A Christian Library, To the reader 2 – List
To the READER.
READER,
SO many and excellent are the Helps that God affordeth to this unworthy Nation for to enlighten dark souls, & for recovering of revolted sinners unto God, that if any after all th…s be Blinded and Rebellious, they wil be the most unexcusable and most miserable people in the World. By how many voices, and with what holy skilful Oratory, & with what earnest and incessant Importunity doth the God of Mercy call upon sinners to Repent? Who is then in the obscurest Corner of England, that may not hear the Word of Life, or that may not read the Scriptures, & the excellent Writings of the Servants of Christ, if they have ears to hear, and eyes to see, & are but willing and diligent for their own good? what a precious mercy is it, that every Book-sellers shop, & every Market almost, and a…l the quarters of the Land do so abound with wholsom and excellent Books, declaring the way to everlasting Happiness? What abundance of such Helps are ready at hand for the Recovery and salvation of any sinner that is but wi…ling to read and consider them? It was not so with us in the dark times of Popery; nor is it so in other Nations: What pitty is it after all this, that there should be so many ignorant ea…thly mi…ds? so many Drunkards & sensnal Wretches; so many ung…dly prayerless Familyes among us, as there are? Are men resolved to destroy themselves? Do they love damnation? Do they Hate their own souls, as well as holiness, & the Holy God? Why else do they madly shut their ears, despise their Teachers, go on in a worldly & wicked life, & unthankfully refuse the Helps that are offered them. Among others, the Author of these ten Treatises, an ancient and faithful Servant of Christ, though not of the Tribe which waiteth at the Alta… hath enriched this Nation with many of his Labours, whic… though he own bu… as Collections, yet may you read many Book before you find from whence they are collected. I hav… formerly with much delight read his excellent Books, calle… The Cure of Prejudice, The Victory of Patience, and some others full of useful pertinent matter, delivered in a style more quic… and smart, more accurate and adorned, then is ordinarily t… be found: And finding that these do savour of the same Inge…nuity and Diligence, and contain such necessary and seasona…ble advice, I recommend them to thy careful perusal & consideration. What a cure is here for the Swearer? Another …o… the Drunkard? Another for the Covetous? What a Key to un…lock the Rich Mans Chests, and enrich himself by Giving to the Poor, if men will but use them? What Consideration… are here to shame the Reproachers of Godliness, & to encourag… the weak against their reproaches? The unsanctified Formalis… is here stript bare; The Ministry is Patronized, and usurpers and Intruders sharply reprehended, by an Impartial pen; less liable to Accusations of Self-seeking, then our own in the eyes of the Contentious would have seemed. Reader, if thou thankfully make use of the Helps that are offered thee by this servant of Christ, who willingly layeth out his time and labour▪ and estate, for thy spiritual benefit; As thou wilt encourage such faithful endeavourers of thy good, so wilt thou have thy self the everlasting consolation, and maist see that blessed face of God ▪ and enjoy that felicity which thy sin would deprive thee of. This is the desire of him that would gladly be.
A further of thy Salvation, Rich. Baxter. London, Decemb. 21. 1654.
The several Treatises contained in the several Parts of this Christian Library, are these:
A Leaf from the Tree of Life, wherewith to heal the Nation.
A soveraign Antidote against all Grief.
A short and sure way to Grace and Salvation.
A small Map of the many Protestants and few Christians in England.
A serious and pathetical Description of Heaven and Hell.
A hopeful way to cure that horrid sin of Swearing.
An experimental Index of the Heart.
Apples of Gold from the Tree of Life.
Armour of proof against the Worlds envy, scoffs, and r…proaches.
Characters of the kinds of Preaching.
Compleat Armor against evil Society: First and second Part.
Cordiall Counsel.
God's goodness, and Man's ingratitude.
God's goodness, and England's unthankfulness.
Good counsel seldome well taken.
Good report from bad men no mean disparagement.
Preparation to Conversion.
The Drunkards Character; with an Addition.
The Arraignment of Covetousness and Ambition: First and Second Part.
The benefit of Affliction.
The Victory of Patience.
The whole duty of a Christian.
The natural man anatomized.
The cure of Misprision, or Mistake.
The Cause and Cure of Ignorance, Error, Enmity, &c.
The Pastors Advocate.
The Poors Advocate: First and Second Part.
The odious, despicable, and dreadful condition of a Drunkard.
The Blemish of Government.
The Shame of Religion.
The Disgrace of mankind: with offer of help to drowning men.
The Impartial Monitor, about following the fashions.
The Impartial and Compassionate Monitor, about hearing of Sermons.
The seduced soul reduced.
The trial of true wisdom, with how to become wise indeed.
The prevention of Poverty, and cure of Melancholy.
The second part of the Pastors Advocate, or the proof of a good Preacher.
Si… remaining parts of the Poors Advocate.
An infallible way to become happy here, and hereafter.
A SOVEREIGN ANTIDOTE against all Grief.
AS ALSO The benefit of Affliction; and how to Husband it so, that the weakest Christian (with blessing from above) may be able to support himself in his most miserable exigents.
TOGETHER WITH The Victory of Patience. Extracted out of the choisest Authors, Ancient and Modern, both Holy and Humane. Necessary to be read of all that any way suffer Tribulation.
The fourth Impression.
By R. Younge, of Roxwell in Essex, Florilegus.
All that will live godly in Christ Iesus, shall suffer persecution,
2 Tim. 3.12.
LONDON, Printed by R. & W. Leybourn, for Iames Crump, in Little Bartholmews Well-yard, 1654.
Courteous Reader,
IN the perusall of this Treatise (which as the Author hath inlarged and refined it, is become a new Work) thou shalt finde such variety of useful matter, laid down in an accurate and methodicall way, and embellished with such Ornaments of delightfull illustration; that it will be hard to say, whether the Authors Reading and pains, or thy Profit and Delight will exceed: But the Eare trieth Words, as the Mouth tasteth Meat, Iob 34.3. OnelyOnly read it (without prejudice) and the Work will sufficiently praise it self; if either Matter or Manner, Argument or Art can do it.
Thomas Westfield. D.D. Daniel Featly. D.D. Samuel Slater.