The Spouse of Christ Coming Out of Affliction, Title page 1 – To the reader
THE SPOƲSE OF CHRIST Coming out of affliction, leaning upon Her BELOVED: OR, A SERMON PREACHED BY Mr. JOHN ALLIN. The late Reverend Paſtor to the Church of Chriſt at Dedham, At the Adminiſtration of the Lords Supper. Auguſt 6. 1671.
And may be uſeful to any Church of Chriſt, or true Believer in a ſtate of affliction.
1 Sam. 30.6. And David was greatly diſtreſſed, for the People ſpake of Stoning him, becauſe the Soul of the People vvas grieved, every man for his Sons, and for his Daughters, but David encouraged himſelf in the Lord his God.
Cambridge: Printed by Samuel Green: And are to be ſold by John Tappin of Boſton. 1672.
To the Reader.
Courteous Reader:
THe Great God, whoſe all Creatures are, and in whoſe counſels all their changes, in all their Generations are formed, hath according to the good pleaſure of his own Will reſerved us to this our Generation, to an acceptable year, to a day of Salvation, and aſſigned to us this place of which vve may ſay, the lines are fallen to us in pleaſant places, we have a goodly Heritage, even in the clear Sun-light of Goſpel truths: he hath planted (in N. E.) a Vineyard in a very fruitful Hill, which he hath fenced about with a Christian and Godly Government, and gathered out the Stones, and built a Tower in the midſt of it, and made a Wine preſs, and he did plant it with the choiceſt plants, and did ſend forth many faithful and skilful Labourers thereunto, ſo to dreſs the Vine that it might want nothing that might make it fruitful: and Oh that it could be ſaid, it brought forth no wilde Grapes: but of late times the Great Lord of the Vineyard hath called home ſo many of thoſe his Labourers, that it makes many obſervant hearts trembling to ſay, what is God about to do with this Vineyard. And amongſt others of thoſe his choice ones, he hath lately called home the Reverend Author of theſe two enſueing Sermons. and ordered him to enter into his Maſters joy; who was a man that needs not our Teſtimony for his commendation, his Works ſhall praiſe him in the Gate: A man ſo well approved in the Churches of Chriſt, that he was known to be a faithful labourer in the Houſe of the Lord, a wiſe Builder in his Houſe, He was a burning and a ſhining Light, and we that were of his Flock a long ſeaſon rejoyced in his light, even from the firſt gathering of the Church of Chriſt in Dedham, which was Anno. 1638. until this preſent year 1671. wherein Auguſt 26. after, about ten dayes moderate ſickneſs, he entred into reſt, in the 75. year of his age: in all which time, he was a very conſtant, faithful and diligent Steward in the Houſe of God; a man of peace and truth, we were lead forth by the ſtill waters in green Paſtures, our Table was fully furniſhed, and our Cup did flow over, and ſometimes drop upon others; ſome he did Plant, and ſome he did VVater, and ſome increaſe God did give, ſo that he in ſome meaſure, had wherein to rejoyce amongſt us.
But now Alas, Alas! we that were full are become empty, and even as ſheep without a Shepard, are left to beg our bread, the wayes of our little Sion mourn becauſe we want our ſolemn Feaſts, the joy of our heart is ceaſed, our dance is turned into mourning, the Crown is fallen from our head, wo unto us that we have ſinned, we cannot but ſay, Oh that it were with us as in times paſt, as in the dayes wherein God preſerved us, when his Candle ſhined upon our Head, and when by his light we walked through darkneſs The memory of thoſe ſweet diſtilling Dews, that did formerly drop upon us are not yet ſo forgotten but that we deſire to recal ſome of them, and moſt eſpecially the two laſt Sermons our Dear and Reverend Paſtor did Preach amongſt us: being Texts that he came to in his ordinary courſe, and not choſen purpoſely; yet being by providence fitted as for his farewel, and for our preſent ſtate of affliction and emptineſs though then u…een both to himſelf and us; The conſideration whereof hath moved the Church here by Vote, to order the endeavouring of there-collecting of theſe Sermons, and the fitting them for publick uſe, and to be kept amongſt them for the Edification of themſelves and theirs; and for the better keeping alive the memory of him whom we ſo much loved and honoured, and have committed the care of effecting the ſame to ſome few of the Brethren. But Alas! we that are ſo intruſted, know our ſelves altogether below ſuch a work, and after ſome time travailing betwixt ſenſe of our own weakneſs, and deſire the work might be accompliſhed; we at length by peruſing our Paſtors own Notes found in his Study, and comparing the Notes of ſeveral Hearers taken in publick, according to our weakneſs have Collected the enſuing lines, knovving that if it had been done by the Author himſelf th…y v…ere like to be incomparably better, yet vve have endeavoured to keep to his own Words, Matter and Method, and we know our God requires not of us according to what we have not, but according to what we have, and we hope and b…g, that all ſuch as may have the peruſal of the following Lines, to paſs by ſuch our weakneſſes as they may there finde, and cover them with the Garment of love.
We hope we have in no ſort wronged the Author, whom we ſo much loved and reverenced, but have as truely and candidly as we are able, rendred his ovvn, and preſented the truth: And ſo vve commit the vvhole to that God that is able to give a Bleſſing, and to make his strength knovvn in …. By ſome of the Hearers of the enſuing Sermons.
JOHN ALLIN
IN HONI ALL,
Anagr.