The Only Refuge of a Troubled Soul, Title page – Dedication
THE Only REFUGE OF A Troubled Soul, In time of Trouble & Affliction. OR, The Sweet and Soul-Raviſhing MYSTERY of the Apple-Tree; Explained and laid open, in Two Diſcourſes from Cant. 2.3. for the Comfort and Encouragement of the True Believer, in the midſt of the worſt and ſoreſt Afflictions which can (poſſibly) befal him in this World: And the Awakening the moſt ſecure Sinner, who is yet a Stranger to the ſaid Myſtery.
Publiſh'd at the earneſt and importunate Requeſt of ſeveral Godly Perſons, who heard the ſame Preached.
Come, Trembling Sinner, haſten, taſte, and ſee,
What Fruit grows on the Spouſes Apple-Tree.
By J. Barry, an unworthy Miniſt. of the Goſpel.
LONDON, Printed for the Author, 1700.
To his Highly Honoured Friends Doctor John Tarlaſs, Phyſitian to St. Thomas his Hoſpital in Southwark, and his truly Religious Conſort.
Honoured Sir, and Virtuous Madam.
I Do ſincerely own, and ingeniouſly Acknowledge my ſelf ſo highly oblig'd to you both, for your great Kindneſs and Reſpect ſhewn to unworthy me and my Family; ſince we (Providentially) came (as Pilgrims and Strangers) into England, that I am really concern'd that I can (hitherto) but Retaliate in verbal Acknowledgments. The Divine Providence ſeeing it beſt for me to keep me low (in outwards) and by that means to render me uncapable of that Duty; which the Care, Pains, and conſtant Diligence of an Able and Faithful Phyſitian obliges to.
It is well known both to your ſelves and my Friends and Relations, who were Eye and Ear Witneſſes of the near Approaches I made towards the Grave. How that I owe my Life (under God) ſeveral times (over and over) to the great Skill, Care, and Faithfulneſs of Ingenious and Faithful Doctor Tarlaſs: And I do now own and Acknowledge the ſame to the Praiſe of Jehova the Great and Chief Phyſitian, and the deſerved Commendation of Doctor Tarlaſs his worthy Inſtrument. I hope (dear Sir) I ſhall be Enabled to carry to the Grave a becoming Remembrance of your Chriſtian Kindneſs, and Tender Reſpect ſhewn and expreſt (on all Occaſions) towards the moſt unworthy of Chriſts Ambaſſadors; who, (through ſpecial Grace) can ſay (in truth) that he prizes and values his preſent Poverty and Reproach occaſion'd by his Love to, and Zeal for the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt, more than he doth all the Honour and Riches which this vain flattering and bewitching World is capable of advancing to.
And I greatly hope, and ſincerely pray, that the ever Bleſſed God (who hath endowed you with ſo Excellent a Gift of Underſtanding, and diſcerning the State and Condition of Human Bodies, and of diſtinguiſhing between the manifold and various Maladies and Diſtempers to which they are obnoxious (even to an Excelling the moſt of Phyſitians now in London) and who hath Crown'd your Labours with ſuch Succeſs as beſpeaks you preferrable and deſirable (above all of your Function) by thoſe Patients who have experienc'd your Skill and Faithfulneſs: That this ever Bleſſed God (I ſay) who hath done for you what is now mention'd above; what, I am capable of expreſſing, may prove your ſpiritual Phyſitian in that needful Hour, when decaying Nature is breathing out its Ʋltimum Vale to the preſent World is, and ſhall be the Prayer and Cordial Wiſh of your highly oblig'd and thankful Patient; who ſhall not ceaſe (whatever others think or ſay of you) to Trumpet out your deſerved Fame and real Worth, while I enjoy the Faculties of Memory and Speech. And what I pray, and wiſh God may be to you in a dying Hour, the ſame I pray and wiſh he will be to your dear and Religious Conſort, in whom you are ſo greatly Bleſt. And for both your ſakes (to whom I own my ſelf for ever obliged) I heartily pray, that God may work out for his own (by the effectual Call of his own Spirit) your dear Poſterity, that when you are call'd off, and they (by Providence) are call'd on the Stage of publick Service; they may be Actted by the ſame Spirit whereby ye are both Acted; ſo as their Uſefulneſs in their Day and Place, may render and beſpeak them as ſerviceable and deſirable as their Parents, the which if God vouchſafe them (as I hope he will) they will then live truly Honourable, and die lamented, as I am confident you will whenever you go hence.
My prefixing your worthy Names to the enſuing Treatiſe will (I hope) be lookt on as a making Amends for my great Deficiency and ſhortneſs in Handling ſo ſweet and excellent a Subject; eſpecially in the Eſteem and Judgment of thoſe who have the ſame value for you both, as I have. The Method I have taken in owning your Kindneſs will (I greatly hope) be no way diſpleaſing, ſeeing I know not how otherwiſe to do it to my own Satisfaction. I conclude this ſhort Dedication with my hearty well Wiſhes and Prayer to God for you both; that the Subject of the Appletree (ſo weakly handled in the enſuing Treatiſe) may be (through the Powerful Influence of the Holy Ghoſt in both your Souls) made as delightful to you in reading it, as it was to me in Studying and Preaching it; and as Raviſhing as it was to thoſe at whoſe earneſt Requeſt I have been prevailed with to Publiſh the ſame. I am (Honoured Sir) and virtuous Madam,
Your ever obliged Friend James Barry.