The Way to the Tree of Life, Affirmation – Part 1
To the Author.
Sir,
NOtwithſtanding yours, or the Printers haſte and importunity, I muſt not let theſe Treatiſes of ſo much worth goe out of my hands without that due teſtimony which my heart gives of them. As the compilement of them is cloſe, and pithy; ſo, the materials full of ſpirituall vigor, accompanied with a ſtrength both of Harmonious, and alſo Argumentative Reaſon. The ſubjects themſelves all ſeaſonable, when enjoyments of God through Scripture Revelation, without us, and by Faith, and ſpirituall experience withinus, is eſteemed but a living upon the letter, & a way beneath for infant Chriſtians to walke with God in. And both theſe you have here with much evidence vindicated and cleared. As likewiſe the Morality of the fourth Commandement (the conſcientious obſervation of which hath (through the bleſsing of God following his own inſtitutions) both elevated and preſerved at its height, the practicall part of the power of godlineſſe in this Kingdome,) which is laid aſide by many true profeſſors of piety, as a part of the Iewiſh paedagogie.
For the particulars themſelves, your Deſcription of a ſpirituall man; is deeply fetcht from that which conſtitutes him ſuch, and doth genuinely diſtinguiſh him from all other, by that which is moſt proper to his conſtitution, and peculiar to his Faith, namely, The Demonſtration of the Spirit. And as the ſubject is ſpirituall, ſuch are your characters given, and your way of reading it; exceeding ſpirituall: even according to the Apoſtles owne direction: comparing (or ſuiting) ſpirituall things with ſpirituall; and accordingly is alſo full of that demonſtration of the ſpirit, which you therein make eſſentiall and conſtitutive of his faith. I ſee how ever we may differ in Eccleſiaſticks, and matters of outward order a little; yet in ſpiritualls, or what is more conjunct to the inward and ſpiritual man, we agree. All our lives meet not in that part of the circumference, yet in this center we unite and embrace; and herein I doe rejoyce, and will rejoyce for ever.
In your firſt & main part, concerning the Scriptures, your diſcourſe beares a comely ſuitableneſſe to the nature and ſcope of that ſubject alſo. For as the Historicall beleefe of their authority, end, and uſe, is the foundation of all: ſo your demonſtrations thereof are formed out of, and framed into a congeniall Harmony and conſonancy to right Reaſon, and containe a naturall Genealogy and ſtory of divine Truth about them, whereof one is the off-ſpring of the other: which way of ſetting forth divine Truths, as it carries with it the greateſt conviction, and (as your ſelfe (in that forementioned Treatiſe) expreſſe it) begets Faith Hiſtoricall, which hath for its ground a rationality, and conſonancy to reaſon; ſo it is made uſe of by the holy Ghoſt, as a bleſſed ſubſervient to that which you make the immediate proper cauſe of ſaving Faith, The Demonſtration of the Spirit.
For your laſt peece, The more generall notion of ſuch an indefinite ſenſe of the Fourth Commandement, I remember you and I long ſince mutually pleaſed our ſelves to have ſingly and apart agreed in. But this your ſo exact particular explication and demonſtration of this intent of God therein, exceedes what I either did then, or have ſince imagined, could have with that rationality, perſpicuity, even to more then a probability, been made forth of the words thereof. I doe herein exceedingly admire the wiſdome of God in penning and ordering the words of that Fourth Commandement in ſuch a poſture (whereof you have made obſervation) as that command might become a genuine and naturall root, (more naturall then Abraham is to Jew and Gentiles ſucceſſively;) Firſt, to beare that laſt ſeventh day, that old Sabbath the Omega of the weeke, and when that ſhould be lopt off, then to give as freſh ſap to the firſt ſeventh day, the Alpha of the week, the Lords day Sabbath. It makes me ſay of the Commandement, with an inverſion, what the Apoſtle ſayes upon the like reaſon, of that of Love, It was an old Commandement, and yet is ſtill a new one.
Sir, as the honour you have done me to commit theſe Treatiſes to the Teſt of my weake judgement ere you tranſmitted them to the preſſe, hath cleane taken off that little of jealouſy of any ſtrangeneſſe by reaſon of theſe unhappy differences in compariſon of former intimacy: ſo the quickning materials hereof have fully revived in my heart that intenſeneſſe of Chriſtian and Brotherly love towards you, with this juſt cauſe of addition and encreaſe: That after your having ſacrificed your ſpirits and ſtrength in the moſt publique way of ſervice to God and his Church, with more then ordinary activity and ſelfe-denyall: you ſtill retaine ſuch a ſpirituall vigor both of Grace and judgement, (as this iſſue ſhewes) in theſe yeares of old age and infirmities. Thus much (if any ſtampe of mine might ariſe to any ſuch a value) for a private encouragement at leaſt be pleaſed to accept as it is given with all faithfulneſſe, from
Your ancient and ſtill true and faithfull Friend, and unworthy Brother, Tho: Goodwin.
A Table of the title of the ſeverall Chapters and Sections contained in the Treatiſe following.
Cap. 1. OF the neceſſity of preparation to Reading. Pag. 1
Cap. 2.
Sect. 1. Of the Author of the holy Scriptures. Pag. 7
Sect. 2. That the holy Scriptures appeare evidently to be the word of God. Pag. 18
The firſt Marke, by which it is evident that they are ſo: The Style and Phraſe of them. Pag. 19
The ſecond Marke; The Subject or Matter handled in them. Pag. 25
The third Marke; The powerfull effect of the Scriptures on mens hearts. Pag. 33
Cap. 3. The Scriptures having God for their Author muſt needes be of Divine authority. Pag. 45
Cap. 4. That the pen-men of holy Scriptures were holy men guided in that worke wholly by Gods Spirit. Pag. 57
Cap. 5. That the Scriptures containe all things neceſſary to ſalvation. Pag. 63
Cap. 6. Of the ſcope of the Scriptures, which is Gods Glory and mans Salvation. Pag. 70
Cap. 7. That they which read the Scriptures muſt be men of ſpirituall mindes. Pag. 76
Sect. 1. The deſcription of a ſpirituall man Pag. 78
Sect. 2. Of the ſpirituall mans operations. Pag. 86
Sect. 3. Of Faith, and the two ſorts of Faith, Hiſtoricall and Iuſtifying. Pag. 90
Sect. 4. Of Spirituall experience, other meanes of comprehending things ſpirituall. Pag. 115
Cap. 8 Of the choice of fit times for reading the Scriptures. Pag. 125
Cap. 9. Of particular preparation before reading Pag. 133
Cap. 10. Of reverend attention and heedfull obſervation in reading the Scriptures. Pag. 141
Cap. 11. Of duties after reading the Scriptures, eſpecially Meditation and Prayer. Pag. 149
Cap. 12. Directions for the right interpretation of the Scriptures. Pag. 160
Cap. 13. Directions for raiſing obſervations out of the Scriptures, for our owne inſtruction and edification. Pag. 169
Sect. 1. Of the Subject matters handled in the Scripture, and firſt of workes. Pag. 172
Sect. 2. Of the Laws given by God to his Church, and recorded in Scripture. Pag. 197
Concerning the Morality of the fourth Commandement.
Sect. I. That the Law of the Sabbath in the fourth Commandement, is Morall, and therefore perpetuall. Pag. 213
Sect. II. Anſwer to the Arguments againſt the inſtitution of the Sabbath in Paradiſe. Pag. 133
Sect. III. The morality and perpetuity of the Sabbath proved out of the fourth Commandement. Pag. 253
Sect. IV A continuation of the conſideration of the reſt of the Laws recorded in the Scripture, with ſuch inſtructions as may be drawn from them. Pag. 300