Englands Unthankfulness Striving with Gods Goodness, Division 2 · Postscript
POSTSCRIPT, OR, A necessary advertizment about Reading and Hearing.
Courteous Reader.
IF Thomas Aquinas, could utterly spoile in one minute, what Albertus Magnus had bestowed thirty yeares study, and paines upon. Or if Hero…us, an obscure and base fellow, could easily in one night, destroy the …mple of Diana at Ephesus; which was two hundreth and twenty yeares …n building, of all Asia; at the cost of so many Princes, and beautified with the labours, and cunning of so many excellent worke-men. Well may Satan (who wants neither strength, subtilty, nor malice;) finde out a way to make void, fruitlesse, and frustrate what any Author, with incomparable paines, and …dy, shall be able to contrive.
Nor can his so prevailing, be thought any disparagement to the best: when with one lie to our first Parents, he made fruitlesse, what God himselfe …d preached to them immediately before, Gen. 3. 4. 5. Only I hold my self bound, for the benefit of such as it may concern (least it fare with them, as it …d with the old World about the good counsaile of Noah, Gen. 6. & 7. chap. with Lots Sons in law, touching the good advice of their Father, Gen. 19. 14. With Rehoboam, concerning the sage counsail of those Ancients, 1 King. 12. 8. And with Zedekia, and his Princes; about the Prophetical, and Pathetical perswasions of Ieremiah, 2 Chro. 36. 12. Who did not more slight, what was at present told them for their benefit: then they repented themselves, afterwards when it was to late) to advertize them of two things.
The first is, that they would not turne their backs, upon those Bookes and Sermons, which shew them their sinnes, and the punishment of them mo… clearly: Because the viewing of our Counting Books, is the best means to keepe us from miscarring in our Estates. That they will not be so prone to dislike what crosseth their profits, or pleasures: as for the most part they are, especially if it be delivered with power: as I have knowne many, when injoyned to read a Booke, or beare a Minister preach, which in probability, migtht have converted them, and saved their soules: resemble a sullen Patient, who after he is launced, and searched, flyes from his Chyrurgion, before the binding up of his wound, not suffering him to proceed to a perfect cure: alleadging, that they were so touched to the quick; that the truth was, they durst not heare, or read the same any further, which is an argument, they prefer the pleasing of their senses, before the saving of their soules: and that they like a thing the worse, for being the better: whereas if they were wise, they would love their Monitor so much the more, by how much the more they smart: Because wounds cannot be cured, without they be searched to the quick: and what wise Patient, but desires that physick; which is most proper for his disease, and will soonest, cure him? And without a discovery of our disease: how should there be a recovery of our health?
The sight of our filihyness is the first step toward cleanness. Wholsome medicins will for the present bite, and offend: yet afterwards, they bring health and pleasure. And certainly it is better to heare of their sinnes, then be damned for them. The Law Waspe like, stings shrewdly; but Satan that Hornet, will sting much worse. And he that will not at the first hand, buy good counsaile cheap: shall at the second hand, buy repentance over deare. For to fly from the light, and reject the meanes, as it ever argues a guilty conscience: (For none fear, shun, and hate the light, but evill doers, John 3. 19, 20, 21.) so it leaves men without hope. That sin is past cure, which turnes from, and refuseth the cure, Deu. 17. 12. Pro. 29. 1. In reason if those murderers of the Lord of life, Acts …. 23. had refused to hear Peters searching Serm…n, they had never been prickt in their hearts; never been saved, verle 37. 41. And take this for a rule; is ever you see a drowning man refuse helpe, conclude him a wilfull murderer. But they that have no reason, will hear none; neither is any light sufficient, where the eyes are held through unbeliefe, and prejudice.
The second thing, that most Hearers, and Readers would be minded, and admonished of is; that when they hear Sermons, or meet with Books; that with Gods blessing, are of singular use, both to undeceive the deceived, & to pluck sinners out of Satans snares; that are not inferiour to any mans compositions, or discourses; either for matter, or method, argument, or elegancie: For moving the will, working upon the affections, or speaking home to the heart and conscience: that they would not suffer Satan, by the tongues of any; so to forestall them with preiudice against the Authors; as to dislike their labours against their own reason and judgement; and refuse to read or hear them. The case of many among the Hebrews, touching Paul; who were so forestalled with prejudice against his person; that he durst not fi… his name to what he wrote unto them, in that rare Epistle: Least finding his name in the frontispiece, they might hapily reject the same, and not vouchsafe to read it. Yea, he was so generally slighted, by many of the Corinthians, and others Acts 17. 18. 2 Cor. 10. 10. That least their prejudice against his person, should cause them to slight whatsoever he either spake, or wrote unto them: (the better to vindicate himselfe) he spends almost three whole Chapters, in his owne praises, 2 Cor. 10. 11, and 12. chapters: And yet the worst they had to say of him, was; His Letters are waighty, and powerfull; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible, 2 Cor. 10. 10.
And in the very same manner, were the Jewes prejudiced against our …aviour, John 1. 46, and 7, 15, and 8, 57, and 9, 16, 24. Mar. 13. 55. …k 6. 2, 3. which was the onelyonly reason that so few believed in him; …r received his Doctrine: but slighted, and contemned whatsoever he did, …r spake; as you may see by the sore quoted places. And no lesse, were … the Apostles slighted: and their Doctrine disesteemed wheresoever they …me: through the like prejudice, which Satan, and his instruments, had …rocured to be cast upon them, as appeares plainely by Acts 4. 13.
And whosoever observes it shall finde; that if any one preacheth, or …riteth profitably; with power and authority, whereby Satans Kingdome … like to be shaken; and by which his servants are disturbed, and terrifi…d; in, and about their vicious courses: If he shall be more then ordina…ly crafty, in making choyce of such theames, as may most lively repre…nt the face of every naturall mans heart to himselfe. If he have a singular …iculty in moving the Will, working upon the affections, and speaking home …o the heart and conscience: that so if possible, he may take his hearers, or …eaders with guile: undeceive the deceived, and with blessing from above, …luck sinners out of Satans snares: He shall be sure to have some aspersi…n, or imputation cast upon him: whereby nothing that he shall be able to …peake, or write; shall be (by sensualists) regarded: So that infinite are …he number of those, whom Satan gulls, and beguiles of their soules this way, as I could multiplie instances out of my own experiance. Nor can man devise a cunninger trick to hinder a sinners conversion.
It is very remarkable, what is observed of one that shall be namelesse. No mans Bookes, or Sermons are liked better: (by all sorts of Readers) and yet few eminent Authors sell worse: hundreds are so taken with them, while they are hearing or reading them, that they never read the like in all …heir lives: and they will instantly buy all his Workes, whatever they cost: but having converst a while with som Stationer, or other acquaintance about …e Au…hor: they no lesse slight them, then before they admired them. And yet were it true, that is objected: it would be no dispraise at all to the …y, (in the judgement of an intelligible, and impartiall hearer) but …ather redown to his praise, and Gods glory. But most men want braines; …nd others blind themselves, with their own prejudice. Yea, observe I pray …ou, whether men do not seek for strawes, to put out their owne eyes withall, as Bernard speaks. Whether opinion does not more govern them, then the things themselves: And whether Satan may not easily gull us, when we are so willing to gull and delude our selves?
As what can they say for themselves? a Booke is the same, after they know the Author, that it was before. Yea, admit the Author should be either Begger, Knave, or Foole; wherein lyes the difference? The same sum of Money, or the same counsell, from a rich man, or a poore; from a Foole, or from a wise man, from an honest man, or a Knaue, is all one; and none but Fooles will make any difference. Truth is truth, wheresoever we find it as Gold is gold, of whomsoever it be given, or received: Call upon thy God was good counsell for Jonah, and worth the following: though from He… thens, Jonah, 1. 6. Yea, what condemned person would not receive a pardo… though from the hands of the Hangman? And yet, as if men wanted th… we call reason, or judgement: they regard not so much what is writ, or spoken; as who writes, or speakes. They value not the Mettle, but the stam… which is upon it. If the man like them not, they will dislike the matter. Fo… shame my brethren, be not so blindly partiall: for this is such a shallow … that it even deserves the Rod: though a cunning trick of the Devils, where by he cheates thousands of their soules
Consider what I have said, and the Lord give you understanding in all thing 2 Tim. 2. 7.
Those thoughts which our experience hath found comfortabl… and usefull to our selves, should (with neglect of all censures be communicated to others, the concealement whereof (m… thinks,) can proceed from no other ground, but either timerousness or envy, and it is probable that that midicine, whic… hath cured one desperate patient, if it be communicated, ma… work the same effect upon others, the consealing whereof, woul… argue in a Physitian, either too much lucre, or too little love however the conscience of good intentions in themselves, le… their successe be what it will, is both a discharge and comfort to a free and willing mind.
The end of the second Division.
Imprimatur,
Thomas Gataker.
LONDON, Printed by I Bell, for Iames Crumpe a Booke-binder: and and to be sold at his House, in Little Bartholmewes Wel-yard; and probably at most Stationers Shops.
End of the text · Richard Younge, Englands Unthankfulness Striving with Gods Goodness (1643)