Truths Purchase, Title page – Dedication
Truths Purchaſe: OR A Commoditie, which no man may either neglect to buie, or dare to ſell: laid forth in two Sermons vponupon Prov. 23.23. by Samuel Hieron Miniſter of the word, at Modburie in Deuon.
Very neceſſary for the times, in which ſo few ſeeke after the Truth, and ſo many fall away from the profeſſion and practiſe of the Truth.
Reuel. 2.25.
That which ye hauehave alreadie, hold faſt till I come.
HINC · LVCEM · ET · POCVLA · SACRA
ALMA MATER CANTABRIGIA
PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT, PRINter to the Vniverſitie of Cambridge. 1606.
And are to be ſold at the ſigne of the Crowne in Paul… Church-yard by Simon Waterſon.
TO THE RIGHT Worſhipfull, my very good Ladie, the Ladie Elizabeth Champernowne, of Modburie.
MAdam, beeing well perſwaded both of your good knowledge in Gods holy Truth & of your vnfained affection thereunto, I hauehave emboldned …y ſelfe, to preſent you with theſe two Sermons touching Truth: yet not for your ſelfe alone, but that from you, they may paſſe to the common vſe of all the Louers of the Truth. I doubt not but that your La: doth both ſee, and bewaile the miſerie of theſe wretched times, in which Atheiſme, and Policie (falſely ſo called, beeing indeede little better then plaine villenie,) and Temporizing, hauehave like a canker, fretted out the very heart of Pietie. They are but a fewe, which ſeeke to ſearch out the Certaintie in matters of Religiō, or which care to hauehave ſtabliſhed hearts, Luk. 1.4. Heb 13.9.and to know preciſely, which is the True God, Baal or the Lord. Men had rather halt betweene two opinions, that ſo they may be for all Times,1. king. 18.… then vndergoe the labour of gaining aduiſed Reſolution. On the other ſide, if we come to theſe, (which yet will needes be religious,) what a wofull falling away doe we behold? In ſome to Poperie, beeing lead captiue (God in iuſtice ſending them ſtrong deluſions) by thoſe Falſe brethren, 2. Tim. 3.6. 2. Theſſ. 2.11. Gal. 2 4.which are priuily crept into eueryevery corner, through the remiſſenes of theſe Euill Times. In other ſome to Prophane-neſſe, and to that which is of all other the worſt, luke-warmenes. So that we may well ſay,Reu. 3.16. Iſa. 1.9. Ier 3.14. Except the Lord of Hoſts had reſerued vntounto vsus euen a ſmall remnant, culling out (as it were) one of a citie, Amos 3.11.and two of a Tribe, as the ſhepheard taketh out of the mouth of a lyon, two legges, or a peece of an eare, according to the Election of grace, we ſhould long ere this hauehave beene as Sodom, and like vntounto Gomorrha: we had beene (as it is ſaide of a curſed Tongue) a very world of wickedneſſe. Iam. 3.6.Now, things beeing ſo, there are three duties required of all that feare God. The firſt is, to long for the Appearing of Chriſt, 2. Tim. 4.8.and to crie daily, with the Soules vnderunder the Altar, How long Lord, holy and true! Reu. 6.10. Reu. 22.20.Euen ſo come Lord Ieſus. The other is, to beware leaſt they be plucked away with the Errour of the Times, 2. Pet. 3.17.and fall from their owne ſtedfaſtnes. The third is, eueryevery man in his place, earneſtly to contend for the maintenance of the Faith, and the aduancement of the Goſpel:Iud: 3. and to be as induſtrious, to conuert the goers aſtray, Iam. 5.20. Act. 14.22.and to exhort the Beleeuers to continue in the Faith, as the Phariſaicall,Math. 23.15. both Ieſuits and Seculars are, to compaſſe ſea and land, to make men of their profeſſion, 2. Tim. 4.4.and to turne them from the Truth vntounto Fables. In deſire to performe ſome part of this latter dutie, as I firſt preached theſe Sermons ſo, with the ſame intent I doe now publiſh them. The Text I am ſure, is excellent for the purpoſe, but for my manner of handling it, I leaue it to the cenſure of Gods Church. In Preaching I hauehave ever accounted plain-nes, the beſt eloquence, and the cariage of matters ſo, that thoſe of the loweſt forme may learne ſomewhat, the ſoundeſt and ſurest learning. If any cenſorious diſpoſition ſhall ſay, that theſe things are too meane for this ripe and exquiſite age, let them conſider, that at the building of Salomons Temple,1. k…ng. 5.15. there was roome as wel for Burden-bearers, as for other more curious Artificers: and at the firſt making of the Tabernacle, not onelyonly the Bringers of blue ſilke, and purple, and ſcarlet, but euen the poorer ſort which brought Goates haire, Exod. 25.4.5.and Rammes skinnes were accepted. How euer it be, I doe more then hope, that your La. will kindly accept it from me, and entertaine it as a Teſtimonie of my louelove, and not ſo onelyonly, but vſe it alſo for your comfort. And ſo praying the Lord,1. Theſſ 3.13. to make your heart ſtable and vnblameable in holines, I commit your La. to his grace in Chriſt Ieſus. Modburie. Novemb. 14. 1606.
Your La. in all good affection, Samuel Hieron.