A Cordial for a Fainting Soul, License – Dedication
Aug. 16th 1648.
I Have peruſed this Booke, entitled, (A Cordiall for a fainting ſoule) wherein I find many caſes clearly reſolved, tending to the conſolation of afflicted conſciences and wounded ſpirits, which are ſo judiciouſly and piouſly handled, and ſo effectually and fitly applyed, that I thinke them very profitable, and (through Gods bleſſing) availeable for the comforting of poore weak Chriſtians, and the curing and removing of their doubts and ſcruples, which retard and hinder their progreſſe in the wayes of Piety, and therefore very worthy to be printed and publiſhed.
John Downame.
A CORDIALL FOR A FAINTING SOULE: OR, Some ESSAYES for the ſatisfaction of wounded ſpirits, labouring under ſeverall burthens: In which ſeverall Caſes of Conſcience moſt ordinary to Chriſtians, eſpecially in the beginning of their Converſion, are reſolved.
Being the ſumme of fourteen Sermons, delivered in ſo many Lectures in a private Chappell belonging to Chappell-Field-Houſe in NORVVICH.
With a Table annexed, conteining the ſeverall Caſes of Conſcience, which in the following Treatiſe are ſpoken to directly, or collaterally.
Preached, and now publiſhed (upon the importunity of divers Chriſtians,)
By John Collings, Mr of Arts, and one of the moſt unworthy of the Ambaſſadors of Jeſus Chriſt, for the preaching of the Goſpell in that City.
Hoſtis noſter adhuc in hâc vitâ nos poſitos, quantò magis nos ſibi rebellare conſpicit, …amò ampliùs expugnare contendit, eos enim pulſare negligit, quos quieto jure poſſidere ſe ſentit; Contra nos verò eo …ehementiùs incitatur, quo ex corde noſtro quaſi ex jure propria habitationis expe…itur.
Greg. in Cap. 33. Job.
Iſa. 30. 40.
Who is amongſt you that feareth the Lord? and obeyeth the voice of his ſervant, that ſitteth in darknes, and hath no light? Let him truſt in the Name of the Lord, and ſtay upon his God.
LONDON, Printed for Richard Tomlins at the Sun and Bible neare Pie-corner. MDCXLIX.
To the Right Honourable and truely Noble, both by the firſt and ſecond Birth, the Lady Elizabeth Counteſſe Dowager of Exeter, Happineſſe and Peace.
Madam,
AFter that I was perſwaded to let the world ſee theſe Receits, I thought it policy to give them as much allowance of advantage, as they were capable of, and to this end, I have preſumed to offer them to your Honour, for your probatum eſt. The Sermons never yet were made more publike, then the private Chappel belonging to this Family, where they have been offered to the ears of thoſe that have importuned me to venture them upon a publike cenſure. My deſigne from the firſt beginning of that private Lecture, was to ſatiſfie diverſe doubting Chriſtians, in ſeverall caſes of conſcience, if God might but honour me ſo far as to remove ſtrawes out of the way of their faith. The moſt of thoſe caſes, herein contained, were ſuch as in my little time I had gathered from the experiences of divers; and poſsibly it was but my duty, to endeavour to ſatisfie them in my Pulpit, who had almoſt ſet me in my cloſet. And had not I had their Imprimatur, (ſo much nothing is there of mine in them) they had never been offered as a Sacrifice at another Altar. If God hath ſanctified them but to one ſoul, I dare not call them common or unclean. If what hath ſatisfied my own, and poſsibly ſome others ſpirits, may be honoured with further ſucceſſe, let the Phyſician of ſouls have the glory, and I onelyonly more of his work (which is a wages to it ſelf.) I am confident as your Honours eye paſſeth the ſeveral pages, your Ladiſhip will eſpie ſome ſtone turned out of the way, upon which your Honours own ſoul ſtumbled. Let it minde your Ladiſhip to ſay with David, Pſal. 116. Ah, Lord! Truly I am thy ſervant, I am thy ſervant; and the childe of thine hand maid, for thou haſt looſed my bonds. I ſhall be honoured if any thing in theſe Papers, occaſion but one meditation of praiſe. Madam, I am confident your Honour is paſt this rough ſtumbling way. It will be yet ſweetneſſe, for your Honour to remember, the dayes of old, though you have led captivity captive. I have here, but begun my work, anſwering ſome few caſes, according to the ability God hath meaſured to me. The greate part is yet behinde, vi… Such as ariſe from the mi…judging the effects of faith. If this be acceptable, I may poſſibly hereafter, venture a ſecond part upon the publike Charity. My ſingle aim in this work, hath been to prepare the way of the Lord, and it is (Madam!) an Honourable employment to be a Pioneer to the Lord of Hoſts. I have neither ſought to enter line theſe plain Sermons with reading, nor yet glaze them with Rhetorick; I knew, leaves of antiquity, would make no plaiſters for wounded conſciences; nor would it be the ſmell or look, but the inward vertue of the ſalve, which muſt heal the ſores of a troubled ſpirit. I have often wiſhed that ſome man, whoſe years had taught him more divine wiſdom and experience in theſe ſecret cures, might have prevented me in this work▪ Alas, Madam! your Honour knows, I am but an infant of dayes, let not your Honour expect much▪ but remember that he who writes, hath not yet exceeded the twenty ſixth yeer of his age; and that as his days have been few, ſo they have moſt of them been very evil too. But my bowels yearned, to ſee ſo many poor ſouls lye wounded, and panting for life in the way of our Miniſtery, and every one in the midſt of this Pamphlet age, paſsing by, and but looking on, if not poſsibly another way. Many have handled notions, and diſputed niceties in Divinity▪ Others more profitably, have laboured in practicall paints, (in which God hath honoured this age, in which we live, to excell former Centuries of Time:) But few have made it their work (except collaterally) to remove the ſouls obſtructions, which ſoon put the whole frame of their ſpirits in a ſad diſtemperature, and upon the remov…th of which, depends ſo much for the Chriſtians thriving and growth, though he be fed at the daintieſt tables: This hath made me (though the meaneſt of thoſe that labour for the Lord) to do the … in caſting a direct…r eye upon their wound… ▪ where I have failed, my eyes are …nto the great Phyſician to ſupply the deficiences of his poor creature, who in this hath indeavoured to do nothing but for his ſake, and thoſe on earth, who are his Myſticall pieces. How ſweet (Madam!) ſhall be the countenances of the glorified ones, when the beauty of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt (the higheſt flower in glory) ſhall be fully tranſparent in their cheeks, clarified from the duskish ſhadow that corruption caſts upon them? Me thinks it will be glorious to ſee, and it is ſweet but to think, how beautifully David appears before the throne of the Lamb, without the viſible track of a tear upon his cheeks, who here quartered ſo many nights amongſt floods and billows of ſorrow, and was ſo often ſtartled at ſo poor a querie as, Where is thy God become? Let your Honour lift up your head; The day of your redemption draweth nigh. The Lord Jeſus is pulling out his handkerchief laced with love, to wipe all tears from your eyes, and haſtning to bow the heavens and come down, to Gather his Saints together, even thoſe that have made a covenant with him vvith their lips, and tranſlate them from this valley of tears, to that place, where they ſhall hunger and thirſt no more, but be ſatisfied with his likeneſſe, who is the brightneſſe of his Fathers glory. I humbly beg your Honours pardon for my preſumption. Your Honours former honouring me, with the acceptation of ſome former labours, hath emboldned me, and I know your Ladiſhips ſpirit is ſo low, that it can rejoyce in ſtooping to take a meſſage from the Prince of glory (though from the mouth of his meanest Embaſſador:) In which confidence, I humbly offer theſe worthleſſe indeavours to your Ladiſhips hands; and with my humble ſupplications at the throne of Grace, for your Honours progreſſe in Grace here, and happineſſe in Glory here after, I reſt,
Your Honors moſt devoted ſervant in the work of the Lord Ieſus, JOH: COLLINGS. From my ſtudy in Chappel-field-houſe in Norwich. Aug. 17. 1648.