Mans Active Obedience, Title page – Dedication
MANS ACTIVE OBEDIENCE, OR THE POWER OF GODLINES, eſpecially in the Commandement of the Goſpell, which requireth faith in euerie Chriſtian: OR A TREATISE OF FAITH, WORTHILY CALLED PRECIOVS faith, as being in it ſelfe a moſt rare iewell of ioy, and peereleſſe Pearle, that excelleth in worth the higheſt price.
Wherein is plainly declared what faith in Chriſt is, what properly is the obiect of it, what is the ſpeciall operation of faith, by which it may bee diſcerned; and the worke about which it is principally imployed, the ſubiect wherein it is placed; what things are needfull to the making it vp, what to the being, and what to the wel-being of it; with the differences that are betweene true beleeuers and fained in all of them, and the vſes thereof.
By Maſter WILLIAM NEGVS, lately Miniſter of Gods Word at Lee in Eſſex.
LONDON, Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Nathaniel Newbery, and are to be ſold at his ſhop vnderunder S. Peters Church in Cornehill, and in …-head Alley, at the ſigne of the Starre. 1619
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL, SIR THOMAS SMITH, KNIGHT, GOVERNOVR of the worthie Companies of Merchants, traffiqueing in the East Indies, Moſcouia, &c. increaſe of grace, and all good things here, and fulneſſe of glorie hereafter.
RIght Worſhipfull, it was a prepoſterous cuſtom of the Phariſees to ſound a trumpet when they did their almes, as if the act could not bee knowne, vnleſſe all the world were ſummoned to take notice: nay, that God which bids vsus giuegive almes in ſecret, can find a time both to eclipſe the glorie of that action, publiſhed with ſo loud an alarum, and alſo to make the praiſe of well-doing breake forth as the light, though before neuer ſo much hidden; and that not onelyonly at that day when the Lord ſhall come, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkeneſſe, and then ſhall euerie man hauehave praiſe of God *1. Cor. 4. 5.; but euen in this life often, the good workes of ſome are manifeſt beforehand, to their praiſe among mē.*1. King. 18. 13. Was it not told my Lord (ſaith that Noble Courtier) how I hid an hundred men of the Lords Prophets by fiftie in a caue, and fed them with bread and water? Yes Obadiah; thou couldſt not doe it ſo priuily, but Eliah knowes it, and many more too, euen all Gods people, which ſhall therefore for euer call thee bleſſed. Renowned Sir, as God hath giuen you a large portion in this worlds good, ſo (which is no leſſe a gift*2. Cor. 8. 1.) hauehave you an heart inlarged to communicate to the neceſſities of others. Your bountie extends to many (as I am credibly informed); one I can ſpeake of, much oblieged to your Worſhip in this kind, euen mine own ſelfe, who for ſome yeeres hauehave had a liberall allowance from you. A worke though not done by ſtealth as was Obadiahs (for God be thanked it is now no treaſon to feed the Prophets, or the ſonns of the Prophets), yet not ſo knowne as might be wiſhed deeds of that nature were to the better prouoking of this cold age: but God hath at length prouided you an Obadiahs reward, a publike commendation for a priuate good deſert, occaſion being offered mee to beare witneſſe of your charitie before all the Church, euen as many as to whom this booke ſhall come. Which I mention as to teſtifie my true thankefulneſſe, which ſmothers not a benefit when it ought to bee ſpoken of, ſo to ſhew the world my warrant for preſuming to dedicate the enſuing Treatiſe to a perſonage ſo eminent, ſo taken vp with publike affaires. But beſides this, the good affection and reſpect you bare to the Author while he liued, makes me hope you will bee as forward to patronage his Worke, as you hauehave been found willing to be helpefull to his ſonne. And indeed (Right Worſhipfull) the worke for the ſubiect matter of it is ſuch, as may worthily challenge all readineſſe in you to countenance it: it treates chiefly of faith, that royall grace, the Elects peculiar, ſo pleaſing to God, ſo contended for by the Saints, which to defend is the higheſt honour of Princes, to liue by the chiefe glorie of Chriſtians. But why goe I about to ſhew the worth of that, which none can know but thoſe that hauehave it? Oh! thoſe that hauehave taſted how good the Lord is, whoſe ſoules are ſweetly refreſhed with that peace that paſſeth all vnderſtanding, rauiſhed with thoſe toyes vnſpeakable and glorious, who are ſtrong to ouercome the euill one, the world, themſelues, hauehave power to worke righteouſneſſe, obtaine promiſes, yea, to doe all things through Chriſt that ſtrengtheneth them (and all this can beleeuers doe); ſuch beſt know what faith is, and how much they owe to God the Authour, and the inſtruments it pleaſeth him to vſe in this bleſſed Worke. Amongſt other helps this Treatiſe may be one to all that liſt to vſe it; penned by one, who (to ſay no more) himſelfe liuing by faith, and feeling in his owne experience the ſauing effects of that heauenly gift, knew what he ſaid when he intitled it, A Jewell of toy, and peereleſſe pearle. The earthen veſſell which brought this pearle is now broken; broken doe I ſay? or rather made whole for euer, caſt anew in the mold of immortalitie, and filled with that glorie whereunto it was prepared. Had it pleaſed God to hauehave ſpared him longer, my comfort had been the greater, and this work perfecter: yet ſuch as it is, to Gods people it was intended, and from them I for my part durſt not detaine it. It was no childs part in Micah to ſteale that ſiluer, which his motherIudg. 17. had dedicated to the Lord, (ſhee pretended) though indeed to an idolatrous vſe; much leſſe were it warrantable for me any way to ſeeke to keepe backe, what my Father bequeathed to the Church, to ſo good an end. And this I ſay, though but a mite, yet if caſt into the Lords Treaſurie, when God accepts it, no good man will diſdaine it: though but a few barly loaues, yet it is good they ſhould be diſtributed, when through Chriſts bleſſing thouſands may be fed thereby. If any man ſhall think the Treatiſe might be ſpared, becauſe of the commonneſſe of the ſubject, faith and repentance being the ordinarie theames of mens Sermons and writings, I wiſh him to conſider, whither the Iſraelites did well to be angrie, when riſing in the morning they found Mannah fallen againe about their tents, of which before they had had ſuch plentie. Well, *Iohn 6. 32. 33Moſes gaue them not that bread from heauen, but God the Father giues vsus the true bread from heauen; for the bread of God is he that commeth downe from heauen, and giueth life to the World, the ſame is receiued by faith, that bred by the Word; and this, how ſoeuer through Gods vnſpeakable merciemercy to this Nation, the Preſſe and Pulpit ſo much ſound with it, is a bleſſing to be imbraced with all thankefulneſſe, not loathed for the commonnes. But if this ſuffice not, let him anſwere Chriſts interrogatorie; When the Sonne of man commeth, ſhall he find faith on the earth? If no faith, ſurely as little repentance? Shall then Gods Seedes men withdraw their hand, becauſe much hath been ſowne alreadie, when as ſo little comes vp? Nay verily, ſo many as truly beleeue on the name 1. Iohn 5. 13.of the Son of God, wil acknowledge they ſtil neede Saint John ſhould write vntounto them, that they may beleeue on the name of the Sonne of God: as for the world that abides in vnbeleefe, the truth of God where it ſhines moſt clearely, ſhall hauehave that effect which Chriſt foretold the Spirit of Truth, the bleſſed Comforter ſhould hauehave at his comming, euen to conuince it of ſin, becauſe Iohn 16. 19.they beleeued not on him.
Neither, I hope, will the manner of handling vſed by the Authour, and the kind of phraſe farre from affectation, or the entiſing words of mans wiſdome, I hope (I ſay) this will not offend any, who are content their faith ſhould ſtand not in the wiſdome of men, but in the power of God.
But I returne to you (moſt worthie Knight) to you principally I offer this Treatiſe, this field (if ſo I may call it) wherein the Pearle of faith is diſcouered. It is not for me to teach you how you are to account thereof; your wiſdome cannot but approue that high eſtimation, the Merchant in the Goſpel had of the Pearle. This onelyonly I wiſh, that as you abound in outward treaſures, ſo you may be rich in the faith, and conſequently heire of the kingdome which God hath promiſed to them that louelove him. And certainely if that bee true, that faith workes by louelove, then are you not without witneſſe, being well reported of for your louelove to the truth, and ſuch as walke in the truth. OnelyOnly goe on (honoured Sir) to deſerue well, and heare well of the Church of God. If thus you ſhall bee content with thoſe 24 Elders (Apoc. 4.) to caſt your earthly dignitie at the feet of the Lambe, improouing all to his behoofe, to the aduancing his glorie, and countenancing Religion; If with that worthy King Dauid, in way of thankfulnes to the Lord, who hath done ſo great things for you, you ſhall reflect your goodneſſe vponupon his Saints, thoſe excellent on earth, this ſhall lift you vp in true honour and reputation among men in this world, and be found to your immortal praiſe and glory in the day of the Lord Ieſus: yea, vponupon you ſhall come the bleſſing of thoſe, who bleſſe all ſuch in the name of the Lord as are friends to Sion, and ſeeke the peace of Ieruſalem. To this I from my heart ſay Amen, and the Lord out of Sion bleſſe your Worſhip, and grant you to ſee the good of Ieruſalem all the daies of your life. So for euer ſtands bound to pray, and
in what he may to be ſeruiceable to your Worſhip, IONATHAN NEOVS.