The Marrow and Juice of 260 Scriptures, To the reader
To the godly and peaceable Readers herof, grace and peace be multiplyed abundantly in CHRIST IESVS.
THE blessed, and most sacred Scriptures of God, penned by those holy Theopneusts, may well be resembled to the water os the sea, which is farre sweeter in the bottome then in the vpper part, and superficies. Whosoeuer meanes to partake the sweete relishing water of this euerliuing and euerlasting fountaine, must hauehave a bucket to draw with, for the well is deepe.
The more linckes of graces, vertues, and godly diligence, that the chaine of this bucket containeth, and the more capacious that the bucket of his lowly heart is, in humility to come to the owneand founder of this well, the better hee shall speed at this inexhaustible Ocean.
If thou compare Scriptures with Scriptures, pondering all things, weighing and considering them well in thine heart, as the holy virgin Mary did: then shalt thou proue by the Scriptures, that Iesus is the Christ, that hee is waters, in the plurall number, to quench the heate of thy thirsty soule.
There shalt thou finde that hee is foreign of the masculine gender, the best wine of all, to comfort and exhilarate thy wearyed and sorrowfull heart. Then shall thou know that his word and Scriptures is that sincere, pure, vncorrupt, and vncurdled milke, wherewith, by his grace, thou shalt grow and increase from grace to grace, and vertue to vertue, till thou become an absolute man in Christ Iesu, ready for eueryevery good worke. Then shalt thou be able to reproue the gaine-sayers, to conuince the contradictors and lyers against the truth.
That this holy water drawne out after this manner, is of these most rare and inexplicable vertues, nothing can better teach thee then true experience in the Patriarches, Abraham and Dauid, in Moses and Ioshua his successor, in Iosiah and Hezekiah, in zealous Eliah and Micaiah.
In the cheerfull and vndaunted spirits and administrations of all Gods Prophets before Iohn Baptist, and of the Baptist himselfe, as also in the effects of the Apostles labours: In the peoples reuerent hearing, and diligent practising of Gods truth, in searching the Scriptures for their further confirmation. In their vnwearied labouring, toyling and paines taking, to grow and increase in their cōmenced knowledge. In louing and embracing the word of the kingdom aboue all other things. In their entertaining the Ministers as the Embassadors of Christ, as Christs faithfull stewards and vicegerents, as men vnreproueable, yea as the Angels of God.
Oh that there were such an heart in the people of our lands, in the members of Christs Church in Great Brittaine, in the most strict and curious professors of Christs blessed Gospell. Then should the sonnes and children of the Church be as the flourishing plants growing and fructifying in grace and knowledge. Then should the daughters of Sion which attend vponupon their Queene-mother the Church, be as the pollished corners of Salomons pallace, Psal. 144.12.13, &c.and of the Temple Ierusalem. Then should Gods graniers be full and abounding with all manner of good corne, the fruits of an holy profession. Then should the sheepe of Christ bring forth thousands and ten thousands of holy workes and good fruits, both in publicke and in priuate in the sight of God and men. Then should Christs Ministers, the true labouring oxen which tread out the corne, be encouraged to take paines and strong vntounto labour. Then should we hauehave no such rents, schismaticall factions, or diuisions, which cause many leadings into captiuity, and much complaining in our streets.
But alas, I may cry out with Ieremy, My belly, my belly, I am pained at the very heart, Ieremy 4.19.mine heart is troubled within me, I cannot be still, for my soule hath heard the sound of the trumpet, and the alarme of the battell. For amongst vsus here in England and Scotland, in stead of solacing our soules among the sweet trees of Mirtles and Cinamon, the most odoriferous sents of the flowers of holy Scriptures, gathered out of the garden of Gods Booke: We hauehave our delights in the loathsome stinking Henbane (I must not say Tabacco) of smoking and fretting diuision. Sounding out the Trompets, and striking vp the Alarme of carnall contention amongst our selues: Scorning our publicke seruice of God; because it is not after their owne humors: Scorning the Ministers of Gods Word and Sacraments, which are conformable to this Administration. Yea, and, which is most fearefull of all, scorning and loathing that sweete Dew and Manna which comes downe from heauen to vsus by their ministery.
For as there is one sort of Recusants among vsus, which will neither come to our publicke Assemblies, nor vntounto the priuate conuenticles of the factious:H Barrow in his Discouery of the false Church. So hauehave we another sort, who are Malcontent, and will neither come to Seruice nor Sermons; because (say they) both Seruice, Sermons, Ministers, Administrations, Sacraments, Gospel, yea Christ himselfe are adulterate, Popish & Antichristian.
Lamen. 2.10.11.12, &c.Godly gracious Ieremy was full of passions in beholding the desolations of the city Ierusalem, and the miseries of the inhabitants thereof, for that the children and sucklings were ready to die for bread in the streets of the city. His eies failed with teares, his bowels sweld, his liuer was powred vponupon the earth. In his passionate maner he crieth out, Mine eye casteth out riuers of waters for the destruction of the daughter of my people,Lam. 3.48.49.50, &c. Mine eye (saith he) droppeth without stay, and ceasseth not till the Lord looke downe and behold from heauen.
I, that am the meanest among thousands of my coate, do wish with Ieremy that mine head were of water,Ierem. 9.1. and mine eies a fountaine of teares, that I might weep day and night, because of our yong & old Ministers, and because of others that are not Ministers, both yong people and old of both sexes. For they with the desolate and wofull people of Ierusalem,Lam. 2.12, do cry out for bread and drinke spirituall, as they did for corporall food, to feed their swoning carcases.
Those hunger-starued soules & pining creatures had cause to cry for bread, being ready to giuegive vp the ghost in their mothers bosome. The silenced Ministers, and the vndiscreet children and people of our Church, if they (with the orthodoxe Ministers and people of other reformed Churches) will enter into a true and due consideration of all circumstances; hauc little or no cause to cry out for the bread and drinke of their soules; sith God did neuer more bountifully yeeld and bestow it then he hath in these our dayes.
But bread from heauen will not serue the Israelites turne,Numb 11.4.5.6. their soules loathed Manna, they longed for Quailes, though they payd deere for their Lust and for their Quailes.
The godly zealous and effectuall prayers in our booke of Common Prayer, conceiued and penned vponupon sundry occasions, they be too grosse for our nice and daintie stomackes, which can away with nothing but their owne conceited (I should say) conceiued prayers, to be spoken and pronounced vponupon the sodaine and ex-tempore. As though stinted and set formes of prayers, both in the time of the Law and Gospell, had not bene commanded by God the Father to the Priests then liuing, by Christ his sonne, to his Disciples, or that our Lord Iesus himselfe had not prayed and vsed the same prayer three seuerall times in the same words.Math. 26.44. Marke 14.39.
Those holy and Canonicall Scriptures set out for most speciall vses to confirme the maine fundamentall points of Christian Religion (as our Censorians say) are wronged and wrung,H. Barrow in the Discouery. &c. and the most of our factious heads. mangled and diuided to serue our superstitious vses of Dayes, Fasts, and Feasts.
But beside the answers that I hauehave yeelded to this, and the like cauilling obiections and slanders, in my Proeme vntounto this Booke, and those answers which Maister Hooker maketh in his booke called Ecclesiasticall Policie, I shall (if God giuegive life and meanes) in the Sermons which I intend to publish first, vponupon the parcels of holy Scriptures appointed for the Gospels for eueryevery Sonday, and all the great Feasts in the yeare, deliuer my mind at large to the satisfaction of eueryevery one, except he be of his mind that sayd, Etiamsi suadeas, non persuade bis tamen.
Meane while, I beseech you to reade that briefe generall Connexion (in the end of the booke) of all the holy Scriptures, commaunded to be read in our parish Churches and Congregations for all the Sonnedayes and Feasts aforesayd: As also I pray you be pleased to view the Index or Table of all the two hundred and sixty Scriptures. Where it shall appeare vntounto you, that the most of the Bookes, and the chiefe of the Chapters of the old Testament induced for the sound confirmation of Christians in the holy mystery of godlinesse, are by a speciall direction of Gods spirit in those that culled them out, annexed vntounto the Bookes, Chapters, Doctrines and Applications of Scriptures in the new Testament.
All which do so consequently and concordantly, and in so sweete an Harmony sound and agree together: as vntounto eueryevery plaine honest Christians view it shall appeare, That as Moses and the Prophets spake of these things darkly and somewhat a farre off (as may beseene in the two first Lessons:) So our Lord Iesus Christ, performed all things in Action by his Preaching, Miracles, Death, Resurrection, &c. which were fore prophecied of him, as is shewed in the Gospel. In like manner the Apostles and Euangelists exhorts vsus vntounto the vsus… and practise of all holy documents and instructions, as may be perceiued in the Epistles.
Now that with one accord, in peace and vnitie, we may make vse of the diuine Scriptures sweete and most comfortable Harmonie, let vsus intreate the God of peace to knit our hearts together, that with one minde and mouth we may pray to God, and praise him in thought, word and deed. In this commendable Harmonie of soule, heart and voyce, let vsus be glad and reioyce, and giuegive glory to the Lord God Almightie, who hath raigned. Let vsus with our spirituall musicke giuegive glory to him: because the mariage of the Lambe is come, and his wife hath made her selfe ready. And to her was granted that she should be arraied with pure fine linnen and shining: for the fine linnen is the righteousnesse of Saints. Euen so let vsus all say (which louelove that his appearing) Come Lord Iesus, come quickly. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with our spirits, Amen. Farewell, From mine house this 8 of Ianuary 1611.
Your friend to vse, IAMES FORRESTER.