A Treatise of Grace and Duty, Title page – Table of contents
A TREATISE OF GRACE AND DUTY.
By Francis Fuller. M. A.
LONDON, Printed by John Richardson, for Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chappel, 1688.
FORTITER ET RECTE
JAMES. F. FULLER.
FSA.
Licensed,
Septemb. 7th. 1688.
To the Right HONOURABLE THOMAS LORD CREW.
My Lord,
THere are Two things that keep up Friendship betwixt God and us, viz. The Receipt of Grace from him, and the Return of Duty to him, and both, our Honour, as well as our Interest; Sin is a degradation, it proved so to the Angels, and to us, (for we both lost our dignity, as well as our Purity by it) and to serve, is a kind of diminution in its self, but Grace is an Honour, (the Honour that comes from God only) and so is his Service too. It is so in it self, (for, it is perfect freedom) so to Angels, (they are oftner called Angels, then Spirits, which is a Title of Office) so to all good Men, (David esteemed it above his Honour of being King of Israel) Yea it is so to God himself, (viz. A Declarative, not an Essential Honour,) and therefore may well be esteemed so to us, and by us. An Honour, that no outward meanness can Eclipse, for, it carries Glory with it, as the Tabernacle did, though covered with Badgers Skins, because the Ark was there. A greater Honour, then either to serve the greatest upon Earth, to be served by them, or rankt among them, yea a greater Honour for God to say he is Honoured by it, then to Honour us for it.
My Lord,
Such Honour have all Gods Saints, such was the Ancient Honour of your Family, and such is yours, the greatest Honour, that ever you had here, or can have; and that it may ever be so, that when you shall leave the fading Honour of this Transitory World, you may be crowned with Everlasting Honour in the World to come, is the Constant and Sincere desire, of
Your Lordships most humble Servant, F. Fuller.
THE EPISTLE TO THE READER.
SOlomon sayes Wisdom is the principal thing, viz. Not humane Wisdom but Divine; Wisdom excells among all other Vertues, and this kind of Wisdom among all other kinds. That, when Sanctified, beautifies, but this Sanctifies that, and exalts a Saint above a Man, as that does a Man above a Beast, that will wither, but this will grow up to Glory. Of other things we may have too much, of this never enough, if we desire no more, we have none, and if we seek not after it, we never desired it; if we have none, we shall lose our Crown, and if we seek not after more, we shall lessen it, in having it consists our safety, in encreasing in it our Comfort: That in the Truth of it, and this in the Degree.
Happy they then that so prize it, as to seek it, and so seek as to find it, and when found, endeavour after a perfection in it.
F. Fuller.
The CONTENTS.
CHAP. I. Of the Nature of Grace. Page 1.
Chap. II. Of the Excellency of Grace. 26
Chap. III. Of Growth in Grace 31
Chap. IV. Of Quickning and Assisting Grace 36
Chap. V. Of Humility under Grace. 45
Chap. VI. Of the weak and small degrees of Grace 52
Chap. VII. The weak in Grace must not be discouraged under the small degrees of Grace, nor the strong in Grace despise the weak, but both go unto Christ, that they may receive of his fulness more abundant Grace 65
PART. II.
OF Duty 79
Chap. I. A regard must be had to the Principle, Rule, Manner, and End of Duty. 82
Chap. II. Obedience must be to every Duty Commanded. 87
Chap. III. Duty must be done though danger attend it, and difficulty be in it. 89
Chap. IV. God must be sought in Duty. 94
Chap. V. Indisposition to Duty, and deadness in Duty must be avoided, but yet Duty must not be either neglected, or cast off for it. 97
Chap. VI. The heart must be concerned in every motion to Duty and in it. 101
Chap. VII. Duty must be continued in to the End 106
Chap. VIII. All merit by Duty must be disclaimed. 110