Helps to Stir Up to Christian Duties, Title page – Table of contents
SOME HELPES TO STIRRE UP TO CHRISTIAN DVTIES.
Wherein is explained the Nature of the Dnty of ſtirring vp our ſelves.
Inſtances are given in the moſt neceſſary Chriſtian Duties.
Some Queſtions about this Subiect are profitab…y reſolved.
By Henry Whitfeld, B D. …reacher of Gods Word, at Ockley in Surrey
The ſecond Edition, Corrected and enlarged.
LONDON: Printed for J…hn Bartlet, and are to be ſold at his Shop, at the Gilt-Cup in Cheape-ſide. 1…34.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE, ROBERT GREVIL, Lord BROOKE, of Beauchamp-Court, encreaſe of Grace.
Right Honourable,
COnſidering how hard a thing it is, by reaſon of that fraile and corrupted nature we carry about with us, to profit by praiſe; and finding moreover,aVt quiſquis eſt laude digniſſimus ita minime lib ente… ſuas audite ſolet laudes. Buchol. that the more deſerving and worthy any are of it, the leſſe deſirous they are to heare it; Iudging your Lordſhip to be of the ſame minde, I reſolved not to detaine you with matter of that nature; neither indeed dare J givebIob 32.22 flattering Titles, fearing the ſecret reproofe and ſtroke of God in my owne Conſcience. I have adventured to addreſſe this Dedication to your Lordſhip, partly for the ſhrowding and ſheltring this little Booke under your Honours name and protection, which I humbly crave; and partly becauſe J deemed your Lordſhip a fit patron of it, the Lord having added this to al his other favors, as to give you a hart ſtirred up in duties of his Service & Honour, which is the ſubiect of this Treatiſe; I conceived alſo ſome hopes that you might ſee ſomething in it, whereby you might be farther provoked and ſtirred up in the earneſt Love, and open profeſsion of the Truth wherof you have given abundant Teſtimony before many witneſſes, which this Treatiſe cals for, and gives ſome light unto. Bleſsed be the Divine Maieſty, who (notwithſtanding the great ſeverity of that Sentence in Holy Writ,1 Cor. 1.20. That not many wiſe men after the Fleſh; not many mighty, not many Noble are called) hath, in your freſh and floriſhing times, amidſt the confluences of many worldly bleſſings and contentments, looked upon you, and made choice of you for himſelf to doe him ſervice, and hath taught you to eſteeme the world as it is; when he hath paſſed by ſo many of high birth, and of great ranke and quality, who are mightily enthralled, and lye proſtrate, adoring the ſeeming felicities of this preſent world. What remains then but that you advance forward, and doe ſtill more Nobly & worthily, improving thoſe ſingular endowments beſtowed on you to the beſt advantage of the giver of them. Thus ſhall the Lord ſtill goe on to performe his promiſe,1. Sam. 2.30. That ſuch as honour him he will honour. The truth and comfort of which I doubt not but your Lordſhip hath already found and felt, the greater & more excellent part of which remaines to be fulfilled to you when your earthly honour is layed in the duſt, and your ſoule advanced to that hoped for perfection. For the full accompliſhment whereof hee ſhall ever pray, who reſts
Your Lordſhips to be commanded in all Chriſtian Service, Henry Whitfeld.
The Epistle to the READER.
Christian Reader,
OVr ſpirituall life being the moſt choyce and precious treaſure that we carry about us in theſe our earthen veſſels, in the lively ſenſe and operations of which conſiſts the very life of our lives, and the the height of our comfort and ſolace here below: How needfull is it that we conſider of all meanes, and wayes, by which this life may be preſerved, and inlarged, that we may have it in more abundance. And this we ſhould the rather doe, both in regard of thoſe inward annoyances, which flowing from our corrupt nature, doe cauſe many faintings, and decayings even in the beſt, as alſo in regard of thoſe evils, which comming from without, and breaking in upon this life, do wondrouſly waſte, weaken, and hinder the operations of it. Now as it fares with our naturall life, that ſtirring and exerciſe proves ſpecially helpefull for the preſervation of it; ſo that which makes our ſpirituall life more lively, and fils it with ſtronger ſpirits, and activeneſſe, is the exerciſing of the ſeverall powers and faculties of it, the ſeverall gifts and graces of it, in all thoſe acts and wayes in which it is to put forth it ſelfe. The ſerious thought of which hath cauſed me (Chriſtian Reader) to make this Eſlay, and to come to thy helpe in what I might in this ſhort diſcourſe following: The matter I know is neceſſary, and of generall uſe for all Gods people, though the manner of handling of it will not be found ſo notionall, accurate, or judicious; yet finding none, as I could call to minde, that had travelled in this Subject, I thought my weakneſſes in this kinde might bee ſheltered under my deſire of a more generall good.
I conſidered alſo I had many of my Chriſtian friends, and neereſt kindred farre removed from mee, who being part of my care, I was willing to put ſomewhat into their hands, which might, not onelyonly bee as a pledge of my love to them, and ſome direction for them, but might alſo (by Gods bleſſing) have ſomewhat in it to quicken them up in their Chriſtian courſe. I ſaw my glaſſe running out apace, and I knew it would bee a griefe of heart unto me, if either they or I had beene called for hence, before I had left with them ſome proofe of my care and love, which I conceived might beſt be effected this way.
I viewed alſo the way, and courſe of many profeſſours of Religion, even of ſuch as are counted of the forwarder ſort; where I found much ſloth, lukewarmeneſſe, and backſliding. I thought if I could throw but a ſparke into the heart of any ſuch, who did know what a fire it might kindle: In many alſo (though well minded) there is plainly to be ſeene a lowneſſe, and flatneſſe of ſpirit, together with a contentedneſſe to goe an eaſie and ordinary pace in their Duties and performances: Now if I could but a little heighten the affections, deſires and endevours of ſuch, and cauſe them ſomewhat to advance and put forward, it would bee abundant recompence for what-ever paines I could beſtow in this kind.
I found alſo I had a dull and ſluggiſh heart of my owne, which by this meanes might haply be quickned up, and that thus ſetting rules, and lawes to my ſelfe, what I had written might be of further uſe for me for the time to come.
Some fruit alſo, and acceptance I found amongſt ſuch, where I preached over theſe Notes, in a ſhorter manner. All which layed together have now prevailed with me to doe that which I never intended to do, viz. to give way to the publiſhing of them, and bringing them into a more open light. What-ever I have done, I offer it unto thy view, and ſubmit it to thy loving cenſure; hoping, that if thou gaine ought by what is written, thou wilt remember him at the Throne of grace, whoſe ayme and end was meerly thy profiting. And thus, beſeeching the Lord in mercy to guide us with the Spirit of wiſdome and meekeneſſe in writing and reading, that we may be able to give up a comfortable account of both in the great day of our reckonings; I reſt
Thine in the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, H. WHITFELD.
The Contents of the ſeverall Chapters of this Treatiſe.
CHAP. 1. THe Coherence and reſolution of the Text. page. 1
CHAP. 2. That Gods people doe charge themſelves with more ſecret ſins than any elſe doe. p. 13
CHAP. 3. How Gods children ſhould ſeeke unto God in evill times, when he gives tokens of his diſpleaſure. p. 29
CHAP. 4. That the worke of a Chriſtian in reſpect of a ſpirituall eſtate, lyes moſt with himſelfe. p. 39
CHAP. 5. About this Chriſtian duty of ſtirring up our ſelves, and what it is to ſtirre up ones ſelfe in Chriſtian duties. p. 66
CHAP. 6. What the maine duties are about which we are to ſtirre up our ſelves. p. 73
Section 1. Of ſtirring up our ſelves in the most weighty buſineſſe of our owne and others ſalvation. p. 74
Sect. 2. Of ſtirring up our ſelves againſt our owne ſins. p. 89
Sect. 3. Of ſtirring up our ſelves againſt the ſinnes of others. p. 94
Sect. 4. Of ſtirring up our ſelves when we come to God in prayer for our ſelves. p. 99
Sect. 5. Of ſtirring up our ſelves when we come to pray for others. p. 102
Sect. 6. Of ſtirring up our ſelves in prayſing God. p. 106
Sect. 7. Of ſtirring up our ſelves in ſtanding for God and his honour. p. 109
Sect. 8. About ſtirring up our ſelves in the reading & hearing of Gods holy Word. p. 116
Sect. 9. About ſtirring up our ſelves in Meditation. p. 122
Sect. 10. Of ſtirring up our ſelves in ſanctifying the Lords day. p. 129
Sect. 11. Of ſtirring up our ſelves in our partaking of the Sacraments. p. 131
Sect. 12. How to ſtirre up our ſelves in laying hold on the Promiſes. p. 138
Sect. 13. Of ſtirring up our ſelves in the duties of love and mercy. p. 151
Sect. 14. Of ſtirring up our ſelves in regard of our Christian race. p. 154
Sect. 15. How we are to ſtirre up our ſelves when our last end approacheth. p. 157
CHAP. 7. Shewing the grounds of this Duty of ſtirring up our ſelves. p. 164
CHAP. 8. Where the doctrin of ſtirring up our ſelves is applyed in the ſeverall uſes of it. p. 170
CHAP. 9. Shewing ſome Motives unto this duty of ſtirring up our ſelves. p. 204
CHAP. 10. Shewing ſome Rules and Meanes by which we might attaine to this ſtirringneſſe of heart. p. 217
SOME HELPES TO STIR UP TO CHRISTIAN DVTIES.
ISA. 64.7.
And there is none that calleth upon thy Name, that ſtirreth up himſelfe to take hold on thee.