A Posing Question Put by the Wise Man, To the reader
page missing ſuch a crowd of Books: But God told not me, what Changes He would make: And who knoweth what is good for man, when Providence concealeth much that is neceſſary to the Determination. Little thought I, That God was ſo ſuddenly removing ſo many faithful Guides, and bringing thouſands into ſuch a caſe, in which, Books muſt be their moſt learned, able, powerful Teachers! O what a mercy is it, that even the Poor, may keep ſuch Preachers in their houſes, at ſo cheap a rate! That at Home, they may thus have an excellent Sermon when they pleaſe! That they may (yet) without Penalties, hear theſe ſilent Preachers, that are Orthodox, Methodical, Impartial, not bending to the Luſts, and Carnal Intereſts of Men: That at home, you may hear a Preacher that will not flatter you, nor raile at thoſe, that are not for the Intereſt of a Faction; nor by a beaſtly debauched Life, unſay his Doctrine: That by reading more or leſs, you may avoid the offence, of the length or ſhortneſs of the Sermon: That you may chooſe the Subject, moſt pertinent to your caſe, and the Diſcourſe that for the manner is moſt ſuited to your Edification! That when you cannot come to a Powerful Preacher, you may, at any time, read a heartwarming book: That when you want underſtanding and expreſſion, prudently to inſtruct your Families, and exhort your near Relations, or your Neighbours, you may read to them, or lend them, a Book that is beſt ſuited to their State. I think, Much of the work of God in England, for mens Converſion, Confirmation, and Conſolation, is now to be carried on by Books.
And though I know ſome get them, but as Hangings or Pictures, to Adorn their Rooms, (ut Petrach.) Alii voluptiti, alii jactantiae libros quaerunt; ſunt qui hac parte ſupellectilis exornant thalamos, quae animis ornandis inventa eſt, neque aliter his utuntur quam Corinthii vaſis, & tabulis pictis, ac ſtatuis, &c.) yet, when they are extant, who knoweth whoſe hands they may fall into: And how many by ſuch Books, as unexpectedly have fallen into their hands, have bin brought to true Repentance and Salvation.
And it is a great-Mercy, that we have ſuch a multitude of Books, that all agree in the neceſſary unqueſtionable Truths of our Religion; when it is a thing ſo dangerous to read Books againſt Books, Errors againſt Truth; and [Libri quoſdam ad ſcientiam, quoſdam ad inſaniam perduxêre] ſome are made Wiſe, and ſome made Mad, by reading Books: And when diverſity, and contrariety, ſo diſtract men, as abundance of Croſs-wayes do a Traveller. (ut Petr.) Fallit ſaepe viarum multiplicitas viatorem; et qui uno calle certus ibat, haeret in bivio; multoque major trivii eſt error, aut quadrivii: ſic ſaepe qui librum unum efficaciter elegiſſet, inutiliter multos aperuit evolvitque.)
The Papiſts remedy againſt the hurt of ill Books, is to deny us the uſe of good ones: Their remedy againſt the miſcheifs of errors, is to keep men without knowledg of the Truth; and to cure ſquinting to put out our eyes: To eſcape the danger of miſunderſtanding the Scriptures, to keep them from underſtanding them, and to lock them up in an unknown Tongue, and to fly from them, becauſe, they are abuſed by Hereticks: As if Chriſt ſhould not have ſaid again, [It is Written] becauſe, the Devil had ſaid, [It is Written]. But of the two Evils, the Vanity is more tolerable, of them that glory in their excellent Libraries; or of Sabinus, in Seneca, that boaſted of his learned Servants; or the Great Men, that glory in their learned Chaplains, while they are ignorant themſelves; than the Villany of Licinius, that called learning, The Peſt and Poiſon of the Common-Wealth: Or the Italian Noble Man that Petrach mentioneth, Fuit nuper, non in agris, nec in ſylvis, ſed in maxima, florentiſſimaque, et (quod ſtupeas) urbe Italiae, neque is Paſtor, aratorve, ſed vir nobilis, magnique apud cives ſuos loci, qui juravit ſe magno pretio empturum, nequis unquam ſuam patriam literatus intraret: O vox ſaxei pectoris! Petr. Perhaps it was ſome Pope of Rome.that would give a very great ſumme of mony, to keep all men of Learning, from ever coming into his Country; Or the impiety of them, that would baniſh the knowledg of the Scriptures, from the laity in the Church of God.
2. And from the matter and manner of this Treatiſe, I have more ſpecial Reaſons to take the publication of it for a Mercy. The Subject is very suitable and ſeaſonable in theſe times, when Providence ſporteth it ſelf in the affairs of men, and puzzeleth ſo many, and is ſo variouſly interpreted by the beſt, and miſinterpreted by the moſt. This Doctrine of mans uncertainty of what is for his good, in the matters of temporal concernment, or of the diſengaged Providence of God, is not any where elſe ſo fully and methodically handled that I know of. And it is of very great uſe, to the correcting of many, and great miſcarriages, and the right ordering of our affections and imployments in the world. How unreaſonable is it, That we ſhould be ſo eager and peremptory in our deſires of that, which we know not, Whether it will do us good or hurt. That we ſhould be ſo paſſionately troubled, for thoſe paſſages of God's Providence, which, for ought we know, may be the means of our felicity. O how oft do we fooliſhly trouble our ſelves, becauſe God is ſaving us from greater trouble, and we do not underſtand His meaning! Strange! that the knowledg of our nothingneſs, and the experience of the fruits of our miſcarriages, will not yet perſwade us, to give God leave to Govern the World, without our medling, or ſeeking to take his Work into our hands, and cenſuring of that, which we never underſtood! That we have not yet enough, of the deſire of being as gods; having ſmarted for it, as we have done! O the folly of thoſe Expoſitors of the Prophecies of Scripture, who firſt overvalue a proſperous ſtate, and conclude beyond their knowledg, that it is beſt for us; and then reduce the Promiſes to their ſenſe; and grow ſo confident in their expectations, of outward deliverances and proſperous times, as to lay their hopes and comforts on it, and the very credit of Religion it ſelf! And ô the madneſs of thoſe men, that laying this as their ground work, that fleſhly Proſperity is beſt for them, are unreconcilable to the wayes of Faith and Holineſs, and Mortification, becauſe they ſquare not with this Erroneous Foundation.
Theſe Generalls we are certain of; Firſt, That ordinarily Adverſity, is more profitable to the Soul, then worldly Proſperity. Secondly, That all things ſhall work together for good, to them that love God. And therefore we have reaſon to be moſt ſuſpicious of Proſperity; but, if we are true Chriſtians, to interpret all well that is of God.
Did we but know what need we have of mortifying Providences, as the ordinary means of mortifying Grace, we ſhould rightlier judg of them, then we do. Tanto quiſque ferramentum medici patientius tolerat, quanto magis putridum conſpicit eſſe quod ſecat.] Saith Greg. He that beſt knowes the rottenneſs of the fleſh, will beſt endure the Surgions knife. And happy are we, if that be cured by the pain of the fleſh, which was corrupted by the pleaſure of the fleſh: [Si quae carnis delectatione peccamus, carnis dolore purgamus:]
Marvel not, if, when thou turneſt unto Chriſt, thou ſeemeſt to be aſſaulted with ſucceſſive Waves, and to be caſt into a Furnace, or brought into a Thorny Wilderneſs, and compaſſed with Sorrows, which thou never waſt acquainted with before: As Auguſtine to his friend, [Noli admirari frater, ſi, poſtquam Chriſtianus effectus es, mille te undique tribulationes vexant: Quoniam Chriſtus noſtrae Religionis caput est; noſque ejus membra ſumus; debemus ergo non ſolum eum, ſed ejus vitam cumulatiſſime ſequi.] Chriſts way, muſt be our way; we muſt be conformed to our Head: We muſt Suffer with him, if we will be Glorified with him: The Croſs, is the paſſage to the Crown. The Armies of Saints, have gone this way in all Generations. [Similes aliorum reſpice caſus—Mitiùs iſta feres.] Ov. Should we expect that Grace ſhould have no Conflict, no Conqueſt before the Triumph; but be Crown'd, before we have ſhewed what it can do? Nay, we know not the power of it in our ſelves, till it be tried. [Nemo ſcit, quid potueris; neque tu quidem ipſe: Opus enim eſt ad ſuî notitiam experimento: Quid quiſque poſſit, non niſi tentando didicit, inquit Seneca.]
Be not therefore too unmannerly, and fooliſhly importunate with God for any outward thing, till thou not only thinkeſt that at the preſent it would do thee good, but alſo canſt ſee as far as to the end, and ſay, That it will be in the iſſue good, and will not croſs any greater Good. And marvel not, if God grant not ſuch miſtaking Prayers. Non audit medicus ad voluntatem, ſed ad ſanitatem, ſaith Auguſt.
What ſickly tempers ſhould we be of, yea, what certain death would follow, if our Father and Phyſitian, ſhould dyet us as we deſire, and give us what we would have our ſelves? It ſeems a hard ſaying of Auguſtine, of Rich men; Difficile, imo impoſſibile, eſt, ut praeſentibus et futuris quis fruatur Bonis: ut hic ventrem, et ibi mentem impleat; ut à deliciis ad delicias tranſeat; ut in utroque ſeculo primus ſit; ut in terra et in coelo appareat glorioſus: It is hard, yea impoſſible, to enjoy both preſent and future Goods: to ſatisfy the belly here, and the mind hereafter; to paſſe from pleaſures unto pleaſures: to be a chief man in both worlds; to be glorious both in Earth and in Heaven.] But it meaneth no more than Chriſt meant, in Luk. 16. 25. & 18. 25.
O how great a Victory do they get, that overcome the temptations of Proſperity. Magnae virtutis eſt cum foelicitare luctari; et magnae faelicitatis est à foelicitate non vinci: Aug. How few are ſo happy, who have that which the world counteth happineſs, as to eſcape its ſting, and the everlaſting miſery, which living after the fleſh will procure, Rom. 8. 1, 13.
Heu caecae mentes, tumefactaque corda ſecundis!
This maketh the Great ones of the world, to be the Object of grief and compaſſion to the Wiſe, and cloudeth their Honour, and maketh them uſually eſteemed the miſerableſt men alive, becauſe they are uſually the worſt, through the Surfeits which they take from worldly fulneſs, and the alienation of their minds from God and Heaven, through the prevalence of fleſhly pleaſures: For he is the worſt man, that is moſt Earthly and leaſt Heavenly; that hath moſt of the World, and leaſt of God upon his heart: Eſpecially, when the Leproſy of the moſt brutiſh Senſuality, and ſtinking Luſts, and drunken Pride, and ſavage Cruelty, are the Symptoms of this Pernicious Diſeaſe.
Luxuriant animi rebus plerumque ſecundis▪
Saith Lactantius, Ex Proſperitate oritur luxuria; ex luxuriâ verò, vitia omnia: ſic impietas adverſus Deum naſcitur.] Luxurie ſpringeth from Proſperity, and all Vices from Luxurie: And thus impiety againſt God is generated.
And it frequently maketh the Proſperous ſo Drunk, that they need no other enemy: their Diſeaſe deſtroyeth them, they reel unto their Ruine. Saith Seneca, Res eſt inquieta Foelicitas, ipſa ſe exagitat, movet cerebrum: non uno genere alios in aliud irritat. Et alibi: Multarum urbium in ipſo flore luxurioſa imperia ceciderunt, et quicquid virtute paratum erat, intemperantiâ corruit.
Seeing then that worldly proſperity is uſually ſo pernicious, and we can never ſay before hand, That it is for our good: How unmeet is it, that we ſhould inordinately deſire it, or think we are undone when adverſity is our lot? Why ſeek we that fulneſs or greatneſs, which hath, as Auguſtine ſpeaks, Aſperitatem veram, jucunditatem falſam, certum dolorem, incertam voluptatem, durum laborem, timidam quietem; rem plenam miſeriae, ſpem beatitudinis inanem: That is, a true aſperity, a falſe delight; a certain pain, an uncertain pleaſure; a hard labour, a fearful reſt; a buſineſs full of miſery; and a hope ihat is empty of true felicity.] And, as a leaf, it ſhakes with every wind: Internal Gripes, External Rumors; and a thouſand Accidents, turn their ſeeming Paradiſe into a Hell: Ade ò perexigua ſunt, quae fortunatiſſimis ſummam beatitudinis detrahunt, ſaith Seneca. For, as he ſaith in another place, Feliciſſimi cujuſque delicatiſſimus eſt ſenſus, et, niſi ad nutum cuncta ſuppetant, omnis adverſitatis inſolens, minimis quibuſque proſternitur. The moſt proſperous, have a delicate ſenſe, and, if all things be not at their beck, being unuſed to all Adverſity, they are caſt down with every triffle.
3. And I am the more inclined to this Recommendation, for the Reverend Author's ſake: God threatneth by Sickneſs, to call him hence; and therefore, that he may Preach to many, when he is removed from a few, and ſilenced in the duſt; is that honour to his Name, and that benefit to Men, which I gladly would Promote. He is an Orthodox, Sober, Peaceable, Divine; that never intereſſed himſelf, with any thing like a Faction: An excellent and moſt Methodical Preacher, whoſe labour is better in the Pulpit, then in the Preſs: I have oft heard him, and ſcarce ever heard a Sermon from him, which I thought not worthy to be publiſhed: No, not when he began to Preach, (about 26. years ago). Many ſuch Humble, Godly, able faithful Labourers, I had the happineſſe to be a Neighbour to, in the County where he liveth. In the matter and ſtyle of this Book, you may trulier know, than from the Reports of Malice, what Sedition, what Faction, what Schiſm or Hereſy they Preached: for it was ſuch as this, ſo far as I was acquainted. O happy England! That hath more Able, Powerful, Laborious Preachers to ſpare and lay aſide, than any other Nation that I hear of in the world, proportionably doth enjoy. Now, he that hath an ear to hear, let him hear. Yet a little while is the light with you: walk while ye have the light, leſt darkneſs come upon you: for he that walketh in darkneſs, knoweth not whither he goeth, John 13. 35.
March 14. 1661. Your Companion, in the hope and patience of Believers, Rich. Baxter.