Practical Christianity, or, An account of the holinesse which the Gospel enjoyns with the motives to it and the remedies it proposes against temptations, with a prayer concluding each distinct head.

1. Of Faith.

When I read the glorious Achieve∣ments, of a true Faith, Heb. 11. That it subdued Kingdomes, wrought Righteous∣ness, obtained promises. &c. and in one word, supported men under the greatest miseries, and arm'd them against the most taking pleasures of this World; I cannot sufficiently wonder, that a fuller and clearer discovery of a Heaven, con∣firm'd to us by the strongest evidences, i. e. the demonstration of the Spirit and of Power, should have so weak an influ∣ence upon us Christians; we take no more pains for Heaven, than if we did not believe there were such a place, and we have the same cares and fears in re∣spect of the things present, which Hea∣thens and Infidels have; so that tho' we talk much of Faith we make little or no use at all of it;

Therefore, least any man delude and fool himself with a perswasion of being endowed with that Faith which he hath

not, I'le give such an account of it as a∣grees with the Gospel of the Kingdom, as suits with, and serves the necessi∣ties of mankind, and the end and Aims of God.

Faith, saith the blessed Apostle, is the substance of things hoped for, and the e∣vidence of things not seen; the sub∣stance or presence, the evidence or Proof, 'tis not a slight transient glance, drowsie imperfect assent, a staggering wavering opinion, but 'tis a lively representation, an affective vision, a full perswasion of the glorious truths of the Gospel: when the Objects are so fully and clearly evi∣dent that they not onely convince, but, take us too; it is having the mind en∣lightn'd, and so looking upon things with the eys of Angels, and judging by the light of the blessed Spirit,

It is not only to see that the things in∣visible are, but to see them in some mea∣sure, such as they are. Eternity as E∣ternity, and Heaven as Heaven, that is, a state of truely great, and glorious hap∣piness; on this account, the things pre∣sent may have a different face and aspect, when regarded by the eyes of Faith,

and when of Sense; for sense stops in the things themselves, and regards their usefulness to the pleasure or profit of this present life; but Faith carries its sight forward, and compares the things which are seen, with those hoped for, the things temporal, with those eternal, and then all below appears but meer vanity.

This whole account of Faith we may find in the 13 verse of Heb. 11. These all died in Faith, (and what it is to dye or live in Faith, the following words explain,) not having reciev'd the pro∣mises, (i.e. the accomplishment of them) but having seen them a far off, (i. e. by divine Revelation) were perswaded of them, and embraced them, (and the na∣tural consequence of this was,) and con∣fessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth: Now Faith is unalterable as to its essence, but its objects may vary, they may be more or fewer, clearer or darker, according to the Nature of di∣vine revelation, Heb. 1.1. its evidence may be fuller or weaker, but still it must be such as may suffice to convince man of the Divine authority of the Revela∣tion;

As to the Christian Faith. 2. Its objects are the whole Gospe•••• of Christ. God the Father, such as he is re∣veal'd by the Son, God the Son incar∣nate, crucified, &c. The Rewards and punishments contain'd in it; and all in or∣der to engage us to an entire obedience to its holy and righteous Precepts.

By Faith I see that God, who is invi∣sible, who tho he dwels in Heaven, doth yet humble himself to behold all that is done upon Earth; nor doth he only be∣hold but govern all things too: And whilst I contemplate his Wisedom, Pow∣er, Truth, Goodness, Holiness, Justice, &c. manifested to me in the Gospel, I adore and worship him, I love and fear him, I call on and relie upon him, I en∣deavour to walk before him and be perfect; I know nothing like him, and therefore I desire nothing be∣side him, or equal to him in Heaven or in Earth.

By Faith I see the Son of God aban∣doning the bosome, and the Glory of his Father, descending upon Earth, and assuming the form of a Servant, that by his doctrine and example he might pro∣pagate

Righteousness and holiness in the world; I trace him thorough all the Stages of his sufferings, and travel till I behold him fasten'd to the Cross, and bleeding out his meek and holy Soul at those painful wounds the nails had made; and all this for my sins, and the sins of the whole World; and then with what a strange mixture of Passions that sight fills me! with grief and shame, and yet with love and hope too: How I am amaz'd to see what indignation a holy God hath discover'd against Sin! and how my heart bleeds to think that my sins have treated thus despitefully and cruelly my dear Lord and Master! and with what a melting passion, and vigo∣rous resolutions of a fervent industri∣ous service, and an everlasting zeal and devotion, do I behold the amazing in∣stances of my Saviours Love, whilst with so much affection and sweetness he laid down his life for me, whilst his e∣nemy and his persecutor! O how I long to do something for such a Saviour as this, to execute my lusts, to bring his and mine Enemies before his face and slay them! and now tho a survey of my

sins hath filled me with amazement and shame, yet since Christ hath died I look up with comfort, and an humble hope! Since he hath died, did I say, yea rather since he is risen again, for

By Faith I see him breaking forth with Power and great Glory out of his Sepulchre; I behold him ascending in Triumph up to Heaven; I see with Ste∣phen the Heavens open'd, and my Prince and Saviour sitting at the right hand of Power, with one hand despencing his Graces with the other holding never fadeing wreaths to crown the patience of his Saints: And now how I am exalt∣ed above Nature, transported above the world and flesh! how this prospect hath disarm'd the Beauties and glories of this life of all their Killing charms and Temptations! how my soul leaps for joy to see a way open'd into the holy of holies! and to consider the mighty interest I have in Heaven!

As for Earth, I am so far from admir∣ing it, I value it not; I know I must so∣journ here a while, and therefore I must be fed and cloath'd, but my heavenly Father knows I have need of these things,

and his is the Earth, and the fulness there∣of, and therefore he cannot want means and ability to provide for me; and he is a wise and a good God, and he hath pro∣mis'd by his Son to take care of me, and all this will invite him to design and ac∣complish what is best for me: Upon these grounds I think I could hope (like Abraham) even against hope, I could relie upon God without any flattering appearances of promises, Friends nay or any visible probabilities; I am to seek the righteousness of the Kingdome, and permit the Government of the World to the God of it; I am his child and he is my Heavenly Father, to obey is my Duty, and (with Reverence be it said) to provide for me is his.

By this time it is easie to be discern'd what kind of Faith it is must save or ju∣stifie us; one that enlightens our under∣standing, and ravisheth our Heart; one that prayes and watches, that contends and struggles, and fights and conquers; one that makes us too great for Earth, and fit for Heaven; one that fears, and loves, and worships, and seeks, and re∣lies, and hopes: And then

3. When it hath done this, when I find my Faith made perfect in Love, when through this belief I find my self a conqueror over the World and Flesh, and have crucified those lusts I did be∣fore serve and gratifie; then I am full of Joy and peace; Then I feel that pledge of his Love, that spirit which he hath giv∣en me, assuring me of the pardon of my sins thorough the blood of Christ. Then I have a foretaste of the powers of the world to come, and I do in some measure anticipate my Heaven. And not till then.

For this perswasion of the pardon of my sins (call it what you please, Faith, Peace, Hope, Assurance) is always pro∣portionable to the success I have in my fight of Faith; if I have either falsly be∣trayed, or weakly deserted a good cause i.e. my virtue under a temptation, which is in Scripture call'd a Tryal; if I have turn'd my back in the day of battel; then my own conscience condemns me, and because I know that God is grea∣ter than my Conscience, and knoweth all things, therefore I cannot expect to stand when I am judged, unless I rally and repair my fault: But if upon a serious

reflection upon my life each evening, my conscience acquit me as a Conque∣ror through Faith and Love, then I re∣joyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory: what a beautiful morning doth this Faith shed upon any soul! How I long that thy Kingdome, O God, may come! And how I disdain all that this vain World can flatter me with! Then like Peter, tho all men should be offended (fall through temptation) yet will not I. Give me a temptation equal to this Faith. (till the sense of my frailty, as in Peter, do lower my confidence and yet heigh∣ten my resolutions.)

And yet all this doth not in the least imply any reliance or confidence in my own Righteousness or works (phrases of the same sense in Scripture.) But that I know Repentance and Faith are propos'd as the sole conditions of Justification tho∣rough the bloud of Christ. And that these fruits or effects of Righteousness (I mean a holy life) are the onely evi∣dence of these habits; and therefore I can never perswade my self that I believe and repent, till I live well; nor ever flatter my self with Peace, Peace through

his bloud, till I thus believe and Repent; to do otherwise is presumption not Faith; 'tis the fond and groundless con∣fidence of foolish Virgins, which shall be for ever shut out from the Bridegrooms presence.

There is not in the book of God a∣ny one plainer Doctrine than this. Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdome of Hea∣ven, but he that doth the will of my Fa∣ther which is in Heaven: which is, not every one that professes me to be Lord, and so far relies upon me as to knock at the gates of Heaven with presumption of admission, shall enter, &c. If we walk in the light as he (God) is in the light, we have fellowship one with another (and truely our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ, v. 3.) and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. Where, walking in the light (that is Holiness) is suppos'd as a necessary condition to our purification by the blood of Christ; and, tribulati∣on worketh patience, and patience experi∣ence, and experience hope, and hope mak∣eth not asham'd, &c. These are the steps

or stages by which the Christian maketh his progress into assurance. Tribulation being conquer'd worketh patience, and Patience experience i.e. a conviction or proof of our Love of God, and this expe∣rience worketh hope, which contains in it th' assurance of pardon, and the expe∣ctance of a better world; and by the same method doth he who is attack'd by the temptations of pleasures proceed to a particular assurance.

The Sum of all is this; man may be consider'd in Three states. 1. Of un∣regeneration, and then he is to be con∣vinc'd of the truth of the Gospel, (if that be suppos'd) this belief will easily con∣vince him of his unrighteousness, and shew him the wrath of God reveal'd from Heaven against all ungodly and impenitent sinners, and on the other hand, the blood of Christ (who became a propiation for the sins of the World) will encourage him to hope for reconci∣liation and pardon, if he repent and relye upon Christ; And it will high∣ly, oblige him to both; or 2. In a state of Regeneration, and then accord∣ing to that experience and proof a man

hath of the truth and sincerity of his Conversion, such is the proportion and degree of his assurance and hopes; which doth not exclude but suppose Faith in Christ; for this is no more then to believe, that now his sins are pardon'd, his pray∣ers heard, his services accepted, and he shall at last bere warded, (if he persevere unto the end) in and thorough Christ. Or 3. In a state of Relapse, and even here, he hath yet hopes, (if he repent) tho∣rough the blood of Christ. For this is frequently asserted in Scripture. I'le urge but one place. 1. Jo 2. 1, 2. My little Children, (regenerate certainly) These things write I unto you, that ye sin not; and if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous, and he is the propitiati∣on for our sins, &c. that by these sins are not understood the unavoidable frailties and imperfections of the best men, but plain and manifest transgressi∣ons of the Law, is plain. 1. From hence, that this is the general notion of sin in this Epistle. 2. from the manner of speaking, that ye sin not, if any man sin, which cannot be sense if applied to the

unavoidable errours and imperfections of the best of men. 3. They are here said to be of the number of those sins for which Christ shed his blood, and are equall'd with the sins of the rest of the World.

And besides these Three uses of Faith I know none, nor what more can be at∣tributed to, or desir'd from the blood of Christ; I cannot see, unless men will wilfully abuse their Faith into an impunity and patronage for sin; or what disparagement it can reflect upon this sa∣crifice of Christ, That it obligeth us to Holiness, and rescues us from the power as well as guilt of sin, I am not able to comprehend; as to the silly scandal of trusting in works, they that know what these words or terms (Justi∣fied by works, and justified by Repentance, and Faith) mean, know that the one implies a perfect contradiction to the o∣ther, for the former denyes any sin or iniquity, and the latter doth directly suppose it.

4. Without some degrees of Faith, it is impossible that a wicked man should be awaken'd into any serious sence of his

condition, or should be induc'd to set himself in good earnest to please and o∣bey God; without a good measure of this Faith, the very regenerate will never be able to conquer the World, and subdue the flesh, and enter into their rest, I mean with th' Apostle a Rest from sin, for their endeavours will be but weak and lan∣guishing; their prayers cold and faint; the Acts and instances of Religion will be undertaken as a Duty of necessity, not delight; the whole Progress of their Christian warfare, will, like the driving of Pharoahs Charriots when the Wheels were off, beslow and uneasie; they will be liable to frequent relapses: their Life will not be a firm Peace, but an unstedy truce with conscience: and their Death will be mixt and checker'd with jealou∣sies, Distrusts, and faint hopes, like a sky spotted with numerous Clouds:

But if we arrive at a good degree of this precious Faith, we shall be more than Conquerors o're the World and ourselves; we shall be plac'd above the Reach of Temptations, preserv'd tho∣rough the power of Faith unto Salva∣tion: we shall be too great to be swoln

with vanity in prosperity, or to be cast down in affliction; we shall find all the wayes of wisedome wayes of pleasant∣ness and all her paths peace: in one word, we shall rejoyce always with joy unspeakable and full of Glory, and when our glass is run, and our Lives spent, we shall be translated to the bles∣ed Seats of Perfection and Peace.

5. For the obtaining, and improving, and confirming of this holy Faith, it is necessary, that our Religion be not meer Credulity or Custome, but that we se∣riously weigh those two great witnesses our Saviour appeals to, for the proof of his coming from God, his Works and Doctrine; the Power of the one, and Holiness of the other, being sufficient evidences of his Commission from a∣bove: To which we must add the Te∣stimonies God himself gave him from Heaven, his resurrection from the Dead and ascention into glory; and all those mighty works perform'd by his followers in the virtue of Faith in his name; and to be firmly rooted and grounded in Faith through these arguments, is that which St. Peter exhorts Christians to,

1 Pet. 3.15. To be ready alwayes to give an answer to every man that asks you a rea∣son of the hope that is in you.

2. By frequent retirements and so∣solemn and devout Meditation, to ac∣quaint our selves as intimately as we can with the glorious Truths of the Gospel of Christ, to draw the represen∣tations of them as lovely as may be; and to dwell and gaze on the things we be∣lieve, till the light of the understand∣ing hath shed it self thorough the infe∣riour Soul, warm'd all our passions, and the Body it self seem to relish and par∣take of the pleasure of the mind.

The most useful matter of our Medi∣tations will be 1. The Nature of the the God we worship, I mean the glori∣ous Attributes Mankind is most con∣cern'd in, His Truth and Wisedom, his Power and his Goodness: And 2. The Sufferings and the Glory of our blessed Redeemer, as the sole ground of inex∣pressible comfort; as the most indear∣ing Obligation to Holiness; as the most perfect pattern of Virtue, and the most lively instance of its reward.

3. We must add to both these means,

incessant prayers offer'd up with a fer∣vent Spirit at the Throne of Grace, for considering the darkness and indisposi∣tion of our Natures, we have altoge∣ther need of the assistances of the Di∣vine Spirit, and therefore

The Prayer.

O Eternal God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Author of all good gifts, enlighten my understan∣ding, that I may believe thy Gospel; set at liberty my will, that I may approve and love the things that are excellent, that the belief of the Gospel of the blessed Jesus may engage me to Love, Obey, and Relie upon him, give me such a lively sight, and firm belief of the things not seen, as may raise me above all the cor∣ruptions which are in the world through Lust, and make me partake of the Divine Nature, that so my Life may be full of Joy, my latter end of Peace, my Soul in its Separation of Rest, and my whole man in the Resurrection full of Delight and Glory. Amen, Amen, Blessed Je∣sus.