A Discourse of the Two Covenants, Title page – Dedication
A DISCOURSE OF THE Two Covenants: WHEREIN The Nature, Differences, and Effects OF THE COVENANT OF WORKS AND OF GRACE Are diſtinctly, rationally, ſpiritually and practically diſcuſſed; together with a conſiderable quantity of Practical Caſes dependent thereon.
By WILLIAM STRONG.
LONDON, Printed by J. M. for Francis Tyton at the Three Daggers in Fleet-ſtreet, and for Thomas Parkhurſt at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapſide near Mercers Chapel, 1678.
TO THE HONOURABLE, THE LADY ELIZABETH RICH.
MADAM,
ALbeit I am no friend to Epiſtles Dedicatory, becauſe they too frequently prove, to uſe the Cynick's Phraſe, but mellifluous ſnares; yet becauſe common Juſtice obligeth me to return unto every man his own, I find my ſelf under an eſſential Obligation to prefix Your Ladyſhips Name to the enſuing Noble Diſcourſe: and that not merely by reaſon of the Truſt you were pleaſed to commit unto me for the Publication thereof, but rather, becauſe Divine Providence has made Your Ladyſhip the Midwife to conduct this Noble Birth into Light, which otherwiſe muſt neceſſarily have layen buried in the womb of Darkneſs. And, Madam, give me leave to ſpeak it, Your Honour is herein the greater, in that you undertook this ſervice ſo laborious and difficult, which no other mortal, as I am aſſured, was in a capacity to perform; You being the only Perſon, who very opportunely were inſtructed in that Character wherein the Original Copy was writ. Madam, I am not of thoſe who admire Titles of Honour, further than they are ſhadows of Virtue; but rather am of the opinion of the moroſe Philoſopher, that Honours without Virtues are but the Maſques of Vices; yet Your Ladyſhip will be aſſured, that the Honour You have acquired by this generous Ʋndertakement, is far more illuſtrious than that which Nature has conferred on You. Solomon gives us an excellent Character of an Honourable Lady, Prov. 11.16. Prov. 11.16.A gracious woman retaineth honour, and [or,aד vertitur ut, Jun. as] ſtrong men retain riches. With what force do perſons, ſtrong in wiſdom and power, retain their acquired Riches? And doth not the Gracious woman with an equal force retain her Honour? And what greater Honour can be acquired and retained, than that which is acquired by the ſervice of Chriſt and his Churches? What more Honourable than for a creature to be immediately employed in the ſervice of his Creator? Doth it not ſpeak a Mind deſcended from on High, and truely generous, to be inſpired with a divine Ambition of being engaged in ſervice for the King of Kings? Is man ever greater, than when greatly ſerviceable to his Lord? Was it not a great effate of the Moraliſt, That he who will be truly Free and Noble, muſt ſerve Philoſophy? What Liberty then and Nobility do they acquire, who ſerve Theology! What isbforeign, Definit. Platon. Nobility, according to the Platonick Definition, but a Virtue of generous Manners and Services? And who are inveſted with this Virtue, if not they who are employed for the improvement of Divine Knowledge, the moſt ſublime and generous Science? Are not all Honours meaſured by approach unto the Fountain of Honour? And who approach nigher unto the Fountain of all Honour, than ſuch as are moſt deeply engaged in the Service of the Supreme King? The common Title of Honour given to Courtiers among the Perſians, as alſo the Jews, was, Men of Preſence: And who are the Men of Gods preſence, but ſuch as are engaged in the ſervice of his Church? And do we not find Memoires in Scripture of many both Hebrew and Chriſtian Women, very Honourable for their ſervice in and for the Church?…xod. 38.8. Is it not recorded, Exod. 38.8. as the great Honour of thoſe devout Women, that they aſſembled by troops at the door of the Tabernacle, and conſecrated their Looking-glaſſes for the making the Laver of Braſs? What more valued by ſome than their Looking-glaſſe? How much pretious time is ſpent thereon? Yea, do not ſome ſpend more moments in poring on their Looking-glaſſe, than on their Souls? Yet lo! theſe Virtuous Women part with their Looking-glaſſes, which had been of ſo great uſe to them, and now reſolve to ſpend their time to a better account, at the door of the Tabernacle, in Faſting and Prayer, and other parts of Divine Service! And O! what a luſtre of Divine Honour remains on them to this very day? Again, there is an Honourable mention made of other virtuous Women, who employed their time and labours in the ſervice of the Church, Exod. 35.25, 26. And all the women that were wiſe-hearted, did ſpin with their hands, and brought that which they had ſpun, both of Blue, and Purple, and Scarlet, and fine Linen, as an Offering to the work of the Tabernacle: Wh… greater Honour could have been affixed to theſe wiſe-hearted Women? And how far Your Ladyſhip may claim an intereſt in this Title of Honour, the World, at leaſt the Church, may judge: Have you not indeed ſpun with your hand, a fine thread, both of Blue and Purple, and Scarlet, and fine Linen, for the Tabernacle of the New Jeruſalem? So likewiſe in the New Teſtament, what Honourable mention do we find of virtuous Women eminently uſeful in the Service of the Church? Is it not an illuſtrious Title of Honour, that Paul gives Ph…be, Rom. 16.2, 3.Rom. 16.2. That ſhe was a ſuccourer of many, and of himſelf alſo? The GrecaniccNon dixit foreign Adjutrix, ſed magnifico planè titulo eam exornans, dixit foreign, i. e. Patronam. Grot. foreign is a Magnific title, and ſignifies not merely an Aſſiſtant, but a Patron, for ſo the Athenians termed the Defenſors of Strangers; and Plutarch renders the Latin Patron, by foreign. What greater Honour may a poor Mortal expect, than to be a Succourer and Patron of the Churches or Ambaſſadors of Chriſt? The like Honour alſo he reflects on Priſcilla, the wife of Aquila, v. 3. whom he ſtyles foreign, Helpers or Co-workers in Chriſt. To be any way Aſſiſtant in promoving the Doctrine of the Goſpel, or in drawing men to the embracement thereof, what an high piece of Honour is it? Theſe Inſtances, Madam, I have given Your Ladyſhip and the World the mention of, to let You ſee what an Honour it is to be in any way or meaſure aſſiſtant in and for the Church of Chriſt: and all that I ſhall ſubjoin is, That, as Your Ladyſhips hand has been ſo happy an Inſtrument in tranſcribing ſo Noble a Work, ſo my Prayer for you is, that the divine Hand would ſo far favour you, as to tranſcribe thoſe great Truths contained therein over and over in more viſible Characters on your Soul,2 Cor. 3.3. that ſo you may be more perfectly the Epiſtle of Chriſt, written with the Spirit of Chriſt; Which will give You a greater Capacity of Service for your Lord, and Me of being, as I ought, really,
MADAM, Your Ladyſhips to honour and ſerve you in the Lord, Theophilus Gale. Newington, March 26. 1678.