Milk for Babes, Questions · Part
Now in this cloſe let me ſee how thou haſt profited by what I have opened to thee about prayer.
Q. Why is prayer a means to encreaſe faith?
A. Becauſe God muſt do it; and he will be ſought.
Q. How doeſt thou know that thou prayeſt aright?
A. When my ſoul doth religiouſly move out of it ſelf to God.
Q. To what end?
A. To draw my ſelf into fellowſhip with him againſt ſinne, and for grace.
Q. Where doeſt thou learn the matter of prayer?
A. In that which Chriſt taught his Apoſtles.
Q. Tell me the enterance into it?
A. Our father which art in heaven.
Q. Why calleſt thou him Father in prayer?
A. Becauſe it enſureth my faith.
Q. Why ſayeſt thou Our?
A. Becauſe in love I muſt pray for all that are in communion with me to life.
Q. Why ſayeſt thou which art in heaven?
A. Becauſe it might raiſe up my heart thither.
Q. What doeſt thou ayme at in prayer?
A. The hallowing of Gods name.
Q. How canſt thou hallow it?
A. When I live like a creature of God, not of Satan.
Q. What doeſt thou need to this end?
A. Grace in my heart.
Q. How ſhalt thou get it?
Q. By Gods Kingdom comming into me by faith.
Q. Is it enough to hallow Gods name if thou have grace in thy heart?
A. No: I muſt act grace in my life by doing of Gods will.
Q. How muſt thou do it?
A. By faithfull, and zealous doing of it as they that are in heaven.
Q. But to hallow Gods name doeſt thou not need the things of this life?
A. Yes, therefore I beg daily things convenient for my nature, and perſon.
Q. What muſt be removed from thee for the hallowing of Gods name?
A. My ſinnes paſt, and ſinnes preſent and to come.
Q. What would'ſt thou have done againſt thy ſinnes paſt and preſent?
A. I crave a diſcharge from them for the merits of Chriſt made mine by faith.
Q. What would'ſt thou have done to prevent ſinne to come?
A. I would not be left to my ſelf, or to the power of the Devill, and the world?
Q. Why would'ſt thou not be in ſuch a ſtate?
A. Leſt I fall into the evill of ſinne, and the evill of puniſhment.
Q. What is the evill of ſinne?
A. Out of an evill conſcience to love ſinne, and to like it.
Q. What is the evill of puniſhment?
A. To be left in the hardneſſe of my heart to the condemnation of hell.
Thus (O my childe, Prov. 31.2.the childe of my wombe, and the childe of my deſire) I have, as I have learned, given thee to hear the inſtructions of a mother. I have been an inſtrument to bring thee into the world of ſinners, wherein thou art too like me and thy father, in that wherein thou art moſt unlike unto God; oh that I might be a meanes, alſo, to bring thee into the world of ſaved ones! In the bowels of a tender mother, let me perſwade thee in time, Jer. 8.6.to ſmite thy hand upon thy thigh, and ſay, what have I done? It is enough (yea too, 1 Pet. 4.3, 4too much) that thou haſt ſpent the time paſt, of thy life, after the luſts of the world, walking in wantonneſſe, and in other abominable wickedneſſes. Eccleſ. 12.1Now remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth, and though, when thou runneſt not with others into the ſame exceſſe of riot, thou be ſpoken of as an evill doer, yet be not diſcouraged: Eſa. 66.5.God will appear to ſuch perſons ſhame, and thou ſhalt be comforted. If thou wert of the world, the world would love thee: Joh. 15.19.but if thou be taken out of the world, and keep faith, 1 Tim. 2.19 Joh. 15.10.and a good conſcience, the love of the Father ſhall abide in thee, and lead thee to everlaſting life. And becauſe it cannot be thus with thee except God open thine eyes, Act. 26.18.and turn thee from darkneſſe to light, to receive forgiveneſſe of ſinnes, and inheritance, among them that are ſanctified by faith in Chriſt: therefore I charge thee, as thou wilt anſwer it to God in the dreadfull day of judgement, that thou ſuck into thy ſoul this milk for babes. It will plainly open unto thee, thy Creation from God, thy corruption by ſinne, thy curſedneſſe for ſin, and thy deliverance by Jeſus Chriſt. If thou be carefull feelingly to know theſe things, together with Faith, which is thy onelyonly way to make Chriſt thine: and canſt but ſenſibly perceive the working, and growth of it by the Goſpell, ſeals of it (the Sacraments) and prayer, the work is done. I will not ſay thou art a ſtranger to the Covenant of grace, or that thou art not farre from the Kingdome, but thou art a childe of the Kingdome, and heir of life. As therefore David ſaid to Solomon, up, and be doing, about the houſe of God: ſo ſay I, be diligent to learn, and to feel this doctrine diſtill as the dew upon thy ſoul that thou maiſt paſſe from death to life. Heb. 13.20, 21.Now, the God of peace that brought again from the dead the Lord Jeſus Christ, that great Shepheard of the ſheep, thorough the bloud of the everlaſting Covenant, make thee perfect in every good work to do his will, working in thee that which is pleaſing in his ſight, through Jeſus Chriſt, to whom be Glory for ever and ever. Amen.
FINIS.
1 Secret Sinnes diſcovered.
2 Chriſt exalted amongſt men.
3 The Soul ſecured.
OR, THREE SERMONS; The firſt preached at Andrewes Holborn at a publike Faſt: The two other, preached, upon ſeverall occaſions, at the Covent-Garden, near Martins in the Field, in the MonethMonth of February 1645/6.
By ROBERT ABBOT Preacher of Gods Word at Southwick in Hantſhire.
PROV. 28.13.
He that covereth his ſinnes ſhall not proſper: but who ſo confeſſeth and forſaketh them ſhall have mercy.
GEN. 48.19.
I have waited for thy ſalvation, O Lord.
LONDON, Printed by John Legate for Philemon Stephens, dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the ſigne of the gilded Lyon. 1646.
The Texts and Summe of what is handled in the following TREATISES.
Pſal. 119.12.
Who can underſtand his errours? Lord cleanſe me from my ſecret ſinnes.
Where is conſidered,
1 A diſeaſe: about which 2
1 A conceſſion (we have many errours)
2 A confeſſion (we cannot know them) yet we may know more then we do by meanes propounded in the Sermon.
2 A remedy, flying to God by prayer: About which 2
1 The Object (ſecret ſinnes) which are
1 Demonſtrated by the ſeverall eyes
1 Of God
2 Of the world
3 Of a mans own conſcience.
2 Diſcovered by five meanes applied in the Sermon.
2 The act or work againſt them, prayer, confeſſing their pollution as well as of other ſinnes.
Matth. 13.45, 46.
The Kingdome of Heaven is like unto a Merchant-man, ſeeking goodly pearles: who when he had found a pearle of great price he went and ſold all that he had and bought it.
Whence is diſcovered,
1 The worth of the Goſpell, which is valued,
1 By the place where it is (In the Kingdome of Heaven)
2 By the perſon that trades for it (A Merchantman)
3 By the commodities of it (Pearles, a pearle of great price)
4 By his invincible diligence about it (he ſeeks till he finde it)
2 What a good Chriſtian will bid for it (He ſels all that he hath) which is demonſtrated;
1 Negatively, what he doth not ſell.
2 Poſitively, what he doth ſell for the enjoyment of Chriſt this pearle.
Pſal. 31.5.
Into thy hands I commit my ſpirit: thou haſt redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.
Where is diſcourſed,
1 Davids confeſſion of God
1 For ſoveraignty to be his (Lord)
2 For the ſigne of it (Thou haſt redeemed me)
3 For his veracity (God of truth)
2 David's profeſſion for himſelfe: where he preſents
1 The nature of his ſoul (a ſpirit)
2 The Caſtle of his ſoul (into thy hands)
3 The Care for his ſoul (I commit it unto thee.)
The ſumme of all is;
1 Secret ſinnes diſcovered.
2 Chriſt exalted among men.
3 The Soul ſecured.