Discourse of Excuses, Table of contents
THE CONTENTS.
CHAP. I.
THe Text opened, and Obſervation raiſed, Page 1
CHAP. II.
Several kinds of Excuſes, 1 Good. 2 Bad. 7
Evil Excuſes referr'd to three heads, 1 Sin. 2 Duty. 3 Faith. 8
1 Excuſes as to Sin, are 1 fetcht from ſelf, 2 from others.
1 From ſelf, 1 By denying the fact. 8
2 Telling ſome artificial ſtory. 9, 10
3 Pleading Ignorance. 10
4 It is my Nature. 11
5 A Cuſtom I have got. 13
6 It was in Drink. 16
7 Paſſion. 19
8 In my Childhood. 20
9 My good Nature. 21
10 I was in Jeſt. 25
11 Againſt my will. 26
12 Neceſſity put me upon it. 27
13 Beſides my Intention. 28
14 Was ſurpriſed with fear. 29
15 It was in a matter of moment. 30
16 To cover and prevent ſhame. 33
17 It was not my act, but others. 36
Eight wayes, whereby we are partakers of others Sins. 37
18 It was in pure Zeal. 40
19 My Conſcience, 2 or under a Vow, 3 Oath, 4 Curſe. 42
20 It is but a ſmall Sin. 44
21 The firſt time. 45
22 It is all the fault I have. 46
23 It was to ſave my life. 47
24 My Negative Goodneſs. 47
25 Many good Deeds done. 48
26 I have a good Heart, ſtrong Faith. 51
27 Little did I think it. 52
CHAP. III.
Excuſes from others, are taken from other Perſons, 2 Things. 54
1 From other perſons, 1 Men, 2 God, 3 Satan.
Men diſtinguiſhed into 3 Claſſes,
1
Superiors,
Equals,
Inferiors.
2 Men conſidered, as
Good,
Bad.
3 as
Friends,
Foes,
Strangers.
1 Excuſes taken 1 from Superiours. 54
1 Their Example. 54
2 Counſel. 55
3 Commands. 55
4 Promiſes, or Threats. 56
2 Excuſes from Equals. 58
3 From Inferiors. 58
2 Excuſes taken 1
from good men. 60
2 from bad men. 65
Excuſes taken 1 from friends. 66
2 foes. 69
3 ſtrangers. 71
CHAP. IV.
4 Excuſes taken 1 from God. 72
1 His Providence. 72
2 His Decrees. 74
3 His Permiſſion. 78
4 His pretended Auſterity. 81
5 His Mercy. 83
6 His denegation of Grace. 84
7 That God owed them a ſhame. 85
2 From Satan. 86
CHAP. V.
Excuſes taken from other things.
1 Ignorance. 90
2 My Place and Office. 91
3 Example of Predeceſſors. 92
4 I am not the firſt, nor ſhall be the laſt. 94
5 The beſt in the place do ſo. 95
6 Good Intention. 96
7 Antiquity. 96
8 Tradition. 99
9 Ʋniverſality. 100
10 Singularity. 101
11 The Law of the Land. 102
12 It is my own, and I may do with it what I will. 105
13 It is lawful in it ſelf. 109
14 Chriſtian Liberty. 111
15 Our Calling. 113
16 Manner of our Country, Society, &c. 116
17 The odious names put upon Virtue. 116
18 The honourable Titles upon Vice. 117
CHAP. VI.
Excuſes taken from ſome Doctrines and Scriptures miſapplyed, and ſome obſervations likewiſe. 119
1 The Doctrine of Election and Reprobation. 119, 120
2 That all are Sinners. 122
3 That Chriſt died to ſave Sinners. 124
4 That we are ſaved by Grace. 126
5 That we are juſtifyed by faith. 127
6 The Saints imperfections. 129
7 That we are not under the Law, but Grace. 132
8 That we are to try all things. 134
9 That it is but repenting at laſt. 135
The Caſe of the Thief on the Croſs. 138
Sundry obſervations, 1 the peaceable End of ſome wicked men. 140
2 The weak parts of the Godly. 142
3 The low eſtate of the Godly. 144
4 Diviſions among Chriſtians. 145
5 Scandalous lives of ſome Preachers 148
CHAP. VII.
Excuſes as to Duty.
1 I am a Child. 149
2 I am unlearned 153
3 Want competent abilities. 154
4 Our Calling. 155
5 I will hereafter. 158
6 Want of Company, 7 Sufferings. 161
8 Terms of Honour. 163
9 We are well already. 165
10 It is no part of our Calling. 165
11 Deſpair of ſucceſs. 166
12 Exceſs of Humility. 171
CHAP. VIII.
Excuſes as to Faith and Believing. 173
1 From the greatneſs of the thing promiſed. 171
2 The things promiſed too good. 175
3 Our ſelves too bad. 175
4 Sad miſgivings of Heart. 177
5 The means unlikely. 179
6 Preſent Providences unlike former Preſidents. 181
7 Providences croſs promiſes. 182
8 That time is paſt and now too late. 183
9 It is above all reaſon imaginable. 185
10 I am under ſo many afflictions. 186
11 Fear I have committed the Sin againſt the Holy Ghoſt. 187
12 Relapſes into Sin again. 194
13 Fear of Reprobation. 195
CHAP. IX.
The Cauſes and Reaſons of Excuſes. 198
1 Cauſa prima, Man's fall. 199
2 A primâ orta, Our corruption by the fall. 200
3 Cauſae aſſiſtentes, 1 Principal, Satan. 200
2 Secundary—Man. 201
4 Deficient cauſes, 1 Want of due conſideration of Gods omniſcience, &c. 202
2 Not conſidering the Latitude of Gods Law. 203
3 Not remembring the laſt Judgement. 204
4 Want of Conſcience. 205
2 Ends of Excuſes, 1 To avoid ſhame. 205
2 To gain a repute of Religiouſneſs. 207
3 To ſtop the Mouth of Conſcience. 208
4 To ſpare greater pains. 209
CHAP. X.
The ſinfulneſs, vanity and frivoluſneſs of Excuſes. 210
1 Sinfulneſs, becauſe the greateſt hinderers of good. 210
2 The greateſt Nurſery of Evil. 212
3 They are oftentimes no other than flat Refuſals and Denyals. 213
2 Their vanity, 1 In that they cannot ſtand before any approach into Gods preſence. 214
2 Nor before the light of Gods word. 215
3 Nor a ſtrict Examen of Conſcience. 215
4 Nor bear up in a day of trial. 216
5 Leaſt of all in the day of Gods Judgment. 217
CHAP. XI.
The Application of the whole. 218
1 By way of Lamentation. 218
2 By way of Humiliation. 229
Excuſes, 1 charged with a breach of all the 10 Commandement. 231, 232
Inſtances in each Commandement.
2 With Sins againſt the Goſpel. 239
3 Againſt Chriſt. 239
4 Againſt the Holy Ghoſt. 240
3 They turn all things unto Sin. 241
4 They do harden men in Sin. 242
3 Several uſes of Information 242
1 Informing what a ſhifting Creature Man is. 242
2 Whence ſo little true Piety, Faith, Obedience and Conſcience in the world. 245
3 The folly of that Proverb, Better a bad Excuſe than none at all. 246
4 The ſad difference of Gods care of Man's Salvation, and Man's careleſneſs. 247
5 The wide difference between the ſincere Chriſtian and the unſound in reſpect of Excuſes. 248, 249
6 The difference between Gods Judgement of man, and Mans concerning himſelf. 249
7 The difference between man in his day of Sin, and of Gods Viſitation. 249
8 The difference between Man's ſenſe of his Excuſes now, and in the day of Judgement. 250
9 Informs that men may be ſhut out of Heaven, notwithſtanding much fair Carriage and good Language. 255
10 Informs, Heaven may be loſt in purſuance of things in themſelves Lawfull. 255
11 Performing Relative Duties, is not all required of Chriſtians. 256
4 Ʋſe of Examination. 257
5 And laſt Ʋſe of Exhortation, or rather Dehortation. 261
Four Removals of Excuſes. 262
1 By ready Obedience. 262
2 By Repentance. 262
3 Flying to Chriſt by faith. 265
4 To remove ſinfull Excuſes by making uſe of ſafe Excuſes, whereof 267
5 Inſtances out of the Old Teſtament. 268
5 Out of the New Teſtament 272 to the end.