A Taste of the Truth, Conclusion – Imprimatur
The Conclusion of both parts of the Directions.
TO Conclude, Beware of casting of these duties (or any other you know, How you are to beware of laying aside duties.or may know God requires of you) that I have implicitely advised you unto, and that I have expressely directed you in; For God will be sought unto for that free grace he hath covenanted to bestow upon his, (p)Ezek 36.25, to 38.and that Christ hath purchased for them; Besides you can have no communion with God upon earth, nor comfort from the holy Ghost, but through Christ by the spirit in duty, in beleeving, (q)1 Pet. 1 8. 2 Cor. 5.6, 7, 8. Ps. 42.1. Psal. 84.in praying, in meditating, in doing, and suffering the will of God in every thing; What though duties be wearisome and painfull to flesh and bloud? (r)Mat. 26.41.(they are not so to our spirituall part) (s)Psal. 84 1, 2, 5, 10.They are for Gods glorie, (t)Rom. 4.20. Mat. 5.16.and the good of souls; One soul gained or confirmed is worth an age of pains, and the glorie of Gods name is more precious then souls.
Beware of formality in duties (u)2 Tim. 3.5. Mat. 3.8.by premeditating before duties, How you are to beware of formality in duties.and by preparing for them according to the severall Directions given unto you: By thinking with your self as you enter upon duty what you are, (x)Gen. 18.27.of what you are to doe, and with whom you have to doe: By exercising all your gifts and graces in, and by being spirituall in, and intent upon duties (as if they were the last acts of your life) as you doe perform them, or attend them performed.
Beware of trusting in duties, How you are to beware of resting upon duties.least you loose your self and duties too: (y)Phil. 3.8, 9.By considering that if you should keep the whole law, (as no meer man ever did, doth, or can) and perform all the duties therein perfectly all your life long, that you would be condemned by it, because you were born guilty of the breach of it; (z)Rom, 5.12, 18.By pondering in your heart that if you should beleeve and live as perfectly as any Saint upon earth ever did, and should relie upon your faith and good works for your justification, that you would perish therein, and be therewith condemned for ever; (a)Rom. 3.20. Rom. 4.5.For ungodly sinners are not justified by the acts of faith, and of a holie life. But by the righteousnesse of Christ applied by faith; (b)Phil. 3.8.9.I might tell you that all the holy duties that either you, I, or any Christian upon earth, have, doe, or can perform (perform we them as spiritually as possibly we can) doth but make us stand in more need of the mercy of God, and of the merit and righteousnesse of Jesus Christ, then we did before we did perform them; For all our righteousnesses are unrighteousnes and uncleannesse in the sight of an holy God, without the righteousnesse of Christ to cover them; (c)Isa. 64, 6,You have need of Gods strength to perform holy duties, of his mercy to pardon them, and of his Christ to accept them.
My last word is to advise you to endeavour to beleeve, How you are to serve God with gladnesse of heartand to serve God in the performance of all holy duties he requires of you with joyfulnesse, and gladnesse of heart (d)Deut. 28.47. Ps. 100.12. Eccles. 3, 12.(For joy is as oil to the soul, it makes duties, duties; come off cheerfully from our selves, pleasantly to others, and acceptably unto G…d through Jesus Christ) as if you were thereby to be justified; And to trust and rely on the meer merciemercy and free grace of God, and on the infinite merit, and everlasting righteousnesse of Christ for your free justification and eternall salvation, as if all your faith and holy duties, and doings, and sufferings, and rejoicings therein would avail you nothing thereunto. (e)Phil, 3 7, 8, 9.Which if you doe, you will not only for the present honour God, and have (through Christ) communion with him: but also receive grace from him to honour him withall for time to come; And although I have not given you such particular Directions about your preparation for, and performance of holy duties (least you should not be able to bear them) as I might have done: Levit. 20.3. 1 Cor. 10.30.yet I doubt not but you may and will sanctifie God (which is the main end of worship) in your drawing nigh unto him in the duties of his worship, if you so prepare for them, and perform them after that manner as I have directed you: Beleeve well, and live well, and die well, and live for ever. (f)Ioh. 3.36.Holy Father keep through thy own name those whom thou hast given to Jesus Christ, that they may be one as ye are: Pardon and remove their sad and strange d…fferences, their secret and inward malice one to another, their hard and bitter speeches one against another, Their unamiable, unruly, and ungodly behaviour one towards another: Make them quiet and peaceable, and give them one heart and one way that they may fear thee for ever for the good of them and their children afeer them; However hasten (O Lord) hasten the second coming of Christ that they may be made one in perfect love for ever. Come Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen.
Trin-uni Deo gloria.
FINIS.
Imprimatur,
Charles Herle.
End of the text · John Jackson, A Taste of the Truth (1648)