Precious Faith Considered, Title page – Author to the reader
PRECIOUS FAITH CONSIDERED In its Nature, Working, and Growth.
By Edward Polhill of Burwaſh in Suſſex, Eſq
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Cockerill at the Atlas in Cornhil near the Royal-Exchange, 1675.
To the CHRISTIAN Reader.
HE that with ſerious eyes looks on that dreadful ſpectacle, lapſed Angels lying in Chains of Darkneſs for ever, and that for one Sin, may very well ſtand and wonder at the Salvation of Men; in which worms are as it were Angelized, and little lumps of corrupted duſt are firſt refined by Grace, and then transfigured into Glory. The pure Origine of this great Work is no other than the Divine Grace and Love, which have ſo fairly pourtraied and limmed out themſelves upon every piece of it, that all the Saints above and below may read the Characters thereof; and have reaſon to cry out, Grace, Grace. Indeed Heaven and Earth too ſhould ring with the Praiſes of it, and Eternity it ſelf will be ſhort enough to behold and admire it in. To compaſs this Glorious deſign the Son of God left his Fathers Boſom, and appeared in our Fleſh, to make a Robe for us of his own Righteouſneſs, and a Laver for us in his own Blood. Our Nature in him is now in Heaven, and his Spirit is deſcended to impreſs his Image on us, thereby to make us meet for that Bleſſed Region, to ſecure all to us. Heaven hath let down a great Charter in the precious Goſpel, in which we have a Map of Glory, and Eternal Life ſet before us; to elevate our Souls, which are ſparks of Immortality, out of the duſt and rubbiſh of the Fall, and to ſet them aſpiring after the true Pleaſures and Beatitudes which are above. That we may not miſtake our way, or faint in it, the holy Spirit hath in the Goſpel drawn many lines of Holineſs and Comfort: There are pure Precepts to chalk out the Way to Heaven, and ſweet Promiſes to cordial us therein; and to give us ſome Taſtes of Heaven before we come there. The great condition of this Salvation which ſtreams down out of the fountain of Grace through the Blood of Chriſt into the Evangelical Promiſes, is no other than Faith. This is the Aurora of Glory, Heaven and Eternal Life dawn in it; This is the Hypoſtaſis of Things hoped for. It preſentiates the Celeſtial Paradiſe, and in ſome ſort ſets the Believer by the rivers of Pleaſures which are there: This receives all from Grace, and aſcribes all to it, prompting the Believer to confeſs touching his Spiritual Being and Working, By the Grace of God I am what I am, and by the Grace of God I do what I do. This unites to Chriſt, wraps up it ſelf in his Righteouſneſs, feaſts on his precious Body and Blood unto Life Eternal, and ſurrenders up Heart and Life to the bleſſed duct of his Spirit and Word. Walking on in holy Precepts it drinks Comfort out of Promiſes, following hard after Holineſs it meets with Peace, ſuch as paſſes underſtanding; overcoming earth with all its Troops of vanity, it aſcends and takes Heaven by violence; and renting off the dark veil of Time, it looks into Eternity, and aſpires after that Bliſsmaking Viſion, which is the true Center of it. Where this Grace is, there the Goſpel is not in word only, but in power: The Truth ſtands not meerly without in the letter, but is entertained within, and ſprings up in the Heart as a ſeed of Immortal Happineſs. The Divine Excellencies of this noble Grace have drawn out my Thoughts in the enſuing Diſcourſe now offered to publick view. The Errata's and Infirmities in it beg the Readers kind Indulgence: And the holy Truths therein call for a Practical Improvement. If but any Mite may get into the Treaſury, if any thing thereby may redound to the Glory of God, or profit of Men, it is enough; and a ſufficient recompence for him, who is
A Lover of Truth, Edw. Polhill.