The Practical Believer, Preface
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THere is lately Re-printed, An Help and Exhortation to Worthy Communicating. Or, a Treatise describing the Meaning, Worthy Reception, Duty, and Benefits of the Holy Sacrament. And Answering the Doubts of Conscience, and other Reasons, which most generally detain Men from it. Together with Suitable Devotions added. By John Kettlewell, Vicar of Coles-hill in Warwickshire. The Second Edition.
Printed for Robert Kettlewell, and are to be Sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster. Price Bound 2 s. 6 d.
THE Practical Believer: OR, THE ARTICLES OF THE Apostles Creed, Drawn out To form a True Christian's Heart, and Practice.
In Two Parts.
LONDON, Printed for Robert Kettlewell, and are to be Sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster. 1688.
THE Practical Believer. The First Part.
OF THE NATURE and CERTAINTY OF Christian Faith, AND The Knowledge of God: OR, AN Explication of the Divine Attributes, and Providence.
Febr. 28. 1687.
Imprimatur Liber cui Titulus, The Practical▪Believer, &c. Guil. Needham RR. in Christo P. ac D. D. Wilhelmo Archiep. Cant. à Sacr. Domest.
London, Printed for Robert Kettlewell, and are to be Sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster. 1688.
THE PREFACE.
Reader,
I Here present thee with a Discourse upon the Holy Christian Faith: which as we all profess seriously to believe; so should we carefully endeavour to answer, and adorn, with an Holy and Christian Practice. In this, I have endeavoured to give such accounts of Almighty God, as may encourage all good Men to love and serve him; and deter all evil Men, from presuming on his Favour, or provoking his Displeasure. I have drawn out the consideration of his Providence, into the usual cases and occurrences, and shown how we may live upon it, and give our selves the true comfort and advantage thereof, in all events and transactions. And all the other Articles of the Creed, I have endeavoured to set off in such particulars, as we are most concerned to know, and which may give them the greatest life, and power with us. In the whole, I have aim'd to lay before thee the summ of Christian Doctrine, that in an Age, which abounds with unchristian falshoods, we may keep stedfast in Christian Truths: and that among all the Truths of Christianity, we may lay out our Care and Zeal on those, which are most important, and worthy of all acceptance.
My great design in this Treatise, is to lend what help I am able, to those, that sincerely desire, and seriously set themselves to live as they believe, and to make Faith a Governing Grace: showing how we may serve our selves of it, and give up our Souls to be ordered and directed by it, in all our manifold, and most important cases and concerns. And looking all along at this mark, in passing through all the Articles of the Creed, I have not sought to fill up a Book, by inserting all that may be truly, or pertinently said: But have applied my self to instruct thee, in such, as I thought the leading, and governing Notions; to inculcate those, which seem to me the most concerning, and powerful Truths; to set off such particulars about them, as seem fittest to affect us, or lie nearest unto Practice; and to note wherein we are to follow and attend to them, in the course, and various exigencies of our lives. And hoping this may prove beneficial to the instruction, and use of plain Christians, who have neither leisure to peruse, nor capacity to retain larger Volumes; I have endeavoured to treat of these things with convenient brevity. But withal to comprize so much, not only of necessary, but profitable Doctrine, as may be sufficient to any Man's guidance and encouragement, who will set himself diligently to learn, and walk in the light of it.
I am not without hopes, that this Discourse may, in some degree or other, serve the end, for which it is sincerely sent abroad, viz. of doing some honour and service to the ever Blessed Trinity, and making an admirable, and most efficacious Faith, more lively and powerful in some, that profess it. And if thou, good Reader, shalt reap any benefit by it, as thou wilt not fail to give God the praise, for suiting and supplying thy necessity, by the weakness of any he employs: so one thing I heartily request of thee, which is all the return, that in this World I either expect, or desire, that thou wilt thus far remember the poor instrument of thy Mercy, as in the fervency of thy Devotion, to put up one Prayer to our common Father, for his Salvation, who with a very ready and willing mind, has taken all this pains to promote thine.