Christ Exalted and Wisdom Justified, Dedication
CHRIST EXALTED, AND WISDOM IUSTIFIED: OR The Saints esteem of Jesus Christ, as most precious, handled; and their wise choice and subjection to him, as then Lord and Saviour, vindicated. BY RICH. EEDES, Minister of the Gospel at Cleeve in Gloucestershire.
LONDON, Printed by A. W. and are to be sold by John Shirley in Little-Brittain, and Tho. Vnderhill, and Samuel Thompson in S. Paul's Church-yard, 1659.
CHRIST'S EXALTATION OR A Word to the wise on the behalf of CHRIST the Word Essentiall. By R. E. Minister of the Gospell.
Eccles. 2.16. My Beloved is mine and I am his.
Eccles. 5 10. My Beloved is the chiefest among ten thousand.
V. 16. Yea he is altogether lovely: This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O Daughters of Jerusalem.
LONDON, Printed in the year, 1659.
To my very much honoured, and Worthy Freind Mrs. Margaret Osborne of Forthampton in Glocestershire.
My deer and true Friend,
SInce Truth is the Daughter of Time, and triall …ommends friendship, after …wenty yeares experience I …ay boldly call you so; It …eldome falls to the lot of Gods Ministers, to find such un…hangeable friends in such changeable times: Many of the Tribe of Levi have me… with the Apostles hard measure, ready to have the…r Eye pull'd out by such as would formerly have been ready to pu… out their own for them; an… may bemoan themselves wit… David, Had it been mine adversary that had done me thi… dishonour, then I could hav… born it, but it was thou m… Companion, my guide, an… mine own familiar freind But I think my self concern'… to speak this to their sham… that are given to change, an… can in the turning of an hand turn Enemies, that ever since I had the honour and happiness first to know you, I have found you expressly, uninter…uptedly, and perseveringly …aithfull, and the foundation of this love was laid (such …as the naturallness, or rather …pirituallness of it) when I had …othing but the face of a …tranger and the name of a …rophet to render me gracious …n your Eyes.
The first Signall of your …nfeyned love to me was the Committing of an invaluable jewell to my trust, your adopted Favorite, and Nephew, Mr. Robert Osborne, whose ingenuity in youth promised very high attainment in his riper yeeres, had not th… hand of Heaven snatcht him hastily from this Earth in th… flower of his age: I speak no… this to renew your griefe though you are one of th… weaker sexe, yet I know yo… are so much a Christian, as t… indeavour a thorough, and universal submission to the han… of our only wise God, and heavenly father, and me think David's consideration may serve to medicat all remainders of sorrow, that you mourn not without hope for one that sleepes in Christ; That you shall shortly goe to him, though he cannot return to you.
I have read of a King that being sollicited by Ambassadors to shew them his treasure, he shewed them his Friends; and this is my aime in my Dedications, to shew the world my Friends, to make my boast of my friends, or rather to make my boast of God all the day long that hath given me such friends.
Having now told the World what a Friend I have, I am further to tell my Friend what a treasure I have presented to her, but that is so great that I am not able to expresse it, or if I were, you were not able to comprehend it: I can prophesy but in part, and you can know but in part, so long as we remain militant, and therefore so as we are on this side Heaven, there will be a dark side as well as a light in that parti-coloured Clowd that reveales to us, and hides from us Christ and Wisdom.
Christ and Wisdom do stand in the Frontispice of this Structure like those stately Pillars Jachin and Boaz in the Porch of Solomon's Temple. 1. Kings. 7.21. And as those signifyed stability and strength, so do these. Christ is the surest stability: The Apostle calls him Iesus Christ, the same yesterday, too day, and for ever. Hebr. 13.8. And Wisdom is of greatest strength, to which acclamation must be given in triumph of Truth, Great is the Truth and will prevaile.
I know you have been long in labour of these lovely twins, Christ and Wisdom, as well as I; and to whom can they more providentially be set to nurse, than (as Moses to his own Mother) to you a Mother in Israell?
In the first Treatise I have travelled in birth that Christ may be formed in Soules, that a precious Saviour may be a precious pearl to precious Soules; And in the second I have been Wisdoms Advocate, which is no mean honour.
If the Ambassadour be never so mean and obscure, yet the Embassy is of greatest Moment, and will deserve wellcome from the greatest upon earth.
Christ and Wisdom are the chiefest jewells, and most radiant in the most imperiall Crownes; Such things as will greaten Greatnes, ennoble Nobility, and defend their Defenders.
Your old Husband, my worthy Friend, was so great a lover of Wisdome, that out of a greedy thirst after it, he set himself to the serious study of the Hebrew tongue when he was 40 yeeres old, and such was his unweary industry, that he dyed a Critick in that holy Language.
His most constant study was to compare our best English Translation with the Hebrew and Greek Originalls, and he gave the Translators the due commendation of their faithfullness; but the Originall Languages were the spectacles, or rather the two eyes with which he read the Scriptures.
And you have been ever …nce I knew you so visible a over of a precious Christ, that presume you have long agoe …xperienc'd him to be the chief…st of ten thousand, and alto…ether lovely.
I need not complement you, …nd wish I had better pro…ision for your entertainment, …or borrow Peter's lame Apo…ogy to the Cripple, silver and …old have I none, but such as … have I give; I know you prize Christ above Gold, and Wis…om above Silver, and I might …ay of this double treasure (if it needed indeering to you as Solomon doth of one part o… it. Pro. 16.16. How muc… better is it to get wisdom tha… gold, and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver.
And Solomon doth not only turn Gold and Silver int… drosse by comparing them t… wisdom, Pro. 2.14. The merchandize of it is better than th… merchandize of Silver, and th… gain of it is better than gold But Paul compares all unto dung and drosse by comparing them unto Christ, Phil. 3.8 I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Iesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the losse of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ.
Having made this gratefull acknowledgment of your stedfast love to me, and some manifestation of a reciprocation in this devote, that your Soul may prosper, I shall not offer that wrong to mine own confidence, or your Candour, as to speak one word for your acceptance; The things themselves will speak lowder to your heart, than any language of mine ca… unto your eye, or eare.
My dear Friend, I begg your pardon, together with you… prayers to God for me, tha… these poor labours of love ma… find acceptance with the Servants of God, and that man… Soules by Gods rich blessin… upon them may increase wit… the increasings of God: S… humbly takes leave
Your Faiths, and the Churches devoted Servant the Lord Christ. RICHARD EEDES.