in their minds and memories, fuch orthodox and neceffary notions of the chriftian doctrine, as may always have a moft profitable influence both upon their faith and practice. In pursuance of which defign, I have compofed this fmall work; and should be very much pleafed if fome judicious perfon, who is a fufficient mafter both of clearness of thought,. and plainness as well as concifeness of expreffion, would take the fame thing in hand;, who I eafily. grant, might perform it much better than I have done.

The reader is not to expect more here than a general account of the neceffary doctrines and precepts of christianity: my propofal being only to give a true notion of these things, by way of a foundation for farther knowledge. And for the more particular handling of such matters and quotations of fcriptures, upon which they rely, I refer them to those many fermons and other excellent difcourses which they have fuch frequent opportunities. both of hearing and reading. I shall only add, that. it may be of good use for a man, as often as he intends to receive the holy communion, to read over this, or some fuch other little book, which may briefly put him in mind of all the particulars of his duty; and so be a help to him both in the recollecting of his fins, and renewing of his holy refolutions.

AN

ESSAY,

& c.

A

LL that God requires from any man, in order to everlasting happiness, is first to believe thofe things which he has made known; which is called faith: fecondly, to live according to the rules and laws which he has given to us; which is called obedience: and, thirdly, when a man finds that he has any way broken the law of God, to be forrowful for it, to confefs it to God, to beg his pardon for it, and diligently to amend it for the time to come; which is called repentance.

These three things then, namely, faith, obedience, and repentance; do contain the whole fubftance of the duty of every christian.

I begin with the first of these three; and in order to enlighten the mind, and ftrengthen the faith of a chriftian, I fhall endeavour, firft, to fhew what are the chiefeft of those things which God has made known to mankind, in order to our belief:

and

and fecondly, what grounds and affurances we have, upon which to believe them.

As to the former of thefe, the things made known by God to be believed by us, are chiefly thefe:

First, That there is a God who made the heavens, the earth, and all things therein contained; and has disposed all things in that most useful and beautiful order in which they ftill continue. That God is not a body, like unto us, nor fubject unto any fuch frailties or imperfections as we are: but that he is a spirit, eternal, without beginning or ending, moft holy, just and true, most gracious and merciful: that he knows all things, can do all things, and is present every where; without being confined to any place. And although there neither is nor can be more than one God, yet in the unity of the Godhead, or divine nature, there are three diftinct perfans, of whom frequent mention is made in the holy fcriptures; and to each of whom both the name, and attributes of God are often afcribed: the first of these perfons is called the Father; the fecond the Son, and fometimes the Word; and the third the Holy Ghoft, or Spirit. And this, in fhort, is the meaning of what we call the doctrine of the holy, bleffed, and undivided Trinity: which is to be received and believed, because God has made it known to us; but ought not to be curiously pried

into, because it is above our understanding to comprehend. As long as we are here in the body, we fee

fuch things as these but as through a glass darkly; but when we shall be advanced to the perfect state of the blessed in heaven, then shall we see face to face, and know even as also we are known, 1 Cor. xiii. 12.

To the firft of thefe perfons, namely to the Father, the holy fcriptures do more immediately ascribe the work of creating the world by his almighty power, and of governing and ordering it, and all things in it, by his good providence.

As to the second of these persons, who is called the Son, or the Word, we are taught to believe that he came down from heaven, and took the nature of man upon him; and became man for our fake; like unto us in all things, fin only excepted: that he was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit of God, in the womb of a pure virgin, and born of her, whereby he became both God and man in one perfon, was called by the name of Jefus and Chrift: and after he had lived a moft pure and unspotted life, was falfly accused by the people of the Jews before Pontius Pilate the Roman governor, and was put to the fhameful and painful death of the crofs: and that it might fully appear that he had fuffered even unto death, a fpear was thrust into his fide while he was upon the crofs; and after his body

was

was taken down, it was laid in a sepulchre, and continued there, without life, until the third day.

Now that we may understand how we are concerned in this matter, we muft here take notice, that the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, whom God created at the beginning of the world, and from whom all mankind are defcended: this firft man and woman, I fay, foon after they were created, did commit a very great fin, and highly offended Almighty God, in eating of the fruit of that tree, which God had positively and strictly forbidden them to eat, under the threatening of a very great punishment. By this fin of theirs, their nature became weakened and corrupted, and very much inclined to fin and wickedness. And because the nature of the children muft needs be like to that of their parents, the corruption of the nature of these two perfons, who were the common parents of all mankind, did communicate an universal corruption of nature to all their pofterity: by which all mankind has ever fince been naturally inclined to do those things which God has forbid, and to leave undone those things which he has commanded: which corruption of our nature, is what we commonly call by the name of original fin.

And befides this original fin, there is no man (except Jefus Chrift) who has lived to fuch an age,

as