A25294:284
The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easy draught of the Christian…The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easie draught of the Christian…
The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easy draught of the Christian catechism in LII lectures on chosen texts of Scripture, for each Lords-day of the year, learnedly and perspicuously illustrated with doctrines, reasons, and uses / by that reverend and worthy labourer in the Lord's vineyard, William Ames ...The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easie draught of the Christian catechisme in LII lectures on chosen texts of Scripture, for each Lords-day of the year, learnedly and perspicuously illustrated with doctrines, reasons, and uses / by that reverend and worthy laborer in the Lord's vineyard, William Ames ...
London: printed by T. Mabb for Thomas Davies, 1659
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
These same comparisons show also, that the world and all its parts, or all things in this universe, are certain tokens and way-marks, •s it were leading us to the Creator, as the streams leads to the fountain, the image in the glass shows the mans face, and the shadow respects the body; or brings one to find it out, as the footstep of the foot doth to the man. But the holy Scripture leaving these comparisons, is wont to make use of a truer and fitter one, when it says, that the world so came from the Creator, as the workmanship from the workman, and every building from its builder, Heb. 11. 10. Now every workman doth what he doth of a determinate reason, purpose and will, in as much as he is a workman. And in this sense it is said both in our Text, and every where else i• ⟨p. 76⟩Scripture, That God made all things by his word, of his determinate purpose of mind and will. Yet there is this difference between other Artists and God, that all other artificers bring to perfection their works by divers motions. For so soon as they have taken up a purpose with themselves to make some work, first, they move their own members; secondly, by their members they move other external instruments; thirdly, by these instruments they move the matter unto the form, or act, which they intend to imprint upon it. But God perfects his work with saying and willing. And this is it that the Scripture every where inculcates to us, Psal. 33. 6, 9, &c.
These same comparisons shew also, that the world and all its parts, or all things in this universe, are certain tokens and way-markes, •s it were leading us to the Creatour, as the streams leads to the fountain, the image in the glass shews the mans face, and the shadow respects the body; or brings one to find it out, as the footstep of the foot doth to the man. But the holy Scripture leaving these comparisons, is wont to make use of a truer and fitter one, when it sayes, that the world so came from the Creatour, as the workmanship from the workman, and every building from its builder,