to keep you and me and all his for ever while we are here in our valley under the sense of such distempers as our greatest misery And therefore me thought it was a solemn sweet speech of an honest man to his friend who seeing him oppressed with such distempers as you mention and perceiving him to droop under them he came chearfully to him and suddenly said unto him I can tell you good news the best that ever you heard viz. Assoon as ever you are in Heaven you shall serve Christ without weariness Which words well thought on revived the man That which I would speak with as much tenderness of compassion as I am able to you I refer to these things 1. That a child of God is never usually weary of the duty but rather of his vile heart to think of to look upon that in the duty Christ's yoke is easie and his burthen light to him that takes it on his neck and puts his Soul under it The duty nakedly considered in it self is glorious in his eyes and sweet to his Soul and hence sometimes never well but when he considers his dead blind barren and senseless heart that he is to carry to the duty and that he fears and has felt will abide with him in the duty Oh! this grieves here the Soul pincheth An Hypocrite is weary of the duty a child of God rejoyceth in it but he is weary of his sin and unsavouriness and weariness in the duty I perswade my self Sir that you may soon mistake your spirit herein you think you are unwilling to come to the duty and are weary of it when indeed it is your glory joy and love but it is because you fear you can do it no better that troubles you that you have such a vile heart in it And if your trouble be from hence the good Lord increase ir in you daily and withal bless the Lord and say Lord tho' I am weary of my vile heart in these days of humiliation in these Sabbaths yet I hless thee the days and duties themselves thou knowest are dear unto me It is not Lord because I am weary of thy word but because I can do it no better I am weary of my self and this vile heart here is much love in such a spirit to the Lord. And believe it Sir your love wants not its recompences and remember that the Lord respects you not according to your duties done but according to your love in them to them And therefore those duties you are ashamed to own the Lord will not be ashamed to crown 2. Consider you must and shall be baited with these distempers of heart sometimes more and sometimes less as long as you live It is part of Pauls body of death which he must carry with him till he come to bury himself 3. Those means which may help you to be freed from them a little at least are these among many 1. Be but truly and really not by fits and darkly sensible of them men in deep miseries are not unwilling to be helped out 2. Judge ye not rigorously of God altho' he were a bloody austere God as he did of his master whose talent he had and hence never improved it but look upon God as having a Fathers heart and affection towards you in the meanest greatest performances which is double either to give you strength to do what you cannot I can do all things through Christ or having come to him for it to accept of what you would do for him as if it were done and this will make you joy in the poorest performance that tho' it be never so full of vileness yet the Lord out of his fatherly love accepts of it as glorious 3. Renew morning and evening by sad and solemn meditation the sense of Gods love to you in Christ and in every duty that he sets you about and love will love and like the yoke and make the commandments that they shall not be grievous to you Thus I have briefly done with your new troubles which you mention you say because you may not have the like opportunity of writing again It may be so and therefore I have desired to satisfie you which I beseech the Lord himself to do Next you come to reply to my first Letter of which I have kept no copy as I never did of any and hence may and do forget what I writ then unto So much light as your Letter lends me to bring things to mind I will gladly take and be more brief in answer Quest 1. You find the strength of grace to be got in you rather by argumentation then inward communication and influence arising from the union to Christ And this troubles you Answ To which I answer these three things 1. That as the old sinful nature is communicated from Adam the first to us without any argumentation so the new nature which is the seed foundation and plot of all grace is diffused into us by the second Adam when we are united to him without argumentation It is only by divine operation The Lord leave not me nor any friend I have to a naked Arminian illumination and Perswasion 2. That to the increase of those habits and drawing out the acts of the new creature the Lord is pleased to use moral and rational perswasions as in the instance you gave Christ died for us then hence the love of Christ constrains but remember withal it is not the bare meditation or strength of reason or perswasion that elicits such divine and noble acts in the heart and affection but it is the blood of Christ sprinkling these serious meditations that makes them work such graces in the Soul which I might shew at large which blood is the salve tho' argumentation is the cloth or leather to which it sticks by which it is applied but from such leather comes no vertue all of it is from the blood of Christ which by argumentation heals the Soul For if it were nakedly in the argumentation to stir your heart and to work strength of grace what should be the reason that sometimes you are no more moved by all your argumentations than a mountain of brass is by the winds why should the same truth affect you at one time and not at another when you are as filthily disposed to be affected as at the first Therefore consider it is not your reason and argumentation but Christ's blood that doth all by as admirable and yet secret operation 3. Your union to Christ on your part is begun and partly wrought by the understanding and hence the good that you get by it at any time it is from your union or part of it at lest Quest 2. Again you ask me whether Calvin doth not express fully my thoughts about our Spirituall union in his lib. 4. cap. 17. Answ I answer I have forgot what he has writ and my self have read long since out of him and for the
present I have no books about me where I am and therefore cannot satisfie you in this neither know I when I shall seek to find out the book and place If I have leisure I will either write to you or tell some of your friends before I am gone what he hath said or writ that way c. Quest 3. Again thirdly You desire me to tell you how my self came to the cure of Atheistical Thoughts and whether they did wear out or whether they were rationally overthrown Answ I answer at first they did wear out meeting with fruitless and dead-hearted company which was at the University 2. The Lord awakened me again and bid me beware lest an old sore broke out again and this I found that strength of reason would commonly convince my understanding that there was a God but I felt it utterly insufficient to perswade my will of it unless it was by fits whenas I thought Gods Spirit moved upon the Chaos of those horrible thoughts and this I think will be found a truth 3. I did groan under the bondage of those unbelieving thoughts looking up and sighing to the Lord that if he were as his works and word declared him to be he would be pleased to reveal himself by his own beams and perswade my Heart by his own Spirit of his Essence and Being which if he would do I shold account it the greatest mercy that ever he shewed me And after grievous and heavy perplexities when I was by them almost forced to make an end of my self and sinful life and to be mine own Executioner the Lord came between the bridge and the water and set me out of anguish of spirit as she prayed for a child to pray unto him for light in the midst of so great darkness In which time he revealed himself manifested his love stilled all those raging thoughts gave return in great measure of them so that tho' I could not read the Scripture without blasphemous thoughts before now I saw a glory a majesty a mystery a deprh in it which fully perswaded and which light I desire to speak it to the glory of his free grace seeing you call me to it is not wholly put out but remains while I desire to walk closely with him unto this day And thus the Lord opened mine eyes and cured me of this misery and if any such base thoughts come like Beggars to my door to my mind and put these scrupies to me I use to send them away with this answer Why shall I question that Truth which I have both known and seen Object But you say this remedy is good viz. of prayer but that you cannot use it especially because you question the truth of God Answ Yet dear Sir give not over this Trade you will doubtless find it gainful when it may be God hath laden you more with these thoughts and made you loath your self for them But the thing seems strange to me if I mistake you not viz. that your heart will not be perswaded but that you must resolve your doubts concerning the perfection of Scripture not by seeking to harmonize those passages that seem to cross one another but by ascribing some humanity or error if I may interpret you to the pen-men seeing St. Paul saith We prophesie but in part and seeing one of the Evangelists leaves out the doxology in the Lords prayer Sir if you can take these thoughts arising from these the like grounds as your burden I do not blame you but pity you in that respect but if your judgment indeed think so I am sorry you should harbour such thoughts one hour within doors for you know that holy men writ the Scriptures but so far they might err but it is added as they were inspired or as the Original has it as they were moved or carried in the arms of the holy Ghost and so how could they err how could God lie It is true Paul did prophesie but in part and is this an argument because he did not prophesie fully therefore in some things he did not prophesie truly I am perswaded you will say there are many things my poor thoughts have suggested to you as true and yet I am perswaded I do in them prophesie if I may so say but in part The Spirit of God directed the four Evangelists to write yet so as they did not all write what another writ but in great wisdom left some things doubtful and short in one which are more clear and full in another and hence the Doxologie is fully set down in one and not in another and many reasons I could set you down why but that it is needless I grant you ought not to put up all with a charitable opinion of Scripture but if you can by reason reading and comparing help your heart to a full perswasion this is Scripture but many things you cannot get satisfaction for by that way and means but still your Spirit will be left dark and doubtful What course will you here take for resolution which is Scripture The Papists say it is so because the Church has christened it for Scripture you say you will see reason for it that it is so or else you cannot be satisfied then I fear you will never be sarisfied I think In this case therefore these two things you are to do 1. To go to God by prayer to give you a resolution of all your doubts and by some means or other some light to see whether this is his word or not Secondly if this be his word then he would perswade your heart of it that it is so For the least resolution which is Scripture and which is not is made by the same perswasion and sole perswasion of the same Spirit that writ the Scripture Concerning the Angels that appeared to Mary see Gerard and he briefly I think will satisfie you in your answer to the particular scurples about the Scripture sense and the dissonancy of them Only this I will add to the last clause about these things that if the Scripture be inspired by the holy Ghost that not in the sum and substance of it but to every word and sentence of it which I think you will not doubt of when you have considered it then I think it will undeniably follow that the same Spirit of truth is also a Spirit of order and hence the method of various penning of it is from the Spirit too which you say you stick at Answ 2. Again to your third thing concerning your spirit being burthened with involuntary infirmities as burdens but not as sins I say nothing now because I preceive by one part of your reply that the Lord has done you some good by the first answer only it is your grief you cannot fear them nor condemn your self for them as damning sins For satisfaction of which I hope this reply to your second trouble will give you some satisfaction Quest 4. Again to your fourth
being no piece of Christian wisdom or honesty to turn round in worldly imployments so long till by giddiness we fall down but by secret steps ever and anon to look up to heaven and to behold the face of God to whom only there in we are to approve our selves But yet it seems your thoughts are so far from being subservient the one to the other that you are distracted and molested your peace interrupted and your Christian course made troublesom and an heavy but then which surely cannot be by the yoke of JesusChrist therefore you must first bring your troubles in this particular to this issue either you may follow your civil affairs and nourish these thoughts as helps to maintain your peace and make you heavenly minded in them and if they serve sufficiently to such an end why are you troubled with them or else you cannot follow God comfortably in civil actions unless you banish from you thoughts which do so miserably distract you and then why do you fear you shall grieve Gods Spirit if at the same time you do not give entertainment to them the unseasonableness of which speaks plainly they came not from the spirits suggestions besides their hinderance of comfortably walking with God which the imployments themselves can never hinder But you will say When is the season of nourishing such thoughts I answer Entertain those thoughts as it may be you have done some Friends who came to you at that time you have business with strangers whom you love not so well as your Friends you have desired them to stay a while until you have done with the other and then you have returned to your Friend and when the other has been shut out of the doors the other has had the welcom and has lodged with you all night and thus you have gâ—ieved neither but pleased both It is so in this case Worldly employments are our strangers yet they must be spoke with Religious thoughts and practices are our Friends these come unto us while God calls us to parley with the other you cannot speak with both at one time in one place without much perplexity Take therefore this course make much of the good thoughts but parley not with them till your business is done with strangers and towards evening which is your season set some time apart every day for meditation and then make them welcome then consider and ponder well what was suggested to you in the day time and sift every good thought to the bran for then is your season and after that let them sup and lodge with you all night and keep the house with you every day And surely when the Lord Jesus shall see what a Friend you shall make of his Spirit and how wisely you walk therein you shall not need to fear any grieving of it or unseasonable times nay I say you will most fearfully grieve his Spirit if you parley with the conceived suggestions of it at unseasonable times What thou dost do it with all thine Heart saith Solomon Eccl. 9. Therefore when you are to pray confer or meditate do it with all your mind and all your thoughts and all your strength So when God calls you to worldly employments do them with all your mind and might and when the season of meditation comes take it which glorious ordinance of God although many Christians use it occasionally and against some good time or when they have leisure meeting with them yet to set some time apart for it in a solemn manner every day and that in conscience as we do for prayer generally where is the man to be found that does thus Those men that thus neglect their season of musing and entring into parley with Gods Spirit daily may be well said to grieve the Spirit through the neglect of which ordinance Gods Spirit is as much grieved by Professors in England as by any course I know The Lord awaken us but I have run too far already in this first part of my answer â—2 Means For the second means viz. how the soul is to carry it self in Civil employments that so you may not think you do for better when you listen to good thoughts as you mention 1. I say but two things 1. Learn to follow them out of an awful respect to the eye presence and command of Jesus Chrift and to do what you do in Civil businesses as the Work of Christ When you are riding or making up breaches between man and man then think I am now about the work of Jesus Christ 2. Secondly seeing your self thus working in worldly employments for him you may easily apprehend that for that time God calls you to them and you attend upon the work of Jesus Christ in them that you honour God as much nay more by the meanest servile worldly act than if you should have spent all that time in meditation prayer or any other spiritual employment to which you had no call at that time It is noted therefore by some of Peters Wife's mother that when Christ had healed her of her Fevor she sate not down at Table with Christ in communion with him which no question was sweet but ministred at the Table and ran too and fro and so served him and acted for him wherein she shewed more love and gave him more honour viz. in that mean service and in acting for him than in having communion with him now if the Lord would out of his abundant goodness set the Soul in such an acting frame for him and if it could do iâ—s worldly employments as the Work of Christ and see how greatly it honours Christ in attending on him Oh what peace should a Christian enjoy notwithstanding all his dislractions every day And how easily would such devout thoughts you speak of be repell'd like darkness before the light for the nobleness of those good thoughts you speak of presenting themselves against the mean and base outsides of Civil affairs makes you ready to honour the one when you are call'd to serve the other but now by seeing you do the Work of Christ Jesus in them you shall hereby see a glory in the meanest service you perform in Civil affairs and this will make you cleave unto them But I have said too much about repelling of good thoughts in these times wherein men have to few though it may be little enough to satisfie you Quest 2. Your second trouble is this viz. that your Heart is kept from being humbled for sinful distractions that hinder and interrupt the spiritual performance of holy duties and that for two reasons First Because they be involuntary and accidental Secondly Because they cannot break the Covenant between God and your Soul being but infirmities Answ For the latter clause concerning breach of Covenant together with the other 1. I say not only infirmities do not but the greatest sins cannot make a breach of Covenant between God and the soul that is once really not
rationally wrapt up in the Covenant of grace Indeed gross scandalous sins nay infirmities when they are given way to and not resisted may keep the soul from the fruition for a time of Gods Covenant but never from the eternal jus and right unto it for as the habit of Faith or Grace gives a man a constant right to the promise and Covenant which seed ever remains which habit ever lasts Jer. 3. 9. so the act of Faith or Grace gives a man fruition of the Covenant and the benefit of the promise and hence by the acting and venting of some sins wherein there is included the neglect of the exercise of grace He that is really in covenant with God may be deprived of the fruition of it yet seeing the seed of God and the habit of grace ever remains he cannot by any sin break his covenant for the covenant of grace is absolute wherein the Lord doth not only promise the good but to begin perfect fulfil the condition absolutly without respect of sin ex parte creaturae Indeed if Gods covenant of Grace did as that of works depend upon man to fulfil the condition having sufficient grace to fulfil it then gross sin might well break the Covenant but seeing God hath undertaken to fulfil the Covenant absolutely not withstanding all the evils and sins of the soul no sin can possibly break that knot and covenant which so firm and resolute love hath once knit And therefore if this be a good argument Infirmities cannot break covenant What cause have I to be humbled for them so as to say It is thy mercy Lord that I am not consumed for them as you write you may upon the same ground say so If the Lord should desert you or you for Take the Lord and so fall into the foulest sin which I suppose corrupt conscience dares not be so bold as to think or allow of 2. Secondly I say the least sins or infirmities do break the first covenant of works and hence you do not only deserve but are under the sentence of death and curse of God immediatly after the least hairs-breadth swarving from the Law by the smallest sin and most involuntary accidental infirmity According to the Tenor of the Law the soul that sinneth shall die and cursed is he that continueth not in all things of the Law Gal. 3. 10. The least sin being ex parte objecti in respect of God against whom it is committed as horrible and as great as the greatest For it being an infinite wrong being the dishonour of an infinite Majesty there can be no greater wrong than an infinite one unless you can imagin a thing greater than that which is insinite and therefore in this respect there is as much venom and mischief done against God in the least as in the greatest sin And therefore it and whosoever commit it deserve death for it as if they had committed the foulest sin in the world and therefore after the least and smallest infirmities you may from hence see what cause you have freely to be humbled and to confess for them how worthy you are to be destroyed yea even to look upon your self as lying under the sentence of the Law and death immediately after the commission of them and so to mourn bitterly for them Object But you will say a Christian that is under the Covenant of Grace is not within the Covenant of Works that Bond is cancelled the last will must stand and therefore he being out of that Covenant no sins of his can be said to break the Covenant for no man can be said to break that Law under which he is not and which he is not bound to keep Answ I answer every Believer has a double being or standing and so there may be put upon him a double respect 1. First he may be considered as united to and having a spiritual being on Christ and so it is true he is under Grace and the Covenant of Grace and not under the Law nor the Covenant of works and hence not being under the Law nor bound to keep it as a covenant of life tho' it be a rule of life no sin can condemn him there being no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. But as Christ is above condemnation and law and death and curse so is he And this truly understood is the foundation of a Christians joy and peace and glory every day yet so as tho' sin doth not condemn him yet he has good reason to say it is mercy and meer mercy Lord that I am not consumed that I am condemned For sin is the same nay grace and Gods love aggravates sin for to sin against the law deserves death without recovery but to sin when grace has received me and loved me when the blood of Christ has been shed abundantly to deliver me from sin Oh this makes the most secret silent sin a crying one So that if you do consider this well you may see what little cause there is to have your heart rising against the deepest humilation for the least sin tho' you be in Christ and under grace For as Daniel when he was put into the Lions den had not the cause to wonder that he was not torn in pieces by them and why because it was not from any defect on their parts to tear him in pieces but from the omnipotent power and mercy and grace of his God that muzzell'd their mouths so tho' no Lion can â—ear tho' no sins can hurt or condemn a Christian as he is considered in Christ yet has not he cause to confess and wonder and say Lord it is thy meer grace and mercy that it is not so which is the act of humilation your letter saith you can hardly come unto and why not because Gods grace puts any less evil in sin but because it is meerly grace that keeps it from spitting that venom which otherwise it would Secondly A Christian may be considered in respect of his natural being in hiâ—â—elf and thus he is ever under the Law and as oft as he sinneth under the sentence of death and as the Apostle speaks by naâ—ure even we justified quickned are the children of wrath as well as others And thus after the least involuntary accidental sin you may easily see what cause you have to lie down deeply humbled mourning under the sentence of death and Gods eternal curse as a condemned man going to execution to feel that fire that shall never go out looking upon your self as you are in your self a forlorn cast-away every moment and this truly understood is the foundation of a Christians sorrow shame and confusion of face self-loathing self-forgetting self-forsaking and condemning every day and believe it Sir it is no small Piece of a Christians skill and work to put a difference between himself and himself himself as he is in Christ and so to joy and triumph and himself as he is growing on
a sick man tells his Physician who comes not to him on these terms If you will make your self half whole then I will cure you and do the rest for you but being utterly unable to cure or to know how to cure himself he tells his Physician I am content you should begin and perfect the cure and so honour your skill and love in me to be contented to take any thing if you will give it me and if I offer to resist that you should bind me and so do any thing with me 2. The second act is earnestly to long and come to Christ to cleave unto Jesus Christ by fervent and ardent desire that he would make good those absolute promises to you seeing that they are made to some and that they do not exclude you for when you ponder well and see what wonderful great things the Lord promiseth to some whose heart cannot but be stirred up to say as that woman in another case Lord give me of that water to drink and as they in the fifth of John Lord evermore give us that bread Now doing this reflect upon this Second act and see if unto it no conditional promise belongs and you shall find an affirmative answer from the word For what is this longing afteâ— the good not of some which many hypocrites do but of all the promises but that which the Scripture calls thirsting who are commanded to come drink of the waters of life freely Isa 55. 1 2. and hungring to which all good things are promised Mat. 5. 6. and which coming to Christ as I spake even now who has given this as the first fruit of eternal election and which kind of people he will never cast away John 6. 37. Now when you see these promises belonging unto you why dare you not conclude but that all these absolute ones are yours also 3. The third act is this Seeing God hath promised absolutely such good things in the Second Covenant but hath not set down the time when or how much grace he will give and seeing only he can help therefore look up and wait upon the Lord in the use of all known means until he makes good what he hath promised to do and perform and work for you Say as beggars that have but one door to go to for bread if none hear or hearing help not lay themselves down at the door and say I will wait here I am sure I perish if I go away or quarrel with them in the house because they help me not so soon as I would and therefore â— will wait for it may be their compassions may move them as they pass by to help me So do you Many a Soul comes and longs for the good of the Promises but if the Lord do not speedily help him he goes with discouragements fears and discontents or despair or sin away and saith one of these two things either I shall never have help or I come not truly and hence I feel no help Oh remember that bread is only to be had at the door to be distributed when the Lord seeth need not when we would or think we have need and therefore wait here and say if I perish here I will at the feet of God and at the feet of the promises and covenant of God c. Now reflect upon this act and see if you may not find some conditional promise annexed unto it which surely you may and I will name you but two Isa 40. 29 30 31. Isa 64. 4. and if the conditional promise belongs to such a Soul you may easily conclude the absolute promises are your own and the chiefest use you are to make of them when you know them that they are your own is to press God to make them good daily to you and to believe as verily and really as if you had the performance of them that they shall It may be you will ask me how shall I know whether I have these conditions truly in me I answer sincerity is a very witnessing grace the frequent meditation of the Scripture will give you much light to judge of the sincerity of them and that which Saint Paul speaks 1 Cor. 2. 12. I say unto you We have not received the spirit of the World but of God whereby we know or may know the things that are freely given to us of God 3. Thirdly If he be out of the covenant but yet God begins to work with some common work of his grace upon him all that I would say to him and all the use he can make of such absolute promises consists in these things 1. Let him consider the freeness of God's promise whereby he may be stirred up to conceive some hope it may be made good to him in time For the promise is very free large excluding none except those that sin unpardonably be their sins and natures never so vile before God and yet not including any by name for that is in the conditional promise and hence such an one is to make this use of it who knows but the Lord may have pity upon me in time and so hang thy hope upon him 2. Let him consider the worth and price of Gods promise bought by blood and for which some men would give a thousand worlds for the benefit comfort of and hereby raise up his heart as by the freeness of it to hope so by the price of it to esteem of the thing promised above pearls and all the honour and pomp of the world 3. Let him consider the fulness of the promise which is a plaister as big as his foâ—e just answerable to all his wants nay infinitely more large than his wants And surely these three things will draw his heart to long for the promise and then you know what is conditionally promised and bequeathed to them that thirst For similitude is the ground of love Now when the fulness of the Promise is seen there will appear such a suteableness and fitness of the promise to his soul that he cannot but long for it thus much for the fifth trouble Quest Your sixth trouble set down in two heads put into one for brevity viz. secret unwillingness to seek God in the strictest solemn services before you enter into them weariness of them while they last and glad when they are gone the reasons which you mention are partly fear of not using them aright together with melancholy lastly the strictness of them Answ It is very true there is abundance of wildness in our hearts which naturally seek to have their liberty abroad and cannot endure to be pent in the narrow room of holy performances extraordinary duties c. no more than children can be pent up from their play And hence it is weary of them and glad to think of their departures and ends And truly it is one of the most grievous miseries that a holy heart can feel and I beseech the Lord of heaven and earth
then Farewel Farewel Yours in Jesus Christ T. S. The First PRINCIPLES OF THE ORACLES OF GOD. Collected By THOMAS SHEPHARD Sometime of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge Now Preacher of God's Word in New England HEB. 5 12. For when for the time ye ought to be Teachers ye have need that one teach you again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat Re-printed in the Year 1695. To The Christian READER IT is no disparagement at all for this wife Master-Builder Mr. Thomas Shephard of New-England to labour sometimes by the Hammer of the Word to fasten these nails of Truth in a sure place even in the Heads and Hearts of Infant-Christians Neither is it below the highest Scholar in Christs School to hold fast the form of wholesome words 2 Tim. 1. 13. The great Apostle himself who was wrapt up into the third Heaven altho' he had received a Commission of Christ his Master to make Disciples yet he was a Disciple still for he not only Catechized others but learned and that again and again The first Principles of the Oracles of Heb 5. 12. Mat. 13. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 2. 10. God which are called The Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven the depths of God that is in plain English those Doctrinal Truths which are truly fundamental and absolutely necessary unto salvation that we may be able by sound doctrine both to Tit. 1. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 15. exhort and convince the gain-sayers and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us Thus heartily besâ—eching thee in the name of Christ to search the Scriptures and to Joh. 5. 39. Acts 6. 4. give thy self continually to Prayer and the Ministry of the Word that 2 Pet 3 8. Acts 20. 32. you may grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I now commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are Sanctified So be it Friend I am thine if thou dost love the Truth and our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity WILLIAM ADDERLEY Dated From Charter house in London February 1. 16 47. CHRISTIAN READER BEing desired to peruse and give our opinion of the resolutions in this Letter now presented to thy view We must confess they appeared to us very precious For we have feldom seen acuteness profoundness and godliness so eminently equally and happily matched There are in Christs School divers forms elementaries and men of exercised wits The Scholar proposing these cases was no Puny and he was happy in meeting with a teacher so able for resolution Therefore who ever reads and heeds will not repent of his labour But the more knowing the Reader is and the more experienced in the Ways of Christ the more delight may he take in and the more profit may he reap by these pious and profound resolutions So we are Thine in Christ Jesus John Gâ—ree and Will. Greenhil Mar. 27. 1648. THE Sum of CHRISTIAN RELIGION In way of Question and Answer Delivered by Mr. THO. SHEPHARD in N. E. Quest WHat is the best and last end of Man A. To live to God Rom. 6. 10 11. Gal. 3. 19. 2. Cor. 5. 3 15. Q. How is man to live unto God A. Two ways First By Faith in God Psal 37. 3. Secondy By observance of God Eâ—cl 12. 13. Q. What is faith in God A. It is the first act of our Spiritual life whereby the soul believing God believeth in God and there resteth as in the only Author and Principle of Life Heb. 10. 38. Joh. 3. 33 36. Rom. 4. 3. Heb. 11. 13. Heb. 4. 3. Deut. 30. 20. Q. What is God A. God only knoweth himself no man can so knoâ— him and live Yet he hath manifested himself unto us in his back-parts according to our manner or measure of knowing things and we need know no more than these that we may live 1 Tim. 6 16. Exod. 33. 19 23. Q. What are Gods back-parts A. They are two First His sufficiency Psal 36. 9. Secondly His Efficiency Rom. 4. 21. Q. What is Gods sufficiency A. It is his perfect fulness of all good whereby he is all-sufficient for us in himself Psal 16. 11. Gen. 17. 1. Q. Wherein stands and appears Gods sufficiency A. First in his Essence Psal 68. 19. Secondly In his subsistence or persons 2 Sam. 7. 20 25. Q. What is Gods Essence A. Whereby he is that absolute first Being Rev. 1. 8. Isa 44. 6. Exod. 3. 14. Q. Can you sufficiently conceive of the Glory of this one most pure Essence by one act of Faith A. No and therefore the Lord has manifested it unto us by divers attributes Deut 29. 29. Exod. 34. 6 7. Q What are Gods Attributes A. That one most pure Essence diversly apprehended of us as it is diversly made known unto us 1 John 4. 16. Isa 43. 25. Q. How many kinds of Attributes are there A. There are two sorts of them First Some shewing what God is Secondly Some shewing who God is Q. By what Attributes know you what God is A. By these God is a Spirit living of himself Joh. 4. 24. Joh. 5. 26. Q. By what Attributes do you understand who is God A. By his Essential properties which shew to us First How great a God he is Psal 77. 13. Secondly What a manner of God he is Mat. 6. 17. Q. What Attributes shew how great a God he is A. First His infiniteness whereby he is without all limits of Essence 2 Chr. 2. 5 6. Secondly His Eternity whereby he is without all limits of beginning succession or end of Time Psal 102. 25 26 27. 1 Tim. 1. 17. Q. What are those Attributes which shew what a manner of God he is A. His qualities whereby he acteth with are of two sorts First His Faculties whereby he is able to act Isa 60. 16. 63. 1. Secondly His Virtues of those Faculties whereby he is prompt and ready to act Psal 86. 5. Q. What are his Faculties A. First His understanding whereby he understandeth together and at once all truth Heb. 4. 13. Acts 15. 18. Secondly His will whereby he purely willeth all good Psal 119. 68. Q. VVhat are the virtues of those Faculties A. First They are intellectual the virtues of his understanding as Wisdom Knowledg and the rest Secondly Moral the virtue of his Will as Love Holiness Mercy In the acting of both which confists Gods happiness Thus much have you seen of Gods sufficiency in regard of his Essence Now follows his subsistence Q. VVhat are his subsistences or persons A. That one most pure Essence with its Relative properties Q VVhat are those Relative properties A. They are three First To beget Secondly To be begotten Thirdly To proceed from both
Q. How many persons learn you from hence to be in God A. Three First The first is the Father the first Person in order begetting the Son Psal 2. 7. Secondly The Son the second Person begotten of the Father Joh. 3. 6. Heb. 1. 3. Thirdly The Spirit the third Person proceeding from them both Joh. 15. 26. Q. Are these three Persons three distinct Gods A. No For they are that one pure Essence and therefore but one God Joh. 1. 1. Rom. 9. 5. 1 Cor. 6. 16. 1 Cor. 2. 10. Q. If every Person be God how can they be distinct Persons and not distinct Gods A. Yes Because one and the same thing may have many Relative properties and respects of being which in the God-head make distinct Persons As one and the same man may be Father in one respect a Master in another respect and a Scholar in another respect Q. If these three Persons be but one God what follows from hence A. That all the three Personr are Co equal Co eternal subsisting in one not separating from each other therefore delighting in each other glorifying each other Prov. 8. 30. Thus much concerning God Now concerning the works of God Q. Thus much concerning Gods sufficiency VVhat is his efficiency A. Whereby he worketh all things and all in all things Rom. 11. 36. Isa 45. 7. Q. VVhat of Gsd shines forth and are you to behold in this Efficiency A. Two things First Gods Omnipotency in respect of his Essence Secondly the co-operation and distinct manner of working of the three Persons Rom. 1. 20. John 5. 17. Q. VVhat is Gods Omnipotency A. It is his almighty power whereby he is able to bring to pass all that he doth will or what ever he can will or decree 2 Chron. 20. 6. Phil. 3. 21. Mat 3. 9. Psal 115. 7. Q. VVhat is Gods Decree A. It is his Eternal and determinate purpose concerning the effecting of all things by his mighty power according to his counsel Eph. 1. 11. Q. VVhat attributes or glory of God appear in his Decree A. First His constancy whereby his Decree remains unchangeable Num. 23. 19. Secondly His Truth whereby he delivereth nothing but what he hath decreed Jer. 10. 10. Thirdly His Faithfulness whereby he effecteth what-ever he decreeth according thereunto Isa 46. 10. Q. VVhat is God's Counsel A. His deliberation as it were for the best effecting of every thing according to his Wisdom Acts 4. 24. Psa 104. 24. Q. VVhat is Gods VVisdom A. It is the Idaea or perfect platform of all things in the mind of God which either can be known or shall be done according to the good pleasure of his will Hebr. 11. 3. Prov. 8. 12 13. Q. VVhat is the good pleasure of Gods will A. It is the most free Act of his Will whereby he willeth himself directly as the greatest good and all other things for himself according to his good pleasure Mat. 11. 25. Prov. 16. 4. Q. VVhat learn you from hence A. That Gods good pleasure is the first and best cause of all things Psal 115. 3. Psal 33. 8 9 10 11. Q. VVhat are the Co-operations of the three persons in Gods Efficiency A. Whereby they work the same thing together unseperably Joh. 5. 17 19. 16. 13 14. Q. If they work the same thing together How is it that some works are attributed to God the Father as Creation some to the Son as Redemption some to the Holy Spirit as application A. This is not because the same work is not common to all the three Persons but because that work is principally attributed in Scripture to that person whose distinct manner of working appears chiefly in the work Q. VVhat is God the Fathers distinct manner of working A. His working is from himself by the Son to the Holy Ghost Ps 33. 6. Joh. 1. 3 hence the beginning so the Creation of all things is attributed to him Q VVhat is God the Sons manner of working A. His working is from the Father by the Holy Ghost Ioh. 14. 16. and hence the dispensation of things and so Redemption is attributed unto him Q. VVhat is the Holy Ghosts manner of working A. His working is from the Father and the Son Ioh. 14. 26. and hence the consummation of all things and so application is attributed unto him Q. VVherein doth Gods efficiency or working appear A. In two things First In his creation of the world Secondly in his providence over the world Esa 37. 16. Q. VVhat is his Creation A. It is Gods efficiency whereby he made the whole world of nothing originaâ—ly exceeding good Psal 33. 9. Gen. 1. 31. Q. Did the Lord make the worlding an instant A. No but by parts in the space of six dayes described at large by Moses Gen 1. Q. When did the Lord make the third heaven with the Angels their Inhabitants A. In the first day in the first beginning of it Gen. 1. 1. Iob 38. 6 7. Q. What is the creation of the third heaven A. Whereby he made it to be the heaven of heavens a most glorious place replenished with all pleasure which belongs to eternal happiness wherein his Majesty is seen face to face therefore called the habitation of God 2 Chr. 2. 5 6. Psal 16. 11. Psal 63. 15. Q. What is the creation of the Angels A. Whereby he created an innumerable number of them in holiness to be ministring spirits with most acuteness of understanding liberty of will great strength and speedy in motion to celebrate his praises and execute his commands specially to the heirs of salvation Heb. 11. 22. Ioh. 8. 44. Heb. 1. 14. 2 Sam. 14. 20. Iude 6. 2 Pet. 2. 11. Esa 6. 2. Psal 130. 20. Q. When did God create man A. The sixth day Gen. 1. 27. Q. How did God create man A. He made him a reasonable creature consisting of body and an immortal Soul in the Image of God Gen. 2. 7. Gen. 1. 28. Q. What is the Image of God wherein he was made A. That hability of man to resemble God and wherein he was like unto God in wisdom holiness righteousness both in his nature and in his government of himself and all Creatures Col. 3. 10. Ephes 2. 24. Gen. 1. 26. Q. What became of man being thus made A. He was placed in the Garden of Eden as in his Princely Court to live unto God together with the woman which God gave him Gen. 2. 15. Q. Thus much of Gods creation What is his Providence A. Whereby he provideth for his creatures being made even to the least circumstance Psal 145. 16. Pro. 16. 33. Q. How is Gods Providence distinguished A. It is either first Ordinary and mediate whereby he provids for his creatures by ordinary and usual means Hos 2. 22. Secondly Extraordinary and immediate whereby he provides for his creatures by miracles or immediatly by himself Psal 36. 4. Dan. 3. 17. Q. Wherein is his Providence seen A. First in