A Beam of Light Darted Through the Clouds, Title page – Table of contents
A BEAME OF LIGHT DARTED Thorough the Clouds: OR, Truth breaking forth from under a Veil.
By Joſhua Miller.
ZACH. 14.7.
But it ſhall come to paſſe, that at the evening time it ſhall be light.
LONDON, Printed for H. C. and L. L. 1650.
To the Honourable, the Commiſsioners for the County of Glamorgan.
WHen I obſerve the viciſſitudes and changes God makes upon the world, it puts me to a ſtand how to call men honourable.
But conſidering the noble Titles that God himſelf gives to men in Authority, Pſal. 82.6. as, I have ſaid, ye are Gods, having the moſt ancient Author, I ſhall not erre to call you Honourable.
This laſt age is a time wherein Truth is much increaſed, arid much controverted, and that glorious liberty Truth brings in is much abuſed by miſ-conſtruction.
And indeed the miſt is yet ſo great which makes moſt men ſtumble, for want of day-light; yet our good God hath promiſed, Eſa. 30 26. That the light of the Sun ſhall be ſevenfold, and ſuch as will not ſee, ſhall ſee, and be aſhamed: I have more then ordinary ground to believe your zealous affection to Truth, which works in me a boldneſſe to preſent this ſmall Book to your view: it is but a bloſſome of the tree of life, which may prove ſweet to the taſt, and pleaſant to the eye, if divinely underſtood; for I judge your minds like to that noble ſpeech of Artaxerxes, who ſaid, It became a noble mind as well to accept ſmall things from others, as to give great things to them: Nay, God himſelfe gives the greateſt good to man, and accepts the ſmalleſt returnes from them; ſo I truſt the ſmalleſt volume may be read by you as well as the greateſt.
Yet would I not uſe your names for Patronage, not accounting any Booke worth a Patron, which hath not Truth to patronize it, which if this had not, I ſhould be as unwilling to ſet your names as my owne before it; but knowing you are as deſirous to know Truth, as my ſelfe to ſearch after it, you will do well to follow the wiſe Bereans, to try all things.
I confeſſe, when I duly ponder how all Writings in this Age are gloſſed upon, by the opinionative phanſies of men, moſt ſpeaking not as this Truth requires, nor yet as the Author meaneth, I then had ſome thoughts to have kept theſe things in my breaſt, where they firſt burned, rather then ſend them abroad to be deſcanted upon by mans judgement.
But finding the fire to kindle, it muſt breake forth; and having greater arguments from the Author of Truth, then its controverter, knowing that no Truth is the worſe becauſe men diſreliſh it; and from that ſweet comfort and delight I had then in writing it, I thought it better to lay my ſelfe open to any cenſure, then to conceale any thing which may (by the Divine Power) conduce to the caſting downe of darkneſſe in its Principles.
As for that Truſt God hath now after ſo many conteſts, put into your hands, you will do well in all your affaires, to looke up unto the Author of this Honour, and the end for which he hath thus exalted you; and if you act according to his directions, which is for truth, righteouſneſſe and a juſt liberty, as I have great hopes God hath now given you this Power for this end, that thoſe poor dark Countreys where the light of our good God hath not yet ſhined, that you may be reſtorers of paths to dwell in, furtherers of the Goſpell, and in doing theſe things God may fulfill that promiſe to us by you, as to be Nurſing-Fathers to theſe Orphan-like Countreyes: and me-thinks I ſee God pointing out glorious things by you, in being active men, for good: Therefore joyne hand and heart together, forget, all ſelfe-injuries, or other miſtakes.
And truly then I may boldly ſay to you, even to you, without any flattery, that your Honour will be more then a bare Title, it will be emblazon'd in the divine Heraldrie, where your names in no Age ſhall be rooted out, for ſuch is the memory of the juſt.
I need not tell you how God in theſe eight yeares laſt paſt hath out of weakneſſe brought ſtrength, made thoſe things that are not to confound thoſe that are, and now he goes [Pſal. 8.2.] out of the mouth of babes and ſucklings to ſhew forth his praiſe; you have ſeen this in ſome meaſure already, the ſame God that opens and no man ſhuts, keep open your eyes ſtill, leaſt any among you be found to deſpiſe the day of ſmall things; how my indeavours, or rather the Lords leading me in the making knowne thoſe Truths: how they will ſpeed amongſt others, I know not.
Yet it will be a comfort to me to hear that you bid them welcome.
For, I have learnt not to eſteem truth the leſſe, becauſe frowned upon, nor the greater, if ſmiled on; but here is my joy and glory, to ſee the Truth of God held forth in the world, whether it be received or rejected.
I feare I have troubled you with too large an Epiſtle to ſo ſmall a Book, but conſider that Love writ it, and ſo read it.
I beg from my heart, that as you are honourable, ſo you may be kept humble, and muſt from the love of God tell you plainly, that I rather deſire you may loſe your Honor, then loſe or want humility, which (in ſome reſpect) is the Crown of bleſſings.
Yet in every ſtate I ſhall ſooner forget my owne name, then not remember my ſelf to be
Your reall Servant ready in any work of God, Joſhua Miller.
To the Chriſtian Reader.
KInd Reader, the deſire I have that truth may be impartially underſtood, makes me to requeſt thee impartially to read this ſmall Book: what thou findeſt in it hath the face of Chriſt, account it fair, beautifull, and be in love with it: what ever my delight and gaine hath been in knowing, writing it, I wiſh thee as much in reading; if the golden key of the divine Spirit go along and open what may ſeem hard to thee, then make no queſtion, but it will be profitable: if thou findeſt any thing opened that hath in many books been left under a veile, give God the glory; if thou findest any error, conſider that the Writer, Reader, and Printer hath many; yet I know none in the booke, excepting the miſtakes of the Primer, which I pray the candidly to correct, and let me have thy love, though I cannot have thy mind in all things: However I muſt alwayes from the law of Love, continue thine in all Christian ſervice.
Joſhua Miller.
The Contents.
Chap. I. WHat a Saint Practicall is.
Chap. II. Whether Repentance precede Faith, and which is firſt to be preached.
Chap. III. What Prayer is.
Chap. IV. Whether a juſtified perſon ought to pray for the pardon of ſin.
Chap. V. Whether this viſible world ſhall be deſtroyed or changed, and how.
Chap. VI. Whether all creatures ſhall be reſtored to a ſtate of perfection.
Chap. VII. What may be ſaid of the time of this change.
Chap. VIII. What ſure ground we have to believe this change is nigh, and that many things muſt firſt come to paſſe.
Chap. IX. Whether we may not expect a glorious reſt before the finall appearing, and what reſt it will be.
Chap. X. A taſte of divine joy, and what it is.