CHRISTIANITY in Short OR The way to be a good CHRISTIAN Recommended To the use of such as want either time or capacity for reading longer and Learneder discourses Mat. VII 13.14 Enter ye in at the strait Gate for wide is the Gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat Because strait is the Gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it Ver. 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven By C. Ellis Author of the Gentile-sinner LONDON Printed for Tho. Guy at the Oxford Armes on the West side of the Royal Exchange 1682. To my Beloved Neighbours for whose Use this little Book is written My Dear Friends I Hope some of you need not much the help this little Book can afford and indeed it is a shame either for you or me that any of you should need it except Children Yet I fear it is too needful I pray God it may prove as useful to many of you I have often told you that neither an Ignorant nor a Carnal nor a Worldly nor a Formally Religious course of Life can ever bring you to Heaven I now â—ell it you again and at you love your Souls let me intreat you to believe me except you become other men than some of you yea than the most of you yet are you cannot be saved You have God's Word to read you may hear Sermons when you will you may be instructed privately when you will you have many good Books to instruct you you have so much sense as to know you are a dying you have understandings to consider what 's like to become of you you have sure the wit to know that all things here will have an end and that nothing can concern you so much as the Salvation of your Souls to all Eternity I am confident were you dying you would say so Can it be any thing then but a brutish inconsideration that keeps you in the state you are in Awake awake and see here in short what you have to do 'T is short that you may not plead you want time to read and learn it 'T is plain that you may not plead 't is above your capacity 't is cheap it shall cost you nothing but the pains of reading it for your instruction in the way of Life You will in a little room see what it is to be a Christian Practice then what here you read and then dye in Peace But if you slight these easie helps and will go on your old way I must leave you to God and comfort my self in this that I have not dealt deceitfully with you The good God make us all wise unto Salvation Amen Consider seriously Learn industriously Pray devoutly Believe firmly Repent sincerely Love unfeignedly Resolve deliberately Practice constantly Hope Patiently Receive Thankfully And Enjoy Eternally The Entrance into CHRISTIANITY I Must shortly dye and after death I must for ever be either endlesly happy or endlesly miserable It concerneth me therefore above all things in this short time of my Life so to prepare for Death that after Death I may be Eternally happy To this end two things are altogether necessary a sound Knowledge and a sincere Practice Two things are needful to be well known the End which I am to aim at and the Way which will lead me to it My daily practice must be to walk in the way in hopes of attaining the End What both these are JESVS CHRIST hath abundantly taught us in his Gospel which it therefore highly concerneth me diligently to read and learn Christ hath instituted two Sacraments the one for our entrance into the other for our confirmation and strengthning in the way of Life Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. In both these the whole substance of Christian Religion which is the way to happiness is summarily comprehended and represented Christ JESVS commanded his Apostles to go up and down in the World and by Preaching the Gospel to perswade men to be his Disciples and learn of him the way to Life He commanded them to admit men into his Church or the Society of his Disciples by Baptism or washing them with Water in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost This Ceremony of Washing with water did signifie and assure them that as many as continued Christ's faithful followers were washed from the guilt of their past sins and should be daily more and more Sanctified and prepared for Eternal Glory Persons of years to understand were thus in Baptism to give up themselves in an Holy Bond or Covenant to God and thus my Parents when I was an Infant did give and dedicate me to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost In this Baptismal Covenant God the Father doth give himself to be our reconciled Father and God the Son Jesus Christ to be our Saviour and God the Holy Ghost to be our Sanctifier In the same Covenant we do accept of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost to be our only God submitting to him as our Owner and Governour and chusing him as our chief good and portion and heartily consenting to be taught and ruled made Holy and â—saved by him in a firm belief of his word and humble Obedience to his Lawes We do also promise and resolve not to follow nor be led by the Devil the World nor the Flesh but to watch against and resist all their temptations and to persevere so doing unto our lives end Every one that keepeth this Covenant sincerely is a good Christian and hath the pardon of his sins and Eternal Life sealed and assured unto him by God in this Sacrament of Baptism As I therefore desire to be Eternally happy and would avoid Everlasting Torments it concerneth me to see that I keep Covenant with God which I cannot do without learning and knowing what I am to believe and do If I have not already learn'd this it is no time now any longer to delay it seeing my Eternal happiness depends upon it And I know not how soon no not whether this night God may call me out of this world by death when if I be either ignorant or wicked I am undone Soul and Body for ever The Christian Faith THere is a GOD and but one God the FATHER SON and HOLY GHOST God is an infinite and most glorious SPIRIT a most pure and living substance without body parts or passions God is invisible cannot be seen or perceived by sense God is incomprehensible cannot be perfectly known by any but himself God is Immortal cannot dye Impassible and cannot suffer God is Immense not limited to place but is every where God is Eternal not limited by time but without beginning or end God is Independent not caused or governed by any other God is Immutable not subject to change but necessarily
Father our prevailing advocate making intercession for us and thee I comfortably expect to be our Judge at the last day Thou O Glorious Jesus hast Established an Everlasting Covenant of peace and sealed it with thy blood and with all my Soul I praise thee for this thine inestimable love not doubting keeping of that pardon and grace and glory which thou therein hast assured unto us if I unfeignedly accept of thy mercy and enter in this Holy Covenant O JESUS CHRIST in all sincerity of heart and with all thankful love and joy I do accept of thee my only Saviour I do most humbly submit my self to be taught by thee and will make thy Gospel my dayly study I trust in thy merits only and give my self to be governed by thy Laws and denying my self I am ready to take up thy Cross and bid open War to all thine enemies and take thy easie Yoke and light burden upon me Lord the unfeigned desire of my Soul is that thou mayest be formed in me and take full possession of me that I may henceforth live by the Faith of thee the Son of God I resolve thy will shall be my will thy life my pattern thy Law my Rule I will set my self to resist the temptations of the devil despise the vanities of the world and mortifie the carnal desires of my flesh all afflictions shall seem light to me and death it self better than life that I may obey thee and live with thee I consecrate my self unto thee to dye daily unto sin to Crucifie the flesh to rise again unto Righteousness to have my Conversation in Heaven my heart and affections with thee my only treasure My confidence is in thy merits my Prayers sent to God in thy name and intercession my practice to be conformable to thy example the longings of my Soul to be with thee for ever I will do my endeavour that my thoughts words and actions may be such as thou wilt approve of in the day of Judgment I will not envy the present happiness of the wicked nor be dis-heartned by my suffering but referr all to thy Righteous Judgment I will watch over my heart and life and daily examine my Conscience and keep it tender and good and labour that the accuser may have nothing to lay to my charge before thy Judgment Seat I do heartily accept of thee O Holy Spirit of the Father and the Son for my Sanctifier my Guide and Comforter I embrace the Holy Scriptures given by thy inspiration as the infallible truth of God I own the Ministry as thine Ordinance and every good motion of my heart as thy work To thee O Holy Spirit do I give up my self in a constant attendance on the Word and Ordinances and secret workings longing to be quickned enlightned renewed and cleansed strengthned against all temptations carried on towards perfection confirmed in the hopes of Eternal Life and sealed unto the day of Redemption I look upon my self as a member of the common body of all Christians and own thee O Blessed Jesus the only head of this thy Body the Church I acknowledge it my Eternal Interest and Duty in the Holy Communion of all Believers to Worship thee O Glorious God in the Assemblies of thy Saints I look upon all Christians and my self amongst them as men separated from the wicked world enlivened by one Spirit professing one Faith of the Holy Trinity all Covenanted together with God in one Baptism bound to hold the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace loving God above all and each other as our selves with a fellow feeling of one another's sufferings a free Communicating to one another's necessities Temporal and Spiritual and a mutual rejoycing in one another's happiness Continuing in this Holy Society whereinto I have been graciously called by thy Word and Holy Spirit I will endeavour to solace and comfort my self in a joyful sense of the blessed priviledges thou therein affordest us Especially in the pardon of my sins by thy free mercy through the merits of Christ my Saviour and Sanctification of thy Holy Spirit tendered unto me in the Ministry of thy word and sealed in the Sacraments I should deserve a thousand Hells should I go on any longer in sin under so much mercy I resolve therefore to attend on the Ministry of reconciliation all the daies of my life and to strive against all sin for ever To this end my death shall be much in my thoughts and my life a continual preparation for it I will look upon every day as if it were my last and every day renew my Covenant So shall I be ready with joy when thou callest O Lord to bid farewel to all below and come to thee I doubt not but my body shall at the last day be raised again a glorious body no longer a burden or temptation to my Soul I will no longer wast my time in immoderate caring for it feeding adorning and pampering of that which must shortly be loathsome rottenness Stench and Worms meat which now loads and tempts my Soul to sin and hinders its Ascensions towards God but I will mortifie it and keep it low that thou mayest exalt it to glory O thy wonderful goodness who hast provided for us poor sinners a Life Everlasting who deserve not one single moment of this Life Lord grant me grace to be pure as thou art pure that I may see thee and rejoyce in thee for ever in thy Heavenly Kingdom O when shall I come and appear before God Lord it is certain that a worldly carnal heart unconverted unrenewed is not capable of taking any pleasure or delight in thee nor can it find any happiness in Heaven it self nor any relish in those Heavenly pleasures which are at thy Right-hand for evermore Cleanse me O Lord and renew me daily by thy Spirit then shall I cheerfully bid adieu to a vain world empty pleasures frail life and a 〈◊〉 self and feed only on the hopes of Eternal Life and enjoying loving praising thee my God my All for evermore This O Lord thou hast promised in thy word this thou hast assured us of and sealed unto us in the blood of thy Son This thou confirmest unto all the Sanctified Members of thy Church by thy Holy Spirit To all this I here most heartily say Amen Come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen FINIS
and the Third day rose again to Life now to dye no more and having sealed the Covenant in his Blood he left instructions with his Apostles to admit men into it by Baptism and teach them how to keep it and promised them the gift of the Holy Ghost After some dayes he in their sight went up into Heaven and is glorified at God's Right-hand in Power and Majesty And as King ruleth and protecteth his Church Reigneth in the hearts of his subjects subdueth all his Enemies and is our Advecate with the Father rendering our persons and services accepted of him and prevaising for all good blessings on us Shortly after his Ascension on the day of Pemecost Christ sent the Holy Ghost the Eternal Spirit of the Father and the Son upon the Apostles to guide them into all saving truth to enable them to Preach to every Nation in its own Language to write the Holy Scriptures and to seal and confirm the truth of them by many Miracles and wonderful works and to encourage them to a constant suffering for Christ even unto death The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the very Word of God which Holy men of God spake and writ as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and they contain all things necessary to Salvation and are the standing Sealed Rule of Faith and Life The Holy Ghost is Christ's Advocate pleading his cause with men He is our Sanctifier enlightening opening softning changing and renewing our hearts and minds to receive and grow in knowledge and grace Making the word effectual for our conviction and conversion helping us to pray and stirring us up to goodness comforting us with a sense of its operations and strengthening us to withstand temptations and hold out in a Christian course unto the end All those that are regenerated enlightened and converted by the Holy Ghost are one Holy Church whereof Christ is the only Head All that outwardly profess Christianity and have been Baptized are to be accounded Holy by a visible separation and dedication to God till they cut themselves off by Schism or are justly cast out by Excommunication Christ's Church is not limited to any Nation or People but extends to all places is propagated in all Ages and containeth all saving truth and in this sense is Vniversal or Catholick All the Sanctified Members of this Mystical Body of Christ have Fellowship with the Father and Son by one Holy Spirit with Angels in their love care and Ministries with the glorified Saints in Heaven in their love and prayers and with one another on Earth in the same Faith and Hope and Love Word and Sacraments bound to hold the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace All these have in consideration of Christ's satisfaction a full pardon of all past sins given of God and Sacramentally sealed unto them in Baptism with an assurance of final justification and Salvation upon condition of their perseverance in Repentance and Faith At death the souls of the faithful rest with God in peace and happiness and the souls of the wicked go into an endless state of misery The bodies of all men shall be raised again after death and shall be again united to their souls All men shall after the Resurrection appear before the Judgment seat of Christ where the wicked shall be condemned to Everlasting torments but the Righteous shall be finally acquitted and go into Everlasting Life and Joy happy in the constant and perfect love of God praising him delighting in him amongst all Blessed Angels and Saints to all Eternity The heads of the Christian's Duty IF any man would be saved he must first be born again of the Holy Spirit be converted and become a new creature Holy in Heart and Life otherwise he cannot enter in the Kingdom of God The grace of God hath appeared teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly and Righteously and Godly in this present World I must not think my self to be my own so that I may live as I list but must humbly acknowledge there is a God above me whose I am and whom I am bound to serve all the dayes of my Life I must take the true God alone for my God even the Father Son and Holy Ghost and worship him as my Maker Redeemer and Sanctifier I must by a daily diligent reading studying and meditating on his word and considering of his works labour get a true knowledge of God and not content my self in ignorance of him I must worship God in Spirit and in Truth with the heart and soul sincerely I must stedfastly believe the whole Word of God the History for my instruction the Precepts for my direction the Promises for my encouragement the threatnings to affright me from sin bewaring of all temptations to unbelief or a false Faith I must live in a patient expectation and hope of what God hath promised neither despairing of mercy if I repent nor presuming of Mercy if I repent not I must love God as the chief good with the highest love chusing him for my only portion delighting in him as my only comfort willing to part with Life it self to enjoy him and making light of all things so I may please him loving his Image as far as I see it in every man especially in Jesus Christ my Saviour It is my duty to stand in awe of God's threatnings and judgments and to be very cautious and circumspect in all my wayes watching over my thoughts words and actions fearing to offend him in any thing neither fearing nor loving any thing else so much as to venture upon the least sin I must intirely trust and confide in God both in all wants and dangers whether of Soul or Body Conscientiously using such means as he alloweth Praying devoutly unto him for his Blessing and casting all my care for the success upon him not doubting of his never failing power and goodness I must walk humbly before God thinking meanly of my self renouncing all my own worth or merits acknowledging all that I am have or hope for to be of his gift taking patiently and thankfully all his chastisements and labouring to profit by them and confessing that he doth all things wisely and well I must behave my self uprightly and sincerely as in his presence and do all I do as unto him with a pure heart avoiding all guile dissimulation and hypocrisie not indulging the least evil thought inclination or desire keeping up high and honourable thoughts of him and preserving my Conscience tender and my heart soft and easie to take the impressions of his word and spirit I must shun all gross representations of God or likening him so much as in my thoughts to any creature I am not to worship him after my own conceit or fancy but according to the rules he hath given in his word not with a formal but a spiritual worship drawing near unto him in Prayer and praise and all his