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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37277	Christianity best propagated by the good lives of Christians a sermon preach'd before the gentlemen educated at Merchant Taylors School at St. Mary le Bow, Jan. 16, 1699 / by Sir William Dawes, Baronet ...	Dawes, William, Sir, 1671-1724.	1700 (1700)	Wing D455; ESTC R10124	10,588	28

to invite into it such as should be saved and on the contrary as impossible that the Devils Kingdom should flourish as it doth if we did not by the badness of our lives plead for it set it up and help to support it To remove therefore this grievous scandal together with all the fatal consequences of it I infer Thirdly that we ought all immediately to set about reforming the World by reforming our own lives and so making them fit means and Instruments of reforming others And methinks the pleasure of turning Souls to Righteousness is so truely great the work in it self so noble so much for the honour of God and our Saviour and the promises annexed to it so glorious and this way of doing this work is so easie lyeth so level even to the meanest capacities and is withal so inoffensive and yet so very likely to prove effectual that these alone abstracted from all other considerations ought to be a powerful invitation and encouragement to us to lead holy and exemplary lives Besides as we shall receive extraordinary rewards in another world upon account of the good we have done other men by our examples so shall we likewise undergo extraordinary punishments upon account of the ill we have done by them the sins of other men being justly chargeable upon us so far as our examples have been the occasion of them It is therefore of the highest moment and importance to us to abstain from every appearance of evil to provide things honest in the sight of all men and in all things to shew our selves patterns of good works But this is more especially incumbent upon us who have had the advantages of a Religious and learned education and from our very infancy have been instructed in the knowledge and exercis'd in the practice of the Christian Religion and by this means are better qualify'd for becoming burning and shining lights in the midst of this perverse and crooked generation If we who have thus received many useful Talents at God's hand are not careful duly to improve them to his Glory and the good of Mankind the ends they were given for we know our doom and cannot but own the justice of it to be beaten with many stripes Fourthly Hence it appears that we ought frequently to contemplate the Examples of good men out of which there are so many and so great advantages to be drawn We should learn in them to see our own faults and to mend them to behold the Divine beauties and perfections and transcribe them to study God in his Creatures his Laws in their Lives and the direct way to Heaven in the foot-steps of them who take exact care to trend right towards it In one word we should as the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews exhorts us often consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works And this is one excellent use we may make of our present meeting to look round about us and see what brave and generous Souls there are amongst us who have been famous for serving God and doing good in their generation and immediately to take fire at their examples and become all Holy zeal and emulation and from this instant to exert our utmost strength for the overtaking if possible at least for the coming up to and keeping equal pace with these Heroick Saints who have now so far out-gone us in the paths of virtue There has been a time when we have eagerly striven to rival one another in matters of much less moment and concern O let us not flag here where all that we can desire and more than we can conceive even eternal life and happiness is it self at stake Lastly I have but one thing more to add and that is this that altho in the beginning of this Discourse I told you that by good works here we are not to understand only works of Charity yet we are certainly principally to understand those and that for this plain reason because the Gospel always placeth works of Charity at the head of our good works these being those good works which God expressly prefers to sacrifices and burnt offerings and which our Saviour every where declareth his value of above all others and will at the great day of Judgment lay the most particular stress upon Let us then be peculiarly careful to excel in these good works so acceptable to God so dear to Christ More especially now when we are met together with a publick profession of doing good when we are going to pay a debt of Gratitude shall I say or rather of strict Justice to that School to whose tender care of us most of us owe many of the Temporal blessings which we enjoy and all of us in great measure our hopes of those that are eternal And lastly when we have the noblest instance and opportunity of doing good offered to us that can be the providing both for the souls and bodies of those who are unable to help themselves those who are not only of the houshold of faith but as it were of our own houshold too and that too in such a way as shall make our Charity extend itself to the Souls of many who are yet unborn by training up young men for the Ministry and more immediate attendance upon mens Souls Let us I say having these opportunities these encouragements these obligations be glad to distribute and willing to communicate Let us give as freely as we have receiv'd and as cheerfully as if we were yet receiving Let us sow plentifully that we may reap so and make use of this opportunity of doing good as those that are not often like to meet with such tempting ones again To conclude all If we really desire to show our love and respect for our School as we pretend and to give it a Character and Reputation in the world let our good works become Advocates for it Let the true Christian principles which we learnt there shine forth in all our actions and they will give it a sufficient Lustre Let us prove by the largeness of our Charity both our good will towards it and our sense of the many advantages which we have receiv'd from it and by that and all other virtues make it plainly appear to the world that it is indeed what it pretends to be and what will be its everlasting Glory a true Seminary for Virtue a faithful Nusery for Heaven FINIS ADVERTISEMENT IN a short time will be published by the Author of The Duties of the Closet a small Treatise shewing the Nature and Design of the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper with perswasions to the frequent use of it also short devotions at the time of receiving it 120. Price stitch'd 3 d. but those persons who are so charitably disposed to give them away may have them for 20 s. a Hundred Printed for Tho. Speed Books printed for Thomas Speed over against Jonathan's Coffee House in Exchange-Alley in Cornhil THe Duties of the Closet Being an earnest Exhortation to private Devotion The Second Edition Twelves Price 1 s. 6 d. Two Sermons one Preach'd before the King the other before the Lord Mayor Both By Sir William Dawes Baronet D. D. And Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty Quarto Price 6 d. each A Sermon at the Funeral of Mrs. Elizabeth Fisher Sister to the Honourable Sir William Dawes Baronet D. D. And Wife of the Reverend Dr. Peter Fisher Preached at Bennington in Hertfordshire June 2d 1698 By William Milner Vicar of Shiphal in Hertfordshire Quarto Price 6 d. Of the Happiness of the Saints in Heaven A Sermon Preach'd before the Queen at White-Hall October 12. 1690. By William Beveridge D. D. Rector of St. Peters Cornhill The Fourth Edition Quarto Price 6 d. A Sermon at the Funeral of the Reverend Mr. Thomas Grey late Vicar of Dedham in Essex Preached in the Parish Church of Dedham Feb. 2 d. 92. with a short Account of his life By Joseph Powel M. A. Rector of St Mary on the Wall in Colchester Quarto Price 6 d. Several Books published by Dr Richard Lucas Vicar of St Stephen Coleman-street and Prebendary of Westminster Sold by Sam. Smith and Benj. Walford at the Princes Arms in St Paul ●s Church-yard DR Richard Lucas's Practical Christianity or an account of the Holiness which the Gospel enjoyns with Motives to it and the Remedies propos'd against Temptation with a Prayer concluding each distinct Duty in 8 vo price 3 s. 6 d. His Enquiry after Happiness in three parts in 8 vo Vol. I. of the possibility of obtaining happiness Vol. II. Of the true Notion of Human Life Voll III. Of Religious Perfection These three Parts bound in two Vol. Price 10 s. Christian Thoughts for every day of the Month with a Prayer wherein is represented the Nature of unfeigned Repentance and of Love towards God 120 Price 1 s. The plain Mans Guide to Heaven containing his Duty first towards GOD secondly towards his Neighbour with proper Prayers Meditations and Ejaculations design'd chiefly for the Countryman Trades-man and such like In 120. Price one Shilling The Duty of Servants containing first their preparation for and Choice of a Service secondly their duty in Service together with prayers suited to each duty all which may be accommodated likewise for the most part to Apprentices To this is added a Discourse of the Sacrament suited peculiarly to Servants The second Edition In 120. Twelve Sermons preached on several occasions before their Majesties the Lord Mayor c. some of which were never before printed In Octavo FINIS

Sir WILLIAM DAWESs SERMON Preach'd before The Gentlemen Educated at Merchant-Taylors School Jan. 16. 1699. Christianity best propagated by the good lives of Christians A SERMON Preach'd before The Gentlemen Educated at Merchant Taylors School AT St Mary le Bow Jan. 16. 1699. By Sir WILLIAM DAWES Baronet D. D. and Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty LONDON Printed for Sam. Smith Benj. Walford at the Princes Arms in St Paul's Church-yard and Tho. Speed over against Jonathan's Coffee-House in Exchange-Alley Cornhil 1700. To his Honoured AND Much Esteemed Friends THE STEWARDS OF THE Feast of Gentlemen Educated at Merchant Taylors School Tho. Andrews Esq Mr Henry Butler Rich. Graham Esq Charles Cox Esq Edw. Goldesbrough Esq Stephen Hervey Esq Mr Benjamin Walford Caesar Bradshaw Esq A SERMON Preach'd before The Gentlemen Educated at Merchant-Taylors School c. St Matthew Chap. the 5th v. 16. the latter part of the verse That they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven IN the former part of this Verse we find our Blessed Saviour exhorting his Disciples and in them all other Christians whatsoever to an unblameable holy and exemplary conversation Let your light saith he that is the light or knowledge of the Gospel which is in you so shine or shew forth itself in all the graces and virtues of a true Christian life before or in the sight of men that they may see your good works not only works of charity as some too narrowly expound it but all sorts of good works whatsoever and be by them excited to glorify your Father which is in Heaven By which phrase two things may be meant either First that men may be hereby invited to rejoyce in and give thanks and praise to God for for these visible and glorious effects of his grace and goodness amongst men or secondly that they may hereby be provoked to reform and amend their their lives Vnbelievers to come over the true belief and wicked Believers to the true practice of Christianity and both by so doing to glorify God in that way which of all others he most approves by doing his will by bearing much fruit by serving him with their bodies and spirits which are his And both these senses I make do doubt were intended in these words but I shall insist upon the latter only in my following discourse the whole design and business of which shall be to make good and apply this useful proposition which I think may very naturally be inferr'd from the words of my Text viz. That the unblameable holy and exemplary lives of Christians are a very likely means both of bringing over Vnbelievers and converting wicked Believers to a true and stedfast belief and practice of the Christian Religion That this is true as to Vnbelievers might be sufficiently prov'd from considering That the holy Scriptures do recommend to Christians this method of converting Vnbelievers which it is most certain they would not do were it not fit and proper for this end Thus we find St. Peter 1 Ep. 3. c. v. 1 2. exhorting the Believing Wife to win over the Vnbelieving Husband to the faith by her chast conversation That God especially having appointed this means for the attainment of this end will no doubt in an extraordinary manner sanctify it by his grace and make it effectual to it And lastly That it is plain from experience that the growth of Christianity has been always very much owing to this cause there having been multitudes of Vnbelievers as all Ecclesiastical Writers assure us won over to the faith of Christ by the incomparable Piety Charity and Sobriety of the first Christians But because men are generally desirous to see the reasons of things how they come to pass and by what natural power each cause produceth its effect I shall endeavour as briefly and clearly as I can to manifest this as to the point in hand by these following Considerations some of which will show how the holy and exemplary lives of Christians contribute towards the conversion of Vnbelievers more remotely and by distant consequence others more directly and immediately And First Let it be consider'd that the holy and exemplary lives of Christians will naturally attract the eyes and thoughts of Vnbelievers and by ●o doing probably engage them in some serious reflections upon the Christian Religion the effects of which they shall plainly perceive to be so glorious and wonderful Whatsoever is extraordinary and surprizing men are naturally apt to gaze at and admire and to enquire into the causes and original of and consequently the lives of Christians which when led according to the Rules of their Religion are very extraordinary and vastly beyond any thing that was in the world before will be very likely to provoke men to a curious observation and examination of them as also of the grounds and principles from which they proceed These burning and shining lights cannot fail at least of startling and awakening such as were before in darkness and in the shadow of death These blessed fruits of the spirit cannot fail of perswading men at least to tast and see how good the Lord is and when we have once brought them so far as to tast there is very little fear of their not liking Secondly The holy and exemplary lives of Christians will be a sure means of recommending them to the favour and esteem love and friendship of Vnbelievers and consequently a sure means of gaining opportunities of conversing familiarly with them insinuating truth into them and making them willing and easie to receive it For there is no man let him be of what profession or denomination he will that doth not admire Justice and honest dealing sincerity and veracity kindness and Charity c. wheresoever he finds them and therefore here can be no doubt but good Christians who must needs be in a conspicuous manner eminent for the practice of these and all other virtues will soon become the darlings of all mankind obtain a mighty Interest in their opinions and affections and then by consequence a mighty power both of leading them into and confirming them in the knowledge of Christ Just as it was in the case of John the Baptist who having first approv'd himself to the world by the extraordinary fanctity and severity of his life there immediately went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region round about Jordan and gladly heard his Doctrine and were forth-with Baptiz'd of him Thirdly The holy and exemplary lives of Christians if ever they come to debate the principles of their Religion with Vnbelievers will give a mighty weight and advantage to all their Arguments by taking away all jealousies and suspicions of trickishness and insincerity in them whereas our experience assures us that let men argue never so well in behalf of Religion yet if their Arguments are not back'd by their lives they are seldom scarce ever successful And the reason of this is