The Saints Treasury, Frontispiece – Imprimatur
JEREMIAH BVRROUGHES
Late Minister of the Goſpell.
J. Cro…s Sculpsit.
THE SAINTS TREASURY.
Holding forth
1. The incomparable Excellency and Holineſſe of God.
2. Chriſts All in All.
3. The glorious enjoyment of Heavenly things by Faith.
4. The Naturall mans bondage to the Law, and the Chriſtians liberty by the Goſpell.
5. A preparation for judgement.
Being ſundry SERMONS preached in LONDON, By the late Reverend and painfull Miniſter of the Goſpel, JEREMIAH BURROUGHES.
LONDON, Printed by T. C. for John Wright at the Kings head in the Old-baily. 1654.
TO THE HONOURABLE, FRANCIS ROUS, Eſq Speaker of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, and Provoſt of Eaton-Colledge.
Honoured Sir,
IF a Heathen Poet could ſay, Non omnis moriar, I ſhall live though I die; ſuppoſing his Works immortall, though himſelfe were mortall; Upon how much better an account may a Prophet of the Lord ſay, Non moriar, ſed vivam, I ſhall not die, but live; both in reſpect of his immortall ſoule, to which death is as the gate of life; and in reſpect of the immortall travell of his ſoule, being converſant in the Word of the Lord that abideth for ever.
The workes of the Saints of God in whom is the ſpirit of prophecie, not onelyonly live when they are dead; but are inſtrumentall in the hand of grace, both to plant life where it is not, and water it where it is, that it may ſpring forth more abundantly.
The choſen Veſſell of the Lord, by whoſe Miniſtry he was pleaſed to give out the Heavenly treaſures laid up in theſe Sermons, hath ſome yeares ſince put off his earth, and put on that Inheritance of the Saints in light, for which the Lord ſeemed earlie to have fitted him, by his earneſt and aſſiduous Travail in ſitting others. But though the Veſſell be broken, or rather indeed refined and tranſlated to his maſters more immediate uſe, yet the Treaſures abide for the common enrichment of the Saints. For ſpirituall Treaſures (like the loaves bleſſed by our Saviour) multiply in their uſe, and when thouſands have been enriched by them, doe ſtill remaine ſufficient to enrich thouſands.
To you honoured Sir, is this ſmall, but Precious treaſury preſented, not as though your own ſtore were not already full; for who knowes not how many precious Jewels (through the riches of Chriſt in you) you have richly ſet and poliſhed for the adorning the Bride the Lambs wife? Surely the ſpirit of Chriſt ſeemes to have choſen and ſealed your Spirit to celebrate his own Nuptials in your Myſtical Marriage and ſong of loves.
But as gold, beſides its own internal worth, receives an Authentick impreſſion from the Image and Superſcription of the Prince: And as in honouring the Lord with the beſt part of our ſubſtance, An humble acknowledgement of his Intereſt both in the whole and our ſelves (not any Addition to his fulneſſe) is intended: So is this Treaſury preſented to the touch and teſt of your Judgement, Firſt as the Standard of approving things that are excellent. And then as an humble teſtimony how much he owes himſelfe to you that preſents it.
That the Lord would make you long an Ornament and defence to his Saints, and proſper his own pleaſure in your hands, is the prayer of,
Honoured Sir, The moſt humble, and moſt obliged of your Servants, J. W.
To the Chriſtian Reader.
THe Authour of theſe enſuing Sermons hath ſo abundantly approved himſelfe to the Church of God by his former labours, both in preaching and writing, that it would be rather a diſparagement to him to offer any thing by way of commendation. His name is yet like a precious Oyntment; and ſo may it be ſo long as the Sunne and Moon endures. Theſe Sermons will diſcover themſelves to be his genuine iſſue; the ſeverall lineaments and proportions of his ſtile (though ſtiles differ as much as faces) are here diſcernable. Thoſe that had the happineſſe to be converſant with him, and auditors to him, are able to ſay, Sic oculos, ſic ille manus, ſic ora ferebat, So he opened his Text, ſo he handled his Doctrine, ſo he delivered his Application. It is true, theſe fragments of his are under the prejudice of being Poſthumus works; yet we may ſay of them as Paul ſaid concerning himſelfe, We ſuppoſe they are not inferiour to the reſt of his Works, though they are born out of due time; and fragments though they are, yet are they to be eſteemed, Ramenta auri ſunt pretioſa. Theſe Sermons are to be prized for their own worth and intrinſecall excellency, whoever was Authour. And this Authour is to be honoured for his reall worth, whatſoever he is the authour of.
We ſhall adde this alſo for thy encouragement, that theſe Sermons have been very happily taken by the pen of a ready writer, Mr. Farthing, now a Teacher of Shortwriting; one who hath given ample teſtimonie of his great skill and dexteritie in writing Short-hand. We think we may ſay, there are not many words delivered by the Author, that are left out. However, confident we are that there is nothing materiall which was by him preached, but is here by the care and faithfulneſſe of the Scribe preſented to thy view.
The deſire of the publiſhers is, that the name of this worthy man of God may be kept in honour, that thou maiſt transferre theſe things to thy own uſe, and expreſſe them in thy life, that what was ſpoken to ſome may be common to all; what was accepted by them that heard it, may be received and improved by thoſe that read it. This is all we have to communicate to thee; it would be an injury to detaine thee longer from the reverend Author; we only commend thee to the grace of God which is able to make thee abound in every good work, and bid thee Fare-well.
Ja. Nalton.
Wil. Cooper.
Tho. Jacomb.
Matthew Poole.
Allen Geare.
Ralph Venning:
Septemb. 29. 1653.
Imprimatur,
EDM. CALAMY.