Great Salvation by Jesus Christ, Title page – Scriptural citations
GREAT SALVATION BY JESVS CHRIST TENDERED
To the greateſt of Sinners, and in particular to ſuch as have been Refuſers of it, if God ſhall now at laſt make them willing to receive it.
By RICHARD EEDES, Teacher of the Church at Beckford in Glouceſter-ſhire.
LONDON Printed by TW for the Author. 1659.
To the Right Honourable the Lady VEERE, Grace and Peace.
Right Honorable & moſt Honored Madam.
MY ambition to invite your Honour to be Surety to my Firſt-Borne, hath offered violence to my modeſty in this Dedication, yet I know not why I may not dedicate my labours unto you, to whom I have long agoe dedicated my ſelfe. When I had once the happineſs to entertaine your Ladyſhip for a very ſhort time, I found you ſo ready to take meane things in the beſt part, that I do the leſs ſcruple here to invite you to take part of the Churches Ordinary.
The great Salvation that this weak hand holds out, may well beſeeme the greateſt Perſonages, not only to own, but to have in higheſt eſtimation; and I am perſwaded, that you have ſo long made the attainment of it (next to God the Giver, and Chriſt the Purchaſer of it) your chiefeſt intereſt, that you have now, with your nameſake in the Goſpel, made the better part ſo ſure unto you, that it can never be taken from you: yet dear Madam, it is not unknown unto you that ſin is ſo deceitfull to deceive, and the heart ſo deceitfull to be deceived, that we can ſee ſmall ground of ſecurity (though ſome of ſafety) on this ſide Heaven: Its our taking heed of falling that keepes us ſtanding; and Caveats againſt ſin and condemnation may be of excellent uſe to keep the Soul in awe; and reverend Dr▪ Sibbs tells us that fear is the awe-band of the ſoul.
I am not inſenſible that Scoffers may ſay, that here is more Porch than houſe: but that was ſo far from being an overſight, that it was a part of my deſign: I dare not incloſe, nor impropriate that which the Apoſtle hath called the common Salvation Jude. 3. v. That myſticall City that was called the holy Jeruſalem deſcending from Heaven, Revel. 21.10. Tipifying the Church, was ſaid to have 12 Gates, which noted out the confluence of Beleivers that ſhould come into the preaching of the Goſpel, and ſhould fly unto that great Salvation like Doves unto their windows and the diſcourſe herein offered is ſo like the Pool of Betheſda, a common Bath, or Fountaine opened for ſin and for uncleanneſs, that I thought it convenient to make the more Porches; and if I could direct a particular Epiſtle to every particular Soul, the Soules excellency would acquit me from folly in ſo doing.
I have deſervedly given your Honour the Preeminence, in opening unto you the firſt Gate, and the more to ennoble it, have written your honourable name upon it; that it may be called beautifull, and followers may throng in after you, and when they are entred (if they will but learne of you) they may count the feet (and much more the faces) of them beautifull that bring unto their Soules the glad tidings of Salvation.
But when they have made their entrance they will find that here is houſe as well as porch, yea and that it is very roomthy: for theſe three Stories Salvation, Sin, and Damnation do reſemble Heaven, Earth, and Hell.
Salvation hath Heaven at the top of it, and Damnation hath Hell at the bottome of it, and Sin (like its Father the Divell) having the whole Earth for its walke, is the worſt Companion that the ſonns of men have.
Madame, you are here preſented with a ſtrange ſight, a poor ſinner hanging betwixt Heaven and Hell; if he will but accept of Salvation offered, Heaven is his; but if he neglect in this his day to know the things that belong unto his Peace, he will fall into Hell, and ther's no eſcaping▪ It's a ſad thing to ſee ſo many wallowing in ſin, like ſwine in the myre, under ſuch warnings, and very ſad to ſee many of the Godly to drive ſo low and dull a trade with Heaven, that it may be ſayd of them as of poor Tradeſmen, whom the World favours not, that they are ſtill buying & ſelling, and live by the loſſe.
What ſad lives do we lead, and what comfortable lives do we loſe, by not bringing our practiſes up to the principles of inviſible Chriſtianity; and for want of more intimate acquaintance with the beauty of holines, and power of godlines; Gregory the great was ſaid to be the laſt of the good Biſhops of Rome, and firſt of the bad; his life was ſuch a medley of good and evill, and therefore ſome Interpreters have thought him to be that Angell in the Revelation that was ſaid to fly betwixt Heaven and Earth. And Salomon's life was ſo particoloured, that an antient Limner drew him halfe in Heaven and halfe in Hell; and ſuch is the pittifull caſe of many a Chriſtian, they do ſo halt betwixt God and the World, & ſo half it betwixt the Spirit and the Fleſh, that they may be thought, by themſelves as well as others, to hang equally poyſed betwixt Fear of Hell, and Hope of Heaven, Oh how low are ſouls in their conſolations, for want of cloſe and circumſpect walking, and for want of a laborious and coſtly ſerving of God?
Madam, you may here ſtand ſafe upon the Rock of your ſalvation, and behold the dead, and red Sea of the Almighties wrath, upon which multitudes of dead Souls ly floating like the Carcaſes of the drowned Aegyptians when the Iſraelites were paſſed over. And while you are ſtanding upon ſafe ground, you may here behold that Rock of Goſpel-refuſing which hath ſhipwrack'd many, and that Gulfe of Damnation which hath devoured them; whereas you, through Grace, are brought nere unto the harbour, and within ſight of the Haven where you would be: Let Faith and Patience hold out but a little longer, for yet a little while he that ſhall come will come and will not tarry.
So deſiring that the God only wiſe may guide you with his Counſell, and ſtabliſh your Mind & Heart with his Truth and Grace, and lead you through militant holineſs into tryumphant happineſs, I humbly crave pardon for this boldneſs, take leave, and reſt,
Beckford Jan. 1ſt 1658. Madame, Your unworthy Remembrancer at the Throne of Grace, RICHARD EEDES.
1 Tim. 1.15.
This is a true, and faithfull ſaying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jeſus Chriſt came into the World to ſave ſinners, of whom I am chief,
Hebr. 7.25.
He is able to ſave to the uttermoſt all them that come unto God by him, ſeeing he ever liveth to make interceſſion for them.
2 Tim. 2.24, 25, 26.
The ſervant of the Lord muſt not ſtrive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient.
In meekneſſe inſtructing thoſe that oppoſe themſelves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.
And that they may recover themſelves out of the ſnare of the Divell, who are taken captive by him at his will.