Exposition on 2 Peter 1, Title page – To the reader
AN EXPOSITION VPONUPON THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE ſecond Epiſtle of Peter: WITH, THE PRINCIPALL DOCTRINES naturally ariſing from eueryevery verſe of the ſame Chapter.
By STEPHEN DENISON Miniſter of Kree-Church London.
IER. 14.19.
Haſt thou vtterly reiected Iuda, hath thy ſoule loathed Sion? why haſt thou ſmitten vsus, and there is no healing for vsus? We looked for peace, and there is no good; and for time of healing, and behold trouble.
LONDON, Printed by Richard Field for Robert Mylbourne, and are to be ſold at the great South doore of Pauls. 1622.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND ELECT LADIE, THE LADIE THEODOSIA DVDLEY, Grace and peace be multiplyed.
RIGHT HONOVRABLE,
As the Lord hath honoured you in reſpect of place, ſo he hath doubly honoured you with grace and vertue. Amongſt the reſt of the rare endowments wherewith God hath inriched your honourable perſon, I obſerue theſe in particular: Firſt, humility,, a grace hard to be found in great perſonages. Secondly, louelove to Gods houſe; your Honours diligence in this kind will riſe vp in iudgement againſt many proud deſpiſers of holy things, and will condemne them. Thirdly, Chriſtian gouernment in your family. I could name many more, but it is needleſſe, becauſe they are better knowne then I can expreſſe them. Your ſingular vertues, together with the experience which I hauehave of your louelove in the beſt things, do encourage me to dedicate this ſmall worke vntounto your Honor. The moſt part of this Chapter was preached in your hearing, and conſidering you vouchſafed to heare it preached with ioy and great diligence, I make no doubt but your honour will accept it, and as diligently reade it now, as before you heard it. Good Madam, I know God hath laid vponupon you a great triall of affliction, in that he hath taken away your noble ſonne Sir Ferdinando Dudley. But I beſeech you conſider whither he is remoued, to wit, from earth to heauen; his great zeale in Religion, eſpecially in his later yeares with the fruit thereof, do giuegive ſufficient testimonie of his preſent happineſſe. Who would not be content that their deareſt friend ſhould be aduanced? Behold, he is aduanced to a Crowne, yea to a Crowne of glorie, which ſhall neuer be taken from him, nor he from it. If the dead in Chriſt were to ſpeake vntounto vsus, they would ſurely ſay to vsus that mourne for them; Weepe not for vsus, for we are in bliſſe and happineſſe. And ſo, if this worthie ſonne were to ſpeake vntounto you, he would ſay vntounto you (ſeeing your teares) My honourable Mother weepe not for me, behold my happineſſe. The Church of God hath the greateſt loſſe in the death of this worthy Saint. She hath too few ſuch fauourers as he was: but all muſt ſubmit to the will of God; the will of the Lord is good, the Lord hath giuen, and the Lord hath taken away, bleſſed be the Name of the Lord. He is taken away from beholding the euill to come; and we are left ſtill for our further triall; the Lord ſanctifie our croſſes vntounto vsus. Sorrow for ſuch a ſonne ſhall be no hinderance (as I hope) but rather a furtherance to your Honours zeale. This ſhall make you more mindfull of mortalitie, more carefull to worke out your owne ſaluation, more induſtrious in the ſtudy of heauenly things. And indeed it nearely concerneth eueryevery Chriſtian, to hauehave eſpeciall reſpect vntounto Gods word in the time of affliction: for whence can any expect ſound comfort in time of trouble but from the word, or whence ſtrength to beare afflictions, but from the ſame word? The word of God is as the balme of Gilead: We muſt flie vntounto it to be healed of our ſorrowes. The word of God is as a ſtrong Tower, we muſt runne vntounto it, if we would be ſafe from ſpirituall dangers. Now Gods word is not onelyonly that which is expreſly written in the Bible, but alſo the labours of Gods ſeruants in expounding and preaching, ſo far as they deliuer nothing but that which hath warrant from the Scripture, this is alſo Gods word. And in this word we muſt be conuerſant as well as in the former; though in the former principally, becauſe it was by immediate reuelation. But I ſhall not neede to prouoke your Honour to the ſtudy of Gods word, for I am perſwaded you are taught of God. I onelyonly beſeech your acceptation and patronage for this little Booke; and ſo reſt
Your Honours to be commanded in all Chriſtian ſeruice, STEPHEN DENISON.
To the Chriſtian Reader.
BEloued Chriſtian, I preſent this Booke vntounto thy view; I deſire thee to reade it with an holie affection; interpret things in the beſt ſence, and according to my true meaning, and thou ſhalt finde nothing contrary to the analogy of faith. Some few things are eſcaped in the Printing, and in the pointing, but thou wilt eaſily conceiue them, by diligent obſeruation. Amongſt the reſt, theſe are eſcaped;
Page 27. line 5. ſinnes and godlineſſe can neuer ſtand together, it ſhould be, reigning ſinnes and godlineſſe can neuer ſtand together, it is onelyonly miſ-pointed. Page 105. line 19. their is ſet in ſtead of euer, by miſ-printing. Page 121 line 29. a depriued Minister is put in ſtead of a restrained Miniſter.
If you reape anie fruit by theſe my weake labours, giuegive all the glorie to God, and I beſeech your prayers to God for me.
Thine in the Lord, St. D.