The Gales of Grace, To the reader – Table of contents
❧ To the Christian Reader.
MAriners vponupon the Sea (good Reader) hauehave neede of the Winde to driue their Shippes to the hauen; and men in this world hauehave need of the Spirit to drawe their Soules to heauen. Which ſpirit the moſt carnall Libertines and ſecure worldlings that are, imagine themſelues to be endued withall, though they neuer ſaw the want of it, knew the worth of it, nor felt the worke of it in themſelues: which thing when I conſiderd, I made choice of that Theame, which is the ground of this Treatiſe, to treate of; & tooke occaſion from thence to frame a Diſcourſe of the Winde of the Spirit, that according to my modell I might giuegive a little light to the myſticall doctrine of Sanctification. This diſcourſe I fitted and framed for that particular Aſſembly where it hath pleaſed God to ſeate me (for how long I know not) for the exerciſe of my Miniſtery. And where I preached it, there I thought to hauehave buried it at the firſt: but when I conſidered the neceſſitie of the ſubiect handled, and the infirmity of the Author (being too ſwift in my deliuery) I thought the things might be let fall by the hearers, without that fruite which they deſired, without that good which I intended. Whereupon I was induced in my thoughts to offer it (what-euer it bee) to publique view. This motion at the firſt I ſtrongly reſiſted, in regarde ſo many worthie Treatiſes are extant vponupon the Doctrine of Regeneration.
But when I called to minde that ſame charitable ſpeech of diuine Augustine, Lib. 1. de Trinit. ca. 3I would that in places infected with Hereſie, all men would write that hauehave any faculty in writing, though it were but the ſame things in other words; to the end that all ſorts of people, amongeſt many Bookes might, light vponupon ſome, and the enemy in all places might finde ſome to encounter him: This holy wiſh of that worthy Father, concurring with my deſire of doing good, anſwered thoſe mentall obiections which I met withall in my thoughts, and qualified that indiſpoſition which I had to ſend it to the Preſſe; and, like a ſtrong Commander, bade it venture abroade into the world. Being thus called forth, I preſent it to thy view, I proffer it to thine vſe. If thy conſcience beeing drowſie may any whit be awakened by it; If thy ſpirit beeing heauy may bee any whit accheered by it; if thy iudgement being erronious may be any whit informed by it; if thy mind, being doubtfull, may be any whit reſolued by it; if thy deſire to walke with God may be any whit ſharpened by it, and thou directed to leaue the way of the fleſh, and walke after the Spirit (which are the ends as the great Searcher of all hearts knoweth, I chiefly aime at in making it publique) giuegive the glory vntounto God, who gaue the firſt motion, & laſt reſolution to ſet it forth: and for my recompence, let me hauehave thy praiers to God, that I may fulfill the courſe of my miniſtry with ioy. If the inſerting heere and there in the margine other Authors beſide the Scriptures doth diſtaſte thee that art a weake Chriſtian; Reader, know that I hauehave done it to free my ſelfe from a calumnie wherewithall ſome hauehave charged me, that I ſhould bee againſt the vſe of Fathers: and withall, for thy further ſatisfaction, conſider that I hauehave done more at the Preſſe then in the Pulpit, as mine ordinarie hearers can teſtifie, whoſe eares it is not my wont to amaze (being plaine country hearers) with Augustine, Gregorie, Barnard, Chriſostome, &c. On the other ſide, if that becauſe I am no more plentifull in quotation, doth diſpleaſe thee that art a curious Reader, I would entreate thee to be ſatisfied with this that I had rather incurre the cenſure of a nice iudgement vndeſeruedly, then hauehave mine heart ſmite mee, and my conſcience tell me, that I ſeeke the praiſe of man more then of God. And what cumfort could I hauehave, when men ſhould eſteeme me a well read Scholler in the Fathers (which cannot be in reſpect of my yeeres) and yet indeed I ſhould be beholding to an Index (prepared to my hand by the induſtry of another,) for ſuch allegations. Well, whatſoeuer affection thou readeſt it withall, profit it is that I wiſh to thy ſoule. I hauehave diuided the whole into Chapters, the Chapters into Sections, that thou mayeſt reade all as well as ſome, and not weary thy ſelfe with too much at once, if tediouſneſſe ſhall ſeeme to oppreſſe thee: and indeed vnleſſe thou readeſt all, thou maieſt miſtake me in ſome things. Thine the Treatiſe is, thine alſo my ſelfe am, in our common Sauiour; to whoſe grace I commend thee,
As a deſirer of thy beſt good, T. B.
The Contents.
CHAP. I. THe Entrance into the matter, by ſhewing the occaſion and Summe of the Text.
CHAP. II. The firſt generall Concluſion from the nature and ſubſtance of the words.
CHAP. III. The ſecond generall Concluſion from the ſumme of the Text.
CHAP. IIII. The Logicall Analyſis of the Text, and the opening of the firſt part of it.
CHAP. V. The firſt Doctrine from the firſt part of the Text, concerning the free libertie of the Spirit his working.
CHAP. VI. The ſecond Doctrine from the firſt part of the Text, touching the Inuincible force of the breath of the Spirit.
CHAP. VII. The words of the ſecond part of the Text interpreted, and the heads of the doctrines briefly propounded.
CHAP. VIII. The firſt Doctrine, from the ſecond part of the Text, handled.
CHAP. IX. The ſecond Doctrine handled, from the ſecond part of the Text.
CHAP. X. The third poynt handled, from the ſecond branch of the Text.
CHAP. XI. The fourth and last Doctrine obſeruable in the ſecond part of the Text.
CHAP. XII. The third part of the Text expounded: and the poynts of Diuinitie thence ariſing propounded.
CHAP. XIII. The firſt propoſition handled out of the laſt part of the Text.
CHAP. XIIII. The ſecond and laſt poynt from the laſt part of the Text.
The Gales of Grace: OR, The Wind of the Spirit.
Iohn 3.8.
The Winde bloweth where it liſteth, and thou heareſt the ſound thereof, but canſt not tel whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: So is euerie one that is borne of the Spirit.