Seven Godly and Fruitful Sermons, Dedication 2 – Doctrine
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE ANNE, LADY WAINTVVORTH, increaſe of all true honour and happineſſe, &c.
RIght Honourable, may it pleaſe you to take in good worth my bold attempt, in preſuming to recommend vntounto your fauourable patronage theſe Sermōs following. Your honours vndeſerued reſpect of me, made me deſirous to teſtifie my vnfained thankfulneſſe: which I could not imagine how with greater conueniencie to expreſſe and manifeſt, then by taking hold of this preſent occaſion; eſpecially conſidering that your conſtant and more then ordinarie pains-taking to heare ſuch holy inſtructions, is a ſufficient argument to euince your louelove and liking of the matter therein compriſed: and your good regard of the authors (well knowne vntounto me) gaue me …ccaſion to thinke that their labours, in this ſort offering themſelues vntounto your eye, would be no leſſe welcome then formerly they hauehave beene, being in another manner preſented vntounto your eare.
Concerning the Tract of Zeale annexed to theſe Sermons, it is a collection of diuers rules which I heard & read touching that ſubiect, principally of ſuch as were ſcattered heere and there in Maiſter R. Greenhams Workes: which being exceeding vſeſull, I thought good to gather them into one (with an addition of ſundrie prooſes of Scripture) for the eaſe and helpe of thoſe that are well affected, eſpecially of ſuch whoſe abilitie will not reach to the price of that great volume of M. Greenhams labours.
And thus humbly beſeeching your Honour to pardon my boldneſſe, and to beare with my manifold defects which ſhall be found in the penning of theſe Sermons, I recommend you to the gratious protection of the Almightie.
Your Honours according to my poore abilitie readie to be commanded, IOHN WINSTON.
THE POINTS OF DOCTRINE HANDLED IN THE SERMONS following.
SERMON I.
DOCT. I. THe firſt ſteppe to true and ſound repentance, is, to be wounded and diſquieted in our hearts for ſinne.
2 Lawfull things muſt be done lawfully, and good things in a good manner.
3 With confeſſion of ſinne, muſt be ioyned earneſt requeſts for pardon thereof.
4 The more ſinfull any one is, the more fooliſh he is.
5 It is a wonderfull hard thing, to take downe the pride of mans heart.
6 The more ſpeedily we iudge our ſelues, the more mercifully the Lord will deale with vsus.
SERMON II.
DOCT. I. SInne brings men into maruellous ſtraits.
2. Gods ſeruants neuer find ſo great fauour as with God himſelfe.
3 God maketh his iudgements, ſutable to our ſinnes.
4 When God ſets in with his iudgements they ſhall be farre disperſed in a ſhort time.
5 As God appointeth iudgements to be inflicted on his people, ſo he himſelfe will ſee execution done.
6 A good man will lay a greater burden on himſelfe then on another.
SERMON III.
DOCT. I. ALthough humane helps and earthly friends do faile Gods people, yet they are not helpeleſſe, nor hopeleſſe.
2 No outward thing comes neerer the hearts of Gods children, then the decay of good men.
3 Deceitfull friends, are worſe then openfoes.
SERMON IIII.
DOCT. I. THe more skilfully and artificially any contriues his ill purpoſes, the more fearefull deſtruction ſhall fall vponupon him.
2 The more wicked men boaſt of their miſchieuous intents, the neerer miſchiefe is vntounto them.
3 No man hath the royaltie of his owne tongue, nor the ordering of his owne ſpeech.
FINIS.