Our confession of faith and catechisms were written by the Westminster Assembly in the 1640s, and when they began to be published, publishers included what you might call a gospel tract, written by two Scottish ministers, David Dickson and James Durham. It was called "The Sum of Saving Knowledge." You can read it online
at this link. Its presentation of the gospel centers on the concept of God's covenant with us, which I wrote about in
my last post. Here is how "The Sum of Saving Knowledge" describes the outward means God uses to make people partakers of this covenant:
"The outward means and ordinances, for making men partakers of the covenant of grace ... are especially these four: i. The word of God ii. The ordinances iii. Church iv. Prayer.
"In the word of God preached by sent messengers, the Lord makes offer of grace to all sinners, upon condition of faith in Jesus Christ; and whoever does confess their sin, accept Christ’s offering, and submit themselves to his ordinances, he will have them received into the honour and privileges of the covenant of grace. By the ordinances, God will have the covenant sealed for confirming the bargain on the foresaid condition. By the Church, he will have them hedged in, and helped forward to the keeping of the covenant. And by prayer, he will have his own glorious grace, promised in the covenant, to be daily drawn forth, acknowledged, and employed. All these means are followed either really, or in profession only, according to the quality of the covenanters, as they are true or counterfeit believers."
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