Sips of Sweetness, Title page – To the reader
Sips of Sweetneſſe; OR, CONSOLATION FOR Weake BELEEVERS. A Treatiſe, diſcourſing of the Sweetneſſe of Chriſts carriage towards all his weake Members. Particularly to ſuch as are weake either,
1. Habitually; or
2. Accidentally, by reaſon of
1. Working.
2. Sinning; or
3. Suffering.
Being the ſumme of certaine Sermons Preached upon Iſa. 40.11.
By John Durant Preacher of the Goſpel in the City of Canterbury.
foreign
i.e. His fruit was ſweet to my taſte,
Cant. 2.3.
foreign
i.e. All of him is deſirable.
Cant. 5.16.
London, Printed by M. S for Hanna Allen, and are to be ſold at her ſhop in Popes-heed Alley, 1649.
TO THE Candid and Chriſtian READER.
THou art here preſented with ſome Sips of Chriſts, ſtreaming through a poore creature. If thou expect any puddle in them (as ſure thou mayeſt) its by reaſon of the polluted breaſt through which they came, for the fountaine was cleare. Its our miſery that pure flowings forth from Chriſt, become impure in their paſſage through us: As the water, which in its fountaine was as cleare as Chriſtall, becomes muddy in its courſe through ſome kennell. I wiſh I were ſenſible enough of what a filthy kennell my heart is. Sure I am, if there be any clearneſſe or comfort in what is offered, its not mine, but Chriſts.
Twas a rainy day in which thoſe thoughts were brought forth. My owne heart needed ſome reſreſhing; and Chriſts Spirit brought that Text to my hands, which is treated of in this Diſcourſe. Concerning which, I have this to ſay.
If thou expect ſtrong meat, tis not here: All that I pretend to (and oh that I may attaine that!) is to give milke to babes. If free grace have dignified me with that worthy name (Beleever.) I muſt adde to it this Epithite (weake.) Being ſuch I ſo ſpake: And (as our Proverb is) I meaſured others corne by my owne buſhell. I thought ſome might be as I was, and am, weak: And if thou art ſtrong, I have nothing to ſay to thee but this; Be not high minded, but feare: Even the men in Chriſt, ſometimes are as the children, weake. But if thou be either habitually or accidentally weake: here is a Sip for thee, I promiſe no more: Neither wilt thou finde ſo much, if Chriſt doe not undertake (which I have deſired and doe) to make my promiſe good.
That which incouraged me to appeare in Print, was this hope, that as Chriſt had made this, ſome way, ſweet in the Pulpit, ſo he would alſo make it in the Preſſe. Some Lambs of Chriſt were refreſhed in the preaching of this: and that made me hope, that ſome others might alſo be refreſhed by its peruſall. I muſt proclaime it to the glory of free grace, that my owne ſoul hath taſted ſome ſweetneſſe by what Chriſt gave in to mee in this Treatiſe: And becauſe I would not eat my morſells alone, I was the willinger to this worke of publiſhing.
If I might be a meanes to give a Sip of conſolation to ſome weake Beleever, I have my reward in this, and encouragement to the like.
Its Chriſts peculiar Prerogative (and therefore Paul and Timothy would not pretend unto it) to have dominion over faith: Tis hard enough for any (too much for me) to be counted helping of his peoples joy. I have alwayes feared that Kinglyevill, which I ſee ſwell under the throats of ſome; while they rather Magiſterially preſſe things upon peoples conſciences, then Miniſterially helpe beleevers comforts. To this laſt I have aimed, and if I obtaine it not, I confeſſe I have miſſed my marke.
I have ſtudied to be above offences; therefore I ſhall not print complaints, otherwiſe I might ſigh and ſay, that I knew what David meant, when he ſaid, his ſoule was among Lions, &c. Pſal. 57.4. Some have beene ſo weake as to deny, others worſe, to endeavour to diſgrace my Miniſtery: But Chriſt (whom I bleſſe, who inabled me, for that he counted me faithfull, putting me into the Miniſtery) hath ſweetned my endeavours, by cauſing ſome of his ſheep (who know his voyce) to owne my Miniſtery, and vindicate me from being a ſtranger. Its my humble hope, that if thou be a Lambe of Chriſt, thou wilt in this (though through an oaten reed) heare his voice; which (if thou doe) follow it.
When I ſhall underſtand, that what is now Printed, either pleaſes, or profits any poor beleeving ſoul, I ſhall be encouraged to publiſh ſomething beſides, of the like nature to this, viz. The ſweetneſſe of Chriſts carriage to beleevers under temptations: And alſo the tenderneſſe of his heart towards beleevers, with reference to their ignorance, unbeleefe, and inability to act.
At preſent I have done, when I have intreated thee (Reader) to pray for me, that I may finde grace to be faithfull, and wiſdome to be skilfull in feeding the Lambs of Chriſt, the flock of God, over which the Holy Ghoſt hath made me overſeer; That in the day of my Maſters comming, I may be able to give up my account with comfort.
If thou in this be my Remembrancer to the Throne of Grace, thou wilt doe an office of charity for, and lay an obligation of ſervice upon him, who is,
Reader, The meaneſt of the Servants of Chriſt. John Durant.