Eleven Choice Sermons, Title page – To the reader
ELEAVEN CHOICE SERMONS: As they were Delivered, By that late reverend Divine, THOMAS WESTFEILD.
DR. in Divinity.
BISHOP of BRISTOLL.
2 CORINTH. 10. 11.
Now all theſe things happen unto them for enſamples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whome the ends of the world are come.
HSAL, 43. 1.
Bleſſed is he that conſideresh the poore: The LORD will conſider him in the time of trouble.
LONDON.
Printed for J. D. and part of the impreſſion to be vended for the uſe of, Thomas Gibbes, Gent. 1655.
I have peruſed theſe Sermons upon PSALME 106. 19, 20, &c. and judging them to be pious and profitable, I allow them to be printed and publiſhed.
John Downame.
To the READERS.
Friends,
MAn is very prone to evill, having a ſpring of naturall corruption in him; which being (as it were) pumped out by example, the ſtream runs more violently. All the Kings of Iſrael (for ought I read) were bad enough: but many of them are notoriouſly branded for this eſpecially, their imitation of Jeroboam the ſon of Nebat.
It hath been ſaid, that this our Nation is very prone to imitate others; and it is to be feared, that, together with their exotick fooleries, wee are guilty of many of their groſs enormities. However, it will certainly hold between Iſrael and England, (as will appeare, in the enſuing Diſcourſe.) Our mercies have not been inferiour to theirs: Our ſinnes have, if not out-vied, yet, at the leaſt, runne parallel with theirs. And for our miſeries, ſad experience is more then a ſilent teſtimony.
The former ſubject of this Book, though it be, for the moſt part, ſad; treating of Sinnes, and Judgments; yet the wiſedome, and ſweetneſſe of the reverend Authour hath brought honey out of the Lion.
For the latter part, Concerning communicating to the neceſsity of the Saints, the practiſe of this worthy man was a patterne, even to admiration.
The moſt of theſe Sermons were preached at High-gate; which, indeed, was highly exalted by the painfull preaching of this Miniſter of Chriſt. And I wiſh that our Saviours prediction of Capernaum, and Davids wiſh to the Mountaines of Gilboa, may be ever ſpiritually, and literally far from it.
And thou, WEST-ſmith-FIELD, that wert watred ſo long a ſpace with the heavenly drops of this worthy VVESTFIELD, as formerly, by the bloud of ſo many couragious Martyrs, who weekely ſuffered in thee, having beene thus honoured, become not like the beaſts (in thee) that periſh.
And, if there be any that had relalation to him, who, like wanton children, trifled out the time, while this reſplendent taper was burning and ſhining; let them, at leaſt, make uſe of this inch of light: which, with Gods bleſsing, may purchaſe them commodities for eternity.
In honour of his memoriall, and for the furtherance of all that will make uſe of this help, I have erected this his owne pillar upon his grave: By which, and the like advantages, that both you and I may be edified, is the deſire of
T. S.