Divine Drops Distilled from the Fountain of Holy Scripture, Title page – To the reader
Divine Drops Diſtilled from the FOUNTAIN OF Holy Scriptures: Delivered in ſeveral Exerciſes before SERMONS, upon Twenty and three Texts of Scripture.
By that worthy Goſpel Preacher Gual…er Cradock, Late Preacher at All-Hallows Great in London.
Deut. 32. 2. My Doctrine ſhall drop as the Rain, my Speech ſhall diſtil as the Dew.
Job 29. 22. After my words they ſpake not again, and my ſpeech dropped upon them.
London, Printed by R. W. for Rapha Harford, at the Bible in Queens Head Alley, neer Pater-noſter Row. 1650.
The ſeveral Texts handled in the enſuing Work.
ISaiah 9. 12, 13, &c.
Iſai. 26. 1, 2, 3.
Iſai. 27. 1, 2, 3, 4, &c.
Iſai. 28. 15, &c.
Iſai. 40. 1.
Iſai. 65. 5, &c.
Iſai. 66. 12, &c.
Deut. 4.
Pſal. 83.
Pſal. 116.
Micah 4. 1, 2, 3, &c.
Habak. 2. 4.
Matth. 19. ult.
Luke 18. 1.
Rom. 6. 14.
Epheſ. 3. 20.
Epheſ. 5. 1, 2.
Phil. 2. 1, 2, 3, &c.
Heb. 12. 18, 19, 20, &c.
2 Pet. 1. 9, 10, 11, 12.
Jude 19.
2 Cor. 11. 3.
Jerem. 6.
TO THE READER.
Chriſtian Reader.
THou art here preſented with a little Work, intituled, Divine Drops: Drops indeed they may be called, being but ſmall in quantity; but Divine and Spiritual for their quality, as thou ſhalt eaſily perceive, if thou peruſe them with a ſpiritual eye. They were ſeveral ſhort Exerciſes of the worthy Author, delivered in publike before his Sermons; wherein thou ſhalt finde many Goſpel Truths, which may not onelyonly tend to thy ſpiritual profit, but delight, the work being interwoven with variety of ſubjects. It is like a pleaſant Garden, wherein thou mayeſt gather choice of ſpiritual flowers: In one Bed thou ſhalt finde the juſt anger of God provoked by ſin, in another, the confidence of the Saints in God their refuge; in another, the Hypocrite diſcovered; in another, the comfort of Gods people proclaimed; in another, (if I may ſo ſpeak without offence) the ſpiritual fondneſs between God and his Saints deſcribed; and in all, that which may by the help of Gods Spirit, tend to thy comfort and edification.
I had ſpared my pains in prefacing, but being informed, that ſome (though very unworthily) have incenſed the Author againſt the publiſhing of theſe things: For the Vindication of it, and my ſelf, I have adventured theſe few lines. The work was not gotten out of my hands, without the importunity of divers godly men; who having formerly enjoyed the miniſtery of this Reverend Preacher; and now being deprived of it by his abſence, ſince they could not enjoy him as they would, deſired to have him preſent, as they might, namely, in the peruſal of ſome of his works; and I hope that ſhall not offend him, that may do ſo many good. Good is of a diffuſive nature, and the better the good, the more it is communicated. Some petty good things may be impropriated in the hands of a few, but the beſt, even natural good things (without which Creatures cannot ſubſist) are common to all, as the Sun, and the Air, &c. Good actions of good men (eſpecially that are intended for the publike) are like the motion of the water, wherein a ſtone is caſt; there appears firſt a little circle, which grows greater and greater, till it have overſpred the whole. And though theſe precious Truths were at firſt delivered in publike, yet the Walls of one Church could not contain many hundreds; whereas now by this means, the benefit may reach many thouſands. And as Iob ſpeaks of corporal food, the loyns of the poor bleſſed him for it; ſo I doubt Job 31. 20.not, but the ſouls of many poor Chriſtians may have cauſe to bleſs the Author for theſe ſpiritual Viands, who never ſaw his face; and being written for the Generation to come, the people which Pſal. 102 18.ſhall be created ſhall praiſe the Lord.
It is true, the Word of God in the hearing of it, is like milk immediately drawn from the breſt, that hath more ſtrength, and ſpirits in it, then after it hath ſtood in the veſſel; yet hearing is tranſient, and the memory trecherous and frail, and apt to let good things ſlip: Therefore, though the Prieſts and Levites had the Book of the Law, yet God commands the King to write him out a copy of it, that he might Deut. 17. 18.have recourſe to it all the days of his life. Many excellent Proverbs of Solomon, it is likely, had been loſt (as ſome other of his Works are) had not the men of Hezekiah, King of Judah, Prov. 25. 1.copied them out. And I am ſure, of late days, the Works of many worthy Men *Dr. Preſton, Dr. Sibbs, Mr. Shute, Mr. Ramſden, &c., had been drowned in oblivion, had they not floated in ſuch an Ark as this; and for ought I know, the Truths here preſented, had been uſeful to none, but thoſe that heard them, had they not been preſerved this way. And if for our unfruitfulneſs, our Halcion days ſhould be turned into ſuch as were the Marian times; who knows what ſweetneſs may ſecretly be ſucked from ſuch breſts of conſolation?Iſal. 66. 11.
I confeſs, had the Author publiſhed the things himſelf, it is likely they might have been more exactly adorned for circumſtance; but it is his own expreſsion, That Goſpel ſpiritual Truths have that ſelf excellency, that they have no more need of the Embroidery of humane learning, then a ſuite of Skarlet to be laid with Copper Lace. The things are ſubſtantial, ſolid, and ſerious, ſet forth in the Authors own Language and Phraſe, without alteration, only repetitions omitted, and not them neither, where they are emphatical: And I am confident, whoever heard them delivered, ſhall finde his very veſtigia in the reading of them, as many have acknowledged, that in reading his former Book publiſhed, they called to minde what they had heard, though there were the diſtance of ſome yeers between.
I have not (not ever did, in any mans works) taken the boldneſs to adde one piece of a ſentence, or to diminiſh ought. The Leſſons are wholſom and cordial; thou ſhalt herein finde no lethal Gourd, that any ſhould cry out, There is 2 King 4 40.death in the Pot. If there be any material error, I deſire to bear the blame; if there be any literal faults, let the Printer own them; if neither, let them blame themſelves, who (without cauſe) have endevored to prejudice the Work.
For my own particular, had I aymed at private gain, I could have imployed my time and pains with advantage that way in other things; but he who knoweth the heart, knoweth I intended the publike good in it; and if a Chriſtian muſt forgive his brother to ſeventy Mat. 18. 22.times ſeven times, when perhaps ſometimes he may wilfully offend, I hope I ſhall eaſily obtain pardon, who if I have offended, it is in that, wherein I expected encouragement; and if I be evil ſpoken of for this, it is for that, for which 2 Cor. 10. 3.I give thanks. I ſhall detain thee no longer from the matter, but commend it to thy ſerious and judicious Conſideration; and it, and thee, to the bleſsing of him, who onelyonly can give increaſe to all good endevors, and reſt
Thine, in Chriſtian Duty, THO. SHELTON.