The Usefulness and Excellency of Christ, Title page – Dedication 2
THE USEFULNESSE and excellency OF CHRIST, SHEWING The art of taking CHRIST as the only Soveraigne medicine of a sin-sick Soule▪
In Twenty fiue Cases: Upon that excellent text in Cant. 2. 1.
I am the Rose of SHARON.
By CHRISTOPHER JELINGER Minister of Gods Word, at South-Brent in DEUONSHIRE.
LONDON, Printed for F. Eglesfied, and are to be sold by Tho. Hunt Bookseller in Exeter neere the Broad-gate. 1647.
TO THE RIGHT VVorshipfull Master VVILLIAM BIRCH, Maior, together with his Brethren, and the rest of the inhabitants of the famous town of Plymouth.
The best blessings of this life, and everlasting blessednesse in the life to come.
THe *Is … Domi… ab … q…ae … s…a … Ro… ce…rus ad Eccl…siam … & … ab eccle… spectu …▪ &c. D…d. R…l D…ffi…. … 20Pope of Rome is wont to exhibite, and to shew forth once a yeer on a Lords day unto his Roman people, a certain glistering, and glorious Rose to signifie the LORD JESUS, who in my text resembleth himself to a Rose most faire and fragrant.
The consideration whereof (I confesse ingeniously) moved me not a little to think more seriously of this most excellent comparison, then ever I did before; for a man (being a Minister) cannot but reason thus with himself: if he whom we Protestants judge to be against Christ take it upon him thus solemnly to put men in mind of the Lord Christ, by shewing unto them a Rose emblematizing Christ, how much more should we Evangelicall Teachers, who professe our selves to be all for Christ, shew forth unto our Christian people their Lord and Master Christ, not onelyonly once a yeer, as he his Golden Rose, but as much as possibly we can, by our often preaching, and publishing the Gospel of Christ (that most sweet and redolent Rose of Sharon) whereby we may hope to do infinitely more good unto Gods Orthodoxe people, then he by shewing a Rose artificiall unto his superstitious Romans.
For the *Triplex autem est in hac flore matcria, aurum videlicet Muscus & Balsamum. Idem fol. 121.matter of that Rose is but,
1. Gold.
2. Musk.
3. Balsame.
But the matter of the Gospel, (which he preacheth not) is *Not signified onelyonly but profered whereas the Popes Rose is but significant as they say.Christ himself the Rose celestiall, which is more precious then Gold, more fragrant then Musk, and more medicinall then Balsame, as I have endeavoured to make it appear, as evidently and manifestly as I could in this Treatise, which through importunity) I have been animated to publish, and now am bold to tender unto you first, because you heard me preach first (in your own Parochiall Temple the last Winter) of this most delicious Rose, which is Christ himself blessed forever.
To say no more now of the said Rose it self, because I affect brevity in a Preface, I shall but crave the good blessing of our good God upon my poor indeavours, that they may prove as beneficiall unto you, as my enlarged heart towards you, my most respected, kinde, and loving neighbours, doth desire it.
Yours in Christ, C. J.
To my much respected and deerely beloved friends, The Inhabitants of the town of Stonehouse.
Grace, Mercy, Peace and comfort from Jesus Christ the most precious and comfortable Rose of Sharon.
SEeing it hath pleased the Lord Christ first to move me to select this subject, and to spend my Meditations upon it, and good Christians next again and again to desire it, while I was yet teaching of it, before I could finish it, that it might be copied out, and communicated unto themselves and others, I could not well with a safe conscience detaine it. For if he that reserves corn and will not spare it to those that need it, be lyable to a *Prov. 11. 26.curse. I might justly feare lest I also keeping back the spirituall food of the soul-fatting word of God, when it is thus earnestly craved, should incurre the same horrible danger of being accursed. Better it was therfore and safer for me to expose my self to a censure (which being a stranger and most insufficient, I cannot well avoyd) then to a curse.
And now for as much as those hungry fouls have moved me at last to impart it, as not daring to deny it, I could do no lesse then expresse my singular care for you, and great love, which I beare towards you, by sparing the same spirituall alimonie unto you in speciall, and making you partners with those, who were served first, because they came first, and heard me first, when I distributed and divided the word of truth first, touching that most sweet and medicinall Rose of Sharon Christ Iesus blessed for ever.
Nor may you be offended vvth me for making you partners onelyonly, and not sole owners, for
1. You loose nothing by that, having as much as they.
2. Besides that sweet Rose, of the which I treat here, is a Rose of the field, and not of a garden, and therefore ought not to be enclosed, as garden Roses are and reserved by a few, but rather as common be imparted unto many. And therefore it is my heartie vote, and the thirsting desire of my soul, that not you onelyonly, and those to whom I dedicate this book as joynt-partners with you, but also all others, that shall reade it, may take and own that most needfull and wholsome spirituall food, the preaching I meane of Christ, the sweet Rose of Sharon, and most nutritive bread of Life, who in those Sermons made publike for the good of all, is profered and tendered unto all.
Your loving Friend and Minister, C. I.