The Joy of Faith, Title page – Dedication
Χαρα' τηζ Πιζεωζ
THE Joy of Faith OR A TREATISE Opening the true Nature of FAITH, its loweſt Stature and Diſtinction from Aſſurance, wi… a Scripture Method to attain both; by the Influence and Aid of Divine G… with a preliminary Tract evidencing the … ing and actings of FAITH, the De…ty … Chriſt, and the Divinity of the Sacred SCRIPTURES.
2 Cor. 1.24. We have no dominion over your Faith but are helpers of your JOY: for by Faith ye ſtand.
Phil. 1.…5. I know, that I ſhall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and JOY of Faith, &c.
Auguſtin Confeſſ. L. 6. C. 4. De Deo▪ Medicamenta fidei confeciſti & aſperſiſti ſuper mo…bos orbis terrarum.
By Samuel Lee. M. A. Sometime Fellow of Wadham▪ Colledge. Oxon.
Boſ…on, Printed by …
To his highly Honoured Friend, Sir John Thomſon, Knight and Baronet; and his moſt pious and vertuous Conſort the Honourable Lady, the Lady Frances: Grace and Peace.
Honoured Sir,
IT pleaſed the Lord in his holy Wiſdom to afflict me with a Fever in the moneths of July and Auguſt, 1684. and in his own due time to command its departure. As an offering of praiſe and thankfulneſs to the Majesty and Mercy of God I thought of compoſing this Tract, though under the remaining weakneſs derived from an autumnal distemper: yet thereby I humbly hope ſome benefit may arrive to broken and tempted Spirits. For though my mouth be ſhut and ſilent as to Publick Service, yet I ſhould greatly rejoice, if my heart could be opened in Print, to help and towards heaven. The Dedication is proper to your moſt noble perſon, if you pleaſe to accept, what would be an infringement of dut… not to preſent to you▪ who have ſo often refreſhed me and mine in my privacies and retirements, kindneſſes not to be bur…ed in the grave of ingratitude: but to be acknowledged before the Sun. Your Library was alſo moſt kindly opened to my uſe: wherein ſtands many an anc…ent Author, calling aloud for converſe, and reaching out his auxiliary hand and pointing at the state of C…riſtian…t… in former and purer ages. There did I first conſider of the conſignation of the Canon of Scripture which is toucht upon in theſe Papers but might be much more amplified and adorned: had I more constancy of abode and ſupplies of the yet remaining Records of the firſt five hundred years that have happily ſurvived the flaming fury and rage of the barbarous Goths and Vandals and other waſters of both the Eaſt and Weſtern Empire, which might have conduced to the compleating of ſuch a work. But we muſt wait the times of Divine Wiſdom in appointment of any ſuch happy ſeaſons to view thoſe deſirable monuments.
But why print? and why on ſuch a ſubject? and why now? I anſwer to the firſt and third becauſe being interrupted in my greateſt work, I would gladly be ſome way uſeful in my generation: It may be, ſome that mourn in ſecret, and others that are as yet not called, but under the Election of Grace may atten…d and meditate on theſe things. Tho Preaching or Printing prevail but little with this degenerate age, (Jer: 6.29.) though the Bellowes be burnt in the fire, and the lead conſumed which was appointed to purify the droſſy Oare: yet with Jeremy and Eſay, and Pau we must in our ſeveral ages keep on, where God opens the door of opportunity for us, tho Iſrael be not gathered, let the Labour of faithful Workmen wait for its reward from the Lord of the Harveſt. Tho we for our Labour of love be accounted as the ſhavings and off-ſconrings of all things to this day: tis but for this life: (1 Cor 4.13) tho all the filth and garbage of the tongues in the ſtreets of Aſhdod be flung into our Carts, we muſt carry away the burden patiently, and meekly wipe off the ſoile from our names and faces. Tho our preſence be a burden to many houſes, and our testimony leſs minded than the piping of Children in a Market place, (Luk 7.32.) yet our Lord commands us to perſiſt, till he relieves us. But that which I muſt every where own, Worthy Sir, give me the favour I pray, and leave to testifie: that your reverence in hearing and accepting of their meſſages, as of the Lord's Embaſſadors hath been alwayes very exemplary, and I hope will return into your boſom with a Prophets reward who have been an Obadiah to them in the time of ſpiritual Famine.
But Secondly, Why on ſuch a Subject?
I Anſwer, Tho many have written, yet tis inexhauſtible: beſides methods may vary, and variety breeds delight, if joyn'd with brevity. If I have laid the foundation of ſuch a Diſcourſe in the beginning a little deeper than uſual upon the Divinity of Scripture, and the Deity of our bleſſed Lord: I hope and beg that the Learned, Wiſe and Pious would not count that or any part, a digreſſion too improper: heartily wiſhing, it may ſucceed like Auſtin's going providentially out of his way in a Sermon and beyond his intention,Poſidonius in ult. Auguſtin, Cap. 15. p. 869. Tom. 1. as if he were ſent on purpoſe to find out and convert Firmus from the Manichees, as it proved.
There be many, that underſtand not the nature of Faith, tho ſo often writ upon, ſtill afflicting their Spirits, as not having that Grace, becauſe they feel no aſſurance: To ſuch I principally direct and bend my ſtile, hoping and pra…ing that no Soul toucht with inward ſincere remorſe for ſin: but reading and ruminating on ſo many d…rect and poſitive promiſes, both to beginners and back-ſliders, (Iſai. 57.18.) will dare to deſpond, but come in freely to lay hold on the golden Scepter of mercy, and thereby of eternal life. As for the Baſilisk of Envy, I commend it to the piercing e…e of Heaven, under whoſe protection I wrote theſe lines. Plin. l. 29. c. 4.
And now, worthy Sir, (not to be prolix) I moſt hu…bly beg all the mercies of the new Covenant to be your portion, and that the noble vine on your houſe ſide may ſpread Branches like Joſephs (Gen. 49.22.) Pſ. 128.3. by the well & run over the wall; that your Sons may be as Olive plants grown up in their Youth, (Pſal. 144 12) that your Daughters may be as thoſe Marble corner Stones, poliſht after the ſimilitude of Solomon's Palace. That you may ſee your Childrens Children walking in the Truth and peace upon Iſrael, (2 Ep. Joh. 4.) and after theſe da…es in the valle be received to the mount of transfiguration in Glory:
So Prayes Honoured Sir, Yours in all Goſpel Service, Samuel Lee. Abbots Langly Jan. 16. 1685.