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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
AN EXPOSITION OF THE ASSEMBLY's SHORTER CATECHISM: IN Two Hundred a… › Sermon 9 (Question 2 cont.)
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.
4. IT also contains in it enough to rectify all our swerving from the Rule of Obedience. If we are fallen into any erroneous practices, or tempted to do any thing that is displeasing to God, here we may be instructed how to reform them. Thus it is said to be profitable for C••••ction: the word signifies a reducing of things that are amiss, to their former rectitude. We are exceeding apt through the deceitfulness of our own hearts and the cunning insinuations of Satan, to […] side to the right or left hand; but here we may be rightly helped to reform Psal. 119.9. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking •and thereto according to thy word. It is that light which reproves evil deeds, and tells us when we do amiss. Joh. 3.19. •nd this is the condemnation, that •ight is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather then •ight, because their deeds were evil. David. was admonished by it; Psal. 19.11. And if we are willing to receive the information of it, we need never be at a loss to know whether our ways be right or wrong: for it discovers all the works of darkness: and what can there be more required in a Rule to make it perfect? It must needs be a full Rule that hath all this completely in it, the word of God therefore is so: Only let these two things be here observed, (1.) THAT the great & fundamental Principles of Faith & Obedience are set down expressly in the Scriptures. There are some Principles belong to the Rule, which as they have diverse others depending upon, and resulting from them, so they are not deducible from others, being themselves prime Truths, and so, except they had been declared in terms, they could never have been discovered to us, or inferred from others; such in special are the mysteries of Redemption, and the Doctrines of faith in Christ: of these the Scripture gives us a distinct and full account. (2.) THAT there are other truths concerning Religion, that tho' they are not in so many words there written, yet are contained therein, and to be thence concluded by just & necessary Consequence. It is true, many lesser Rules are there also expressed; but God hath lest some things to be sought out, and found by search, that so our understandings may be exercised, and our rational faculties employed about spiritual things. Man is a reasonable Creature, is able to draw inferences from inferences;