yet he is not proud of it Excepâ—ions 'T is a wonder to see how many exceptions the Christian makes againsâ—â—imself and how few exceptions God makes against the Christian A man should not willingly give nor easily take exceptions F Faith 'T is not the work Faith nor the work of Faith but a working Faith or rather he who works faith by which we are justified As without faith 't is impossible for works to please God so 't is impossible for faith without works to please God There are many poor in this world rich in faith and many rich in this world poor in faith Faith gets most humility keeps most and love doth most The more full of faith and the more painful men are the more they please God Though Abraham's faith were not a faith of miracles yet it was the more miraculous for it was a miracle of faith Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Many mens faith is but fancy and many men will fancy their faith to be but so Faith glorified God hath in this world glorified faith most above all other graces and above all other graces faith glorifies God most in this world Faithfulness Though our faithfulness to God doth often fail yet Gods faithfulness to us doth never fail Faults finding We should take care that that which we find fault with in others should not in others be found to be our fault Some men will be finding fault when and where there 's no fault to be found The reason why Christians do find so much fault with themselves is because they find themselves so much in fault or because they find so many faults within themselves Flesh Spirit Though the Saints live in the flesh yet they are not flesh for that which is born as the Saint is of the Spirit is Spirit and walketh in the Spirit As it sads the Saints to find the flesh lusting against the Spirit and the law of the members warring against the law of the mind so it glads him to find the Spirit lusting against the flesh and the law of his mind warring against the law of his members Failing Falling Saints may fail and fall in the way but Saints cannot fall away Though Saints are not preserved from failing no nor altogether from falling yet they are preserved from falling altogether They may part with Christ for a time but shall not depart from Christ for ever Fool. He is not so much a fool who hath no wit to use as he that doth not use the wit he hath or he that abuseth it by playing the fool in wit A fool speaks with an open mouth but a wise man openeth his mouth and speakes Forgiveness God promiseth forgiveness of sins to all that repent but God doth not promise repentance to all or any that sin It s a greater vertue to forgive one injury than to do many curtesies because its harder and harder because more against nature for many a man will do for another that will not suffer for him Fear God To fear God and keep his Commandement is all that we have to do and that we all have to do Freinds He is happy that finds a true friend in extremity but he is happier that knows no such extremity wherein to try his friend Though we prize our freinds much we should praise them but little and to their faces not at all Find See Heaven Following God Many men follow God for the worlds sake but few men follow the world for Gods sake Food Man turns natural food into his nature but spiritual food turns man into its nature Fortunes High fortunes are the way to high minds and high minds are the high-way to great fortunes for pride goeth before but not far before a fall Freedom by Christ Jesus Christ hath delivered us from this present evill world though we are not at present delivered from the evill of this world Friendship That freindship will not indure to the end which is begun for an end Fulness The wicked in the fulness of their sufficiency are in straits but the godly in the fulness of their straits have a sufficiency G Getting Gain All that a man gets is not gain few men get profit by their getting they will have but a bad bargain that get the world and loose their souls Gain Loss Men gain most by loosing and they loose most by gaining Mat. 16. 25. Gifts All the gifts and graces which God laies in our souls should not be laid up as in a napkin but laid out for Gods glory and others good Hypocrites are apt to think that they have grace because they have gifts and Saints are many times thinking that they have no grace because they have no gifts No gift coming from God is so mean as to be despised nor is there any so great as to be gloried in God good God is good to us when he sends us evill because he sends us evil for our good If God be good to them that seek him what is he then to them that find him Oh how good God may as soon cease to be God as cease to be good as soon cease to live as cease to love Gods indearing This indears God to a Saint and makes him pretious in his eyes that he is so dear and pretious in the eyes of God God lovely God is lovely in all his Creatures more lovely in his Ordinances but most of all lovely in Christ who is altogether lovely 'T is not mans loveliness but Gods lovingness that engageth God to love and save him God loves his people when he strikes them as well as when he stroaks them God resting God rested not till he had made man like himself and man should not rest till he be made like God or partaker of the divine nature God giving God is a giving and a forgiving an open-handed and open-hearted God open-handed in giving to us and open-hearted in forgiving of us Gods putting down God usually puts down that which man exalts because what man exalts doth usually tend to the putting down of God All the world cannot put down an humble man because God will exalt him and all the world cannot exalt a proud man because God will pull him down Men Gods The Heathen made Gods of men and men of their Gods attributing divine vertues to men and humane vices to their Gods Good He that thinks he was ever good was never good He was never so good as he should be that doth not strive to be better than he is It s a good proof that a man is good when he labours to approve himself good to God and to men and yet approves of himself more according to Gods approbation than mans approbation of him As we must not attribute to God the ill that proceeds from man so we must not attribute to man the good which proceeds from God Some men are unwillingly willing to do good thats's bad others are willingly
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
you or else you are utterly lost and undone everlastingly Luke 19. 10. 3. Gods free and general offer of Christ to any that will take him by faith Iohn 3. 16. manifold promises to this purpose The ground of all Gods offers and donations of Christ being free Grace rich mercy underserved love Ephes 2. 4. to 8. Tit. 3. 4. to 7. 4. Christs sweet and gracious invitation of such to come to him as are weary of sin Matt. 11. 28. to buy as have no money no righteousness to commend them to Christ Isa 55. 1. no worth or desert in themselves 5. As sinfull vile wretches as you are have been bought of Christ and found in Christ see 1 Cor. 9. 9. to 12. 1 Tim. 1. 13. Phil. 3. 7. to 10. why may not you the more clearly you discern upon what grounds you take Christ the more clear is your title to Christ III. By surveying and observing in what manner you take Christ dayly and this by five resolves as 1. Whether you do wholly renounce all opinion and conceit of your own righteousness and desert Matt. 8. 34. Phil. 3. 7 to 10. So that you come to Christ empty of your self very vile yea nothing in your own eyes unworthy to receive Christ 2. Whether you lay hold on Christ alone with an empty hand of faith joyning nothing with Christ in the matter of salvation 3. Whether you find the Father drawing your heart after Christ Iohn 6. 44. in hungring panting desires that will never be satisfied without Christ So that the stream both of your judgment Phil. 37. 8. and affections 1 Cor. 2 2. Gal. 6. 14. run towards Christ 4. Whether you take Christ as a Lord to rule you as a Jesus to save you Col. 2. 6. As one that is all to your all your wisdom your righteousness your sanctification and redemdemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. your spiritual food Iohn 6. 36. Raiment Rom. 13. 14. Strength Phil. 4. 13. Life Col. 3. 3. Gal. 2 10. 5. Whether you seek and wait for Christ out of the sence of your spiritual penury sacraments prayer meditation conference not as they are your own works of sanctification but as they are Gods ordinances appointed of purpose for the manifestation communication of Christ to the soul frequent perusal hereof will clear to you your manner of taking Christ which wil evidence to you your right in Christ CHAP. III. LAbour to draw and derive from Christ by the pulling attractive force of faith ability sufficient for the day I. To perform all duties Phil 4. 12. II. To exercise all the graces 2 Cor. 3. 5 III. To resist and overthrow all temptations and corruptions Rom. 8. 37. IIII. To undergo all the trials afflictions thereof Phil. 4. 13. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Iohn 1. 16. Thus make your provision of grace and strength from Christ every morning fetch so much as you have occasion to use all the day long yea and upon all occasions that fall out in the day Go to Christ still for the wisdom that must direct you for the holiness that must character you for the souldier that must bear them if they be crosses for that strength that must resist them if they be temptations for ability to performe them if they be duties To this end act your faith dayly in the promises of grace and strength as Iohn 1. 16. Ezek. 36. 26 27. Isa 44. 3 Zack 10 12. which are both security given you by God that you shall receive grace and conduit-pipes or instruments of conveying the same from Christ unto you Loe this is the manner to do all in the strength of Christ and to take forth a great deal of Christ into the soul that not you but Christ may live in you Gal. 2. 20. CHAP. IV. Perform daily duties in family and closet especially these three Prayer Meditation Reading all with serious affection heat of affection deligence and delight Ier. 48. 10. Mal. 1. 14. 2 Chron. 21. 24. these three waies I. Watch to these duties H. E. keep thy heart in a good frame for them Ephes 6. 18. undefiled with sin untainted with the world II. Take the fittest time for the performance of them all when you are the least evil and sluggish Begin the day constantly with thoughts of God III. Be very reall serious and substantial with God in them IV. Indeavour to feel all duties in your heart inlivening enlarging infleming your affections These be duties of most importance and consequence commodity and comfort to the soul because they properly appear at and reach at the souls good and caelestial happiness to train up a soul of a Believer for heaven CHAP. V. FOrtifie your self every morning against your special lusts to which you are by nature most prone or shall be most tempted be it pride passion covetousness c. This must be done four waies As I. By arguments and holy reasonings within your selves drawn fom the sad effects thereof as disprofit discomfort disgrace c. to discover the unreasonableness of your sin and make your soul ashamed of it For instance Shall I be proud Then I am sure to fall and God will count me for his enemie for God resisteth the proud â—am 4 6. Shall I be angry If I let passion in I cannot keep satan out Ephes 4 26 27. I shall grieve thereby the holy spirit of God Ephes 4 30 31. Shall I be covetous I cannot but be very sinful sith the love of money is the root of all evil 1 Tim 6 10. II. By pondring in your minds precepts in the Book of God against such sins judgments threatned or inflicted Prov 6 23 24. on proud Herod Acts 12 23. voluptuous Dives Luke 16 28. churlâ—â—h Naâ—aâ— 1 Sam 25 38. III. By applying promises of mortification close to your hearts as a plaister to the sore for subduing your iniquity Mic 7 19. Rom 6 14. IV. By drawing vertue from Christs death into the soul which hath in it a killing force of sin Rom. 6 4 107. Phi. 4 10. CHAP. VI. GEt your heart strongly fixt on God by trusting on him Psal 112 7. and submitting to him 1 Sam 3 18. against all the fears cares double trialls affliction of every day for sufficient to the day is the evill thereof Mat 6 34. This must be done five waies I. Be prudent to foresee your personal tryals and troubles what ever they are like to be Prov 22 3. II Go hide and lay up your self in God run unto his name for God is a work of habitation to which a poor soul may continually resort God will give commandment to save him Psal 71 3. 1 â—et 4 19. III. Especially commit that ver thing to God put it into his hands whatsoever you desire to keep or fear to loose 2 Tim 1 12. be it life liberty name friends maintenance c. what you would have resolved if it be a doubt Psal 37 5. or supply'd if it be a want removed if it be a
cross Psal 50 15. and together with the thing cast all your care fear sorrow and trouble of mind about it wholly upon the Lord Matt 6 31. 1 Pet 5 7 Psal 55 22. IV. Renew your faith in those promises every day which most concerns your present state As 1. In promises of supplyes if you be in want Psal 34 8. Psal 37 3. Ps 84 11. Matt 6 30. 2 Of direction if in doubts Iam 1 5. 3. Of deliverance if in trouble Iob 5. 19. Of a good end and ductified use of all Deut 8 16. James 5 11. Rom 8 28. Heb 12 10. V. Lastly labour to see Gods hand Psal 34 9. Believe Gods love Heb 12 6. Rev 3 19. and with all meekness patience to resign up your self wholly to Gods will in every affliction Maâ—t 2â— 39. CHAP. VII GEt and keep a savory relish continually of your Christian priviledges wherewith you are invested as you are new creatures in Christ more especially of these six I. Of your dignity that you are Gods Sons 1 Iohn 3 1 2. Christs brethren Heb 2 11. Heavens heirs Iohn 20 17. Partakers of an high and heavenly calling Iam. 2 5. II. Of your liberty that you are the Lords free men Phil. 3 14. delivered out of the hands of all enemies 1 Cor. 7 22. 2 Kings 17 39. III. Of your victory that you are through Christ more than Conquerors over all the world of creatures Rom. 8 37 38. 1 Iohn 5 4. of evils temptations persecutions IV. Of your safety that you have an almighty God for your place of refuge Psal 18 2. an hedg of providence Iâ—h 1 10. a guard of Angels Psal 91 11. an inclosure of mercy Psaâ— 32 10. and Gods promise as a writ of protection for defence Heb 13 5. 6. V. Of your riches as durable substance in heaven Heb 10 34 an incorruptible inheritance 1 Pet 1. 4. a kingdom of glory Luke 12 32. and a crown of life Rev 2 10. for you are heirs of God and co-heirs of Christ VI. Of your joy and pleasure pretious for kind and plentiful for measure Psal 16 11. peace unconceivable Phil 4 7. joy unspeakable 1 Pet 1 8. the Masters joy O get your hearts affected with all these as being yours Chew and suck them by serious meditation work and warm them upon your hearts by close applycation rubbing them into your affections Oppose these your spiritual priviledges to your temporal pressures setting the one against the other as your heavenly friends to your earthly foes your high dignity in Christ to your meanness in outward condition your wealth above to your want below your future joy and rest to your present troubles and sorrows This will not onely make you patient under your afflictions in this life Rom 12 11. but joyful in them Rom 5 3. and triumphant over them 1 Cor 15 55. Thus did Paul Rom 8 18. 2 Cor 4 17. Chap 6 8 9 10. These will provoke to duty 1 Pet 2 9 11 12. and preserve from fainting 2 Cor 4 16 17. and from trouble of heart Iohn 14 1 2. CHAP. VIII SAnctifie God in your hearts dayly 1 Pet 3 15. make him your fear Ps 37 4. To this end do these four things I. Have often high and honourable thoughts of God serious meditations of his glorious attributes as his wisdom power mercy justice c. and work them upon your hearts that they may eccho to thee with pure and melting affections this will encrease and nourish up the divine nature fast in you 2 Pet 1 4. II. Labour to be affected with all the works of God As 1. To behold and admire the works of God Iob 37 14. in the Creatures Psal 136 5. 2. To see and tast Gods goodness in every mercy Psal 34. 8. 3. To take notice of and tremble at the anger and displeasure of God in every affliction or judgment Ps 119 120. Hab 3 16. That so you might answer the dispensations of Gods providence with suitable despositions your hearts carrying a countenance in affection to all Gods actions Isa 26 8. III. Wrestle with God by praying and believing for an heart of flesh Eze 36 26. which will receive impression from the very thoughts of God in the mind IV. Apply promises to particular affections as 1. Of love Deut 30 6. 2. of fear Ier 32. 40. 3. of delight Isa 58 14. There is heat and life in these promises sufficient to quicken and warm thy dead and frozen affections CHAP. IX GEt a publick spirit to mind things of Jesus Christ as rationally as if they were your own things Phil 2 30 31. to look on the things of others prefer Jerusalems welfare before your chiefest joy Ps 137 5 6 the Gospels liberty before your own as Paul did Acts 21 13. To mourn for the sins of the times as the godly in Jerusalem did Ezek 9 4. Especially lay to heatt I. The Churches misery when Gods ordinance go down and herisie and superstition go up when any thing fals out which gives a blow to Religion or prove an impediment to the Gospel If the Ark be taken call your comforts Icabods 1 Sam 4 21. II. The afflictions of Joseph Amos 6 6. the sufferings of Gods servants ' whether Magistrates Ministers or people O simpathize with them Heb 13 3. Nehe 1 4. labour to feel their troubles and sorrows at your very hearts and pray earnestly for them as the Church did for Peter Acts 12 5. III. The signs of the times which Hipocrites cannot discern though they be well verst in the face of the sky h. e. The sad simptomes and presages of approaching judgments as these seven following signifies 1. The commonness of sin for all sorts transgress in all kind of open sinfulness with an high hand against light and nature and meanes of grace Gen 15 15. Ezek 12 3. Chap 22 4. 2. Contempt of Gods ordinances misusing of his Ministers 2 Chron 36 16. 3. The departure of Gods glory from his house Ezek 9 3. 4. Incorrisibleness after former and under present judgments Levit 26 15. 5. The death of many righteous men Isa 57 1. The carrying away of others to hiding places 6. The Vials of Gods wrath powred upon the Churches beyond the Seas Ier 17 12 14. 7. An Inundation of spiritual judgements as a spirit of error Appostacy superstition c. which do commonly conclude and end in temporal plagues Isa 6 10 11. Now O Christian the Holy Ghost is a publick spirit breathing and acting in all the members of the body mistical pray for it Luke 11 13. believe for it Gal 3 14. CHAP. X. LAstly get your heart renewed from the world and from those creature comforts in it which are dearest and sweetest to you wife children friends goods liberty house life this Christ requires of those that follow him Luke 14 26 27. Mark 10 29 30. This will prepare you either to suffer or to die elther of which may put you upon it to love all To this consider seriously these four things As I. All the world and all Creature comforts cannot satisfie the heart when thou hast injoyed them to the full Eccl 1 8. Chap 5 9 10. you soon grow weary of them or glutted with them so that you desire some new delights or more of the old or some over again II. Nor can they sastisfie you but expose oft to many lusts 1 Tim 6 9 10. temptations destractions to a spirit of the world and they hinder from following Jesus Christ Matt 19 22. III. Nor can they save you from Gods wrath from death or judgment Prov 11 4. The wicked whose portion is onely here oft have the greatest share of them Psal 17 14. Iob 21 7 to 14. IV. They serve onely for this life whil'st we are on this side of the grave they shall not be the least ingredients into our celestial happiness O Christians when we come to be happy in heaven we shall stand in no need of food raiment physick marriage Matt 22 30. for we shall be like the Angels of God in heaven we shall then hunger no more nor thirst any more Revel 7 16. we shall then and there live by the alsufficient spirit of God which needs no refreshing we shall be cloathed then with long white robes of immortality Revel 7 9. To Conclude when we come to heaven the place of Gods habitation we shall enjoy the face and beatifical presence of the most glorious Jehovah blessed for ever as an object wherein all the powers of our souls will be satisfied with ineffable delight and everlastingness God will be to us all in all 1 Cor 15 28. O come LORD JESUS Revel 22 20. FINIS