THE

METHOD OF GRACE

IN THE

GOSPEL-REDEMPTION.

i

THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.

To the Worshipful JOHN UPTON, of Lupton, Efq. and the most accomplished and virtuous Lady, his dear Confort, the Author wishes Grace, Mercy, and Peace.

IT

HONOURED AND WORTHY FRIENDS,

T was a comfortable expreffion, which Ambrose used in his funeral oration, at the death of Theodofius; "That though " he were gone, yet he was, not wholly gone; for he had left "Honorius, with others of his children, behind him, in whom "Theodofius ftill lived." Your renowned and worthy ancestors are gone, yet (bleffed be God) they are not wholly gone; whilft the prudence, piety, and publickness of their spirits, still live and flourish in you, the top branch of a renowned and religious family. It is a great truth, which Philo Judæus recommends to the obfervation of all pofterity, "That it is not a natural defcent "from the most honourable and illuftrious progenitors, nor the

Theodofius tantus imperator receffit a nobis, fed non totus receffit; reliquit enim nobis liberos fuos, in quibus debemus eum agnofcere. Ambrof. in obit. Theod.

† Τοις δε υμνεσι την ευγένειαν ως μεγιςον αγαθον καὶ μεγάλων αγαθών αιτιον, * μετριως επιτιμητέον, ει πρώτον μεν οιονται τις εκ παλαιοπλύτων καὶ παλαιενδόξων ευγενείς, μήτε των προγόνων αφ ων αυχέσι γενεσθαι.— Βαληθείς γαρ ο Θεος δια ημεροτητα καὶ φιλανθροπιαν καὶ παρ ημιν τεθ ιδρυσασθαι, νεων αξιοπρεπέςερον επι γης εχ ευρε λογισμός κρειτίω ο γαρ τας αγαλματοφορει το αγαθόν, καν απισωσι τινες των μη γευσαμένων σοφίας η χείλεσων ακροις. Philo Judaus περι Ευγενείας, a book fit for the hands of all gentlemen, tranflated by Laurentius Humphredus in his excellent tract de Nobilitate.

"greatest affluence of riches and pleasures that makes a man ei"ther honourable or happy; but the habitation of God in his "foul, as in his temple, tho' (faith he) those that never tafted re

*

ligion, nor have feen its glory, will not credit this affertion." "The foul which is filled with God, (faith Plotinus) and brings "forth the beautiful fruits of righteousness, this is the truly noble "foul" Our new birth makes us more honourable than our natural birth, let our birth-right dignities be what they will. The children of nobles are, by nature, the children of wrath, even as others: Omnis Sanguis concolor, all blood is of one colour: it is all tainted in Adam, and mingled together in his pofterity. "There " is no king, faith † Seneca, which rofe not from a fervant; there " is no fervant which rofe not from a king: these things have been «blended, and jumbled to and fro in a long tiffue of changes, "ever directed by an all-wife Providence."

But though the privileges of natural birth fignify nothing as to eternal falvation, yet in civil and political refpects and confiderations, thofe that by birth, education, or eftate, poffefs an higher station in the world, differ from the vulgar, as ftars of greater mag nitude and lufture: their intereft and influence are great in these things, and the welfare of kingdoms greatly depends upon

them.

It is therefore a great defign of the enemy of mankind, to corrupt perfons of eminent rank and quality both in religion and morality; and by their influence and example, to infect and poifon the whole body politic; and his fuccefs herein deferves to be greatly lamented and bewailed. Perfons of eminency are more efpecially ý obliged to fhun base and fordid actions. Hierom profeffed he faw nothing defirable in nobility, except this, that fuch perfons are bound by a certain kind of neceffity, not to degenerate from the probity, or ftain the glory of their anceflors. But alas!

*

Τύχη πληρωθείσα θεε γεννα το κάλλος, γεννα την δικαιοσυνην.

Plotinus.

† Neminem regem non ex fervis effe oriundum, neminem fervum non ex regibus omnia ifa longa varietas mifcuit, et furfum dorfum fortuna verfavit. Sen. Ep. 44.

Who manages the reins of government, who is prefent at, and prefides over, both private and public matters, but perfons of eminent rank and quality? Who moderates in the fenate, prefides in courts, commands at home and abroad? Chief men and nobles furely. Who command and arrange, act and counteract, manage and canvafs all affairs, who make laws and recind them, who govern the ftate in the time of peace, and command the forces in time of war, but great men and nobles? No wonder that the management of public affairs be committed to him, who both by perfonal merit and renown of his ancestors hath recommended himself to the good report and efteem of mankind. Laurent. Humphred on Nobility.

$ In mesin a factura, minima eft licentia. Exalted stations ought to hedge up the way of thefe who fill them, from every vicious practice. Saluft.

|| Nibil aliud video in nobilitate appetendum, nifi quod nobiles quadam receffitate conftringuntur, ne al antiquorum probitate degenerent. Hieron.

how many in our times have not only exposed Chriftianity to contempt, but obfcured the glory of their own families, and the kingdom in which they had their birth and breeding; fo that if you will take right marks of your way to heaven you will have little direction from those of your own rank. As † mariners take their direction at fea, by looking up to the heavens, fo muft you. In this general corruption it is very hard to escape infection; many (as Salvian complained) ‡ are compelled to be evil, left they fhould be accounted vile, and incur the offence of God, to avoid the flights and cenfures of men. Although there is no more reafon why they should be offended at the rational and religious pleafures you and other pious gentlemen take in the ways of godlinefs, than there is, that you fhould envy the finful pleafures they take in the ways of wickednefs. It was an excellent apology, that Tertullian made for the Chriftians of his time, against the Gentiles. “Wherein (faith § he) do we offend you, if we believe there are "other pleasures? If we will not partake with you in your de"lights, it is only our own injury: we reject your pleasures, "and you are not delighted with ours."

But by how much the infection fpreads and prevails among those of your order, by fo much the more we have reafon to value you, and all those that remain found and untainted, both in religion and morality, as perfons worthy of fingular respect and honour and bleffed be God there is yet a number of fuch left.

Sir, It was a special happiness, which Chryfoftom earnestly recommended to perfons of quality, that they would fo order their conversations, that their parents might rather glory in them, than they in their parents; "Otherwife (faith | he) it is better to rife

God grant that the end propofed may be obtained, that the ancient and truly venerable nobility may at length return, who by the honour of prudence and knowledge, and luftre of renowned deeds, may obfcure the fame progenitors, and quite remove and wipe off the stain brought on its auguft name. Humph. on Nobility.

f In the fame manner, you ought to seek the path of life, as the mariners at fea feek the defigned course of their fhips, who, if they obferve not fome luminary in the heavens, fteer but an uncertain courfe, but whofoever is refolved to keep in the right path of life, must not look down to the earth but to heaven; and (to speak more plainly) he ought not to follow men but God; therefore if thou wouldnt always keep thine eyes fixed on heaven, and obferve the fun whence he ariseth, and take him as thy guide, thy feet of themfelves will keep ftraight in the way. Lactant. lib. 1. c. 8.

Mali effe coguntur, ne viles habeantur. Salv. de Gubernat.

Que vos offendimus fi alias præfumimus voluptates ? fi oble&tari nolumus, noftra injuria eft: reprobamus que placent vobis, nec vos nofira delectant. Tertul. Apolog. adv. Gent. Melius eft de contemptibili fieri clarum, quam de claro genere contemptibilem effe, Chryfoft. in Mat. 4. Nec fieri poteft quin bunc comitetur ignobilitas etiamfi vel avis, vel preavis natus fit vita inculpatis, qui ab eorum ftudiis alienus eft, feque longissime tum dictis, tum factis a nobilitate disjungit. Nor can aught but ignominy pursue the wretch, who, though nobly defcended, befpatters the efcutcheon of his worthy ancestors by his unworthy conduct.

"to honour from a contemptible parent, than to be contemptible "from an honourable parent;" but bleffed be God, you and your worthy ancestors reflect honour upon each other.

Had God fuffered you to degenerate, as many do, it would have been but a poor confolation to have faid, My progenitors were men of honour, the love and delight of their country. This, as one excellently expreffeth it, would be the fame thing, as if one that is blind himself, should boaft what a fharp and piercing fight his father had; or one that is lame himself, fhould glory in those feats of activity his grandfather performed; but God (to whofe bounty therefore you are doubly obliged) hath made you the inheritor of their virtues, as well as of their lands, and therein fulfilled many thousand prayers, which have been poured out to God upon your account. But I muft forbear, left I provoke others to envy, and draw upon myself the fufpicion of flattery. What hath been already faid may ferve for a fufficient reafon of this dedication. I know the † agreeableness of such discourses to the pious difpofitions of your fouls, is of itself fufficient to make it welcome to you. It is a treatife of Chrift, yea, of the Method of Grace, in the application of Chrift; than which no fubject can be more neceffary to ftudy, or fweet to experience. All goodness is attractive, how powerfully attractive then must Jefus Chrift be, who is the ocean of all goodness, from whom all streams of goodness are derived, and into whom they all empty themfelves? If Pindarus could fay of the lovely Theoxenus, that whofoever faw that auguft and comely face of his, and was not furprized with amazement, and enflamed with love, must have an heart of adamant or brafs; what then fhall we refemble that man's heart unto, that hath no ferverous affections kindled in it by the incomparable beauty of Chrift! a beauty, which excels in luftre and brightnefs, that vifible light which fo dazzles our eyes, as that light doth darkness itfelf; as Plato fpeaks of the divine light Chrift is urgaλλvwç xaños, an

What profit is the fharp-fightedness of ancestors to their offspring, deprived of fight? What help can it give the man that is dumb, for attaining the power of fpeech, that his parents and grandfathers had the vecice of orators? In like manner, juft parents cannot help their unjust children; nor the temporate those who are luxurious: nor at any rate, can the good communicate goodness to the bad. Philo. περι Ευγενίας.

When the mind of the hearer is good and gracious, it easily affents to speeches of truth. Chryfoft. Hom, 26. in Mat.

† Ουδέν άλλο εσιν ο έρωσιν άνθρωποι ή τα αγαθά ανέλκει παντα και ανασπα ταις οικείαις έλαμψεσιν ως ηλιος, Plato.

Η Ακτίνας προσωπο μας μαρτίζεσας δράσεις μας με ποθώ κυμαίνεται, ως adaparros.

Η Το νοητον φως, το αρχέτυπον παιζων τοσέτω τα ορατά λαμπρότερον τε καὶ alfolderigor wom.g whio; suotas.