The Preciousness of Christ Unto Believers, Title page – Dedication
THE PRECIOUSNESSE OF CHRIST Unto BELEEVERS.
OR, A Treatiſe wherein the abſolute neceſſity, the tranſcendent excellency, the ſupereminent Graces, the beauty, rarity and uſefulneſſe of Chriſt is opened and applyed.
By JOHN ROBOTHAM, Preacher of the Goſpel.
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Cant. 3. 13.
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PHIL. 1. 2.
Malim praeſente Chriſto eſſe in Inferno, quam abſence Chriſto in Caelo.
Luther in Geneſ.
LONDON, Printed by M. Symmons, and are to be ſold by Hannah Allen, at the ſigne of the Crown in Popes head Alley. 1647.
TO THE HONOURABLE Colonell Stapely, and William Cawley, Eſquires, both Members of the Honourable Houſe of Commons, Juſtices of the Peace, and Deputy Lieutenants of the County of SUSSEX.
Honourable Sirs,
IT is a rare and comely ſight to ſee greatneſſe and goodneſſe together: both are concentring and met in you, unwearied you have been in your paines, faithfull in your truſt, a refuge for the oppreſſed, not onelyonly in theſe times, when m… ny are aſſertors of Religio… becauſe it ſhould protect the… and becauſe it is in faſhion: b… even then, when it was the gre… teſt crime to be godly, it hat… been the counſell of others to b… ſtill on the ſtrongeſt ſide: b… their aime being falſe, they ſho… wide of the marke. God hat… given you a more ſpiritual judgement, which hath mad… you to ſtand like a Rocke unm… veable, venturing all, when others out of timorouſneſſe hav… unworthily betrayed their truſ… and left a perpetuall blot upo… their names.
Your wiſdome and fidelity i… an honour and a joy to then that choſe you, and to the whol… Kingdome; which hath grea… cauſe to bleſſe God for you: i… any doe otherwiſe, yet kno… for your comfort, that you… wages in your worke, as the har…eſt is in the ſeed. Whatſoever …ou expend for God, in God …ou ſhall find it againe: the …ore publick your ſpirits are, …he nearer you come to that cen…er of all perfection. Selfe …n a man is a baſe and poore end: …ea, it is proudly to ſit downe …n the place of God, to whom …lone it is proper to worke for …imſelfe: even the beſt of Crea…ures muſt acknowledge their …ubordination unto him, the …ore we doe ſo, the greater re…ection of honour and bleſſing … begets: ſubordination in ſome …eſpects may bee between two …nely: but ſometimes there is … ſeries, or concatenation of …hings ſubjected one to another, … which the Logicians call ſub…ternation: and here there is a …oking upward and downe…ard: and ſo doe you, to God, and to inferiours: I ſhould b… in gratefull either to deny, o… forget it.
You have engaged me, wit… often, manifold, choiſe, undeſerved, unrequitable favours. … have conſulted what to returne… pauperis eſt numerare pecus. Th… enſuing diſcourſe you have already had by word of mouth … the acceptance that it foun… with you, when it was firſt del… vered, hath emboldened me t… preſent it unto you againe wit… ſome enlargements. Solin… writes, that the African Elephants are dwarfes to the Ind… ans; and therefore are loath t… bee ſeen of them; *Iul. Solin: polyhiſtor. cap. 38.quaſi parv… tatis ſuae conſcij: it is myne ow… caſe in relation unto your Honours. I much revere you Judgements: that which make me ventrous, is your unſuſpected candour and ingenuity you ſhall have (as the Oratour ſpeakes) levidenſe craſſo filo: but the preciouſneſſe of the ſubject matter will make amends for that: Chriſt the Lord of life, and the moſt precious one of the Father. I doubt not but he is ſuch to you alſo: and perhaps this Treatiſe, ſuch as it is, will draw out your hearts and affections farther. You know not what tentations and trialls God may yet bring you through. Chriſt the Angel of his preſence will be with you: your ſafety will be in him: infinite is that diſtance between the favour of God and us, without him. Reſt then upon this rocke of ages: goe to this fountaine of ſtrength: he will fortifie you againſt fears without, and terrours within: and when oppoſition is at the higheſt, he will raiſe your ſpirits to a ſutable height: he will carry you as on Eagles wings: you ſhall be above the creature; above your ſelves: you ſhall as it were walke in heaven; while you live on earth.
Honourable Sirs, give mee leave to leave with you this monument and witneſſe of my thankfulneſſe for your many unmerited favours towards mee. I have abundant reaſon to think, that your hearts are right for God, and for the Kingdome of Chriſt: ſome cannot lay downe themſelves enough: if it were not ſo; whereas they doe ſome good, they would doe much more. Selfe-deniall makes a fat and fruitfull ſoule. Bleſſed be God for your obedience in this behalfe: then we love our ſelves beſt, when wee love God more then our ſelves; the matter of this diſcourſe will much promove it. I know no better Loadſtone to attract and draw out affections to God ward, then Chriſt laid open in all the ſinews and joynts, in all the veines and arteries of his Fathers love to mankinde. I have done it very jejunely and brokenly: I leave the many defects of it to be made up by your meditation: how ſoever I have handled it, I am confident, the ſubject is ſuch, that you will receive it, as I preſent it, with the right hand.
I have adventured to caſt this poore mite into the publique treaſury, although I am conſcious to my ſelfe of mine own inability for ſuch a worke. What though a man cannot contend with Lynceus in quick-ſightedneſſe; muſt he therefore be reckoned ſtark blind? What though he cannot run with the ſwifteſt; muſt he therefore have his heels tript up? What if he cannot climb to the higheſt faſtidge and top, muſt they therefore diſturb him, and throw him down from his ſtation? *Zech. 4. 10.Wee ſhould not deſpiſe the day of ſmall things: ineſt ſua gratia parvis: there is a foot in the body, as well as an eye: and the Apoſtle ſpeaks of foreign, diverſities of gifts, 1 Cor. 12. 4. And divers they be as well in meaſure, as in kinde. I much rejoyce, I know nothing by my ſelfe: by the grace of God I am that I am: it is he that hath ſtir'd me up to the beſt ſtudies: and I ſhall be willing to doe good, according to the diſpenſations of his grace.
Now the Lord make you ſo to eye and apprehend the preciouſneſſe of Chriſt in his perſon, in his graces, in his offices, in his members, in his ordinances, in all the operations of his Spirit, that you may be willing to ſpend and be ſpent for him, to adventure all your worldly intereſt, and to throw downe all your honour at his feet; as the foure *foreign, foure living creatures, and not four living beaſts as our trāſlation hath it.living creatures, and foure and twenty Elders did their crowns: this is the way to take up all againe with unſpeakable advantage: this is the beſt traffique and trading in the world: this is the ſafeſt adventure, that you can make. Chriſt will be a rich gaine unto you here, and when you come into that endleſſe world, he will ſet the never-withering crowne upon your heads. So prayeth
Your much obliged ſervant, JOHN ROBOTHAM.