Four Sermons, Title page – Dedication
FOVRE SERMONS VPONUPON SEVErall partes of Scripture, Preached by GEORGE GYFFARD, Preacher of the worde, at Mauldin in Eſſex.
AT LONDON Printed by Thomas Iudſon, for Tobie Cooke, and Robert Walker. 1598.
The Textes of the foure Sermons.
THE FIRST SERMON 1. Tim. 6. Chap. ver. 17.18.19: Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, and that they truſt not in vncertaine riches, but in the liuing God (which giueth vsus abundantly all thinges to inioye,) &c.
THE SECOND SERMON. 1. Ioh. chap. 5. ver. 7.8.9.10.11.12.13. For there are three which beare record in heauen, the Father, the worde, and the holy ghoſt, and theſe three are one, &c.
THE THIRD SERMON. Hebrewes 12. ver. 16.17. Let there be no fornicator or prophane perſon, as Eſawe, which for one portion of meate ſolde his birthright, &c.
THE FOVRTH SERMON. Rom. 6. ver. 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11:12.13.14. What ſhall we ſaye then? ſhall we continue ſtill in ſin that grace may abound? God forbid, &c.
TO THE RIGHT worſhipfull Maſter Edward Lewkenor eſquire, one of her Maieſties Iuſtices of the peace in the countie of Suff. and to the right vertuous and chriſtian Gentlewoman, Miſtris Suſan Lewken or his wife, grace with all aboundant bleſsings of this life, and the life to come.
THe complaint of many both learned and verie godlie perſons, that the Church is burthened and incō bred with too great a multitude of bookes, is not made without cauſe, being grounded vponupon the moſt holy worde of God, as alſo confirmed by experiēce, in that good houres are vnprofitablie ſpent, pietie with true holynes not a little hindred and impaired. Howbeit, it ſeemeth rather to be directed againſt vaine friuolous and trifling pamphlets, wherein lewde and ignorante perſons hauehave onelyonly taſte and delight, but eſpecially againſt mō ſtrous inuentions, vncleane and impure writings, which doe infect and defile, both doctrine & manors (thereby deſeruing as a moſt contagious and peſtilent ayre to be conſumed and diſſolued with fire from amongſt the people of God) and not againſt the wiſe and learned trauailes of godly men, whoſe whole purpoſe and indeuour, is to profite the Church, and to further the knowledge and religion of the Lorde. For varietie of good and profitable bookes, ſeemeth to be neceſſarie (and therefore would not be wanting) both for the increaſe of knowledge and learning, becauſe one man, or a fewe, ſee not all thinges, as alſo for that eueryevery man writeth not in one forme and maner, and therefore cannot anſwere the capaſitie of euerie one, for ſome fitte themſelues ſor ſmale and meane capacities, and ſome for learned and great vnderſtanding. Beſides, one hath neede of one ſpeciall inſtruction, and one of another, this man delighteth in one comforte and remedie againſt his temptation, and an other in that which beſt aunſwereth his infirmitie. Furthermore, Sathan hath daylie newe deuiſes to aſſaile the faith of Gods elect, and to drawe thē into ſinne neuer heard of before, which the Lorde by his ſpirite doth not onelyonly reueale to ſome of his ſeruants aboue others, but prouideth remedies accordinglie, which becauſe they cannot be miniſtred alwayes by worde of mouth; they are to be made knowne by writing to them that ſtand in neede. And ſurely the bountie & riches of Gods merciemercy are ſo large, and his care of mans ſaluation and happines ſo great, that euen as he hath prouided variety of creatures for eueryevery mans taſt, and vſe: ſo hath he prouided varietie of ſpiritual graces, for eueryevery mans benefite & delight, to the end that eueryevery man might profit with cōfort & pleaſure, or elſe be left without all excuſe. The conſideration of which reaſons, and ſome others (Right worſhipfull) cauſed me, after I had obtained at the handes of that worthie Miniſter of Ieſus Chriſt, Maſter Gyffard, theſe fewe Sermons, whereof he is the Author, to publiſh them in print to the view of the world. Not therein reſpecting ſo much mine owne gaine and commoditie, as the good and benefite of the Church of God. Whereof J conceiue no little hope, both by reaſon of the fruite and benifite which hauehave redoūded to the comfort of many by his former workes, as alſo for the excellēcie of the doctrine conteined herein, the which I rather commit to the iudgemēt of the learned, and wiſe Chriſtian reader, then to commend them my ſelfe, leaſt in prayſing them for want of iudgement & wiſedome, J ſhould in ſtead of beautie, bring diſgrace vponupon them. Whatſoeuer they be, J thought it meete to Dedicate them to your worſhippes, moued thereto with many reſpectes. And firſt of all, that J might publikely teſtifie my dutie and thankefull heart, for your great kindenes and manifold courteſies beſtowed, not only vponupon me, but vponupon them that are as neerly linked vntounto me as my ſelfe. Of the which, if I ſhould be vnmindfull, J were worthie of the reward which the Lacedemonians appointed for vnthankefull perſons. But eſpeciallie the great accompt and honour that you hauehave obtained in the hearts of many of the beſt and wiſeſt Chriſtiās for your ſingular godlines & rare Chriſtian vertues, do turne mine eyes frō many others vponupon you, as comfortahle lightes ſhining in the midſt of this crooked generatiō, as liuely examples to your brethren, and worthie ornamēts to the profeſſion of the Goſpel. And J hauehave ioyned you together in this dedicatiō, not only for the neer band wherewith you are ſo nighly ioyned together in mariage, but alſo for that you do not only ſtriue together in one courſe to obteine the high price of your calling, and that euerlaſting crowne of glory reſerued for you in the heauens, but alſo for that you are mutual helpers one to another to the performāce of all Chriſtiā duties, but ſpeciallie in the wel gouerning and trayning vp of your houſholde, which thereby as a fruite of your rare and holy labours the Lord hath ſo bleſſed, as that the heauenly eſtate & behauiour thereof, may be a preſidēt to many families, if it would pleaſe the Lorde to giuegive them heartes to confirme themſelues thereunto. But I ceaſe to ſay ſo much as I knowe, leaſt in ſpeaking the truth, might procure enuie, and ſeeme to flatter you, whoe of all other hauehave leaſt delight in that veine. The onlie thing which I ought in dutie, & may ſafely do, is firſt to pray vntounto God, that he would ſaue & preſerue you, & yours, from the manifolde ſubtilties of Sathan, and the dangerous baites & alluremēts of this world, and to finiſh the good work that he hath begunne in you vntounto the day of Ieſus Chriſt. Secōdly, moſt hūbly to requeſt you, that you would take in good parte this ſimple gifte that J offer vntounto you, interpreting all thinges, both in regarde of it, and my ſelfe, in the beſt parte, and with that affection J offer it to you. And thus once againe, beſeeching almightie God to bleſſe and co… tinue you many happie yeeres … your owne comfort, and the goo… of the Church, as alſo to be fauourable vntounto the holy Miniſtrie, which hath many yeeres continued in your congregation, in which, in my childhood I was trained vp in the firſt principles of Chriſtian religion, the ioyful remembrance of which benefit… I truſt ſhall neuer departe from me, either in life, or death. J in all duetie and humble manner take my leaue.
Robert Walker. London, 6. Decemb. 1598.