Gods Waiting to be Gracious Unto His People, Title page – Errata
GODS WAITING TO BE GRACIOVS VNTOUNTO HIS PEOPLE: TOGETHER WITH Englands Encouragements and Cautions to wait on God.
Delivered in certaine Sermons at Milkstreet in LONDON, by THO. CASE, Minister of Gods Word, and Lecturer there.
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Smith, and are to be sold at his shop in Manchester, 1642.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Philip Skippon, Serjeant Major Generall, of the Militia for the Citie of London, and to the worshipfull Rich. Aldworth Esq; and Merchant of the same Citie, with the rest of my much valued and dearly beloved friends, the Inhabitants of the Parish of Saint Maudlins Milk-street.
HOnoured and worthy friends, these Sermons were yours from the Pulpit, and now they present themselves yours from the Presse; whither they were importuned by many of your selves and others, whose interest hath prevailed against mine own inclinations. I presume you will own them now, having first given them roome (I hope) in your hearts, you will not refuse them entertainment into your houses. They come out I must confesse very late, and the times are somewhat altered since I preacht them to you. But the change of the times hath not lessened the encouragement and comfort they hold forth to you, and the rest of the Kingdome: our hopes still are infinitely above our feares; because our feares are but from dying men, but our hopes are in and from the living God, who is working out his own glorious Ends by the desperate oppositions and resistances of his implacable Enemies: this cals for dutie at our hands; for if God support our hopes against all oppositions, it is our turn to maintaine duty against all temptations; these Sermons presse this also upon you; by the perusall whereof I desire your memories may be revived, your Affections edged, your hearts engaged, and your hands strengthned to all the duties God and the times call for; you had need to bestirre your selves, the enemies doe, and there is a curse issued out from the Angel of the Lord against all those that go not forth to the help of the Lord against the mightie; Judg. 5.23.it is not enough not to help the mightie against the Lord; Neuters are enemies in Christs Catalogue; Matth. 12.30.He that is not with me, is against me; and I would not have your Names there for a thousand worlds. Expect not a second service before you do any thing; he that will doe nothing now, will doe nothing then; or if he would, perhaps God then will have none of his help. The Lord loves a cheerefull giver; Speed will double your contributions, and make not the Kingdome only, but God your debtour; who would not be ambitious to be first to lay hold on such an advantage? that man consults shame and ruine to himselfe and family, who having silver, gold, plate, &c. lying by him shall hazard King and Kingdome, Religion and Lawes, and a Parliament that sweats and conflicts for the preservation of all, rather than he will see his cupboard unfurnish't, a bag or two lie emptie, or an abatement in his accompts: and if all should miscarry (which God forbid) in the mid'st of publike combustion, there is a Rust that will be Gods Witnesse and Executioner too, when Conscience shall cry, Jam. 5.1.2.3.I have seen a Kingdome perish to spare that which given or lent might have saved me and the Kingdome: but kept, can serve for no other use new but to burne my flesh as it were fire.
But I am perswaded better things of you, and things that accompany Salvation (your own and the Kingdomes) though I thus speake.
Your enlarged bowels of Compassion towards many of the Servants of Jesus Christ, both Ministers, and others, especially to your poore, naked, hungry brethren in Ireland, exprest in such a liberall contribution to their necessities, is gone forth into many places of the Kingdome, and hath provoked others to emulation and hath abounded also by many thanksgivings unto God, 2 Cor. 9.12.and I cannot beleeve that you whose bowels would not suffer you to see a few of your poore brethren perish for want of succour, can find in your heart to see your Mother the Church and Common-wealth in danger of miscarrying, and not even emptie your purses and your selves for a timely prevention of so unconceiveable an evill. I know your hand hath not been out of any designe for publike good; and it is already I presume engaged in this service (as you are taught of God to doe it) but with the Apostles, I beseech you brethren that you abound more and more: If your Peace, Honour, Gaines were not bound up in this service, 1 Thes. 1.9.10.I would have held my peace, but your love to me, and Entertainment of my Ministery commands me to studie your advantage, Phil. 4.17.and to desire fruit that may abound to your account: God that hath given many of you Estates, hath not, will not deny you hearts. You are deare unto me, and therefore I desire you may be not only good, but Exemplary in Goodnesse: not only blessed, but a blessing in the mid'st of the Citie and Kingdome: which that you may be, shall be the enlarged prayer of him that is
Yours to love and serve you in all Gospel offices, THO. CASE.
To the Reader.
Reader,
HEre be Comforts and Cautions for thee, the one to keep thee from sinking, the other to keepe thee from sleeping; comforts that thou mayest not despaire of thine and Englands welfare, Cautions that thou thy self mayest not destroy it; Comforts to keep thee cheerfull under dangers, Cautions to keep thee from being wanton under hopes; I would have thee studie both, without preferring one before another. If thou wouldst have England saved, help to save it, else thou deceivest thy selfe and betrayest the Kingdome. If Englands fears were greater, Jer. 5.1.thy Reformation may save it; it was once said, Find me a man and I will pardon, if thou mightest be that one or one of that many, what an honour? if our Hopes were greater thy sin and security may undo it; one sinner destroyes much good, Eccles. 9.18.if thou shouldest be that one, or one of such a many, what a mischief? That's true hope that runs out into holinesse; that is peace from God. which draws the heart neerer to Revel. 2.14.The Lord fill thee brim full with this hope, with this peace. Our sinnes are the Enemies strength which girds them to the battle, and therefore when Baalam could not curse, he taught Balack a way to insnare Israel, Make God their enemie and you will overcome them. Our Hosts are now going forth against our enemies, Deut. 23.9.now keep thee from every wicked thing. The Rebels are our enemies, our sinnes are Gods enemies; if thou wouldst have God doe execution upon thy enemies, doe thou execution upon his. Make God on our side, and then thou mayest shake thy head at Rabshekah, Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? Isai. 37.23.&c. I will say but this, It is holinesse onelyonly that is impregnable, invincible. God never destroyed an holy people; Isai. 26.1.2.Study to be holy and thou shalt be happy, and the Kingdome in thee, and thou in it.
Reader, if thou come hither for curiositie, it is not here; if to jeere (though I am very sensible of my own nothingnesse) thou shalt doe thy selfe more wrong than me; If thou readest for such ends as I desire to write, (the Kingdomes good, and thy souls good) though thou see my weeknesse, thou art welcome; and the Lord say so too: So prayes
Thine in any office to serve Christ in thee, THOMAS CASE.
It is ordered by the Committee of the House of Commons in Parliament concerning Printing, this 27. day of June, 1642. that this book be printed.
John White.
READER doe thy selfe and the Authour that kindnesse, as with thy Pen (before thou read) to correct in thine own Copie amongst many these few grosse escapes and mistakes of the Presse.
PAge 50. line 23. read, waters shall be sure. p. 66. l. 11. r. under for in the effusion &c. p. 68. l. 1. r. Of joy &c. p. 89. l. 25. blot out And. p. 90. l. 28. r. what for with. p. 109. l. 1. r. in so much that when those &c. p. 110. l. 6. r. that could give such hopes &c. p. 112. l. 1. r. with Hamans &c. l. 2. r. and a better oracle, can there not be then &c. l. 3. r. hath Caused &c. l. 9. at what time. p. 119. last l. save one, r. wrought out of the &c. p. 120. l. 30. adde the influence &c. p. 121. l. 28. put I fear. l. 29. a poore. p. 122. l. 10. in Scripture &c. p. 138. l. 24. r. people, and his own seeming. p. 139. l. 22. r. probable for powerfull. l. 28. put Charter for Character. p. 159. marg. r. foreign. &c.
With other faults thou shalt find, whether in words, letters or stops, either mend them or bear with them, these are the mistakes that in a sudden survey I have discovered.
L.F.