N00887:47
Christianus per ignem. Or, A disciple warming of himself and owning of his Lord:…
Christianus per ignem. Or, A disciple warming of himself and owning of his Lord: with devout and useful meditations, fetched out of the fire, by a Christian in a cold season, sitting before it. A work though never out of season, yet more particularly, designed for the seasonable and profitable entertainment, of them that would well employ their leisure [sic] by the fire-side. : [Three lines in Latin from Alsted]Christianus per ignem. Or, A disciple warming of himself and owning of his Lord: with devout and useful meditations, fetch'd out of the fire, by a Christian in a cold season, sitting before it. A work though never out of season, yet more particularly, designed for the seasonable and profitable entertainment, of them that would well employ their liesure [sic] by the fire-side. : [Three lines in Latin from Alsted]
Boston: printed by B. Green for Benjamin Eliot, 1702
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.
But that you may never be overtaken with any Total and Final Apostasy, Behold, What you have now to do. Get beyond the utmost essays of Hypocrisy, and you will get beyond the Hazards of the utmost Apostasy. You know who said, Soundness and Integrity will preserve me. Make sure of a Real Change in your Hearts, and give a real and hearty consent unto the New Covenant in all the Articles of it: So you will have this one among the precious Articles of that Covenant fulfilled unto you; Jer.32.40. I will put my Fear into their Hearts, and they shall not De•art from me. Let ⟨p. 29⟩it herewithal be Remembered, Though Faith make you sure of perseverance, and preservation, yet you must not count your selves excused from the means of your preservation. As in Act.27.24, 31. Tho' it had been said unto Paul, God hath given thee all them that Sail with thee, yet Paul said unto the Centurion, Except such and such abide in the Ship, ye cannot be Saved. The Doctrine of perseverance is no Enemy to Holiness; we are not under the less obligation, but under the more Encouragement, for to Work out our own Salvation Wherefore having first Exhorted you, to Beware of being Scandalized at any thing that may seem to bear an ill Aspect on Christianity, whether the Frowning Providences of God, or the foolish Behaviours of men, I only add these two words. Let the best of us be Fearful. If an Apostle, & a Pillar may fall, say, Why may not I? If we Fear, we shall not Fall: In Te Stas, et non Stas▪ 'Tis presumption that is followed and punished with Apostasy; [See 1 Cor.10.12.] And let all of us be prayerful. Especially keep alive Secret Prayer, if we would not have some open Fall. Apostasy usually begins at the Closet door. Pray with David, Lord, Hold up my Goings in thy paths, that my Footsteps may not Slip. And pray with Beza, Domine, quod Caepisti, perfice, ne in portu naufragium accid••. The Threefold Advice, thus given us, will be notably confirmed by interweaving here some ⟨p. 30⟩