Comfort and Counsel for Dejected Souls, To the reader
To the READER.
Friend:
I Have alwayes thought, (and still doe) that there are two ſorts of People whom wee ought to eye in all our Preaching, viz. deſperate ſinners, and deſpairing Saints; the former need Coraſives, the latter Cordials. It is, and ſhould be our worke, and wiſdome, to endeavour the humbling of the one, and the heightening of the other: The firſt are to be made to know their tranſgreſſions, the ſecond are to be told of their pardon. And with reference to both theſe, Christ hath furniſhed us with convicting, and comforting gifts and grounds.
It is the ſecond ſort which I eyed in the Preaching, and printing of theſe enſuing Notes, and if thou be of this ſort, I ſhall not need to invite thee to read, but rather beſeech thee to beleeve, that all the comforts which are in Chriſt are for thee; for to this end he was annoynted, that he might proclaime the glad tidings of peace, pardon, liberty, acceptance, &c. to ſuch as thou art.
If thou be of the firſt ſort, viz. A deſperate preſumptuous ſinner, I ſay to thee, Hands off, as yet thou haſt no part in the comforts of God. Chriſt will certainly make thee (in a meaſure) know what ſorrow meanes, if he intend thee joy. Thou wilt be dejected before thou art exalted, and ſurely couldeſt thou but ſee thy ſtate (whilſt a preſumptuous ſinner) thou wouldest cry out, What ſhall I doe to be ſaved? But hoping better things of thee, and ſuch as accompany ſalvation, I ſhall acquaint thee only with foure things about this enſuing tract.
1 That it is the ſubſtance of many Sermons, and that when it was preached, it was by much, more then now it is. Yet,
2 That the abatement in the printing, from what it was in preaching, is not materiall. Things are here in briefe, which then were more largely opened; and I preſume, thy eye will reape as much by a little, which is stil before thee to looke upon; as thine Eare can by a great deale more, which (though it be longer, and larger in the receiving of, yet) is quickly paſſed by and forgotten.
3 The ſubject treates with dejected ſoules, to whom the ſweeteſt words of freeſt Grace are little enough; And therefore if thou thinke ſome paſſages tend to a preſumption (though none I know of are ſo) remember dejected ſoules are farre enough from that, being more ready to deſpaire then to hope, notwithſtanding the cleareſt diſcoveries of Chriſts love and ſweetneſſe.
4 The whole was at firſt intended for, and delivered to a particular Congregation in a private way; And had not they ſealed to it, as to the truth of Chriſt, it had been buried in the darke, and never come to this publick light.
I have onelyonly two Requeſts to make to thee, and I have done with thee.
My Firſt Requeſt is this, That thou bee not haſty in reading; But that thou meditate on what is tendred. The Bee which onelyonly lights upon a flower, gathers no hony: Its her abiding a while, that ſuckes out the ſweete. Such Readers get but a little, who rather runne over, then read a Booke. And that perſon will finde but little ſweetneſse in a cordiall, who onelyonly holds it a little while in his mouth. Its meditation which renders truths ſweet. I have indeavoured to write much in a little; and I dare humbly promiſe, that if thou wilt but weigh and conſider ſeriouſly; what I ſay to any Head, thou wilt finde a great deale more matter then words. Its true, I have not, handled things ſo largely as I might; but yet I have ſuggested what might bee ſufficient to my purpoſe, which is, not ſo much to convince the diſputeing Heads, as to comfort the dejected Hearts of Chriſtians.
This therefore is my firſt Requeſt that thou meditate on what thou readeſt.
My next Requeſt is this, That if in any part (or in the whole) thy attainment be above what is here offered, that thou doe not ſlight it altogether upon that account.
Even David himſelfe was ſometimes aloft, and never thought of thoſe dejections, under which hee afterwards groaned.
And peradventure, though now thou keepe holy day, and feaſt with Chriſt, in full aſſurance: A day or houre of temptation may come, in which thou mayeſt bee glad of a crumme of comfort; And then this poore tracte may bee of ſome uſe to thy ſoule.
In the interim pittie and pray for thoſe who either are in, or lyable to a dejected ſtate, needing both comfort and counſell too.
And in ſo doing, thou ſhalt further the deſigne (and indeed particularly and ſingularly oblige the Authour) of this tract, who is,
Reader, Thy faiths friend, and Souls-Servant. JOHN DVRANT.