1. The great business of the generality of men in the matter of Religion is fairly to raise and maintain a Form of Godliness And 2. The gaining and keeping a true Christian Spirit or Temper and living conform to the Christian Law or Rule is the care and exercise of very few That is to put both Propositions into one the generality amongst us in the Apostles Language Have a Form but Deny the Power of Godliness And this shall be made good by a particular examination of mens practices § 6. As to the former Branch the Pretences Claims and Practices which amongst men pass into a Form of Godliness are as various as their Conditions Educations Humour and Genius's I will enumerate here such as are most frequent amongst us And I must first mention what has been already suggested out of Rom. ii 20. Some measure of Knowledge and understanding in the Doctrine of Christianity is that upon which many set up for Religious and perhaps are reputed so both by themselves and others I send no man to censure others but let each man turn his eyes inward and see if that most of the Religion he has lie not in a Collection of Notions and Speculations treasured up in his Brain Some people would be content to call this Faith but it is too frequently only a Ferrumination or paltry stock of Opinions and though a man may have very much of Religious Knowledge and yet deny the Power of Godliness otherwise there could be no wicked men but Ignorants yet it is scarce conceivable that any man can be born or bred up and converse amongst Christians but he shall thereby become furnish'd with Knowledg which will suffice to a Form of Godliness There were a sort of men amongst the Jews which seem an exact Parallel of the Formal Christians of this Age I will therefore generally illustrate each particular with that pattern I mean the Scribes and Pharisees They were sensible there could be but two sorts of men in the world good and bad religious and irreligious Now what Stile had they for them John vii 49. This people who know not the Law are cursed Knowing or not knowing the Law with them constituted a man religious or irreligious I would not here be mistaken I am not decrying Knowledg but if Faith without Works be dead Knowledg or an empty pretence thereto when a man shall value himself solely thereupon in the matter of Religion must necessarily be a fallacious ground of Confidence and a meer Form of Godliness 2. Others there be who to their real or pretended Knowledg add a popular and specious Profession of believing the Religious Doctrines they are supposed to understand A Profession of Faith indeed all amongst us whether knowing or ignorant daily make or maintain And thus far none within the pale of the Church generally can be well imagined not to have a Form of Godliness But some are content to go along with the Herd and are as much unconcerned in their very Profession as in the Practice of Christianity If in common custom they are present at our Congregations and stand up at the Creed by that posture perhaps without Knowledg signifying their assent 't is in a manner as much Profession as can be perceived they make But others there are into whose company you cannot come though upon common business or civility but they will presently by head and shoulders fetch Religion into Discourse and tell you their concernments at the Atheism and Vices of the times Nay haply their very Looks Habit Gesture and Carriage of their Body are so managed that a man who converses not with them but only sees them pass by may easily espy therein the symptoms of a Religious Profession Far be it from me here to condemn Gravity serious or holy Discourse much less to censure the Confession or Profession of
will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live Here was Godliness indeed in Power and this was his comfort and support God knows saies he and my heart knows I am no hypocrite or only outside Saint But will a Form of Godliness should a man fall into such case and have need of refuge thereto yield him any such support or solace No certainly rather quite contrary Let one who has it be supposed in such case to reflect upon it himself and state His heart must needs tell him I am all outside I have thus long profest Religion but my business has been all along only to keep all fair before men before God and my own heart I have been still an Hypocrite And now my Wickedness has found me out and the vengeance of God arrested me for the satisfaction of his abused Grace and Patience A sad result God knows of Religion But suppose our way should be more smooth and we through the main course of our life escape any such disasterous state yet 2. The Deathbed or dying hour will come and both then and at Gods dreadful Tribunal nothing can support us but the comforts arising from pure Religion These indeed may as in the case of good Hezekiah when he had received the message of Death Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Isai xxxviii 3. And of blessed St. Paul I am now ready to be offered up and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day 2 Tim. iv 6 7 8. The answer of a good conscience before God and the prospect of an instant blessed state will support a man when his flesh and strength and life fail him But will the reflexion on a Form of Godliness then stand a man in this stead God knows clean contrary The formal Christians Conscience will then tell him Thou hast been all thy days but at best a guilded Hypocrite and now awaits thee nothing but a portion appointed amongst Hypocrites where shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth Matth. xxiv last Thou hast perhaps cheated men and endeavoured to cheat God but thou hast certainly and irremediably cheated thy self and now must go to that flaming Lake where eternally is to dwell whosoever loveth and maketh a lie for but one continued Lie indeed has all thy life and Religion been Thus will the immortal Worm then begin to gnaw and fill the brest with fire which shall never be quenched Now let all men duely consider this beforehand and think if a Religion whose returns or results upon our refuge thereto for comfort will be such as these ought to be satisfactory to them Lastly Let it be laid to heart how dishonourable and vile a meer Form of Godliness is in point of Religion if considered under the character it justly admits We read 2 Cor. xi 14. Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light whence I may reasonably argue Can Satan himself if he were to appear and converse amongst men transform himself into an Angel of light that is appear as pure as a blessed holy Angel then certainly could he ourdo in a Form of Godliness the exactest Practist ever engaged therein Now would a person that calls himself a Christian content himself with such a Religion as good an one as which or perhaps much a better as far as the Devil is more expert in the Arts of Hypocrisie Satan himself could have at pleasure if he were to be incarnate In the name of God then let each mans Soul abhor to rest in or satisfie himself with a meer Form of Godliness inasmuch as the most accomplisht kind is no better § 3. We will now suppose all whose Consciences tell them they are guilty herein really to dread either being found at last or at present continuing such It therefore now only remains to consider How Godliness may be asserted into its Power over our Lives and Hearts or What Directions may be given to this purpose And the Method or several Gradations by which Godliness obtains such power having been above so largely and plainly stated whosoever will reflect thereon and proceed thereby cannot be much to seek in this behalf Yet lest any should think that discourse to contain only too general matter of Direction and not suiting or answering sufficiently their spiritual needs I shall with regard to each of those several steps in which we above insisted set down such particular Advises as I hope may reach the case of the meanest of those who are really desirous Godliness may have its power over them It was said then The First step to the Power of Godliness is a Due understanding of the Doctrines of Christian Faith and Laws of Christian life such understanding therefore must be endeavoured by the meetest means God we know has for this purpose appointed the Ministry of his Word to this therefore we must constantly and conscientiously attend and that with teachable and humble hearts As new born babes desiring the sincere milk thereof that we may grow thereby 1 Pet. ii 2. Besides this some particular persons may haply have other private advantages namely pious and intelligent Friends good Books and what else is of like nature all which so as not to withdraw from or undervalue the publick ministration of the Word the primary means by God appointed we are according as we have them diligently to make use of till we have furnisht our selves with a competent stock of Christian knowledge Only it is to be remembred here endless reading and voluminous study in this case is not necessary There is a wide difference betwixt studying Christianity and studying Divinity betwixt treasuring up knowledge enough to save my own Soul and besides that furnishing my self with such a measure as may suffice both further to adorn mine own and conduct many others They who are concerned to be only sincere and honest Christians will do well to content themselves with the certain plain and undoubted points of Christianity conteined in our Creed and the other common grounds of Catechetical Doctrine which are neither exceeding numerous nor as they are and ought to be commonly explained very difficult being both designed and fitted by God for plain men and at first preached by such We know whose Character it is to be Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth 2 Tim. iii. 7. And we may observe when persons of ordinary education and condition grasp at more than an usual and plain stock of knowledg they are oftner confounded and a mused into whimsies than built up unto Holiness and Salvation The clearing therefore to themselves true and plain