The Chief Interest of Man, Title page – To the reader
The chief Intereſt of Man; Or, A Diſcourſe of RELIGION, Clearly demonſtrating The Equity of the Precepts of the Goſpel, and how much the due Obſervance thereof doth conduce to the happineſs and well-being as well of Humane Societies, As of Particular Perſons.
By H. Lukin.
Suffer me a little, and I will ſhew thee what I have yet to ſpeak on Gods behalf, Job 36.2.
Dicam ego quid ſentiam dicent fortè meliora doctiores. Aug. contra Fauſtum.
London, Printed by R.D. for T. Baſsett under S. Dunſtans Church in Fleetſtreet. 1665.
THE PREFACE To the Reader.
AMongſt ſo many books wherewith the World is filled, it may juſtly be expected, that none ſhould obtrude more upon it, without giving a fair account thereof, unleſs they have attained to that repute for Wiſdom which Job had, chap. 29.21. &c. that men give ear, and wait, and keep ſilence at their counſel, waiting for it as for the rain, & opening their mouth wide as for the latter rain: ſuch need no Apology to beſpeak a reception of their Labors, but it is far from me to reckon my ſelf of that number, haud equidem tali me dignor honore, yet I muſt confeſs it is not much that I have to ſay in my own defence. The perſwaſion of Friends, from an opinion of the uſefulneſſe of ſuch Books as Men publiſh, is ſuch a common Apology, that the world grows weary of it; if I ſhould ſay that ſcribunt indocti doctique was an old obſervation, ſo that it is no new thing for Men of ſmall Learning to write Books, it might well be retorted that the World hath ſuffered ſo much by ſuch Mens Writings, that it is pity they ſhould ſuffer any more by them. It will be but a poor Plea to ſay that I have written but little, and ſo ſhall put Men to the expence of very little time or money for the reading of it, if the little which I have written may not probably be of ſome advantage to the World; but, this, through the bleſſing of God, I am not without hopes of, if one ſinner might hereby be converted from the error of his way, I ſhould account it an happy fruit, and abundant recompence of my well intended endeavors; but if the diſobedient may not be hereby turned to the Wiſdom of the juſt, yet I hope the children of Wiſdom will hereby be eſtabliſhed and encouraged to hold faſt their integrity, & be furniſhed with that, wherewith they may put to ſilence the ignorance of fooliſh Men. If the Ethiopians paint Angels black, and Devils white, becauſe they are black themſelves, & Pride themſelves in it, as their beauty, this makes not us to diſlike our own complexion, neither can they perſwade us to waſh our ſelves with Ink, that we may be like them. If therefore ſome Men glory in their ſhame, and account it their honour to be like the Devil, or hate holineſſe, wherein Men do moſt reſemble God, and bear his Image, as it is ſaid of the Baſilisk, that its enmity againſt Man is ſuch, that it will fly with rage upon the Picture of a Man, let not this be a temptation to us, to learn their wayes, let them return to us, let us not return to them, Jer. 15.19. If our adverſary ſhould write a Book againſt us, (that I may allude to the words of Job, c. 31.35. &c.) if it be of ſcorns and reproaches, let us bind it to us as a Crown, and ſay as David, 2 Sam. 6.21. I will yet be more vile, if to obey God, and be like to him, be to be vile: but if he will encounter us in good earneſt, with ſerious arguments, let us go near to him as a Prince, and not fear, having all the reaſons that can be drawn from the authority of our Soveraign Lord and Law-giver, from our own intereſt, from equity, ingenuity and gratitude, on our ſide.
I ſhall not be very ſollicitous or induſtrious to decline or anticipate the cenſures of others, I know it is ordinarily ſuppoſed, that Men of no name that have not that real worth which may make others take notice of them, have that petty deſign in publiſhing ſuch things as are more admired by themſelves, than by any body elſe to get themſelves a name, and to make themſelves and their own ſuppoſed worth known to the World. Let Men think of me as they pleaſe; I hope there is none ſhall think more meanly of me, than I do of my ſelf, and I am ſuch an impartial judge of my own labors, that I am ſo far from projecting thereby for any eſteem or credit in the World, that I ſhould rather if that were my aim and deſign, have held my peace, which is the way for a fool to be counted wiſe, Prov. 17.28.
One thing I would advertiſe the Reader of, that this Treatiſe was finiſhed in another Nation, after ſome years obſervations, of the lives & manners of ſuch as in other parts of the World profeſs Chriſtianity, both Papiſts and Proteſtants, the manner of whoſe converſation I was then better acquainted with, than of thoſe of our own Nation, which I hope may ſuffice to free me from all ſuſpicion of having any oblique aſpect upon particular Perſons, or any particular ſort of men, or of calculating this Treatiſe only for our own Meridian, and for our own times. I know, were it in other Languages, it might indifferently ſerve for any place where the Goſpel hath been Preached, and might have had its uſe in the pureſt times, which have been ſince the Chriſtian name was known: that little I have ſeen of the World, will eaſily keep me from judging our own Nation the worſt of any that profeſs Religon, unleſs the priviledges which we enjoy above others, do raiſe our guilt to a greater height; and I am not ſo unacquainted with the Hiſtory of former Ages, as being ſurprized to cry out, O tempora! O mores! or to make that unwiſe enquiry, Eccleſ. 7.10. what is the cauſe that the former dayes were better than theſe? I confeſs I have ſometimes been in Pauls caſe, Act. 17.16. when I have obſerved amongst the generality of Chriſtians in all places, ſo much difference betwixt mens principles & practices, & ſo many profeſſing to know God, which in works deny him, & this hath made me ſometimes expreſs my ſelf with the greater paſſion and vehemency, as knowing the terror of the Lord, and grieved to ſee the miſery that ſo many without repentance are haſtning to: for thougb I owe a ſpecial love to thoſe of the houſehold of faith, yet I profeſs my ſelf a Citizen of the univerſe, and ſo have a charity and compaſſion towards all.