The Beauties of Bethel, Title page – Errata
THE BEAVVTIES of BETH-EL.
Containing: Sundry reasons why eueryevery Christian ought to account one day in the courtes of God, better then a thousand besides
Preached in Cambridge, and now published especially for the benefite of those that were the hearers.
AT LONDON Printed by G. Eld, for Thomas Man, and are to be sold at his shop in Pater-noster-row, at the signe of the Talbot. 1609.
To the right worshipfull Maister FRENCH, Maior of the Towne of Cambridge and the rest of the hearers of the Parish commonly called St. Peters: Grace and all good things.
RIGHT WORshipfull and Christian friendes, so soone as God gaue me a calling to become your teacher; I bethought mee which might bee the fittest course and carriage of my Ministrie, both for your best profit and mine owne discharge: and after a little deliberation, I easily resolued of three thinges. 1. to call you to a louelove, and a cheerefull frequenting of the holy exercises of Religion in the house of God; by which as by a praeface I entered into my labours, and this from the example of Dauid. Psal. 84. 10. 2. to teach you how to behaue your selues being present before God. from the example of Cornelius, Act. 10. 33. 3. to preach Christ vntounto you; which by Gods mercy I hauehave also performed out of Peters Sermon following frō ver. 33. to 44. Wherin I hauehave … intreated of the most fundam…al points of our Christian Religion: indeauoring in all these to approue my heart vntounto the Lord, and my desire of your profiting euen to your selues. Of the first of these I hauehave here giuen you a further view and account; the other two depend one vponupon the other, & containe a labour of longer time; besides that the eye of our experience hath seene what a surfet & lothing this our age hath taken of sound practical diuinity: & therefore onelyonly thus much I hauehave presumed for your sakes to publish, to the purpose that each of your families might hauehave a coppy for the helping of your memories; not intending any further view of clearer light. But if the Printers hauehave ouer-intreated me to make the benefit (as they tearmed it) more common; then I shall desire of such as for whome these thinges were not principally prepared, the forbearance of any curious censure, seeing it was plainly fitted and preached vntounto a plaine auditory, and not intended to behold such an open light. Wherein yet it may afford this vse, that being a subiect in which I hauehave obserued none going before me by way of treatise; it may yeeld both occasions and groundes to some more able instrument to inlarge and adorne so necessary and so profitable an argument. Which heartily I wish; the rather, because in these desolate daies of ours, these beauties of Gods house, are by so many men, & so many meanes obscured, as that nū bers giuen-ouer to Atheisme and liberty, are bold not onelyonly to moue (which were too much) but strongly defend that our Saboth is either not to be kept, or not so straightly: that either our Sermons neede not to bee heard or not so frequently: & that to walk according to the light here shining, at least so accurately & strictly Ephe. 5. 15 foreign.as the Apostle prescribeth, is too much precisenes: the which with sundry other disguised conceites of vayne men, if they shall preuaile so far as they threaten, surely our Bethels in shorte time will become Bethavens; our houses of God, dens of theeues, and the voice of our Church will be no other then that of Naomi. Ruth. 1▪ 20Call mee no more beautifull; for why should yee call me so, seeing the Lord hath humbled mee, and the almighty hath brought mee vntounto aduersity, how glorious a worke thē would it be to ioyne in the preseruing of the beauty of the kingdome of Iesus Christ? and that not by any artificiall paynting of the face of this chaste spouse (for that is fitter for the Romish Harlot) but by a plaine manifestation of her owne face and natiue beauty out of the word, which preferreth her beauty before that of the Rose of the field, Cant. 2. 1and the Lilly of the vallies, and affirmeth that the Lilly among the thornes doth not so surpasse in beauty as she doth among the daughters. Surely such a glorious worke as this shal not want a glorious reward. But to returne to you ye hearers, these briefe notes being properly yours, to you they are of right directed as a testymony of my louelove and inward affection vntounto you: the which (if the Lord had thought meet) I desirously would hauehave still testified by voice among you, rather then by this my writing: by which I recommend these few lessons to your Godly learning, and my self vntounto your praiers.
Yours in the Lord. THOMAS TAYLOR.
Christian reader seeing that partly by the vnacquaintance of the workeman with my hand, and partly by the ouersight of the Corrector, some faults are escaped, I hauehave noted such as chiefly alter the sence, leauing the other to thine owne humanity, and curtesie to correct.
Page 8 line 24, for ruthes read ruines. p. 15. put out of the margent Vse 1. p. 16. 24, for ayrie r. straite. p, 18, 1, for their, r these, p, 19, 22, put out in. p, 21, 7, put out and. p. 29, 23, for caules, r. coates p, 31, 1, for fortified, r. forfeyted, p, 60, 11, for couering, r▪ couenant, p, 65, vlt, and 66, 15, for perfection, in both places, r. protection, pa, 71, 22, for there, r. the, pa, 225, 19, for truth, r, tents & l. 20, for countries, r. courteyns