The Hartlib Papers

heads of that which is to bee Answered unto it, & make some application thereof unto the wayes of our walking

lest then you might misunderstand me, in the sequele of this discourse; or not see that which I could hold forth as a light of truth; I shall hold forth the Notion which I have of the Profession of Christianitie in the first place. By Christianitie[H capitalises?] I understand not only that Truth of Doctrine and Forme of Publick[H alters from publish] Worship[H capitalises], which Iesus Christ hath delivered vnto vs, that God may bee glorified by vs, in the Manifestation of our Faith and Obedience[H capitalises] before the world; but that Whole [H capitalises] Frame [H capitalises] and Course of Life whereunto God doth call vs in Christ Iesus by the Gospell. And by the Profession of this Christianitie, I meane not only an acknowledgment of the Truth and an observance of the duties of Worship[H capitalises] before all men, but a professed obligation of the conscience and Subjection of the will to answer from the heart the call which God doth give unto vs in Christ. Now this call is to come to him by and in Christ, that wee may have Communion with him in the light, wherin hee liveth, in the power whereby hee mooveth, and in the vertue and glory wherewith hee is pleased possessed. Hee[H capitalises] then that

won the acknowledgment of the Doctrine of the Gospell, doth set himself thus to answer the call which God doth give unto him in Christ, is truly a Christian, and of a man, that is such a one; and as hee is such a one, the Question is here made what his Aime is in all his Wayes[H capitalises]? By his Wayes[H capitalises] I meane not only the Courses of Life and Employments, whereunto men betake themselves differently, to bee serviceable unto themselves in respect of their livelyhood, and unto the Generation wherin they live for the good thereof; but all particular Actions[H capitalises] which are incident unto them as men; and all things <that> are any way reducible unto the profession of Christianitie; <left margin, H: so that the Question, as it lookes one way vpon him to strip him of> all relations besides that of a Christian; so the other way it takes within the compasse of a Christian<H: ,> all things that are humane as subordinat therunto, and lookes upon him through that respect to cloth him, with all the qualities of a Man.

should bee. By an Aime I meane the Intent and purpose of mind, wherin the desire of the will doth rest satisfied as having gained the Ende for which it did moove. As[H capitalises] when God had made an Ende of all his workes and saw thatall was very good; hee is said to rest; that is to enjoy himself in the content which hee tooke in his workes, as having attained, that which hee aimed at in making them; which way to expresse that goodnes, which hee saw existent in them after they were made. So I conceive of Christ the Prophet saith; that hee should see of the travell of his soule and should bee satisfied; that is, hee should enter into his rest as his Father did unto his (as the Apostle expresseth it) when having finished his worke, hee should see the Intent of his desire for which hee took all his paines accomplished in the Iustification and Salvation of Mankind. The Aime then of a Christian here, is enquired after What[H capitalises] it should bee, that is to say <right margin, H: What his intent and purpose should bee> of a Christian here, and inquired after what it should bee[H deletes or underlines?] in every desire or motion

of his will, wherin hee ought to rest satisfied and contented[H alters from contended], as having <left margin, H: >gained the End which as a Christian hee ought in that thing to his will, wherin hee ought to rest satisfied and contented as having gained the Ende[H capitalises] which as a Christian hee ought in that thing to pursue. For[H capitalises] as in the main of[altered] his Life: so in every particular motion [at?] thereof, hee hath a desire; and that desire hath an Object[H capitalises], which is the Ende of it, wherein it rests[altered], when it doth reach it: and because as a Christian, all his Actions[H capitalises], and all that belongeth unto him as a Man; is made subordinat unto this profession; therefore the Endes of that Profession, and the purposes which hee ought to have as such a Professor; must have an Influence upon his whole humanitie and overflow all the motions and properties thereof to draw the same along with them. For[H capitalises] nothing ought to bee done by a Christian but as a Christian, and nothing can bee said to bee done as a Christian by any, but that which both in itself is answerable unto christianitie, and which hee doth intend towards the Ende[H capitalises] of his Profession: For[H capitalises] if either the thing done or his [catchword: manner]

manner of doing it; bee not in itself answerable to the Endes of Christianitie<H: ,> his intention will not make <it> sutable to his profession, though his meaning bee never so good, or if the thing done & the manner of doing it, bee in itself answerable unto the Endes of his profession, but his meaning not sutable, unto the calling, by which hee is called unto God in Christ; his Action though in it self never so good, yet is not done by him as a Christian; therefore to become a Christian indeed, whose praise will bee of God, and not of men; the Aime[H capitalises] of our walking in this profession must bee taken up and maintained in all our wayes, as in the presence of God. But before wee can take vp this Aime[H capitalises], and maintaine it; Wee must reflect upon it to know it and discerne it, what it is in itself and should bee in vs. And that wee may bee able to doe this, I shall now come to give you my Answer to the Question in these particular deductions.

first Aime[H capitalises] must bee to <bee> found in christ in all his wayes. I call this his first Aime[H capitalises]; not absolutly the first which makes him a Professor; For to become a Professor hee must intend to come to God, as God doth call him, viz. to the ende for which hee doth call him, and by the way which he doth call him; this purpose beeing once framed[altered] and expressed in the motion of the heart towards God; then hee is a Christian in Gods sight, and the first particular, which hee should desire in order to the accomplishment of that main designe, which is to answer Gods call by going to him, is this more particular Aime[H capitalises], that hee may bee found in Christ in all his wayes. For God doth not otherwise call vs to himself but in Christ, hee is nowhere else existent in power to call effectually but in Christ; as the Apostle saith, <left margin: 2. Cor. 5. 19.> that God was in Christ; and is still in him, reconciling the world unto himself not in putting <H: imputing> their trespasses unto them. For there God is, as reconciled to vs by the propitiation, which is in Christs blood; and there hee is as reconciling vs to himselfe by the effectuall call, which hee [catchword: gives]

gives vs to come to Christ. For as no man can come to the Father, but by the Son (for hee alone is the way, the Truth and the Life) so no man can come to the Son except the Father draw him: Thus then the Father will have the desires of all those that intend to come to him upon his call; to bee first ordered towards the Son by seeking to bee found by the Father in him. This[H capitalises] was the Apostles Aime[H capitalises]<H: ,> for which hee laid aside all other thoughts and desires; in comparison of which all other things were as dung unto him, this was the Apostles aime, for which hee laid aside all other thoughts and desires,in com namely that hee might win Christ, and bee found in him, and how did hee desire to bee found in him? <right margin: Phil. 3. 8, 9.> hee tells vs vs. 9. by not having his owne Righteousnes, but the Righteousnes of God through the faith of Christ. His Aime[H capitalises] there was to bee found in him of God standing in the Righteousnes of Christ in all things which hee did, and not standing in himself in any thing, and to bee thus found hee did walke and stand in Christ by Faith, the promises of wisedome, Righteousnes, Sanctification and Redemption

from all corruption made to curse[altered?] soules in Christ, beeing laid hold upon by Faith as the Truth of God, and applyed to our wayes, as intended by God for his Sake towards vs, upon [t?] whom wee cast ourselves for Salvation<H?:.> These[H capitalises] Promises become reall Effects of Grace and vertue in vs; both to cover and cure our infirmities to cover the guilt of sinnes past and present from the eyes of God, our Aime[H capitalises] must bee through Faith to hold him up in the price of his Redemption and the Sprinkling of his blood to sett him betweene God and vs, that the eye of his justice may not see vs otherwise but through him, & to cure the same Infirmities, our Aime[H capitalises] must bee by the same vertue of Faith to intend what the Apostle there vers. 10. doth further aime at, namely to know him, and the power of his Resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings by beeing made comformable vnto his death. For by this Knowledge of him, that hee is the new Adam the Spirituall man, who in his Resurrection is made a quickening Spirit to all that are found in [catchword: him]

him by Faith, wee are made new Creatures, when by the vertue of his sufferings in our flesh our old man is mortified, and the Law of Sin and death condemned in vs, that the Righteousnes of the Law may bee fullfilled in vs by the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in him. So then by knowing[H alters from know] him thus as the New Adam, Thus raised and thus suffering for vs; wee become new Creatures and are cured from the Infirmities of our Nature by beeing transformed in the Spirit of our mind, to dye and live with him in all[H alters from call] our wayes.

saith hee abideth in him, ought himself also to walke even as hee walked[)?] whence wee see that this Aime[H capitalises] of beeing like him in all our wayes is an immediat consequence upon that of our abiding in him, which followes upon our Aime[H capitalises], to bee found in him. For hee that will bee found in him must abide in him, and hee that will abide in him, must walke conformable to him<H: .> This[H capitalises] may bee made cleer also from the aime which God hath in calling vs unto Christ. His[H capitalises] Aime[H capitalises] in[H alters from is] calling vs to Christ is to make out the purpose of his Predestination towards vs. Now the Apostle tells vs, [left margin: Rom. 8. 29.] that the purpose of his predestination towards vs is, to make vs conformable to the Image of his Son, that hee might bee the first borne amongst many Brethren, wee then in answering the call of God must first intend to come to Christ, to bee found in him; and when that desire is fullfilled, wee must in the next place aime at that for which God would have vs to bee found in him, namely that wee should bee con-

-formable unto his Image, to the Ende, that hee may bee glorified in vs, as the first borne of all the new Creation. So then that his Image may bee held forth, and bee exalted thereby over all men, wee must answer the Fathers purpose and desire to bee conformable vnto him, for hereunto hee doth call vs by our coming to him.