The Necessity and Reward of a Willing Mind, Title page – Dedication
THE Neceſſity and Reward OF A Willing Mind.
A SERMON Preach'd at EXON before An Aſſembly of Miniſters Of the Counties of Devon and Somerſet, April 16. 1693.
By JOHN BUSH.
LONDON, Printed for Mich. Hyde Bookſeller in Exon. 1693.
To my Brethren the Miniſters of the Counties of Devon and Somerſet, allowed by Act of Parliament, and others that read this Diſcourſe.
Reverend Brethren,
THough in the enſuing diſcourſe I treat of the neceſſity of a Willing Mind to the acceptable performance of our Duty, I muſt confeſs I was not (if I could have handſomly avoided it) very willing to Preach to ſuch an Aſſembly, much leſs to Print the Diſcourſe: I have done both at your requeſt, becauſe I took it as a Command which I could not but Obey; and yet knowing how unfit I was to do either, I thought that an excuſe for my Unwillingneſs, notwithſtanding which I reſolved to give a due ſubmiſſion to your Judgment; without that I ſhould declin'd both the one and the other: the true Reaſon why I choſe to ſpeak to this ſubject, was becauſe I found in my ſelf a great defect of this diſpoſition, and I conſidered it might be ſo with other Miniſters as well as my ſelf, and in ſtirring up you to the Willing and Chearful Performance of your Duty, I hoped to warm my ſelf by the ſame Fire which I was to make for others: if in what I have done, I may but ſerve as the ſmall Wood to kindle the Fire, 'tis as much as I deſigned. I am afrayd we are not enough thankful to God and the Government for the peaceable exerciſe of our Miniſtry, which is not given us upon a deſign (as formerly) by a Prince that did what he did in this matter to exalt his own prerogative, aad to trample upon the laws in order to bring in Popery, but by a Prince that hath adventured to ſhew kindneſs to an afflicted depreſſed party, in the Face of thoſe that ſeem to envy us this kindneſs, as much as ever the Patriarchs did their Father Jacobs to their Brother Joſeph. Surely all things conſidered our Liberty to attend our Duty in Peace and Quietneſs is one of the greateſt Inſtances of a Divine project baffling the Counſels of Men, that hath hapned in our days in this Nation; for hereby that is given by Law, which ſome Men never Intended to ſuffer, much leſs to Eſtabliſh; behold in this the Wiſdom of God that hath ſo circumſtantiated our Liberty, that now it ſeems to be interwoven with the Intereſt of the Government, ſo that who ever declares himſelf an Enemy to the former, will hardly be thought a hearty Friend to the latter. And We ſhall never expreſs a grateful ſenſe of this Mercy of God to us without a more chearful performance of our Duty, in ſubmiſſion to our preſent Circumſtances; Diſcouragements will never excuſe us in the worſt of times, much leſs now, whilſt we have what the Apoſtles never liv'd to ſee; for they only had the future reward, but we with that the allowance of the Law, and by that means a freedom from trouble, a mercy which whilſt we wanted we valued more than now we ſeem to do.
The Diſcourſe as 'tis Printed varieth not from what was delivered, at leaſt from what I deſigned to deliver: I have added nothing to, nor omitted any material paſſage that I found in my Notes. The Lord give us all more of the Apoſtles Willing Mind, that we may have the ſame Reward.
So Prayeth Your unworthy Brother in the Miniſtry. John Buſh. Middleney, May 13th. 1693.