The Guide Unto True Blessedness, Title page 1 – To the reader
THE GVIDE VNTOUNTO TRVE BLESSEDNESSE.
OR, A BODY OF THE DOctrine of the Scriptures, directing man to the ſauing knowledge of GOD.
Collected By SAM. CROOKE.
2. TIM. 3.15.
Thou haſt knowne the holy Scriptures of a Child, which are able to make thee wiſe vntounto ſaluation, through the faith which is in Chriſt Ieſus.
LONDON, Printed by Iohn Pindley, for Nathaniel Butter, and are to be ſold at his ſhop neere S. Auſtins gate, at the ſigne of the Pyed Bull. 1613.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR ARTHVR CAPELL Knight, his ſingular good Patrone, the Author wiſheth, what the worke deſcribeth.
TO whome, vnderunder Chriſt, ſhould I render this account of my poore labours in my charge, but vntounto your ſelfe, Right worſhipfull; by whoſe meanes the Lord vouchſafed mee ſo free and comfortable an entrance therein to? Jt is the Lord Ieſus, the doore of the ſheepe, of whom you hauehave obtayned this merciemercy, rather to be, among few, a faithfull dorekeeper in his houſe; then to dwell, with manie, in the Simoniacall tabernacles of wickedneſſe. Neither ſhall it euer repent you, that you hauehave not drunke of thoſe ſtollen waters, or rather of that blood of ſoules; wherewith too manie, in theſe gold-thirſtie daies, doe purchaſe Aceldama vntounto them and theirs. Let others enrich themſelues with the wages of vnrighteouſneſſe; let them make their boaſt of their couetous deſire, and bleſſe themſelues in their contempt of the Lord: but let the Lord keep this for euer in the purpoſe of the hearts of his ſeruants, to deale faithfully and vprightlie in ſo honourable and weightie a truſt. And let ſuch as hauehave found this bleſſing, in theſe corrupt daies, to hauehave a free acceſſe to the worke and charge of the miniſterie, thankfullie acknowledge the ſame both to God and man. Amongſt whome I gladlie profeſſe my ſelfe to be one; and therefore, to the honour of God, and the iuſt acknowledgement of your Chriſtian integritie, I commend this worke to your worthy name and Patronage: your example to the memorie and imitation of poſteritie: & your ſelfe with all your Worſhipfull familie, to the holie direction and ſafe tuition of Almightie God.
Your worſhips in Chriſt euer bounden, SAM. CROOKE.
TO THE CHRISTIAN READERS, eſpecially thoſe of my charge the inhabitants of Wrington in Somerſetſhire.
Chriſtian Reader,
BLeſſedneſſe is the Alpha and Omega of Man, the beginning of nature, and the end of Grace. The naturall Philoſopher in his inqueſt of Happineſſe laieth this ground,Ariſt. Ethi…. lib. 1. cap. 1 that, All things deſire that which either in trueth or in opinion is good for them; and that onelyonly is good, which tendeth vntounto the onelyonly good, the vttermoſt end and perfection of their ſeuerall natures. But where Philoſophie ends Religion begins: or rather, where Reaſon failes Grace ſupplies, proclaiming all that nature (in the blindneſſe of Corruption) accounts excellent to be vanitie of vanities; Eccl. 1.2.and the end of all and whole of man, Eccl. 12.13, 14.to be the feare of God, and the keeping of his Commandements. And that with reſpect to the laſt Iudgement, wherein all workes of men, whether good or euill, though neuer ſo ſecret, ſhall come to light and triall, and receiue their due reward. Yea ſo farre was nature in ſtaken in the matter of Bleſſedneſſe, that it could not truely define ſo much as the happineſſe and perfection of the brute creature; which the Scripture ſheweth to be the Reuelation and glorious Redemption of the Sonnes of God. Rom. 8.19, 21.Wherefore as it is euident in nature that all men ſeeke bleſſedneſſe: ſo it is apparant in experience, that there is no man that can attaine thereto without a ſupernaturall guide; without which, wee ſee that touching Bleſſedneſſe, there are as many mindes as men, and as many waies as wits; eueryevery one croſſing another, and ſo all prouing that all are inſufficient.
For this cauſe I hauehave framed this Treatiſe, for a direction to that, which all men ſeeke, and ſo few finde. Wherein from the ground of nature,Ioh. 1.9. as of that light which enlightneth eueryevery man that commeth into the world, I endeuor to raiſe the building of ſauing knowledge.
Although (to ſpeake properly) the light of nature ſheweth rather the neceſſitie then the way to ſauing knowledge, and is a ground rather of enquirie, then of attaining thereto. For all that nature can truely determine, and articulatelie pronounce concerning this matter, is, that Bleſſedneſſe is to bee ſought, and ſuch a bleſſedneſſe, as may ſort with the nature of man the ſeeker; eſpecially in regard of his better part, which is his ſoule. The reſt well may ſhee ſtammer at; as that the ſoule is not onelyonly a reaſonable, but alſo a religious and immortall ſpirit, and therefore cannot be bleſſed without the euerlaſting fellowſhip and fauour of God, to whom ſhee is by band of conſcience obliged: But plainelie to vtter theſe (more then metaphyſicall) trueths, is of ſuch onelyonly, whoſe tongue-ſtring is looſed, and to whom the Lord hath ſaid, Ephphata, be opened. Mar. 7.34 35.And with this helpe, Reaſon it ſelfe will yet goe further, and ſay, that the meanes of acquaintance and fellowſhip with God, can be no other, then thoſe which himſelfe affordeth, and namely his Word, the onelyonly infallible Index of the minde of the ſpeaker; and therefore it cannot but reiect, as vncertain and vnſafe, whatſoeuer the preſumptuous boldneſſe of fleſh and blood obtrudeth againſt, or beſides this rule.
And yet further touching the triall of this touchſtone, whether it be the word of God or no, Reaſon it ſelfe will acknowledge, that (whatſoeuer inducements may bee from the authoritie of thoſe whom we credit and reſpect) none but God himſelfe can thoroughly reſolue vsus of it: and that either by the apparant traces of diuine maieſtie in the letter of the Scripture; or by the ſecret teſtimonie of the ſame Spirit that inſpired it, inclining the heart of the reader or hearer to embrace and ſubſcribe vntounto the authoritie of it. So that now the true beleeuer may ſay vntounto the Church as thoſe Conuerts to the woman of Samaria, Now wee beleeue not becauſe of thy ſaying, Ioh. 4.42.for wee hauehave heard him our ſelues.
VntoUnto reaſon thus enlightened or willing thus to be enlightened, I hope my manner of proceeding in this Treatiſe will ſeeme reaſonable; wherein I hauehave with the vttermoſt of my poore abilitie faithfully endeuoured to compriſe the whole bodie of the heauenly doctrine of the Scriptures: and that in ſuch a methode, as vponupon long and ſerious penſitation, I hauehave iudged moſt meete, to bring light to the matter, and eaſe, both for vnderſtanding and memorie, to the Reader.
A ſubiect, I grant, not of ſo pleaſing a ſtraine either to the writer or to the reader, as ſome other treatiſes which afford more libertie of inuention and diſcourſe. But I hauehave learned of the bleſſed Apoſtle of the Gentiles,Phil. 3.1. not to be greeued to write theſe ſame (ſeeming triuiall) things vntounto you; knowing that euen from theſe things is the experience beſt taken of Chriſt ſpeaking in the Miniſter (and therefore euen from theſe points doth the ſame Apoſtle auouch his vnderſtanding in the myſterie of Chriſt) and withall being aſſured, that for you it is a ſure courſe, 2. Cor. 13.3.Eph. 3.4.to be alwaies put in remembrance of theſe things, 2. Pet. 1.12though yee hauehave knowledge, and bee eſtabliſhed in the preſent trueth.
The experience of eleuen yeeres hath taught me, that it is not enough to teach in publike, vnleſſe the auditors hauehave care to inſtruct themſelues, and one another priuately at home. For which purpoſe, I hauehave framed this Treatiſe by way of Queſtion and anſwere, a waye moſt familiar for inſtruction, and whereby the ſpirit both of the anſwerer, and of all that attend, is ſtirred vp to bethinke themſelues, what might bee moſt aptly anſwered, to the Queſtion propounded. Neither hauehave I done this onelyonly in the larger Treatiſe; but alſo extracted an Abridgement of the ſubſtance thereof, in a farre briefer draught, for the priuate vſe of Chriſtian families, and help of the weaker ſort; that becomming all things to all men, 1. Cor. 9.22.I might by all meanes ſaue ſome.
Wherefore as I hauehave out of my penurie caſt in all that I had, Luc. 21.4.euen theſe two mites, into the treaſurie of the Church; So I earneſtly deſire thee, Chriſtian Reader (eſpecially you that are of my charge, beloued in our Lord Ieſus, to whom as my labours are principally due, and moſt familiar, ſo from you aboue others, I expect this Retaliation) to employ this our Lords talent, now in thy hands, for thine owne beſt aduantage, and of thoſe that are committed vntounto thee by the Lord.
So ſhalt thou ſettle thy ſelfe, and them, vponupon the ground of ſauing truth. So ſhalt thou be prepared to giuegive anſwere to eueryevery man, 1. Pet. 3.15.that ſhall aske of thee a reaſon of the hope that is in thee. So ſhalt thou be able, to make farre greater & ſweeter benefite of whatſoeuer thou ſhalt heare out of the word preached; which vntounto thoſe that are ignorant of the grounds of Religion,Eſa. 8.6. or deſpiſe theſe waters of Shiloah, becauſe they runne ſoftly, is many times vnprofitable and vnſauourie. So ſhalt thou not be plucked away with the errour of the wicked (whoſe itching eares, 2. Pet. 3.17, 18. 2. Tim. 4.3. 2. Theſ. 2.10. 2. Cor. 11.3.and harts not louing the truth, are eaſily corrupted from the ſimplicitie that is in Chriſt) and ſo fall from thine owne ſtedfaſtneſſe: but grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt. Finally,Gal. 6.16. walking according to this rule, peace ſhall be vponupon thee, and merciemercy, as vponupon the Iſrael of God.
Thine in the common faith, and ſeruice of our Lord Ieſus, SAM. CROOKE.