Sermon Preached Several Times, Title page 6 – Dedication 6
Iacobs THANKFVLNES TO GOD, FOR GODS GOODNES TO IACOB.
A MEDITATION ON GENESIS 32.10.
Wherein by the way alſo the Popiſh Doctrine of Mans Merit is diſcuſſed.
By THOMAS GATAKER, B. of D. and Paſtor of Rotherhith.
LONDON, Printed by IOHN HAVILAND for FVLKE CLIFTON, 1637.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Sir WILLIAM WHITMORE, of Appley in Salope, Knight; And Mr. GEORGE WHITMORE of London, Alderman; Saving Health, true Honour, and eternall Happineſſe.
RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL, I ſtood obliged to the Stock you both ſprang from, before I was able to apprehend what ſuch obligation meant. Your worthy Mother was one of thoſe that preſented me to the ſacred Laver, and that undertooke there in my behalfe. Shee anſwered there for me,*foreign Priuſquam reſpondere poſſem: uti Iunius vertit. Pſalm. 119.67. when I could not anſwer for my ſelfe; and did further alſo then ſeale up her free affection to me with a reall teſtimonie of her Love. Neither did her kindneſſe towards me then and there expire; but as it was oft renewed in her life time, when occaſion thereof was offered, ſo it ceaſed not untill her ſelfe deceaſed. Shee performed one of the firſt religious Offices for mee ſoone after my birth: and it was one of her laſt Pious works to remember me, among others whom ſhe had performed the like Office for, at the time of her deceaſe. Some monument of my thankfull acknowledgement hereof being deſirous to have extant, whom ſhould I addreſſe it unto rather than your ſelves; the only two Principals now left of that Family? Being therefore moved to make publike two of my weake Diſcourſes, containing the explication of two portions of Scripture, of ſome neare relation the one to the other; the one of them relating a memorable example of the performance of that that is promiſed in the other, to wit, of Gods bleſſing of thoſe with temporall things, that are carefull to looke after the ſpirituall: This of the twaine I choſe the rather to preſent your Worſhips The Worſhipfull Companie of Haberdaſhers.withall; partly, becauſe at the motion of the one of you, being then Head of that worthy Societie, which I acknowledge my ſelfe alſo a debtour unto, it was by word of mouth at firſt delivered; and partly alſo, that it may helpe (for the beſt alſo, even*Geneſ. 35.1. Jacob himſelfe, in this kinde need helps) to egge you on, whom God hath bleſſed with ſo large a portion of his bountie, unto thoſe religious offices, that by occaſion of Jacobs example, men of your rancke are therein encited unto, whether riſen from meane eſtate, as with him here it had beene, or from the firſt largely and liberally endowed, as your ſelves. The Worke indeed is growne much larger, than at firſt was delivered, by reaſon that a Queſtion betweene us and the Romaniſts, concerning Mans merit, is therein now diſcuſſed, which was then but touched upon and pointed at onelyonly; neither the ſtreights of time admitting over-long diſcourſe then, nor ſuch matter of controverſie ſo well befitting the occaſion that then was. The reſt, without any materiall alteration or addition, is the ſame for ſubſtance that then it was. Which recommending entirely, as now it is, to your Worſhips, together with my Love and Chriſtian ſervice to you both, and mine heartie Prayers to God for the well-fare, ſpirituall eſpecially, of you and yours, with the reſt of the Branches of that Family, whereſoever now transplanted, I take leave of you for the preſent, and reſt
Your Worſhips ever in the Lord, THOMAS GATAKER.