N01223:52
Bonifacius. An essay upon the good, that is to be devised and designed, by…
Bonifacius. An essay upon the good, that is to be devised and designed, by those who desire to answer the great end of life, and to do good while they live. A book offered, first, in general, unto all Christians, in a personal capacity, or in a relative. Then more particularly, unto ministers, unto physicians, unto lawyers, unto schoolmasters [sic], unto wealthy gentlemen, unto several sorts of officers, unto churches, and unto all societies of a religious character and intention. With humble proposals, of unexceptionable methods, to do good in the world. : [Two lines from Ephesians]Bonifacius. An essay upon the good, that is to be devised and designed, by those who desire to answer the great end of life, and to do good while they live. A book offered, first, in general, unto all Christians, in a personal capacity, or in a relative. Then more particularly, unto ministers, unto physicians, unto lawyers, unto scholemasters [sic], unto wealthy gentlemen, unto several sorts of officers, unto churches, and unto all societies of a religious character and intention. With humble proposals, of unexceptionable methods, to do good in the world. : [Two lines from Ephesians]
printed by B. Green for Samuel Gerrish, 1710
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.
§ 7. TO the Title of Good Works there do belong, those Essays to Do Good, which are now urged for. To produce them, the First Thing, and indeed the ONE Thing, that is Needful, is, A Glorious work of Grace on the Soul, Renewing and Quickening of it, and Purifying of the Sinner, and rendering him Zealous of ⟨p. 34⟩Good Works: A Workmanship of God upon us, Creating us over again, by JESUS CHRIST, for Good Works. And then, there is Needful, what will necessarily follow upon such a Work: That is, A Disposition to Do Good Works upon true, Genuine, Generous, and Evangelical Principles. Those Principles are to be Stated, before we can go any further; when they are Active, we shall go a great deal further.
§ 7. TO the Title of Good Works there do belong, those Essayes to Do Good, which are now urged for. To produce them, the First Thing, and indeed the ONE Thing, that is Needful, is, A Glorious work of Grace on the Soul, Renewing and Quickening of it, and Purifying of the Sinner, and rendring him Zealous of ⟨p. 34⟩Good Works: A Workmanship of God upon us, Creating us over again, by JESUS CHRIST, for Good Works. And then, there is Needful, what will necessarily follow upon such a Work: That is, A Disposition to Do Good Works upon true, Genuine, Generous, and Evangelical Principles. Those Principles are to be Stated, before we can go any further; when they are Active, we shall go a great deal further.
It is in the first Place, to be taken for granted; That the End for which we do Good Works, must not be, To afford the Matter of our Justification, before the Law of the Holy GOD. Indeed, no Good Works can be done by any man until he be Justified. Until a Man be United unto the Glorious CHRIST, who is our Life, he is a Dead Man. And, I Pray, what Good Works to be Expected from Such a Man? They will all be Dead Works. For, Severed from me ye can do nothing, Saith our Saviour. The Justification of a Sinner, by Faith, Before Good Works, and in Order to them, is One of those Truths, which may say to the Popish Innovations, With us are the Grey-headed, and very Aged Men, much Elder than thy Father. It was an Old Maxim of the Faithful, Bona opera Sequuntur Justificatum, non praecedunt Justificandum. It is the Righteousness of the Good Works done by our Saviour and Surety, not our own, that Justifies us before God, and answers the Demands of His Law upon us. We do by Faith lay hold on those Good Works for our Justifying Righteousness