N02384:100
A complete body of divinity in two hundred and fifty expository lectures on the…A compleat body of divinity in two hundred and fifty expository lectures on the…
A complete body of divinity in two hundred and fifty expository lectures on the Assembly's Shorter catechism wherein the doctrines of the Christian religion are unfolded, their truth confirmed, their excellence displayed, their usefulness improved; contrary errors & vices refuted & exposed, objections answered, controversies settled, cases of conscience resolved; and a great light thereby reflected on the present age. / By the Reverend & learned Samuel Willard, M.A. late Pastor of the South Church in Boston, and vice-president of Harvard College in Cambridge, in New-England. ; Prefaced by the pastors of the same church. ; [Six lines of Scripture texts]A compleat body of divinity in two hundred and fifty expository lectures on the Assembly's Shorter catechism wherein the doctrines of the Christian religion are unfolded, their truth confirm'd, their excellence display'd, their usefulness improv'd; contrary errors & vices refuted & expos'd, objections answer'd, controversies settled, cases of conscience resolv'd; and a great light thereby reflected on the present age. / By the Reverend & learned Samuel Willard, M.A. late Pastor of the South Church in Boston, and vice-president of Harvard College in Cambridge, in New-England. ; Prefac'd by the pastors of the same church. ; [Six lines of Scripture texts]
printed by B. Green and S. Kneeland for B. Eliot and D. Henchman, 1726
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.
SERMON, I.
QUESTION, I. WHAT is the CHIEF END of Man? ANSWER. Man's Chief End is to GLORIFY GOD, and ENJOY HIM for ever.
THAT it hath been customary in the Church of Christ from the beginning, to drew up the main and most necessary points of Religion into a Method, which we commonly call a Body of Divinity, there needs no more to make it evident, but that of Paul in his advice to Timothy, 2 Tim. 1.13. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. The great Usefulness of which custom is manifest, in that it is profitable for all sorts of Christians. It […] of great use for Young ones, that they may be principled in the Truth, and preserved from being drawn away with Error; which is usually occasioned by a confused knowledge, and want of being well settled at first. It is necessary for Ministers of the Gospel, for their profitable Preaching, and help to reduce all their Doctrines, to the proper fundamental Article they relate unto. And for every Professor, it is exceeding advantageous, to help them in reading the Scriptures, and trying of Doctrines. The reducing these Heads or Articles into a Catechetical way, for the better institution of Youth, is of no late Original. The Primitive Church had it's Catechument, such as were questioned about the Matters of Faith distinctly, in order to their coming to the Lord's Table. Nor are there obscure footsteps for Catechising in the Scripture: The word translated Instructed, Luk. 1.4. signifies Catechised; the same word is used. Act. 18.25. Gal. 6.6