desperate danger testified with feasting before God with joy and gladness sending Presents to our friends and Portions to the needy 1 Chron. 16. 8 Chap. 29. 10 11. Neh. 8 10. Hest 9. 22. G God is a Spirit infinite eternal and unchangeable in his being wisdom power holiness justice goodness and truth Iohn 4. 24. Iob 11. 7 8 9. Psal 90. 2. Ia. 1. 17. Exod. 3. 14. Psal 147. 5. Revel 4. 8. Chap. 15. 4. Ex. 34. 6 7. H Holy Ghost is a true and co-eternal God with the eternal Father and the Son and is given to me to make me through a true faith partaker of Christ and all his benefits to comfort me and to abide nigh me for ever Phil. 5. 7. Gen. 1. 2. Is 48. 16. 1 Cor. 3 26. Chap. 6. 19. Acts 5. 34. Gal. 4. 6. Mal. 23. 19 20. 2 Cor. 1. 22. Gal. 3 14. Acts 9. 31. Iohn 14. 16. 1 Pet. 4. 14. Iohn 15. 26. I Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who in time became Man for his Elect Gal. 4. 4. Institution is an Act of Gods free Grace wherein he pardoneth all our sins and accepteth us as righteous in his sight onely for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone Rom. 3. 24 25. Chap 4. 6 7 8. 2 Cor. 5. 19. 21. Rom. 5. 17 18 19. Gal. 2. 16. Phil. 3. 9. M Mortification is that grace whereby our natural corruption is subdued and vivification or quickning is that grace too wherby inherent holiness is renewed in us Ephe. 4. 22 23. Rom. 6. 4. 11. 13. Col 2. 12. O Obedience now is a careful endeavour to give unfeigned obedience to all Gods commands according to that measure of strength wherewith God doth enable us Luke 16. 74 75. 1 Pet. 4. 2. 5. 1 Iohn 3. 3. Ch. 5. 3. P Petition is a prayer wherein we desire the preventing or removing things hurtful and the obtaining of things needful either for this life or that which is to come Isa 37. 20. Mat. 6. 13. Psal 6. 1. to 5. Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God for things agreeable to his will in the name of Christ with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies Psal 62. 8. 1 Io. 5. 14. Io. 10 23. Psal 32. 5 6. Dan. 9. 4. Phil. 4. 6. Gods Providence is his most wise holy and powerful preserving and governing of all his creatures and all their actions Psal 145. 17. Psal 104. 24 Isa 28. 29. Heb. 1. 3. Psal 103. 19. Matt. 10. 29. to 31. R Reconciliation is that grace whereby we are freed from Gods curse and restored to his fatherly favour Rom 3. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 8 9. Eph. 2 16. Col. 2. 21. Repentance is a saving grace whereby a sinner out of a true sence of his sin and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ doth with grief and hatred of his sin turn from it unto God with full purpose of and endeavour after new obedience Acts 11. 18. Ch. 2. 37 38. Icel 2. 12 Ier. 3. 32. Ch. 31. 18. 19. Ezek. 36. 31. 1 Cor. 7. 11. Isa 1. 16 17. S A Sacrament is an holy Ordinance instituted by Christ wherein by sensible signs Christ and the benifits of the new Covenant are represented sealed and applied to believers Gen. 17. 7. 10. Exod. 12. 1 Cor. 11. 23. 26. Sin is any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God 1 Iohn 3. 4. The Soul is the inward and spiritual part of Man which is mortal and never can dye Eccle. 12. 7. Mat. 10. 28. 2 Cor. 5. 8. Revel 6. 9. The Supper of the Lord is a Sacrament wherein by giving and receiving bread and wine according to Christs appointment his death is shewed forth and the worthy receivers are not after of a corporal and carnal manner but by faith made partakers of his body and blood with all his benefits to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace 1 Cor. 11. 23. to 27. Ch. 10. 16. Sanctification is the work of Gods free Grace whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness 2 Th. 2. 13. Eph. 4. 23 24. Rom. 6. 4. 6. T Thanksgiving is a prayer wherein we render thanks to God for his general goodness and particular favours 1 Sam. 2. 1 Psal 136. 1. Psal 103. 1. to 6. V A Vow religious is a solem promise unto God made by a fit person of some lawfull thing which is in his choice to restifie his love and thankfulness Deut. 23. 21 22. Psal 116. 12. W The word of God is the holy Scriptures imediatly inspired which is contained in the Books of the Old and New Testament 2 Tim. 3. 16. FINIS THE Faithful SHEP HEARD Guiding his Flock in a way of walking with God dayly CHAP. I. INdeavour to be sensible of thy original corruption dayly how it inclines thee to evill and indisposeth thee to good groan under it and bewail it as Paul did Rom. 7 24. tkâ—e special notice of your actual sins or dayly infirmities in thought word and deed Indeavour to make your peace with God for them two waies I. By repenting them and confessing them to God working your heart to grieve for them by some melting considerations as of Gods goodness to you thy unreasonableness and unprofitableness of sin the prejudice and damage thereof to the soul 1 Iohn 1. 9. II. By believing or casting your self wholly on Christs righteousness for the remission therof and reconciliation with God Rom. 3. 22 to 26. Cleaving to Gods promises of pardon and peace Isa 43. 25. Rom. 5. 1. waiting til the Lord shal speak to you Psal 85. 8. CHAP. II. GEt your union with and interest in Christ cleared and confirmed to you dayly more and more that you are a branch in his vine a member in his body 2 Cor. 13. 5. This may be done three waies I. By the dayly renewal of your faith in Christ especially of that act of faith whereby the soul knits or ties it self unto Christ casts or roules it self upon Christ for salvation Cause your heart in a solemn manner every day to act this part or put forth this primitive act of faith in view of the whole soul The dayly exercise hereof will increase and strengthen the divine habit of faith in the soul and make the soul sensible of the very act of it by frequent believing you shall feel at your very heart that you do believe so shall you have a witness in your self that you are in Christ 1 Iohn 5. 10. II. By examining your heart upon what grounds you take Christ to be yours and they are five 1. A fight and sence of your sins of the guilt power and punishment of them of your misery by them Matt. 9. 13. 2. Your want of Christ seen and felt at your very heart to justifie sanctifie redeem and save
SPIRITUAL FLOWERS FOR SAINTS AND SINNERS Gathered out of the Garden of the sacred Scriptures and Writings of Men famous in their Generations By ROBERT PORT Minister of the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST Eccles 12. ver 11. The words of the wise are as goades and nayles fastned by the Masters of Assemblies London Printed by G. Dawson for George Sawbridge at the Sign of the Bible upon Ludgate-hill 1655. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Courteous Reader THe Presse I confess is overpressed with some worthlesse works as I may call them raw Eructations of each petty Pamphletor and Readers are cloy'd and surfeited on variety in that kind And Censure being so busie every where blasting hopeful labours in the very bud might make me suspect this of mine Yet at an adventure among such a throng of Writers as pester the world I 'le croud in for company This Book thus compos'd and digested into heads was intended to have attended my service alone for ever but that some worthy friends whose judicious eye might becken me along to any good design attested seriously it would be very serviceable to Church and Common-wealth for the advance of holiness Whereupon I began to think with my self as the four Lepers 2 King 7. 8 9. I should not do well to hide or bury any thing which might do others good and therefore I have now adventured to publish it Yet let it not render the modesty of this Book suspected because it presumes to appear in company unmaned by any Patron if right it will defend it self if wrong none can defend it And now I beseech thee as well by my Epistle as by my Book labour to keep close to God in a loose Age spend not thy time in complaining of the licentiousness of the time in the mean time setting up a toleration in thine own heart and life Take heed in pleasing thy self in a bare formall profession labour to be rooted in Christ he who is but a visible Christian may in a short time cease to be so much as visible He who speaks of Christ but notionally may in time be won to speak against him Lay the foundation of mortification deep Love not the world Reserve no lust from the stroak of Jesus Christ Beware of scandals take them not where they are make them not where they are not the common sin of our times to black Religion and the Religious and then to fear and hate both Despise not the providences of God in the world they are signs of Gods mind though not of his love Delight in the publick Ordinances and highly esteem of faithful Ministers they and Religion are commonly blasted together Shun seducers sit down under a Minister as well as under a Preacher He who will hear every one may at length be brought to hear none Prov. 19. 27. And he who will hear him preach who ought not may soon be left to learn that which he ought not Preserve a tender conscience Every step thou takest fear a snare Read thine one heart in the wickedness of others Be not slight in Closet duties Oft think of God in thy particular Calling for therein thou thinkest thou hast least leisure but sure thou hast most need to do so In a word I wish thee as much delight and benefit in the perusing of my Book as it hath cost me paines in collecting digesting transcribing and reviewing of it And as this shall find acceptance with thee I shall as God shall give strength and more leisure yet further approve my self to be Thy Servant in the Lord to promots thy Faith and Comfort R. P. THE PRINTER TO THE READER REader be pleased to take notice that the Author of these Collections thus digested is preparing for the Presse these Books following viz. I. The holy Bible opened in severall Sermons upon choice Texts out of every Book in the old and new Testament 2 Light and Darkness or Truth by Scripture plainly confirmed and error confuted 3 The Saints rich Cabinet opened and presented to publick view Containing many choice and pretious Jewels all which are reduced into Theologicall conclusions Alphabetically disposed 4 Physicall Gleanings experimentally propounded 5 Emmanuel or God with us being an Annual Chronology from the year 1640. to 165â— methodically composed 6 The faithfull Shepheard guiding his flock to a constant walking with God 7 Evangelicall Legacies for Saints and Sinners tending to settle the wavering to stay the wandering and to strengthen the fainting Spiritual FLOWERS For SAINTS and SINNERS Admiring WE should admire nothing for or in it self but admire al things in God and God in all things Action A good aime doth not make a bad action good but a bad aime makes a good action bad Many times there may be sin in the action when yet the action may not be sin Actions A Christian may usually say that all is not ill in his evil actions nor all good in his good actions Good actions well done better our selves and benefit others Acknowledge It is good to acknowledge God to be just and 't is just to acknowledge God to be good in all his wayes Adversity 'T is better to be preserved in the brine of adversity then to rot in the honey of prosperity Affections When our affections and conversations are in heaven we injoy heaven upon earth Afflictions Afflictions are then a blessing to us when we can bless God for afflictions Sanctified afflictions as sickness crosses and losses are better than unsanctified health and gain Affliction seldome comes without being a temptation but temptation never comes without being an affliction to the Saints Being afflicted doth often discover Hypocrites yet being afflicted is no discovery of an Hypocrite Afflicted We are then truly afflicted for sin when 't is more for displeasing God than for the displeasure of God more that he is displeased by us than that he is displeased with us Alone Some men are least alone when most alone when Jacob was left alone he did wrestle with God All in all It is for none but him who is all and the fulness which filleth all in all to give to all abundantly Angry The world is angry with Saints that they are no worse and the Saints are angry with them and themselves that they are no better It doth not become us to be angry with God though God come to be angry with us He that is angry with his brother without a cause is in danger of judgement and he is likewise in danger of judgement who is not angry with his Brother when there is cause Anger can hardly be silent but that anger is admirable which speaks and sins not Be angry but sin not He that will be angry for any thing will be angry for nothing Antichrist See Maen of Sin Appearance Appearance in good is too little in evill 't is too much Appearing They for whom and to whom God appears much should appear much for God Many men appear righteous who are not righteous as
unwilling to do good that 's worst but some are willingly willing and that 's best 'T is not so much a mercy to have wherewithall to do good as to do good with what we have No man but he hath received more good than he hath done and hath done more evill than he hath first suffered and therefore should be content though he receive but little good and not discontent though he suffer much evill The good which we receive is not for our own sake and the good which we do is not by our own power it s the mercy of God that moves him to do any thing for us and that enables us to do any thing for him A man should not omit good when he hath nor commit evil though he have an opportunity to do it Inward goodness without an outward shew of it is like a tree without fruit useless And outward shews of goodness without inward sincerity is like a tree without heart liveless Goods Wicked men have their goods from the will of God but the Saints have theirs from the good will of God Men are not more happy in having more goods but in doing more good than other men Godliness a Mystery Though the mystery of godliness be not without great controversies yet great without controversie is the mystery of godliness Men that resolve to make gain their godliness will never gain godliness unless they resolve counter to make godliness their gain Some men instead of making godliness their greatest pleasure and gain make gain and pleasure their greatest godliness Gold a vanity Gold is a solid well compacted and weighty metall and yet gold not onely leaf gold or light gold but gold that 's weighty is lighter than vanity Glory In this life the glory of heaven is but revealed to us but in the life to come it shall be revealed in us The glory of all our hereafter glory will be an oneness of communion with the Father Son and Spirit Angels and one another in God who is one in all and all in one Glorifie We cannot be said to glorifie God though we do the things that glorifie him unless we do the things to glorifie him Gospel The Gospel discovers a just God to be a friend to unjust man without being unjust either to himself or man The Gospel of peace is a great blessing but the peace of the Gospel is a greater blessing The Gospel breaks hard hearts and heals broken hearts Grace One grain of grace is more worth than many pounds of gifts or a gift of many pounds Grace makes a man more a man and more than a man Grace is glory begun and glory is grace made perfect Seeing God will turn grace into our glory hereafter we should turn grace into his glory here The motions of grace are abundantly more excellent than the notions of grace That can never be a grace to the body which is a disgrace to the soul There are promises of grace and there are promises to grace The promises of grace are made good by working the grace of the promise in the soul But the promises to grace are not made good till the grace to which the promise is made be acted by the soul Grace out-works and works out sin in Saints Grace is the best wear for it wears not out in wearing all other things perish in the using The God of all grace and all the grace of God is engaged to keep the Saints to eternal life We may well wait for the Lords grace seeing the Lord waits to be gratious 'T is one thing to be wanting in grace 't is another thing to want grace All Saints have all grace in some degree but few have all grace in an high degree Going on in grace is a kind of growing in grace for growing in grace is not so much a new thing as the same thing renewed 't is acting the same graces over and over and better and better Abounding is growing in grace What could God do more for us than accept us of his grace and what less could God require of us than to accept of his grace Men may speak of grace unto us but God onely can speak grace into us Saving grace is everlasting grace A Saint feels the grace which he cannot express an Hypocrite expresseth the grace which he doth not feel The meanes of grace is but a mean thing if compar'd with grace which is the main thing There may be an omission but never an amission of grace A Saint doth not desire grace onely that he may be glorified but that he may glorifie God not onely that he may be saved but that he may be sanctified Greatness and goodness Goodness without greatness is better than greatnsss without goodness 'T is not mans goodness but Gods goodness which makes a difference betwixt man and man To be very great and very good is a very great good H Heart A thankful heart for all Gods blessings is the greatest of all blessings That mans heart can be but seldome pure whose tongue is often impure for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Some men set their hearts on that on which God would that they set onely their feet viz. the earth We have alas but too often our hearts to seek when we come to seek God whom we should seek and serve with all our hearts When the heart is upright with God he accounts all as well done as if all were not well done yea he looks on that as done which was never done The hearts of Saints are larger than their words but the words of Hypocrites are larger than their hands God brings his people into various conditions that they may know what is in their hearts towards him and what is in his heart towards them Worldly Happiness Corn and Wine and Oyle is the worldlings happiness and but a worldly happiness for when the world is at an end happiness it at an end with them Hatred Love The Devil doth not nay the Devil cannot hate a Saint so much as God loves a Saint Heaven While the Saints are on earth Christ is preparing heaven for them and them for heaven If we doe not find that in heaven which we did imagine yet we shall find more than we did imagine Helping-hand It many times falls out that that hand is farthest off from helping that is neerest at hand to help the helpless Holy Saints strive to be holy as God is holy they know they cannot be as holy as God is holy Holiness Our holiness causeth not Gods love but Gods love causeth our love A Christian should not onely be perfecting holiness but we should also be perfect in holiness He that loves not holiness in the seed time of his life cannot expect to reap happiness in the harvest of eternity Hope Patience A Christian should possess his soul in the patience of hope untill his soul possess that which he hath patiently hoped for Honour To deserve
honour and not to have it is better than to have honour and not deserve it None honour God so much and God honours none so much as the humble souls Humbled ones There are many humbled ones that are not humble ones He that humbleth himself shall be exalted but he that exalteth himself shall be humbled Hypocrites Saints The great difference between Saints and Hypocrites is this that the Hypocrite hath but the expression of grace the Saint the experience of it the Hypocrite hath the notion the Saint the motion the one reads hears and speaks of it the other sees tasts and feels it I Idle It s as great fault to be idle as to work on a Sabbath day Jest Earnest As a man should not construe that in earnest which is spoken but in jest so a man should not speak that in jest which may be construed in earnest Innocency Good meaning and innocency are careless and seldome fore-think what answer to make to their accusers whence Christ said take no thought what or how you shall speak Intention Not to intend what thou speakest is to give thy heart the lie with thy tongue not to perform what thou promiseth is to give thy tongue the lie with thine actions Self-Interest Self-interest carried on by policy puts many civil men into civill or rather uncivil war Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is not the Son of God because he is the Messiah but he is the Messiah because he is the Son of God Jesus Christ lost his own life that he might save the life of his own Though it grieves a poor soul that Christ was peirced by him yet it releives a poor soul that Christ was peirced for him Joy The joy of the holy Ghost is such as that there is both want in words and want of words to express it for 't is joy unspeakable and full of glory Our Masters joy enters into us here and we shall enter into our Masters joy hereafter 'T is the Saints greatest joy to enjoy God and to joy in God Joy is as troublesome in the time of sorrow as sorrow is in the time of joy Israels God The God of Israel will doe them good that do good to the Israel of God Judging Men judge of our hearts by our words and works but God judgeth of our words and works by our hearts Some mens judgements reside more in their wills than their wills do in their judgements Justified We are not justified by believing in Christ but by Christ beleived in us as a man is not healed by the applying of a plaister but by the plaister applied faith is not our righteousness for our righteousness is by faith K Kingdom The prophesies concerning Christs kingdom will not be compleatly fulfilled till Christs kingdom be fully compleated A godly man is as willing that the kingdom of God shall come into him as he is willing to goe into the kingdome of God God knowing God doth know not onely the meaning the sense of the words which man speaks but he also knows the meaning the aim the scope and the end of the man that speaks the word Knowledge Knowledge may be without grace but grace cannot be without knowledge 'T is better to have knowledge formed in one than to have a form of knowledge Knowledge helps much to practise and practise helps much to knowledge for if any man do my will he shall know the doctrine whether it be of God We may sometimes know that by others which we would never care to utter but we should ever take care how if ever we utter that which we do not know The most perfect knowledge that we have of God is that we cannot or do not know him perfectly 'T is one thing to know Christ by a relation made of him to us another thing to know Christ by a revelation made of him within us He that knows not God knows nothing L Laity and Clergy Among them that are called the Laity you may find many children of light and among them that are called the Clergy you may find many children of darkness Laugh 'T is better that men should laugh at us for being godly than that God should laugh at us for being ungodly Least most Men are then least in their own eyes when God is most in their eyes Learned A godly unlearned man is better than an ungodly learned man and a better Scholler The greatest Philosopher that ever was is but an ignorant sot to the simplest Christian A man may know the history of Christ and yet be ignorant of the mystery of Christ Learning Learning can onely a dorn religion but religion can onely bless learning so that learning is more beholding to religion than religion is beholding to learning Leaving Saints 'T is to be feared that they who leave the Saints of God will not cleave to the God of Saints Light Darkness God is light and in him is no darkness at all and we are darkness and in us is no light at all for our light is darkness Liking No man can either like all or be liked of all Little Much. Some have the art to make much of their little but few have the heart to make but little of their much The little which but one righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked Psalm 37. 16. Like to God Christians are not onely like God but they are also liked of God and Christians do not onely like God but they study also how to be like God Some men instead of being like God in this world are like the God of this world Mens Lusts Mens lusts are their Gods on earth but they will be their Devils in hell Life short So short and uncertain is our life that we know not whether he that is born to day may live to day for as soon as a man is born he begins to die Life eternal Eternal life is begun in this world for this is eternal life to know God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent John 13. 3. Living by Faith We live by faith and not by sight yet faith is seeing it is the evidence of things not seen for by faith we see the things that are not yet seen but shall be when we live by faith and not by sight Man lives by death for his natural life is preserved by the death of the creature and his spiritual life by the death of Christ Living to God They that live to God here shall live with God hereafter but they that live to the Devil here shall live with the Devil hereafter He lives long who lives well for time mispent is not lived but lost Living in sin They who live most in sin and in most sin are most dead in sin All men live move and have their being in God and yet most men are without God and strangers to the life of God Live A Saint had rather live at Gods determination than at his own choice his prayer is
are sweetned God doth not any time put off his people because he is not in a capacity to give mercy but doth many times put them off because they are not in a capacity to receive mercy Mercifull He that is mercifull to the Saints for Christs sake shall be rewarded by Christ for the Saints sake Miracles God doth not alwayes bind miracles to faith nor faith to miracles God will sometimes be beleived without them and sometimes spends them upon unbelievers Money Onely money well and lawfully gotten is good and lawful money Morality See Civility Mourning A godly man doth not onely mourn in secret for his publick sinnes but he also mournes in publick for his secret sinnes N Nature Grace Nature teacheth us to prefer our lives before the world and grace teacheth us to prefer our souls before our lives Naturall Spiritual Natural men will not do all they can spiritual men cannot do all they will We call fools naturals but we may and more truly call natural men fools Natural defects Natural defects are not the Creatures fault but the Creators pleasure and therefore he that finds fault with them finds fault with God That man hath a very ill nature who would have others be good to him but he himself loves not to be good to others Nothing There is a time when nothing a time when something but no time when all things are to be spoken That man hath nothing who wants Christ and that man who hath Christ wants nothing O Obedience 'T is obedience to disobey parents when we cannot obey them without disobeying God Offring The Offrings did not nor doe sanctifie the Altar but the Altar did and doth sanctifie the Offring Vain Offrings are offered in vain or they that worship God vainly do worship God in vain 't is to no purpose 't is nothing worth Omission Commission Omission of good is comission of evill One of Christs 'T is a great mercy to be one of Christs though but one of his little ones Orders of Men. In all orders of men the greatest part are out of order Ordinances Many use the Ordinances of God who make no use of them 't is indeed good to use them but the gain and sweetness is in making good use of them Christ certainly speaks to men in that ministry which speaketh men into Christ 'T is to be feared that they who turn their backs upon the Ordinances of God will at last turn their backs upon the God of Ordinances Opinion Most men have a good opinion of their own opinion though the opinion be not good To maintain an opinion because it s thine and not because it is true is to maintain thy self not the truth and so to prefer thy self above the truth Opportunity 'T is better to want opportunities for our hearts to improve than to want an heart to improve our opportunities Over-valuing self He that over values himself is usually undervalued by others Old New Testament In the old Testament the new was vailed in the new the old is revealed P Pardon God doth not onely give pardon to them that believe but he also gives faith to believe pardon Parentage See Vice Parts 'T is not the best part of a Christians excellency that he is of excellent parts Pass-time That is the best pass-time wherein the time is best passed Peace holding 'T is better to hold ones peace than by speaking to offend or to give an offence Physicians Physicians of greatest value are of no value in some cases but one may say of them miserable comforters are ye all Pleasing God As what Saints have pleaseth not God if offered without themselves so what they have from God doth not please them without himself The best way to please all or displease any with least danger is to please him who is all in all There is nothing so sweetly pleasing and pleasantly sweet to a gratious heart as to please God A Saint doth not onely seek to please God but also to be pleased with God not onely that his doings may be acceptable to God but also that all Gods dealings may be acceptable to him Passionate When others are passionate towards Saints Saints should be compassionate towards them Passion makes them fools which otherwise are not so and shews them to be fools which are so Poor Rich. 'T is the misery of the poor to be neglected of men 't is the misery of the rich to neglect God Pride God will stain the pride of all glory for indeed all pride will stain his glory Prayer Prayers not felt by us are seldome heard by God In prayer a Christian must not tell God what he shall give but ask God what he will give A Christian should watch unto prayer because of his adversary the Devil who watcheth him when and wheresoever he prayes Prayer is like Jonathan's bow which sent out the arrows but faith is like Ionathan's boy which fetcht back the arrows The Saints fare the better yea are far the better for one anothers prayers Christ doth not dehort us from speaking much but from much speaking in prayer A Christian sometimes prayeth to have what he wants and other times yea often at the same time he prayeth to want that he hath Wordless Prayers An heart without words is better than words without an heart in the duty of prayer Prayerful Praiseful He that is prayerful before mercy is received should be praiseful when he hath received mercy The returns of prayer call for the return of praise Prayerless The prayerless man is a godless man Praise A man should not praise his works but his works should praise him 'T is more a mercy to praise God for the mercies we have than to have mercies to praise God for Practise 'T is good to profess but practise is better yea of the two practise without profession is better than profession without practise Men cannot practise unless they know but as good they knew not unless they practise Precept Example Precepts without examples bind more than examples without precepts though examples are more prevailing than precepts Proud God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to that is assisteth the humble Portion The Lords portion is his people and the Lord is his peoples portion Promises God makes good all the good promises which he makes Wicked men may apply themselves to the promises but godly men may apply the promises to themselves God doth not onely give his people promises to believe but doth also give them to beleive the promises Many good promises are made which are not made good Profession 'T is not the onely profession of a Christian to make onely a profession 'T is not the profession but possession of Christ which is our hope of glory Prophet See Minister A Prophet may teach us but onely God can teach us to profit Providence Providence is creation continued or a creation in a new edition Q Quarrell not with God If God be better to others than he is to
wiser than others who indeed are otherwise for the most self-wise are very fooles Wicked Godly Wicked men are dead while they live but godly men live when they are dead Wicked men have what they enjoy but from the providence of God but godly men have what they enjoy from the promise of God The wicked man saith what I will is lawful but the good man saith what is lawfull I will Wife 'T is better to have a Wife without a portion than a portion without a Wife They who marry where they like not and love not are like to love where they marry not Will. God finds in every man a will to work upon but he finds not but makes any man willing to be wrought upon Judas Herod and Pontius Pilate fulfilled Gods will in be traying and crucifying Christ and so sinned not but they did it not to fulfill Gods will but their own and that was their sin That man hath no good will that wills no good God will accept the will for the deed when we are as willing to doe as to will the deed A Christian may desire that which God wills not and not sin in that desire and he may sin in desiring that which God wills 'T is not mans free will but Gods free grace which makes one man to differ from another in goodness Women See Young Word of God Some can read the Word of God who do not understand it and some do understand it who cannot read it The Word of God is not onely a pure but purifying not onely a clean but a cleansing Word 'T is not the word that man speaks nor the man that speaks the word which can convert a soul Word Works The word of life is best held forth in the works of our life Word In many their words are more than their intentions and their actions lesse than their words Word Sword The Word is Gods Sword and the Spirit is Gods Arme now as that famous Captain that had lost his sword told his enemies 't is not so much the sword as the arme unless the arme of the Lord be revealed the report will not be beleived The Spirit can save without the Word but the Word cannot save without the Spirit Blessed are they to whom the Gospel cometh not onely in word but in power in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit Words fit Fit words are better than fine for fit words are alwayes fine but fine words are not alwaye fit Writing Men should rather do things worthy to be written than write things worthy to be done though both are worth the doing World 'T is a sad thing for a man to be taken out of the world by death before he be taken out of the world by grace 'T is a mercy to have a portion in the world but to have the world for a portion is a misery He that loves the world much can love God but little They will buy the world at too dear a rate that pay but one sin for it The world is not answerable to nor able to answer our expectations 'T is not the having the world nor having an hand in the world but having an heart in the world which God disalowes Be wisely-worldly be not worldly-wise Works A Saint doth not so much do good works to live as live to do good works 'T is better that a mans own works than that another mans words should praise him The works which many men do do honour God when yet the men that do the works may dishonour God We work not our selves into Christ but Christ works us into himself Worth That place is worth the looking after which will make one lovely in the eyes of God Y Young Women If young Women were clothed but with the Silk of Piety the Sattin of Sanctity and the Purple of Modesty God himself would be a Suitor to them Z Zeal Many men have much zeal and little knowledge and many others who have much knowledge have but little zeal FINIS AN HOLY ALPHABET FOR YOUNG CHRISTIANS Being the principall points of Religion laid down in entire Propositions and express words of Scripture for the more Authority Whereunto is annexed THE FAITHFUL SHEPHEARD Guiding his FLOCK in a way of walking with God dayly By ROBERT PORT Minister of the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST London Printed by G. Dawson for George Sawbridge at the Sign of the Bible upon Ludgate-hill 1658. AN Holy Alphabet For Young CHRISTIANS The Principles of Religion IT 's onely asking the Question what is taking thereto the first words of the Proposition and the Proposition returns you the Answer Instance Q. What is Adoption A A Adoption is an act of Godsfree Grace whereby we are received into the number and have right to all the priviledges of the sons of God Proofe 1 John 3. 1. John 1. 12. B Baptism is a Sacrament wherein the washing with water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost doth signifie and seal our ingrafting into Christ and partaking of the benifits of the Covenant of Grace and our engagement to be the Lords Matt. 28. 19. Rom. 6. 4. Gal. 3. 27. The Body is the outward and earthly part of Man made of the begining of the dust of the earth Gen. 2. 7. Ch. 3. 19. C Calling effectuall is the work of Gods spirit whereby convincing us of our sin and misery inlightning our minds in the knowledge of Christ and renewing our wils he doth perswade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the Gospel 2 Tim 1. 9. 2 Thes 2. 13 14. Acts 2. 37. Chap. 26. 18. Ezek. 36. 26 27. Joh. 6. 44 45. Psal 2. 13. Creation is Gods making all things of nothing by the word of his power in the space of six daies and all very good Gen. 1. Exod. 20. 11. Heb. 11. 2. D Decrees of God are his eternal purpose according to the councell of his will whereby for his own glory he hath fore-ordered whatsoever comes to pass Ephes 1. 4. 11. Rom. 9. 22 23. E Election is the eternal and unchangeable decree of God whereby of his free Grace and mercy he hath made choice of some rather than others to bestow upon them eternal life and happiness and that for the glory of his free grace Ephes 1. 4. Rom. 11. 2. 5 6. Ephes 1. 5. F Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving Grace whereby we rejoice and rest upon him alone for salvation as he is offered unto us in the Gospel Heb. 10. 39. Joh. 1. 12. Isa 26. 3 4. Phil. 3. 9. Gal. 2. 16. An holy Fast is a religious abstinance from all the labors of our calling and comforts of this life so far as comliness and necessity will permit that we might be more seriously humble before God and more fervent in prayer Ecle 4. 16. Levit. 23. 27. Dan. 9. 9. 11. An holy Feast is an extraordinary thanksgiving for some notable diliverance out of some