The Christians Great Interest, Title page – To the reader 2
THE CHRISTIANS Great Intereſt: Or a ſhort TREATISE, Divided into two Parts: The Firſt whereof containeth, The Tryal of a Saving Intereſt in Chriſt.
The Second, pointeth forth plainly, The Way [How] to Attain it: Wherein ſomewhat is likewiſe ſpoken to the manner of Expreſs Covenanting with God.
By W. GƲTHRIE, Miniſter of the Goſpel in SCOTLAND.
2. Pet. 1. 10.
Wherefore the rather, Brethren, give diligence to make your Calling and Election ſure, &c.
2. Cor. 13. 5.
Examine your ſelves, whether ye be in the Faith, prove your own ſelves, know ye not your own ſelves, how that Jeſus Chriſt is in you, except ye be Reprobates?
The Seventh Impreſſion: Wherein the Errata's of the former Impreſſions are amended, and ſeveral words, which ſounded hard in the Engliſh, rendred more clear and intelligible.
LONDON, Printed, for Dorman Newman, at the King's Arms in Poultry. 1681.
THE Stationer TO THE READER.
The Epiſtle Commendatory from a Chriſtian Friend, giving an account of his thoughts upon peruſal of This Book.
Chriſtian Friend.
I Have ſent you by the Bearer, this Book, which by Providence came to my hand, and a Bleſſed Providence indeed it was to me, for I hope the ſame mercy that brought it to my hand, hath brought the ſavour of it to my heart.
Upon peru…al of it, I find ſuch a bleſſed and happy conjunction, betwixt the Gifts and the Graces of the Spirit, ſuch a holy and humble Condeſcention, to my plain capacity, ſuch a ſerious handling of ſerious truths, that the language of my heart, upon peruſal of it, was ſomewhat like that of the woman of Canaan, Joh. 4. 29. Come ſee one that hath told me all that ever I did, or rather, all that God hath done in me, and for me. He that hath waded much in the waters of ſoul-trouble, may here behold a lively deſcription of the ſpirit of bondage in all its Terrours and Troubles: And he who is got out of theſe, and is ſunning his ſoul in the light of Gods Countenance, may here behold the light ſide of the Cloud; I mean the Spirit of Adoption, in all its beautiful colours.
The former part of this Book ſets forth the ſoul in a ſtorm, when the Law comes thundering to the Conſcience; the latter leads it into a Calm of ſweet peace and ſerenity. When the Spirit of God comes to a troubled ſoul, as the Son of God once came to the troubled Sea, with A peace, be ſtill, Mat. 4. 29. But if it ſhould not be thus, the Believer is here directed to be willing to want what God is not willing to give, and to know, he is wiſe to give when he will, what he will, and how he will, I find now that peace is ſown for the Righteous, Pſal. 97. 11. but all do not reap the crop till they come into Emmanuel's land, Iſa. 8. 8. there our joy, as well as our light, ſhall be clear, and our love perfect.
And if there be any more concerned in this Piece than others, (though it deals forth its bread to all) it's young Men and young Converts; the latter may here behold, as in a Map or Mirrour, the ſeveral Providences, and various workings of the bleſſed Spirit, that have all concurred in the bringing them home to God; and may take notice of all the inducements and remora's they met with in the way; That as Moſes was to write a Hiſtory of the Children of Iſrael paſſing through the Wilderneſs, Numb. 33. 2. ſo doth this Book, with a holy kind of Elegancy, deſcribe the Spirits leading the ſoul out of its bewildered eſtate, into the Spiritual Canaan, never leaving it, till it comes to the Mountain of Spices, Cant. 8. 14. out of Satans gun-ſhot, where his habitation ſhall be a Munition of Rocks, Iſa. 33. 16. neither is there one path omitted, ſo far as I could ever read or gather from my own or others experience; So that it may not be unfitly termed, A Spiritual day-Book of all the paſſages between the Spirit of God, and the ſoul in its regeneration work; Which is no loſs profitable than delightful for the believer to be reading over the Records of Gods love manifeſted in the Goſpel; What care and coſt he took with him, to recover him out of the Gall of bitterneſs, and bond of iniquity: For tryal bring… …ruth to light, and thoſe things which through many Cloud… intercepting, may have loſt their remembrance in the ſoul, are here clearly diſcovered, that they have been, although for the preſent the beli… …, How is the Gold become dim? How is the fine gold hanged? And the looking over pa… experien… brings a renewed favour, and ſpiritual relli… of thoſe things upon the heart to them, who have thus taſted that the Lord is good, at leaſt ſupports the Soul under the want of ſenſible feeling: whilſt it calls to remembrance the days of old, the years of Gods right hand: But I have done, and yet methinks I can never write enough of the excellency and utility of this piece; The Lord make it ſo profitable to others, as it hath been to me. To his bleſſing, I leave both you and it, and remain,
Your true Chriſtian Friend, G. B.
TO THE READER
Chriſtian Reader.
WHile the generality of Men, eſpecially in theſe days, by their eager purſuit after low and baſe intereſts, have proclaimed as upon the houſe tops, how much they have forgotten to make choice of that better part, which (if choſen) ſhould never be taken from them; I have made an Eſſay, ſuch as it is, in the following Treatiſe, to take thee off from this unprofitable, though painful purſuit, by propoſing the chiefeſt of intereſts, even the Chriſtians Great Intereſt, to be ſeriouſly pondered, and conſtantly purſued by thee: Thou mayeſt think it ſtrange, to ſee any in Print from my Pen; (as indeed it is a ſurprize to my ſelf) But neceſſity hath made me for this once to offer ſo much violence to my own inclination, in regard that ſome, without my knowledge, have lately publiſhed ſome imperfect Notes of a few of my Sermons, moſt confuſedly together, prefixing withal this vain Title (as diſpealſing to my ſelf, as the publiſhing of the thing) A Clear Attractive Warming-Beam, &c. Ʋpon this occaſion I was prevailed with to publiſh this late Piece, wherein I have purpoſely uſed a moſt homely and plain ſtile, leſt other wayes, (though when I have ſtretched my ſelf to the utmoſt I am below the Judicious and more Ʋnderſtanding) I ſhould be above the reach of the Rude and Ignorant, whoſe advantage I have mainly, if not only conſulted: I have likewiſe ſtudied brevity in every thing, ſo far as I conceived it to be conſiſtent with plainneſs and perſpic…ity; knowing that the perſons to whom I addreſs my ſelf herein, have neither much mony to ſpend upon Books, nor much time to ſpare upon Reading. If thou be a Rigid Critick, I know thou mayeſt meet with ſeveral things to carp at, yet aſſure thy ſelf, that I had no deſign to offend thee, neither will thy ſimple approbation ſatisfie me; It's thy edification I intend, together with the incitement of ſome others, more expert, and experienced in this Excellent Subject, to handle the ſame at greater length, which I have more briefly hinted at, who am,
Thy Servant in the Word of the Goſpel, W. Guthery.