The True Way of a Christian, Title page – Table of contents
THE TRVE VVAY OF A CHRISTIAN, TO THE NEVV IERVSALEM. OR, A THREE-FOLDE DEMONSTRATION:
Firſt, of the Excellencie of the true and ſauing Knowledge of Chriſt; and the meanes to attaine it: with the Antiquitie, neceſsitie, and benefit of Catechiſme.
Secondly, of our Vnion and Communion with Chriſt, and his Church.
Thirdly, of our new Creation in Chriſt, by the bleſſed Spirit.
With diuers Queſtions, and Caſes of Conſcience, moſt comfortable for a Chriſtian.
Deliuered firſt in Briefe, in a Sermon Preached at Paules-Croſſe, the firſt Sunday in the new yeere, 1617.
And newly reuiſed and enlarged by IMMANVEL BOVRNE Maſter of Artes, and now Parſon of Aſhouer in the Countie of Derby.
LONDON, Printed for George Fayerbeard, and are to be ſold at his ſhop at the North doore of the Royall Exchange. 1622.
TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVLL, Dr. PEIRS, THE NOW Reuerend, and worthy Vicechancellour of the Vniuerſitie of Oxenford; and Rector of St. Chriſtophers neere the Royall Exchange in London: And to the Right Worſhipfull, and all the reſt of the religious and well-willing Pariſhioners of the ſame: A daily increaſe of ſauing knowledge, of that Vnion and Communion with Chriſt and his Church; and of that new Creation in Chriſt, by the bleſſed Spirit, in the Canaan of Grace; with the perfection of all theſe in the Ieruſalem of Glory for euer.
RIGHT Worſhipfull and the reſt beloued: It is a concluſion of St. Auguſtines, S. August. in Epiſt. ad Marcellin.That there is nothing can be ſpoken more briefely, nor heard more ioyfully, nor vnderſtood more acceptably, nor performed more fruitfully then the duty of thankfulneſſe. This is true of thankfulneſſe to God; of which St. Auguſtine ſpeaketh; and true of thankfulneſſe to men, as experience teacheth. Of the firſt S. Chryſoſtome S. Chryſoſt. Hom. 51. in Geneſ.affirmeth, Nihil tam gratum Deo vt anima grata & gratias agens: That there is nothing ſo acceptable vntounto God as a thankfull minde, nothing more pleaſing in his eyes;S. Chryſoſt. Hom. 1 ad pop…lum Antioch. and therefore he calles thankfulneſſe a rich treaſure, yea a heape of riches, a fountaine of good, and a tower of ſtrength, becauſe by the memorie of benefits receiued, we are ſtrengthened that we fall not backe by Ingratitude, then which nothing is more deteſtable in the eyes of God, as S. Bernard St. Bern. ſerm. 1. de ſeptem miſe…icor…ijs. Sen lib. 2. de benefic cap. 22. Sabellic. lib. 7. cap. 1. Exempl. Baptiſta Fulgoſ. Plutarch. in Apophth.teſtifieth. And for the ſecond thankfulneſſe to men; not only men (as Auguſtus Caeſar, (of whom Seneca,) Alexander of Macedon (of whom Sabellicus,) Artaxerxes that King of Perſia, (of whom Fulgoſus) with diuers others, (of whom Plutarch) reporteth:) But euen the bruite beaſts themſelues, may ſeeme to hauehave been delighted with it, and as it were to take pleaſure in it. Witneſſe that ſtory of the Dragon, which (as Aelianus Aelianus de varia Hiſt. lib. 13.relateth) was nouriſhed by a Boy in the Citie of Patras in Achaia, and being growen bigge, and driuen by the Citizens into the wilderneſſe, (not being forgetfull of him by whom he was nouriſhed) when in proceſſe of time the Boy trauelling thorough the wilderneſſe, was ſet vponupon by theeues, hearing his voyce, he came preſently to aſſiſt him, and in thankfulneſſe deſtroyed the theeues, and conducted him ſafe on his iourney. Witneſſe that ſtory of the Panther (of which Geminianus Geminian. de Exempl.maketh mention) which hauing her yong ones fallen into a pit, and (while ſhe ſought for helpe) meeting with a man whom with feare and fawning ſhe perſwaded to follow her; when he had deliuered her yong ſhee left him not, but in thankfulneſſe kept him from danger till hee came forth of the deſerts.Pierius Valerianus Hieroglyphicor. lib. 19. Witneſſe that of the Eagle, which being ſaued by a Reaper (who came to fetch water) from the violence of the Serpent that had poyſoned the Fountaine, and almoſt killed her; the Serpent being cut in peeces with his hooke, and the Reaper carrying water to his fellowes, the Eagle did flye after him; and when his fellowes had drunke and were poyſoned, he being about to drinke himſelfe, ſhee hindered him from drinking, labouring with her wings to breake the pitcher: by which (ſeeing his fellowes ſome dying, ſome dead before him) he perceiued her thankfulneſſe vntounto him for deliuering of her from the crueltie of the Serpent. To conclude, witneſſe that famous Hiſtorie of Androdus the fugitiue ſeruant;Aulus Gellius. who by errour falling into a Lyons denne, which had a thorne in his foote; Androdus pulling it out, the Lyon nouriſhed him for a time with him; and when he eſcaped thence, being (taken for his offence and) caſt to a company of Lyons, where that Lyon alſo (being taken by hunters) was kept: The Lyon knowing Androdus his old Chyrurgion, would not ſuffer him to be deuoured, and therefore both were ſet at libertie, and the Lyon following him eueryevery where like a Dog, was pointed at by all men with this obſervatiō, Ecce leo hoſpes hominis, Ecce homo medicus leonis: Behold a Lyon the Hoſte of a man, and behold a man the Phyſition of a Lyon. Thus you ſee not only God, but alſo men and bruite beaſts, hauehave beene delighted with the duty of thankfulneſſe. To acknowledge therefore thoſe many fauours which I hauehave receiued, both from you all in generall, and from ſome in a more eſpeciall manner. For from you the learned Paſtour (I muſt confeſſe) I not only ſucked my firſt milke in the Vniuerſitie, but receiued my encouragement and furtherance to be planted in this Citie, and (by a free election) in this place, wherein (by Gods gracious fauour) for theſe foure yeeres and vpwards, I hauehave happily continued. And from you my worthy and euer honoured friends (with whom I hauehave liued,) I hauehave obtained not onelyonly a principall part of my liuelyhood for the preſent; but (by a moſt free and noble gift) a Paſtorall charge, wherein I may exerciſe (with much comfort) my miniſteriall office for the time to come. Nor can I here end, for from many other in particular I hauehave not wanted priuate fauours, witneſſes of their pietie to God, and good will towards me. How then can I be ſilent and ſuffer my ſelfe to be iuſtly branded with the coale of Ingratitude? To preuent this, I hauehave aduentured to offer (as a Farewell) theſe my weake meditations vntounto you, which though they be farre vnable to ſatisfie your deſeruing, yet may they remaine with you (when I am gone,) as a teſtimonie of my deſires. They are a New-yeeres gift (in reſpect of the time, and in reſpect of the ſubiect,) not too high for any, nor too baſe for the beſt, fitting, pleaſurable and profitable for all, if you reade, and remember, and practiſe them with Conſcience. They are a plaine and direct plat-forme of the ſtate of a Chriſtian, ſhewing how we may walke, from the true knowledge of Chriſt (which is the foundation of all) to the true Vnion, and Communion with Chriſt and his Church; and in theſe to that heauenly newneſſe, in and by which we muſt all paſſe through the manifold Labyrinths, and dangerous temptations of our ſpirituall enemies; from the old Iericho of this world, to that new Ieruſalem in the kingdome of heauen. And this is the ſumme of all that we can teach, or you can deſire to learne. Being therefore now (by Gods prouidence) to take my leaue of you, my laſt requeſt ſhall be (both to you and to God for you,) That not onelyonly theſe meditations, but alſo all my poore endeauours may by Gods bleſſing, ſo remaine with you, that they may work in you all, ſuch a meaſure of this excellent knowledge, this bleſſed Vnion, Communion and new creation, that you may hauehave peace, that true peace of Conſcience, and comfort of ſoule for euer; that the Lord of peace may giuegive you peace alwaies by all meanes,2 Theſſ. 3.16. and that the gracious preſence of God the Father, God the Sonne, and God the holy Ghoſt. may be with you, bleſſe, preſerue, and keepe you all in the kingdome of Grace, to the kingdome of Glory for euer. And thus not ceaſing to pray for you; I reſt. From my ſtudy at Sr. Samuel Tryons, in the Pariſh of St. Chriſtophers. April. 1622.
Yours and eueryevery one of yours in Chriſt Ieſus, IMMANVEL BOVRNE.
A briefe Glaſſe wherein you may behold the principall Contents of theſe enſuing Meditations.
1. Occaſion and connexion of the text, from whence is obſerued,
1. THE Excellencie of the true Knowledge of Chriſt, with the nature and benefit of it.
2. Wherein this true Knowledge conſiſteth, in which is ſet forth the Names, the Natures, and Offices of Chriſt.
3. With what kinde of Knowledge, a Chriſtian muſt know Chriſt, and in that the difference of true and falſe Knowledge, and o… true profeſſors and hypocrites.
4. Reprehenſion of thoſe who teach ignorance, with a lamentation for them which delight in it, and in this what are the cauſes of ſo much Ignorance in the light of the Goſpel: firſt, in the Hearers: ſecondly, in the Teachers.
5. The want of Catechiſme and neceſſitie of it: And herein the care of the Primitiue Church, to vſe it: the diuers orders of Chriſtians in thoſe times, with the Induſtrie of religious men in all ages, to plant this true and Diuine Knowledge.
2. Parts of the Text.
1 Part.
Branch. 1.
1. Of the name and nature of man, with his three-fold eſtate in this life.
2. Of the true and falſe Vnion and Communion: The firſt of the Church: The ſecond of Heretikes.
2.
1. How we are in Chriſt, and Chriſt in vsus.
2. How we may know if we be Chriſtians.
3.
1. How our ſecond Creation is a greater worke then our firſt.
2. What thoſe are who obtaine this Grace.
3. What this new Creation is.
4. Who is the Author of this change.
5. What kinde of creatures we are new made.
6. By what meanes we may attaine vntounto it.
7. How we may know whether we be new Creatures.
8. Comforts againſt doubting, if we want the ſignes: Shewing the true ſtate of a Chriſtian in this life.
9. How to know whether temptations of doubting come from God or from Satan.
10. Many Cordials to anſwer Satans obiections, concerning the weakeneſſe of our faith and obedience, and to keepe vsus from deſpaire.
2. Part.
Branch. 1.
1. What old things are paſt away.
2. What errors confuted therein, and the truth confirmed.
2.
1. What things are become new to a Chriſtian.
2. When this newneſſe in Chriſt is required, namely in the Canaan of Grace, that by this we may come to the Ieruſalem of Glory.