The Morning Exercise Methodized, Title page – Table of contents
THE Morning Exerciſe METHODIZED; Or certain chief HEADS and POINTS OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION Opened and Improved in divers SERMONS, BY SEVERAL Miniſters OF THE CITY OF LONDON, In the Monthly Courſe of the MORNING EXERCISE at GILES in the Fields. MAY 1659.
Eccleſ. 12.11. The words of the wiſe are as goads, and as nails fastened by the Maſters of Aſſemblies, which are given from one ſhepheard.
LONDON, Printed by E. M. for Ralph Smith, at the ſign of the Bible in Cornhil, near the Royal Exchange. 1660.
To the Right Honourable, CHARLES, Earle of WARWICK; NICHOLAS, Earle of SCARSDALE; PHILIP, Lord WHARTON; JOHN GLYN, (late) Lord Chief Juſtice of ENGLAND; Sir JOHN BROWNLOW Baronet: And to the Right Worſhipful JOHN CREW Eſq; GILES HUNGERFORD Eſq; JOHN PIT Eſq; THOMAS ROBINSON Eſq; And to the reſt of the Nobility, Gentry, and others the Inhabitants of Giles in the Fields: Grace, Mercy and Peace, from God the Father, and our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
Right Honourable and Beloved,
IT is no ſmall advantage to the holy life, to begin the day with God. The Saints are wont to leave their hearts with him over night, that they may find them with him in the Morning; when I awake I am ſtill with thee, ſaith holy David, Pſal. 139.18. Before earthly things break in upon us, and we receive impreſſions from abroad, 'tis good to ſeaſon the heart with thoughts of God, and to conſecrate the Early and Virgin operations of the mind, before they are proſtituted to baſer objects. When the world gets the ſtart of Religion in the Morning, it can hardly overtake it all the day; and ſo the heart is habituated to vanity all the day long; but when we begin with God, we take him along with us to all the buſineſſes and comforts of the day; which being ſeaſoned with his love and fear, are the more ſweet and ſavory to us.
If there were no other benefit of the Morning Exerciſe, than to be an help to us in this ſetting the mind on work upon holy things, before it receive taint from the world, and the diſtraction of our ordinary affairs, it ſhould upon that account be a very welcome gueſt to our dwellings.
But there are other benefits, not a few that do attend it wherever it goes; namely, that it hath become an happy occaſion through Gods bleſſing of manifeſting the Unity and Brotherly accord of the Miniſters of this City; whileſt by their mutual labours they ſtrengthen one anothers hands in the Lords work; and by a joynt teſtimony confirm thoſe truths which each one apart, diſpenceth to his own Auditory; for in the mouth of two or three Witneſſes ſhall every word be eſtabliſhed.2 Cor. 13.1.
Beſides, that by the courſe which this Exerciſe hath hitherto held, each Auditory cometh to have a taſte of the ſeveral gifts which one and the ſame Spirit diſpenſeth for the uſe of edifying; and this not without ſome conformity to the antient pattern, Other fruits and advantages of the Morning Exerciſe, ſee in the Introduction, Serm. 1. towards the end.where the ſeveral Congregations of the ſame City, were not plures Eccleſiae Collaterales, divers Siſter-Churches, but one and the ſame Church, meeting by parts in ſeveral places, fed and ſupplied by Officers in common, who by turns in each place diſpenced the word to them, having their Government in common.
Now this Morning Exerciſe hath the Lord once and again ſent amongſt you; there is a Providence that goeth along with Ordinances; the journeys of the Apoſtles were directed by the Spirit, as well as their doctrines, Acts 16.7. The courſe of this Exerciſe, though it hath been ordered by mans choice, yet not without Gods direction.
To you is this word of Salvation ſent, (ſaith holy Paul, Acts 13.26.) not come or brought, but SENT; and that as a meſſage from our heavenly Father, without whoſe providnece a Sparrow falleth not to the ground. Now it concerneth you to ſee what uſe you will make of it: Sermons dye not with the breath in which they were uttered; If the duſt of the Preachers feet bear witneſſe againſt the deſpiſers of the Goſpel, their Sermons much more; Matth. 10.14, 15. Wherever the Word is preached, 'tis foreign; for a teſtimony; how for a teſtimony? either to them, Matth. 24.14. or againſt them. Mark. 13.9. God keepeth exact account or reckoning what means and advantages each place or people have enjoyed: Three years have I come ſeeking fruit, Luke 13.7. alluding to the three years of his own Miniſtry, which then were fully elapſed. This SECOND Miracle did Jeſus in Canaan of Galilee, John 4.54. He taketh notice of a firſt and a ſecond; ſo 2 Pet. 3.1. This SECOND Epiſtle write I unto you; and Jer. 25.3. Theſe THREE AND TWENTY years have I ſpoken the Word of the Lord, riſing early, &c. You ſee God keeps a Memorial how many years the Goſpel hath been amongſt a people, yea, every day is upon account; for ſo it is added, even unto this day. What preſſing Exhortations you have had; how many, and how long you have enjoyed them, all is upon the File; therefore it concerneth you to ſee that all this be not without fruit, and ſome notable good effect; that your account may be with joy, and not with grief and ſhame.
The rather I urge this, becauſe the Exerciſes of this Month have not been ordinary Morning Exerciſes, but all the Arguments were picked and choſen, (as the Preacher ſought to finde out acceptable words, even words of truth, Eccl. 12.10.) and diſpoſed into a certain order for the greater benefit. It is obſerved that the Pſalms of David that are alphabetically diſpoſed, are moſt exact in the compoſure; ſo I hope I may ſay without offence, theſe Sermons digeſted into a method, are the more accurate; with what perſpicuity and ſtrength they are managed, as to the Doctrinal part, and with what warmth and vigour as to the Application, I cannot ſpeak, being ſtrictly enjoyned ſilence by my Brethrens ſevere modeſty; but the World will judge, and you I hope will evidence by your own growth in grace, and the knowledge of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
Theſe Sermons which with ſo greedy attention you formerly heard with the hearing of the ear, are now written for a memorial; and that they may be ſubjected to your view and more deliberate conſideration: I ſay they are written not only for the Churches uſe, but yours in ſpecial; and oh that they may be written upon your hearts, engraven there with a durable Character, ſuch as ſhall never be defaced!
Honourable and Beloved, I hope I need not preſſe any of you to get theſe books into your houſes; I can eaſily preſume it of the abler ſort amongſt you; and would earneſtly preſſe it upon the meaneſt, even the ſervants in your Families, that they would abate not only of ſuperfluous expences, but deny themſelves ſomewhat, even of their ordinary conveniences, to purchaſe theſe Sermons; which, if the Miniſtry ſhould fail, (a judgement which England was never in ſuch danger of ſince the Goſpel was reſtored) and all other helps both in publick and private ſhould be cut off, which God forbid; yet this one Book, next to your Bible, would be a ſtock of Divinity which might furniſh you with the knowledge of the Eſſentials of Religion, and be like Manna to you in the Wilderneſſe, till you come to Canaan.
To that end therefore, that which I would with greateſt ſeriouſneſſe urge upon you, is to get the ſubſtance and power of the truths contained in them into your hearts, and ſo to inculcate them, eſpecially the general heads of them upon your children and ſervants, that they may be trained up in the knowledge of theſe vital principles, which are of ſuch uſe for the begetting and increaſing of the life and power of godlineſſe. It will be ſad, if what was chiefly intended for your uſe, ſhould finde leaſt fruit amongſt you; and that which is a common good, ſhould be not a Monument only, but the aggravation of your unfruitfulneſſe.
But I hope better things of you my dearly Beloved, and things which accompany ſalvation, though I thus ſpeak The good Lord who hath put this price into your hand, give you an heart to prize it, and to improve it; that you may not receive this grace of God in vain. In this hope I commend you to God, and to the Word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are ſanctified. I am
Yours in the ſervice of the Goſpel, THOMAS CASE.
The Preface to the Reader.
NOt to increaſe the number of Books already grown into a burden, and more apt to diſtract minds with their variety, than to edifie them with their Contents; but for a publick teſtimony to the truth of the Goſpel, and to inform the ignorant, doth this Piece crowd into the World. Had many of the Brethren adhered to their own private inclination, and firſt aime in this work, theſe Sermons had only been publiſhed by word of mouth to the Auditory that then attended on them. To write to the World, is apprehended by them as a thing very diſtinct from preaching to a company of a few broken-hearted Chriſtians, (who were willing to take this help along with them in their way to heaven) and to need more exactneſſe of care and preparation.
But upon the ſtrong importunity of the Auditors, (ſome of them perſons of great worth and honour) carrying with it the face of a Call from God, as valid as that which firſt invited them to the work, they were contented againſt their own private inclination to yield to this way of publication for the profit of others; but with theſe CAUTIONS.
Firſt, That it be ſignified, that it was not intended to make up a Map or Compleat Body of Divine Truths, but only to handle ſome more neceſſary points, till Providence ſhall give opportunity to conſider the reſt.
Secondly, That it was not deſigned to diſcuſſe theſe points in a Polemical, but poſitive way; and ſutable to a popular Auditory.
Thirdly, That it be underſtood that the Brethren that preached, were not acquainted with one anothers ſtudies; but did every one expreſſe his own ſenſe in the point recommended to him.
Fourthly, That this be not interpreted to be the work of the whole Body of the London-Miniſters, but of ſome of them, which they repreſent with the more tenderneſs.
Partly, that the other very Reverend Brethren, who were not employed in this Turn and Courſe of the Morning Exerciſe, may not be charged with their weakneſſes.
Partly, becauſe they have not without ſome regret obſerved that the larger Engliſh Annotations, in which but ſome few only of the late Aſſembly, together with ſome others, had an hand, are generally aſcribed to the whole Aſſembly, and uſually carry the name of the Aſsemblies Annotations, as if done by the joynt advice of that grave and learned convention.
Fifthly, That ſince the preaching of theſe Sermons, there hath been no general review, but every one took care of tranſcribing his own Diſcourſe, and ſending me the Copy, accordingly I ſent it to the Preſſe.
Sixthly, That if any of theſe points ſeem not to be diſcuſſed according to the full latitude and worthineſs of the ſubject, it be remembred that each Exerciſe was to be punctually confined within the ſtraits of an houre; in which time there was no room for larger excurſions.
Under the ſeverity of theſe terms, my Brethren have conſented that I ſhould (if I ſaw fit) expoſe their labours to publick view, which I do with all chearfulneſſe; Partly, that the world may be conſcious to our Unity, ſoundneſſe in the faith, and ſobriety af judgement: And partly expecting from thence (I will ſay it, notwithſtanding the reſtraints their modeſty hath laid upon me) no ſmall increaſe and return of fruit. The Lord by his good Spirit guide you into all truth.
Yours in our Lord Jeſus, THOMAS CASE.
The particular heads in Divinity diſcuſſed in theſe ſeveral Sermons, are theſe.
SErm. I. Introduct. Methodical ſyſtems of the ſpecial points of Chriſtian Religion, uſeful and profitable for Miniſters and people. Page 1.
Serm. II. That there is a God. p. 29.
Serm. III. The Trinity proved by Scripture. p. 65.
Serm. IV. The Divine Authority of the Scriptures. p. 85.
Serm. V. Man created in an holy, but mutable ſtate. p. 105.
Serm. VI. The Covenant of Works. p. 120.
Serm. VII. The fall of man; or peccatum originale originans. p. 134.
Serm. VIII. Original ſin inhering; or peccatum originale originatum. p. 149.
Serm. IX. The miſery of mans eſtate by nature. p. 173.
Serm. X. Mans impotency to help himſelf out of miſery. p. 202.
Serm. XI. The Covenant of Redemption. p. 216.
Serm. XII. The Covenant of Grace. p. 233.
Serm. XIII. The Mediator of the Covenant, deſcribed in his Perſon, Natures and Offices. p. 261.
Serm. XIV. Chriſts Humiliation, p. 258. alias 278.
Serm. XV. Chriſts ſtate of Exaltation. p. 305.
Serm. XVI. The Satisfaction of Chriſt. p. 337.
Serm. XVII. Of Effectual Calling. p. 353.
Serm. XVIII. The true Believers union with Chriſt. p. 377.
Serm. XIX. The nature of Juſtification. p. 403.
Serm. XX. The Believers Dignity and Duty, or High Birth, and Honourable Employment. p. 433.
Serm. XXI. Saving Faith. p. 455.
Serm. XXII. Repentance not to be repented. p. 485.
Serm. XXIII. Of Holineſſe its nature and neceſſity. p. 554.
Serm. XXIV. Of the Reſurrection. p. 577.
Serm. XXV. The Day of Judgement aſſerted. p. 605.
Serm. XXVI. Of Hell. p. 621.
Serm. XXVII. Of Heaven. p. 647.
Serm. XXVIII. The Concluſion. p. 677.