The Best Interest, Title page – Errata
THE BEST INTEREST; Or a TREATISE Of a SAVING Intereſt in CHRIST.
Wherein is Shewed
How a Man may know that he hath a ſaving Intereſt in Chriſt.
How they, that have not yet an Intereſt in Chriſt may get a ſaving Intereſt in him.
How they, that have an Intereſt in Chriſt, may improve it for their Conſolation, under Perſonal and National Calamities, and Perſecutions of the Church.
How ſuch as have an Intereſt in Chriſt, may find Comfort in Chriſt, under all Spiritual Troubles.
With ſeveral other Practical Caſes.
By OWEN STOCKTON, Late Miniſter of Jeſus Chriſt at Colcheſter in Eſſex.
COR. 13.5.
Examine your ſelves whether ye be in the Faith, prove your own ſelves, Know ye not your own ſelves how that Jeſus Chriſt is in you except ye be reprobates.
London, Printed for T. Parkhurſt, at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapſide, near Mercers Chappel, 1682.
The Epiſtle Dedicatory. To the worthily Honoured John Clarke Of Bury in Suffolk, Eſquire.
SIR,
PRopriety in Enjoyments adds a great Excellency to them, unto us; and the more the better they be in themſelves. Jeſus Chriſt is the beſt of Enjoyments; he is the gift of God; ſuch, as he cannot vouchſafe a greater; an unſpeakable gift, and therefore Intereſt in him is the beſt Intereſt. To obtain that, to have God and Chriſt ours, is to have the great, the principal bleſſing of the New Covenant ours: grounded aſſurance thereof, is not unfitly called by ſome, a Heaven upon Earth, and to promote this having two heavens, is the deſign of this enſuing Treatiſe; of which, that Laborious, and faithful Miniſter of Jeſus Chriſt, Mr. Owen Stockton, is the Author. The firſt part being directed to your ſelf, entituled [Conſolation in Life and Death] I ſhould offer an injury and not teſtifie my due Reſpects, if I ſhould not preſent this ſecond and principal part alſo to you, Entituled [The Beſt Intereſt.] I here preſent it, and doubt not but both will find favourable Acceptation with you.
If the Lord hath indulged clear Evidences of his Love, and of your own Intereſt in Chriſt, yet you will be glad to have this Confirmation thereof; and that others, even every Believer may have ſuch a knowledge of it, as to be able groundedly to ſay, My Beloved is mine and I am his.
You know, how diſconſolate many real Chriſtians are, and how mournfully they walk every day, under their unbelieving Doubtings and Queſtionings concerning it; they are afraid to draw up that Concluſion; and hereby they are greatly obſtructed in their Duty towards God, (which is not hindred but promoted by a clear ſight of propriety in him) Pſal. 63.1. O God thou art [my God] what then? early will I ſeek thee. The moſt ardent ſeekings and thirſtings after God, iſſue and ſpring from a Soul's being able to ſay [my God.]
Some in this particular, are too like Scepticks (though in other matters they are not) alwayes doubting and complaining of their own Conditions: ever enquiring, how they may know their own eſtate, and never determining, or not duly. Thoſe that ſit in ſuch thick darkneſs, that they can ſee no light, they are concerned, to truſt in the Name of the Lord, Iſa. 50.10. i. e. to truſt in him, as the Lord God Gracious and Merciful, forgiving Iniquity, Tranſgreſſion and Sin. Exod. 34.5, 6, 7, when they can draw up no Concluſion that Chriſt is theirs, and they his, and that their ſins are pardoned, yet they are to truſt in that Name, that he may be theirs, and that their ſins may be pardoned: thus they may put the great queſtion out of doubt, by ſeeking more to get intereſt, than to know it.
Others confidently, yet ungroundedly conclude that Chriſt is theirs, without ſeeking a real intereſt in him: all which may be helped here.
That this Treatiſe may be bleſſed to your ſelf, and to all (under whoſe eye it may come) for its proper end, ſhall be the prayer of,
Honoured Sir, Your Servant in the Goſpel, Sam. Petto. Nov. 2. 1681.
Errata.
PAge 11. l. 30 dele. at. p. 20. l. 28. r. ſinging. p. 23. l. 27. r. our. p. 33 l 13 waters l. 17 dele is p 35. l. 14. after you, add reſt. p. 46. l. 16. r. doubtful. p. 52. l. 11. dele of. p. 64. l. 1. r. to glorify. p. 75. l. 19. dele he. p. 92. l. 20. r. he delivers. p. 106. l. 10. dele to. p. 110. l 1. r national. p. 117. l. 24. r. national. p. 131. l. 20. r. As p. 135. l. 5. r. at. p. 145 l. 10. dele …ve. p. 158. l. 12. read in the morning. p. 176. l. 2. r. we. p 200 l 16 r themſelves: p 214 l 14 dele and. p 215 l 12 r thou: p 217 l 1 dele one: p 225 l 17 r give: p 242 l 8 r at all: p 255 l 12 r World: p 16… l 4 r his life: l bi…: l 15 r leave. p 263 l 9 r Friends: p 264 l 10 r my: p 270 l 17 after ſaving, add intereſt: p 273 l 6 after but, add they: p 274 l 27 r upon: p 289 l 2 r one: p 29… l … 17 add down, …. adds: p 293 l 2 r this Ib. l 31 r as: Ib: l 31 r of Ib l 32 dele for … r: p 298 l 18 add vvould: p 306 l 13 dele it: p 309 l 24 dele the. p 322 l 12 r uncertain: p 325 l 17 r it is a: p 327 l … r feaſts: p 333 l 32 r backſlidden: p 364 l 8. r. drought
THE BEST INTEREST,
Cant. 2.16.
My Beloved is mine, and I am his.