The Saints Privilege, Title page – Dedication 1
THE SAINTS PRIVILEDGE, OR GAIN by DYING.
O Gaudium, ſuper omne gaudium, vincens omne gaudium, extra quod non eſt gaudium, quando intrabo in te, ut videam Deum meum qui habitat in te?
Auſt. de deſiderio & ſiti animae ad Deum.
O mora, Chriſte veni,
Mors pijs, malorum ademptio, bonorum adeptio, Diſce mori, ſurſum quiſquis ſapis erige vultum in patriam, terras deſpice, diſce mori.
2 Cor. 5.2.
We groan earneſtly, deſiring to be cloathed upon with our houſe which is from Heaven.
LONDON, Printed in the Year, 1673.
To my much Honoured, and Worthy Friend, Captain Robert Fiſher.
Dear Sir,
I Would be loath to be the firſt that welcomes You into England, with the ſad Newes of the breach that God hath (ſince your departure) made upon your comforts, I mean, in taking to himſelf your dear Wife. I ſuppoſe the tidings of that, will reach your eares to your hearts greif before my Papers, for bad newes flyes apace. I ſend you not theſe Lines for that end, but for a contrarie, namely, rather to quiet and bare up your diſconſolate Spirit under ſo ſmarting a Providence: As a meanes to which, I commend to you a ſerious conſideration of her great Gain, to be oppoſed to your great loſs: what great gainers Chriſts Saints are by Dying, you may, if you pleaſe, read in the following Lines.
Sir, I remember one ſayes that the work of Navigation, is a very great Work; and requires much Ʋnderſtanding and Wiſdome, for men to build moveable Houſes, and go thorough the great Deep, or dry Land, and every way ſo fitted as would amuſe an ordinary and unskilfull beholder to view. Its a very graet work, Now God that hath brought you lately from doing one great work, hath upon your return provided another for you to do. Which is to ſubmit and reſolve your will into his, and if I miſtake not to do this aright, will ask you no leſs Ʋnderſtanding and Wiſdom, I am ſure more Grace and Holineſs, then the former; but that God that hath given you underſtanding for the one, can by his Almighty Power and Goodneſs, inable you to the other.
You have often ſeen in the Seas, the reſemblance of the miſery of mans life, as that ebbeth and floweth, and is ſeldom quiet, but after a little calm a ſtorm ſucceeds, why ſuch is the whole life on Land too, nought elſe but a Sea of Tempeſts while on this ſide our great Haven or Port of Glory.
Its the ſaying of a Learned and good Man; what pitty is it but Souldiers and Marriners ſhould be holy Perſons, who are ſo ſubject to dangers, and have ſuch experiences of Gods Goodneſs and Mercy in their preſervation: He that carryes his life in his hand, ſhould alwayes carry grace in his heart, and yet the Author complaines, who worſe men then thoſe that behold Gods wonders in the Deep. Seldome good but in a Storm, and when over as bad or worſe then ever: of Souldiers it was long ſince an harſh affirmation, Nulla fides pietaſque viris qui caſtra ſequuntur, I wiſh the moſt of them did not too much verify it, that there is little Religion or Piety in ſuch as follow Camps; and of Marriners Nautarum vota, a Marriners Vow, hath been long ſince a Proverb, and yet ſome very good men amongſt both ſorts: for Souldiers, we read of Cornelius, of whom tis ſayd he was a devout Man, one that feared God with all his Houſe, gave much Almes and prayed to God alwayes, and he was a juſt man, one that feared God, and of good Report, Acts. 10.2.22, and v. 7. of the ſame Chapter, You read of a devout Souldier that belong'd to that devout Captain.
And for Seamen and Marriners; I queſtion not but God hath a large and precious number among them, of which I hope your ſelf to be one, and that you ſeriouſly deſire ſo to be: and truly Sir, if ſo, as I queſtion it not, here is a tryal for you, to make proof of, and make uſe of that Faith, that Patience, that Humility and ſelf Denyal, yea of that whole ſtock of divine Grace, wherewith God hath endowed and enriched your Soul.
I have read of Alexander, when he was in a great Perill in India, being to fight with Men and Beaſts, huge Elephants; he ſolaced and cheered himſelf, ſaying Tandem par animo meo periculum video, at length I ſee a danger anſwerable to my mind, as great Dangers require great Stomaches; ſo great Tryals will exerciſe great Graces, I hope you have learned not to deſpiſe the chaſtning of the Lord, nor faint when rebuked of him, as knowing that whom the Lord loveth he chaſtneth, and ſcourgeth every ſon whom he receiveth, Heb. 12.5, 6. I muſt needs yeild your loſs very great, for I think in my heart, no man ever enjoy'd a more tender, kind, loving, and every way endearing, and deſirable yoke fellow; For her Piety towards God, her love to your ſelf, and all excellent endowments, you had wives in a Wife, truly Sir, did I not really believe it I would not dare to ſpeak it, I know not how to give f…attering Titles, in ſo doing my Maker might ſoon take me away, Hugo Card.Job 32.22. I remember a Learned writer, upon thoſe words of David, Pſ. 39.1. That I ſin not with my tongue, I will keep my mouth with a Briddle &c, makes eleven ſeveral wayes, wherein a man may be guilty, and offend in ſpeech; as lying, detracting, ſwearing, idle ſpeaking, &c. amongſt the reſt of tongue vices, he reckons up that of flattery, thereby intimating, that Chriſtians ought as well to be careful of this, as of any of the other: and ſayes one, Amarae ſunt obloquentium linguae, & non ſemper veratia ſunt ora laudantium; the tongues of Detractours are bitter, and the tongues of Flatterers oftentimes not true, but that God that ponders hearts as well as words; knowes that I really think all true, that I ſpeak or have ſpoken of her.
And therefore your loſs the grater, but Sir, quarrell not that you enjoyed her no longer, but bleſs God you enjoyed her ſo long, and be content that he hath her, who hath more intereſt in her then your ſelf ever had, to whom ſhe was but lent for a little while,
And now learn by her loſs, how ſlippery the beſt of earthly comforts are, and therefore to look at, to look after, and make ſure of; theſe comforts that when enjoyed are never to be parted with; look up to that place where ſhe in her better part dwels, where there is life without death, day without night, joyes without ſorrowes, holineſs without impurity, comforts without croſſes, reſt without labour, health without ſickneſs, youth without age, beauty without deformity, ſtrength without weakneſs; where are ſuch good things as Eye never ſaw; 1 Cor. 2.9.Ear never heard, or Heart never comprehended; and to compleat all, eternity of all, without change or fear of loſs.
When once we are got ſafe thither, we ſhall be ſafe indeed; yea ſit down and be quiet, which this troubleſome (yet bewitched world) will not afford us: thither I hope you aſpire, whither ſhe is but gone before.
I have no more, but to end with my well wiſhes, beſeeching God to bleſs, guide, and keep you; to fill you with himſelf, to ſtay your mind upon himſelf, to enable you to make a wiſe and holy improvement of this ſtroake, and to ſay, what ſhall I receive good at the hand of the Lord, and not evil.
The Lord continue you a comfort to yours, and make them comforts to you, and make your little Daughter the Relict of your deceaſed Yoke-fellow, the inheritrix of her Mothers Vertues; that all her excellent endowments, may ſo live and flouriſh in that little child of hers; that we may ſay of her gone, as Cicero of his Sulpitius, (a)Null…m monumentum clarius Sulpitius relinquere potuit quam effigiem morum ſuorum, virtutis, conſtantiae, pictatis, ingenij filium.he could not have left a better monument, than ſo lively a Portraiture of his goodneſs in his Son.
I hope Sir, you will pardon me the giving you this trouble, and let the ſingular respect I bear to your ſelf, and the honour I owe to the memory of your pious Conſort, now with God, plead my excuſe I have no more but to aſſure you of my being and remaining
Your Cordial Friend and Servant in CHRIST JESUS Chr. Scott. From my Study in Milton Hamlet, this 3. Ian. 1672.