from the gofpel, was to this purpose: that on condition of man's stedfast faith, fincere repentance, and perfect obedience, he should be restored thro' Chrift to God's favour; and after death, to that life and happiness, which was promised to our first parents, without tafting of death. By this means God and man are brought together again; and man is redeemed from a state of fin and eternal death, to a state of holiness, and to the inheritance of eternal life. And this was the end for which the Son of God cloathed himself with our flesh, that as man, he might fuffer what our fins had deserved, and, as he was the Son of God, he might make a full, perfect and fufficient oblation and fatisfaction to the divine justice, for the fins of the whole world; who, for the joy of delivering fo many millions of fouls from mifery, endured the death of the crofs, and all the afflictions of his bitter paffion, which was the perfect facrifice whereby all mankind are restored to the favour of God, and put into a state of falvation; God having, for his Son's fake, promif- And our care ed to pardon all fuch as fhall repent, and forfake will not be their fins, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance; and to give his Holy Spirit to all fuch as fhall fincerely pray for the fame; and after death to make them eternally happy, if during this short state of trial, which is defigned to amend our corrupt and difordered nature, they endeavour to obferve the rules, which he has revealed in his word, and which are absolutely neceffary to make them capable of eternal happiness in the kingdom of heaven. in vain. By which conciled to In what manner. V.To conclude with the fentiments of a devout and pious divine; The great plea that men do generally make for the wickedness or carelefnefs of their lives is this, That it That it is in really is not in their power to live up to fuch a ftate of holiness and virtue, as the law of God obligeth them to: grace is in them too weak, and their natural corruptions too strong, for their ever being in a capacity, without more affiftance from God, to live strict and religious lives: converfion is the work of God, and cannot be wrought by a man's felf, and therefore till God fhall please to come upon them, with an irresistible power of his every man's power to ceflary care of his foul. Holy Holy Spirit, they must be contented to live as they do; nay, they muft unavoidably live fo. Now it is readily granted, that without God's grace no man can do any thing; and we grant likewise, that it is very probable their circumstances may be fuch, that it is not morally poffible, unless they had greater ftrength and more grace than they have, on a fudden to live as they ought to do; for, their bad principles are really more powerful than their good ones: but yet, in the mean time, we must needs tell them, that they are not mere stocks and stones. How much reafon foever they have to complain of the infirmity or degeneracy of their natures yet fome things they can do towards the bettering of them: for inftance, though they cannot on a fudden conquer the inward bent and inclination of their minds, fo as to hate all fin, and to delight in virtue, yet they must needs confefs that they have a power over their outward actions: they can as well (if they think it reasonable) direct their feet towards a church, as to a houfe of gaming, or drinking, or lewdness: their eyes will ferve them as well to look upon a bible, or a serious discourfe about religion, as to read a fcurrilous and a prophane book: it is as much in their power (if they please) to yield their ears to the reasonable advice of their fober friends, as to the mad harangues of the diffolute company they keep. These things they must needs acknowledge they can do, if they will: nay, and they can do more than this; for (if they please) they may give themselves time to confider and think of what they read, or what is faid to them, or what their own experience or obfervation of things will fuggeft to their minds; and they can further, if they please, add to their confideration their prayers to almighty God to direct them, to affift them, to ftrengthen them. It is certain, that all this without God's especial grace will not be effectual for their regeneration and converfion; yet, if they will but do as much as this comes to, we can affure them, that in time they shall have this efpecial grace that they now want. In the fame proportion that they ufe and employ thofe gifts and powers,which they at present have, God will increase and enlarge them. And the truth of all this is confirmed to us by that memorable faying of our Saviour, which we find in his mouth at feveral times, and upon upon feveral occafions: to him that hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have in abundance; but from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath. -; The Prayer. God, the protector of all that truft in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; raise up, I beseech thee, thy power, and with great might fuccour me, that, whereas through my fins and wickedness I am fore lett and hindered in running the race that is fet before me, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver me, through the satisfaction of thy Son; and, that as by thy fpecial grace preventing me thou doft put into my mind good defires, fo by thy continual help I may bring the fame to good effect: wherefore I humbly pray thee to increase and multiply upon me thy mercy, that thou being my ruler and guide, I may fo pass thro' things temporal, that I finally lofe not the things eternal: grant this, O heavenly Father, for the sake of thy Son Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. [xx] THE CONTENTS OF THE New Whole Duty of Man, Which for the fake of its being read over Three Times in a Year The Contents of the PREFACE. The Reason why the Old Whole Duty of Man is become unfuit- Why difliked by the prefent Age The Subjects there treated of not fuited to our Times How the Old Whole Duty of Man has contributed to discredit 11 The Author himself has acknowledged the Defects of that Book, and attempted to fupply them, and how his Endeavours have been The fashionable Morality of this Age cannot fecure any Man's E- The foregoing Particulars confirmed by the Teftimony of Archbi- fhop Sharp and the Confeffion of the Author of the Old Whole The Benefits and Advantages of Christianity The Ufe and Advantages of written Difcourfes The INTRODUCTION. 1. Man is composed of an immortal Soul, page ix. And II. Of a mortal Body, page xiii. III. How the State of the Soul is deter- mined, page xiv. And IV. The neceffity of caring for the Soul, page xvi. V. It is in every Man's Power to take that Care of PART the FIRST. Concerning Man's Duty towards God. I. Hat we are taught by Natural and Revealed Religion, page 1. II. The great branches of our duty to God and man, page 3. III. Our duty to God, page 3. IV. Of faith, page 4. V. The promifes, page 7. VI. Of Hope, page 8. VII. Of prefumption, page 9. VIII. Of defpair, page 10. IX. Love of God, page 11. I. Humility, or fubmiffion to the will of God, page 23. II. Depen- dence on God, page 24. III. Of Pride, page 26. IV. Of Since- rity, page 27. V. Honour due to God, page 28. VI. In his Houfe, page 28. VII. By Prayer, page 31. VIII. In his Minifters, page CHA P. III. SUNDAY III. I. Honour due to God in his word, page 40. II. Of Catechizing, page 42. III. Of Preaching, 43. IV. In his Sacraments, page 45. V. Of Baptifm, page 46. VI. Of Divine Revelation, page 51; and more especially, VII. Of our belief in one God and Three Perfons in the Godhead, page 55. VIII. Why God is called Al- mighty, page 57. IX. Of the World's Creation, page 58. X.Of God's Providence, page 58. XI. Of the Trinity, page 59. XII. I. Of Faith in Chrift our Saviour, page 63. II. Why the Chrift, page 64. III. Why our Lord, page 66. IV. Objections answer- ed, page 67. V. The Truth and Excellency of the Chriftian Reli- gion proved, page 70. VI. The Angel's message and falutation to the Virgin Mary, page 74. VII. The Incarnation of the Son of God, page 75. VIII. The Birth of Chrift, page 76. IX. How be draws us to himself, page 80. X. His Sufferings, page 82. XI. Crucifixion, page 83. XII. Death; and XIII. Burial, page 87. |
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