The Way to Blessedness, Title page – Letter
THE WAY TO BLESSEDNES, A TREATISE OR COMMENTARY, ON THE FIRST PSALME.
PSAL. 119. 1. Blessed are the vndefiled in the way: who walke in the Law of the Lord.
By PHINEES FLETCHER, B. in D. and Minister of Gods Word at Hilgay, in NORFOLKE.
LONDON, Printed by I. D. for Iames Boler, and are to be sold at the Marigold, in Pauls Churchyard, 1632.
TO MY MOST HONORED, FREE, AND BOVNTIFVLL Patron, Sir HENRY WILOVGHBY, Baronet, and to his most worthy Lady, all blessings of this, and a better life.
Sir,
THe ignorant generally complaine of too much preaching, and some learned of too much writing. The first hauehave no eyes to see, either the grace of God in his word, or their owne want of grace, for want of that grac…ous word. The other (I thinke) in this, hauehave squint eyes, or at least looke not the r…ght way to the Gospell. For did they condemne onelyonly the wanton, idle, and vaine Pamphlets, (which too licentiously pandaring for lust) stand forth in every shop, or those turbulent libells, which being engendered in earthly mindes, breake forth into all bitternesse, and fill the world with stormes and schismes, who would not rise up with them against the wicked? But the bookes by them censured, nay despised, and derided, are such as tend to edification; and are scorned, either because they savour not of profound and deepe learning, or not bumbasted with multiplicitie of reading, or not stucke thicke enough with the flowers of Rhetorike; when yet our owne experience makes us see these despised labours wonderfully to prosper in the Church: whether it bee that the Lord delights to glorifie his power in infirmitie, and takes no pleasure in the wisedome of words, (which makes the crosse of Christ of no effect) or as light, so the word, is most cleere and powerfull, when least mixed. Famous is that historie of Sozomen, who hath left it upon record, that in the first Councell of Nice, when an heathen Philosopher did not a little stumble the learned Christians, a simple old man stept out, and with plaine dealing both confuted, and converted him: No question there is great, and even necessarie use of those speciall gifts in the Church: yet by such examples the Lord plainely shewes, that hee will not hauehave his meanest grace despised. I am perswaded, that with as much reason, and lesse blasphemie wee may quarrell with the Creator, for making so many rivers and fountaines on earth, so many starres in heaven; as with the Redeemer, and blessed Spirit, for storing this Kingdome with those gifts which make it as a watered garden, and another firmament, full of glorious lights, shedding their beames into every corner.
For my selfe, if any desire to know the reasons impelling mee to write what before I had spoken, and giuegive way to my private and weake meditations to looke out in publike, upon so learned an Age; the chiefe are these.
First; That redoubled and trebled commaund of our most gracious Saviour,Iohn 21. 15. 16. 17. Feed my sheepe, together with that inforcing motiue, As thou lovest mee. Oh! who can louelove him sufficiently who loved to death, whose louelove passeth knowledge?Ephe. 3. …9. Or how can any man feed too much, when no man can louelove enough? Therefore that Apostle, there so adjured, contented not himselfe to feed by preaching, but to this day feedes us by his writing. The same precept is often by his blessed Spirit pressed upon his Ministers:1 Pet. 5. 2. and 4. 10. Feed the flocke of Christ. As every man hath received the gift, so let him administer it …o other, Act .20. 28.as good Stewards of the manifold graces of God. Take heed to your selues, and to the flocke, over which the holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his owne bloud. O strong adjuration! Now God forbid, that I should ever esteeme any paines sufficient for that, for which God thought not his bloud too much.
Secondly; The streight account which our Soveraigne Lord hath foretold he will exact of all his servants,Math. 25. 26. 30. to whom he commits these treasures of his grace, so that the single talent shall bee accountable, and the slothfull person adjudged to a fearefull condemnation, and execution for not putting it to the banke.
Thirdly; The profit of Gods people, especially those committed to me by Christ. Surely there is a wonderfull louelove betweene a faithfull Pastor and his faithfull people. The Galatians could giuegive their eyes;Gal. 4. 15. Rom. 16. 4.Aquila and Priscilla their liues to the Apostle. But beyond all admiration was the louelove of that Apostle,2 Cor. 12. 5. who not onelyonly loved the more, Phil. 1. 22. 23. 24.the lesse he was beloved, their neglect (as it were by Antiperistasis) kindling, and enflaming his affections, but could willingly deferre his joyes with Christ in heaven, and still liue under the bloudie persecution of Iewes, Gentiles, false Brethren, and (which is worse then all these) the fierie opposition, and loathsome, but forced struglings with remainders of sinne, that hee might build the Church. He knew not which to choose, his presence with Christ in infinite felicitie, or his edifying the Church with all worldly miserie.
Lastly; Though there be euē innumerable lights heaven, yet is ther not one in vaine: the very least and most obscure hauehave their use, their light, and influence: yea those infinite little starres, which by us cannot be discerned, by reason, partly of their distance, partly of their smalnesse, yet doe they paue, embrighten, and point out that milkie way in heaven. And I doubt not, but this little and weake worke shall through his power, who brings light out of da…kenesse, direct some, or further them in that blessed way to eternall life.
But it may bee, some will stop my way with slight e…tertainment, and strong opposition of the world.
This cannot weigh with those stronger arguments inciting mee to this dutie. I remember the Astronomers distinguish the visible fixt starres into six severall magnitudes; Those of the first and chiefest exceed the whole earth in quantitie an hundred and seven-fold, and even the most obscure and cloudy of the sixt magnitude, eighteen-fold with advantage. Thus those first and great starres (the holy Apostles,) their followers and immediate Successours how wonderfully they did surmount the whole earth, may easily appeare in this; that when all the world interposed it selfe to ecclipse their light, yet did they then shine more bright, and filled the whole earth with the glorious splendour of the Gospell of Christ. So even in these last ages, we hauehave knowne that notwithstanding all the opposition of Popes, Emperours, and many other Princes (the whole earth indeed being banded against a very few, and farre inferiour to those fi…st Ministers) yet did they overcome all their malice, and shed the long obscured light into all parts of the Christian world. For my selfe I rest assured, that one heavenly sparke in the least of those starres shining in the right hand of Christ shall not, nor cannot by any earthly opposition bee so ecclipsed, but that it shall breake through, and both enlighten, and enflame some of those whom God hath chosen.
It may be some also will object, that other more learned, and every way more sufficient, hauehave already laboured in this Vineyard, and set forth their workes on this Psalme.
I willingly confesse it: yet I know not any more but one, even that eloquent Apollos, M. Bolton.powerfull and mightie in the word; and am certaine, that learned and religious men will not disdaine, that when hee from this living fountaine hath filled his silver Cisterne, I should also with my earthly pitcher draw, and poure out some of the same water of life unto the sheepe of my Master.
Now most worthy Patrone, I hauehave beene bold to entitle you, and your worthy Lady to this labour, not onelyonly in remembrance of your much louelove, and my long courteous entertainment in your house (such as I never saw any Gentleman giuegive unto their Minister;) or that first I initiated my weake Ministerie in your Familie and Hamlet; but especially because I acknowledge my selfe, and whatsoever is mine
Yours in the Lord Iesus Christ; To whose grace, and fulnes of it, he shall ever commend you, and all yours, who thirsts and longs for your soule; PHINEES FLETCHER.
To my deere Parishioners of HILGAY in NORFOLKE.
CHristian Brethren, my conscience, and he tha… is greater then the conscience beares me witnes, that I never spared any paines for your profit, either publike or private, but by prayer for you, and preaching to you, hauehave laboured with all, nay aboue my strength, to bring you to that true knowledge of God, and our Lord Iesus Christ; and settle you in his grace. What is wrought in every ones heart God onelyonly knowes. But (blessed be his name for ever) some fruit the Lord of the Harvest hath made me see springing, some even ripening, which hath encouraged me to publish this little worke: not onelyonly that other Christians if it please the Lord, may receiue some helpe, but especially that you of this flocke whom God hath called, may be further builded in your most holy faith; and others who hauehave yet resisted, may either be recalled and brought home, or else being convinced, hauehave a testimonie witnessing to their faces their rebellion, and justifying their condemna…ion both here, and in the day of the Lord.
Neither hauehave I beene disheartned by the opposition of some instruments of Satan;Ier. 7.9. 10. but accounting their malicious and causelesse quarrelling, the second marke of Gods effectuall working by my infirmitie, I hauehave with more heart and cheerefulnesse laboured in the worke of God. Now my Brethren, and dearely beloved in the Lord Iesus Christ, I be…eech you in the Lord, remember and well consider your holy calling: You professe your selues Christians, even the followers of Christ, and you hauehave, and may here againe evidently discerne the Lord, by his Spirit shewing you the old and good way, and leading you in it by footing of this excellent Prophet. Now manifest your selues to be, as your are and will be called; be Christians: follow the voice of the Lord in his word, follow his followers, and set your feete into the path of life. Will you walke in the counsell of the ungodly? stand in the way of sinners? sit downe in the seat of scorners? Will you sweare, curse, lie, slander? will you drinke, roare, will you speake wantonly, will you with such carelesnesse profane the Sabboth, despise God in his saving Ordinances, neglect the Lord in your families, and then thinke and say, We shall be delivered, though we doe all these abominatiōs? Take heed my Brethren, we serue a most gracious, but yet a jealous God, whose jealousie shall smoke against such despisers, to bring all the fearefull curses temporall and eternall (threatned in the Law) upon such a rebellious miserable creature. Deut. 29. 19. 20.
To conclude (deare Brethren) after whom I long in the bowels of Christ, the Lord hath set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: the same Lord giuegive you an heart to choose life, that here waying in grace, hereafter you may be filled with glorie. Amen, LORD IESVS, Amen. So shall ever pray
Your faithfull Pastour Phinees Fletcher.