A Divine Message to the Elect Soul, Title page 1 – To the reader 2
A DIVINE MESSAGE TO THE ELECT SOULE: The Heads of theſe enſuing SERMONS contained in this BOOK. Viz.
The uſe and benefit of Divine Meditation
The danger of deferring Repentance.
The Arraignment of vain and evill thoughts.
The Judgement of the World paſſed by the Saints.
The puniſhment of unworthy Receivers.
The Duty of Communicants.
The Duty of Reprovers and Perſons reproved.
The ſecond Edition, corrected and amended by a worthy friend of the AUTHORS.
A DIVINE MESSAGE TO THE ELECT SOULE: DELIVERED In eight Sermons upon ſeven ſeverall Texts.
By that laborious and faithfull Meſſenger of CHRIST, Mr. William Fenner, B.D. Somtimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge, and late Miniſter of Rochford in Eſſex.
The ſecond Edition, corrected and Enlarged.
I have ſent unto you the peſtilence, after the manner of Egypt; your young men have I ſlain with the ſword, and have taken away your horſes, I have made the ſtink of the Camp to come up to your noſtrils, yet have ye not returned to me, ſaith the Lord: therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Iſrael; and becauſe I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet me thy God, O Iſrael.
Amos 4.10.12.
Printed at London by T.R. and E.M. for John Stafford, and are to be ſold at his houſe in Brides Church-yard, 1647.
THE EPISTLE TO the godly Reader of theſe pious Sermons.
THE Author of theſe enſuing Sermons, Maſter William Fenner, was ſo deſervedly famous in the Church of God, and ſo well knowne unto mee in particular, and one to whom I was ſo much obliged when he was living, as that I could not thinke it ſufficient to give a bare Imprimatur unto his Sermons, but have added this Teſtimony alſo, that thereby all good people might be encouraged to read theſe Works of his, whoſe life and converſation was a continuall Sermon, and who ſpent himſelf in ſtudying and preaching, and whoſe memory will be ever pretious unto
Your loving friend, Edm. Calamy.
TO THE READER.
Good Reader,
THe Author of theſe Sermons, having ſerved his time, and being fallen aſleep, The lot is fallen upon me to appear in their behalf, and to ſeal unto their worth and uſefulneſſe for publike ſervice, as far as thou pleaſeſt to ſeal unto my judgement and faithfulneſſe in ſuch a caſe, with thine opinion and approbation. For the truth is, that the ſtrength and value of my teſtimony concerning them, is like to extend no further, then thine doth concerning me: So that if I adde any thing to their credit and eſtimation in the world, by my recommendation, it is by the mediation of thine ingenuity and fairneſſe towards me. But if thou ſhalt pleaſe to be at any reaſonable coſt in the reading of them, and lay thy judgement and conſcience as cloſe to the Spirit, as thou muſt thine eyes to the letter of what thou readeſt, I make no queſtion but I ſhall be the gainer, and not they, by this engagement of my ſelf for them. True worth, eſpecially when it overcomes, and breaks out of the cloud of obſcurity, alwayes returns more then what it receives from any mans teſtimony: neither is there any method or trade ſo proper and certain, whereby to raiſe an eſtate of honour and reputation to a mans ſelf, as the beſtowing or caſting honour and reputation upon others, ſo he be carefull and dexterous in the choice of his ſubject. John Baptiſt by giving teſtimony only to one, Jeſus Chriſt, outgrew the common ſtature of thoſe that are born of women, in true greatneſſe, Mat. 11.11. And yet there was little or nothing (in effect) added to Jeſus Chriſt himſelf by his teſtimony, Joh. 5.34. It is an ingenuous and inoffenſive way to ſerve our ſelves out of other mens excellencies, by advancing them: neither do the generality of men in their practice, more generally conſent upon any principle of reaſon & equity, then this, To recompence ſuch men with terms of honour, who are unpartial and free in ſubſcribing and acknowledging the worth and eminencie of others. And as many that are but of mean condition in the world otherwiſe, yet maintain themſelves comfortably, by trimming and dreſſing the gardens and orchards, and vineyards of rich and wealthy men: ſo may men that want other perſonal abilities and excellencies of their own, ſubſiſt upon terms of a convenient reputation, only by vindicating, adorning, and ſetting forth the endowments and gracefull parts of other men.
The ſubject or argument of theſe Sermons, is partly that noble and high-importing ſtrain of Chriſtian devotion; Preparation for that ſolemn enterview of Jeſus Chriſt in his death, at his Table; The great ſeverity of Gods proceedings againſt deſpiſers of admonitions and reproof. Both theames of ſavoury conſideration for all thoſe that love not death; and more eſpecially for thoſe, who deſire not only to be ſaved, but to be ſaved upon ſweeter and more comfortable terms then as by fire, 1 Cor. 3.15. Thoſe that were chaſtened with weakneſſe, and ſickneſſe, and death, amongſt the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 11.30. were yet ſaved, ver. 32. but this was as by or through fire: though they did not periſh, were not conſumed by the flames of Gods diſpleaſure againſt them, yet they were ſorely ſcorched with them, the ſmell of this fire was ſtrong upon the garments of their fleſh: They diſcerned not the body of his Son Jeſus Chriſt, in his ordinances; but in ſtead of that holy, reverend, and deep-ſtudied behaviour which was due unto it, both from their inner and outward man, as being a creature of the higheſt and deepeſt ſanctification that ever God ſanctified; Sanctified not only to a more excellent and glorious condition, but alſo to many ends and purpoſes of far higher and deerer concernment, both for the glory of God, and benefit of Men themſelves, then all other creatures whatſoever, whether in heaven or in earth: They handled and dealt by it in both kinds, as if it had been but a common or unſanctified thing; thus they diſcerned not the Lords body. And as they diſcerned not his body, ſo neither did God (in ſome ſenſe) diſcern theirs; but in thoſe ſore ſtrokes and heavy judgements which he inflicted on them, had them in no other regard or conſideration, then as if they had been the bodies of his enemies, the bodies of wicked and ſinful men; thus drawing the model and platform of their puniſhment (as uſually he doth) from the ſtructure and proportion of their ſin. And if the moral or ſpiritual ſeeds and originals of our outward and bodily afflictions, as ſickneſſes, weakneſſes, either upon our ſelves or ours, declining eſtates, loſſes, &c. (which ſtill lie deeper than the natural) were but carefully and narrowly ſought out, it is much to be feared we ſhould finde a great part of them (at leaſt) in the bowels of the ſame Sin ſo frequent amongſt us, I mean, of Not diſcerning the LORDS Body. The juſt and righteous God builds up the breaches that we make upon the honour belonging to the body of his Sonne, with the ruines of that honour which he had given unto ours in health, ſtrength, life, and many other outward comforts and ſupports. But thou wilt heare more of theſe things in the Sermons themſelves: the wholeſome Admonitions and Reproofs wherein contained, with the reſt of that heavenly proviſion for thy Soule, which thou ſhalt find here gathered together, and laid into thy hand, I heartily wiſh may be ſanctified unto thee by the higheſt hand of the Sanctifier; that ſo thy ſins and corruptions may flie ſeven wayes before that Spirit of power which here purſueth them, and thou never preſume to return back again unto them more. The God whom we ſerve, is able to performe this great petition, by Jeſus Chriſt. To whoſe grace the peace of thy ſoule is faithfully and feelingly recommended by
That poor and unworthy ſervant of Chriſt and his Church, John Goodwin.