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A37981 The watch-mans lanthorn being a summ of divinity in a short but very plaine exposition of the Ten commandments, the Lords prayer, and the Creed : fittest to the meanest capacity in a nature of a dialogue / by A.E. A. E., a servant of Jesus Christ. 1655 (1655) Wing E2; ESTC R25569 96,065 185

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righteousness and for as much as none but Psal 5 4 5 6. 2 Cor. 6. 14. the highest righteousness could please God it behoved that the rule of life which he set out should be throughly perfect moreover the Law requireth nothing of us but that we are bound to performe But sith we are farr from due Iob 4. 17. 25. 14. Gal. 2. 16. obeying the Law men can have no sufficient or lawful excuse to defend themselves be●ore God a●d so the Law accuseth all men for guilty yea and condemneth them before the Judgement Seat of Rom. 3. 19. 7 8 10. Gal 3. 10. God and that is the cause why Paul calleth the Law the Ministry of Death and Damnation M. Doth then the Law set all men in this m●st remediless estate S. The unbelieving and the ungodly Deut. 27. 26. Rom 3. 10. the Law doth both set and leave in such case as I have spoken who as they are not able to fulfil the least jot of the Law so have they no affiance at all in God through Christ but among the godly the Law hath other us●s M. What uses S. First the Law in requiring so precise Deut 6. 6 7. Ios 1. 7 8. Psal 1. 2. perfectness of life doth shew to the godly as it were a Mark for them to level at and a Goale to run unto ●hat daily profiting they may with earnest endeavour travel toward thc highest uprightness ●his purpose and desire the godly by the guiding of God do conceive but principally they take heed so much as they are able to do and attain to that it may not be said that there is any notorious fault in them Secondly wheras the Law requireth things farr above mans Psal 119. 5. Rom 7. 14. 2 Cor. 3. 5. power and where th●y find themselves too weak for so great a burthen the Law doth raise them up to crave strength at the Lords hand Moreover when the Law doth continually accuse them it Deut 27. 26. Rom. 3 1● 11. 12. 2 Cor. 3 9. stricketh their heart with a holsome sorrow and driueth them to the repentance that I speak of and to begg and obtain pardon of God through Christ and therwithall restraineth them that they trust not to their own innocency nor presume to be proud in the sight of God and is alway to them as a bridle to withhold them in the fear of God Finally when beholding by the Law as it were in a Glass the spots and uncleanness of their Rom. 3. 9. 7. 7. souls they learn the●by that they are not able to attain perfect righteousness by their works by this means they are trained Prov. 10. 9. Rom. 1. 20 21. Gal. 2. 16. to humility and so the Law prepareth them and sendeth them to seek righteousness in Christ M. Then as farr as I perceive thou sayest that the Law is as it were a certain Scboolmaster Rom. 10. 4. Gal. 3. 10. c. 24. to Christ to lead us the right way to Christ by knowing our selves and by Repentance and Faith S. Yea surely The Second PART Of the Gospel and Faith M. SIth now my dear Child thou hast so much as it may be in a short Abridgement largely answered this matter of the Law and Obedience good Order requireth that we speak next of the Gospel which containeth the Promises of God and promiseth the mercy of God through Christ to them that have broken Gods Law and to the which Gospel Faith hath specially respect for this was the second Point in our Division and this also the very orderly course of those matters that we have treated of hath as it were brought us by the hand unto What is now the Summ of the Gospel and of his Faith S. Even the same wherin the chief Articles of the Christian Faith have been in old time briefly knit up and contained and which is commonly called the Creed or Symbol of the Apostles M. Why is the summ of our Faith called a Symbol S. A Symbol by interpretation is a Badge Mark Watch Word or Token wherby the Souldiers of one side are known from the Enemies for which cause the short summ of our faith by which Christians are severally known from them that be not Christians is rightly called a Symbol M. But why is it called the Symbol of the Apostles S. Because it was first received from the Apostles own mouth or most faithfully gathered out of their Writings and allowed from the very beginning of the Church and so continually remained among all the godly firme and steadfast and unremoveable as a sure and stayed rule of Christian faith M. Go to I would have thee now rehearse to me the Symbol it self S. I will I believe in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord which was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was Crucified Dead and Buried He descended into Hell the third day He rose again from the Dead He ascended into Heaven there he sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty from thence shall He come to Judge the quick and the dead I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholike Church the Communion of Saints the forgiveness of sins the resurrection of the Body and the life everlasting Amen M. These things my child thou hast briefly and in short summ set forth wherefore it is good that thou declare more plainly and at large what thou thinkest of every particular and first into how many parts dost thou divide this whole Confession of Faith S. Into foure principal parts in the first wherof is treated of God the Father and the Creation of all things In the second of his Son Jesus Christ which part also containeth the whole summ of the redemption of man in the third of the Holy Ghost in the fourth of the Church and of the benefits of God toward the Church M. Go forward then to declare me those four parts in order and first in the very beginning of the Creed what meanest thou by this word Believe S. I mean therby that I have a true and a lively faith that is to say a Christian mans faith in God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and that I do by this form of confession testifie and approve the same faith M. Is there any faith that is not a true and lively faith S. There is indeed a certain general faith as I may so call it and there is a Rom. 1. 32. Tit 1. 16. dead faith M. Sith then it is a matter of no small weight that thou comprehendest under the name of believing and of a Christian faith that is to say a true and lively faith tell me now what faith that same is and how it differeth from the general faith and also from the dead faith S. The general faith is that which crediteth Mat
these things S. Although we believe that the souls of men are immortal and everlasting yet if we should think that our bodies should by death be utterly destroyed for ever then must we needs be wholly discouraged 1 Cor. 14 14. 17 18 19. for that wanting the one part of our selves we should never entirely possess perfect joy and immortalitie we do therefore certainly believe not only that our selves when we depart out of this life being delivered from the Company of our bodies do by and by flie up pure and whole into heaven to Christ but Luke 16. 22. 23. 43 Rom. 8. 11. 1 Cor. 15 42 43 44. 53 54. Phil 3 21. 1 Thes 4. 13 14 15 16 171 also that our bodies shall at length be restored to a better state of life and joyned again to their souls and so we shall wholly be made perfectly and fully blessed that is to say we dout not that both in our bodies and soules we shall enjoy eternity immortality and most blessed life that shal never in everlasting continuance Ioh. 11. 25. 1 Cor. 15. 5 8. 1 Thes 4. 13 14 15 of time be changed This hope comforteth us in misery endued with this hope we not only patiently suffer and bear the incommodities and cumbrances that light upon us in this life but also the very departure from life and the sorrows of death for we are throughly perswaded that death is not a destruction that endeth and consumeth all things but a guide for us to heaven that setteth us in the way of a quiet easie blessed and everlasting life And therefore 2 Cor. 5. ● 2. Ephe. 2. 19. gladly and cheerfully we run yea we flye out from the bonds of our bodies as from a Prison to heaven as to the common Town and City of God and men M. Doth the beleiving of these things availe us to any other end S. We are put in mind that we cumber not nor intangle our selves with uncertain transitory and fraile things that we bend not our eye to earthly glory and felicity but inhabite this world as strangers and ever minding our removing Heb. 13. 13 14 1 Pet. 2. 11. that we long upward for heaven and heavenly things where we shall in bliss enjoy enternal life M. Sith thou hast before said that the Mat. 25 34. 41 46. wicked shall rise againe in sort farr differing from the godly that is to say to eternal misery and everlasting death why doth the Creed make mention only of life everlasting and of Hell no mention at all S. This is the Confession of the Christian faith which pertaineth to none but to the godly and therefore rehearseth only those things that are fit for Mat. 16. 16. Luke 24. 47. Ioh. 3. 15 16. Rom. 4. 16. to comfort namely the most large gifts which God will give to them that be his and therefore here is not recited what punishments are provided for them that be out of the Kingdome of God M. Now thou hast declared the Creed that is the summe of the Christian Faith tell mee what profit get we of this Faith S. Righteousness before God by which we are made heirs of eternal life Rom. 3. 21 22. Gal. 2. 16. M. Doth not then our own godliness toward God and leading of our life honestly and holily among men justifie us before God S. Of this we have said somewhat already after the declaring of the Law and in other places to this effect if any man were able to live uprightly according to the precise rule of the Law of God Rom. 10. 5. Gal 3. 12. Gen. 6. 5. 8. 11. Rom. 7. 14 15. Gal. 2. 16. Rom. 11. 6. he should worthily be counted justified by his good works But seeing we are all most farr from that perfection of life yea and be so oppressed with conscience of our sins we must take another course and find another way how God may receive us into favour then by our deserving M. What way S. We must flie to the mercy of God Rom. 3. 24. 4. 4. 7. 16. Ephe. 2. 4 5. 2 Tim. 1 9. Tit. 3. 4 5. 1 Pet. 1. 3. 2 10. whereby he freely embraceth us with love and good will in Christ without any of our deserving or respect of works both forgiving us our sins and so giving us the righteousness of Christ by faith in Him that for the same Christs righteousness he so accepteth us as if it were our own To Gods mercy therefore through Christ we ought to impute all our justification M. How do we know it to be thus S. By the Gospel which containeth the Promises of God by Christ to the which when we adjoyn faith that is to Rom. 4 3 5. 14. 16. 20 24. Gal. 2. 16. 20. 3. 11. Heb. 10. 38. say an assured perswasion of minde and stedfast confidence of Gods good will such as hath been set out in the whole Creed we do as it were take state and possession of this justification that I speak of M. Dost thou not then say that faith is the principal cause of justification so as by the merit of Faith we are counted righteous before God S. No for that were to set Faith in the place of Christ but the Spring-head of Ephe. 1. 4 5 6. c. 2 4 5. Tit. 3. 4 5. 6. this justification is the mercy of God and is offered to us by the Gospel and received Mar 1 14 15. Rom 4. 16. 19 20 21 24 Ioh. 12. Rom. 3. 22. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Heb 9. 14 of us by faith as with a hand M. Thou sayest then that faith is not the cause but the instrument of just●fication for that it embraceth Christ which is our Justification coupling us with so streight bond to him that it maketh us partakers of all his good things S. Yea truly M. But can this Justification be severed from good works that he that hath it can want them S. No for by faith we receive Christ such as he delivereth himself unto us but he doth not only set us at liberty from sins and death and make us at one with God but also with the divine inspiration and vertue of the Holy Ghost Rom. 8. 1. 9. 10. 12 13. doth regenerate and newly forme us to the endeavour of innocency and holiness which we call newness of life M. Thou sayest then that Justice Faith and good Works do naturally cleave together Rom. 6. 4. Rom. 5 1 2. 1 Cor. 1. 2. 3 Ephe. 3. 17. 1 Pet. 1. 19. 20 21 22. and therefore ought no more to he severed then Christ the Author of them in us can be severed from himself S. It is true M Then this Doctrine of saith doth not withdraw mens minds from godly works and duties S. Nothing less for good Works do stand upon faith as upon their root so Psal 1. 3. Rom. 11. 16. Ephe. 3. 17. Col. 2. 6 7. Tit.