A Treatise of Faith, To the reader 2
To the Chriſtian Reader.
IF any Grace (and if not Grace what elſe?) doth deſerue ſo to bee cōmended vntounto the people of God, as they may bee ſet on fire, with deſire of it, till their deſire be ſatisfied; ſurely among, and aboue all other Graces, the Mother and Nurſe-grace, the Queene and Soueraigne Grace, which bringeth foorth, and breedeth vp, that nouriſheth and cheriſheth, that commandeth and ordereth all other Graces, euen FAITH deſerueth as much. FAITH I ſay, which is to the ſoule, as the ſoule is to the body. The life of it: & to the little world, as the Sun is to the great world, The light of it: that which warmeth, quickneth, comforteth, encourageth, the perſon in whom it is. Doth it not then deſerue the beſt pains of the moſt iudicious, and induſtrious Diuines to ſet it out? Great paines hath beene taken hereabouts by men of good note and name. So much, and ſo well hath beene vttered and publiſhed on this ſubiect ſince the latter ſpring of the Goſpell, as to vtter and publiſh any more, may be thought to doe no more then what hath beene done before: yet without preiudice to any other, to the praiſe of Gods Grace in the Author of this Treatiſe, be it ſpoken, Neuer any tooke ſuch paines to ſo good purpoſe in and about the foundation of FAITH, as he hath done. The onelyonly, true, proper Groundwork of FAITH is Gods promiſe. Whatſoeuer is prnmiſed may ſafely bee beleeued, whatſoeuer is beleeued without a promiſe, is preſumed. As FAITH is the life of the ſoule, ſo Gods promiſe is the life of FAITH. Deſireſt thou FAITH? take notice of Gods promiſes. Wouldeſt thou hauehave thy FAITH, like the light in the Lords Sanctuary, neuer to goe out? Acquaint thy ſoule with Gods promiſes, know them, meditate on them, conferre about them: let them be continually in thy mind, memory, heart and tongue. If thou findeſt it too hard a taske for thee to finde them out, to ranke them in order, and to make fit application of them (which is indeede an hard taske.) Beholde here God hath ſent Ezekel Culuerwell, as of olde hee ſent Ezekel Buzi, to ſet out the promiſes of God more plentifully and pertinently then euer before: and that to breede FAITH, where it is not: to ſtrengthen it, where it is weake: to ſettle it, where it wauereth: to repaire it, where it decayeth: to apply it aright to eueryevery neede: to extend it to ſanctification as well as to iuſtification: and to point out the ſingular vſe of it in matters temporall, ſpirituall, and aeternall. The ſubiect matter of this Treatiſe is fit to be vnderunder taken by a man well exerciſed in the holy Scriptures, and well acquainted with the diſpoſition of mans heart towards theſe promiſes. Such an one is he who hath penned and publiſhed this treatiſe. His exerciſe in the Scripture hath enabled him to gather together heapes of promiſes. His experience of the diſpoſition of mans heart, (hauing piercingly diued thereinto through much friendly and familiar conference with ſundry ſorts) hath enabled him to ſet thoſe heapes in a fitte and due order. What I ſay of him, I know of him; for from mine infancy hauehave I known him, and vnderunder his miniſtery was I trained vp in my younger yeares: hee being at the leaſt two and twenty yeares elder then my ſelfe. Now becauſe of all the Miniſters that euer I knew, he hath been one of the moſt painfull, faithfull, and powerfull, giuegive me leaue (good Reader) to ſet downe ſomewhat of his practiſe for a patterne to others. What manner of entring vponupon his paſtorall charge, he had, is not vnknowne to them that were vnderunder his charge. Very few, if any at all, did hee finde fit to receiue the holy Communion: which mooued him by the ſpace of many moneths from morning to night, eueryevery day in the weeke to inſtruct in the firſt oracles of the word of God, eueryevery one vnderunder his charge, ſometimes one by one ſeuerally, and other times many ioyntly together: which he did with ſuch ſucceſſe, as there were but few that were not able to giuegive a reaſon of their hope to bee ſaued, and ſo were admitted to the Lords Table. From which time, euer after, ſo long as hee continued there, he had weekly meetings in his Church for all ſorts, distinctly on ſeuerall daies to catechiſe them in the Principles of Religion: whereby (I am perſwaded) he did more good then by preaching, which yet was very powerfull, and not in vaine. For as his owne, and his hearers labours, in teaching and learning abounded, ſo God gaue anſwerable fruits in obedience to the word. For as the Lords day was very religiouſly obſerued: ſo the foule ſins, whereunto people vntaught are vſually giuen, were there abandoned, & all contentions among neighbours ſo laid aſide, as moſt louingly they came to one anothers houſe. And though there were many poore, and none greatly rich, yet did none of the poore begge abroad for food, but were releeued at home. Among other euidences of the power of Gods word among them, I will record one, a very remarkeable one, and worthy to bee had in more frequent vſe. It was this: In time of great dearth of corn and other food, there was order taken by publike authority, that eueryevery family ſhould forbeare one meale in the weeke, and vponupon the Lords day bring the value of it to the collectours for the poore. This being faithfully performed by them all, therewith they did prouide good corne, which coſt 8. or 9. ſhillings the buſhell, and ſolde it to the poore at 12. pence the pecke, and yet reſerueda good ſtock to ſet the poore on worke. Theſe and many other good works were done vnderunder his miniſtery, who was ready on all occaſions to preſſe the doctrine of faith: ſo as the preaching of faith hindereth not the performance of good works. This Treatiſe will giuegive euident proofe thereof. Well vſe his paines, and thou ſhait not loſe thy paines.
WILLIAM GOVGE.