The Sinners Hope, To the reader
To the Reader who is ſpiritually alive, and reads for ſpiritual nouriſhment.
Good Reader:
THat the bountifull God might make his afflicted and ſuffering people great amends, he hath not only broken the iron yoak of Epiſcopacy, and ſuperſtitious ceremonies ſo pinching and preſſing; but hath bleſſed us with a Covenant, and beginnings of deſired reformation (at firſt the wonder, and ſtill the ſupport of the faithful in the Covenant) ſince which time the preſſe hath been fruitfull in practicall treatieſs, wherein as a Token of Covenant friendſhip, The Lord hath made a Feaſt of fat things, a feaſt of Wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, Iſ. 25.6.of wines on the lees well refined; That the ſpirit of Truth and Holyneſs, might ſecretly and powerfully increaſe the power and practiſe of Godlineſs in the truly Godly (the only ready way to perfect reformation) by ſound and ſpiritual food, choiſly provided and ſeverally diſhed, not only publickly and weekly in Gods own houſe (where he is liberall and openhanded) but privately and dayly in their own Houſes, in their families and cloſets, where this Heavenly Manna is ever ready for them to take, and feed upon, whilſt others have been faſt turning their ſometimes forward profeſſion of the power of Godlineſs into a liveleſs and lawleſs forme, and the unclean Spirit hath been every way active in practicall errors, as ſeparation, firſt from Churches of Gods making, and after of mans; caſting down authorities and trampling upon them, as mire in the ſtreet, forging commiſſions for publick preaching; caſhiering the Chriſtian Sabbath, and liſting the Jewiſh; puddle dipping the rightly baptized in infancy; cole-blacking the ſtarres in Chriſts right hand, as worthy to looſe their light and place; and openly contradicting and blaſpheming that clear & dazling light of truth, ſtreaming from them all, and eſpecially the laſt, tending to Goſpell baniſhment. This is one of the rare if not unobſerved providences of theſe late reling and rolling times, Acts. 3.45.46.the lively workings of gods ſpirit, to bring the hidden and deep myſteries of the Word written (and copied out into the hearts of gods Miniſters) into Sermons, & Sermons into printed volumes & printed volumes into the Houſes of the godly, that after they have read the exceeding great and pretious promiſes of God in his own Book, they may read the reality of them in the books of them in the books of his Meſſengers, who have believed and proved, and ſpoken and written what themſelves have read and heard, and ſeen and learned, that the faith of true believers might be ſtrong, and their joy full. This providence minds us of the ſeven years of ſo great plenty in Egypt, when god fitted and raiſed up Joſeph to gather together that plenty, and to lay it up in ſtorehouſes, for a ſupply in the ſucceeding anſwerable years of famine. Theſe late years have been years of plenty for heavenly Manna, Gods ſteps have dropped fatneſs, there have been ſhowers of bleſſing, Jo. 12.23.24.the Miniſters of God (as the chiefe ſheapherds dying as the corn ſown) have born much fruit; God hath fitted and raiſed up many Joſephs to gather this plenty into ſtore-houſes, I pray God, that years of famine be not to follow, when there will be no food, or but little food but in ſuch ſtore-houſes, when the witneſſes ſhall have finiſhed their teſtimony and be ſlain: Certainly books are diſhes, wherein Chriſt ſerves in food to his Church in the wilderneſſe, to his ſcattered Church, to ſingle Saints, However providence may order matters, This ſtorehouſe and ſuch like are worthy the Chriſtian mans entertainment and welcome, having this priviledge, there can be no waſt of this ſpirituall ſtore by the uſe of it, here is fulneſs in time of plenty, and will be fulneſſe in time of famine, this plenty though on the increſing hand, breeds no ſurfeit in healthfull and hungry ſoules. I doubt not the providence and pains of this our Joſeph, gathering together and ſtoring up the hopes of all ſorts, that are not paſt hopes, will be acceptable to the Church of God, and eſpecially to my good and loving neighbours in, and about, Mancheſter, who have already ſavourily fed upon this ſtore, and for whoſe ſake, in a peculiar ſort, this proviſion is thus treaſured up. Their bleſſings, both in Ordinances and providences, have prevailed above the bleſſings of their neighbours, God hath turned away the Sword from their gates, limited the peſtilence and other fore diſeaſes amongſt them, tranſlated their lights, and again fild their candleſticks, cured the pride and power of the ſpirit of error, increaſed and twiſted the cords of their union, and heightned their hopes of the ſpreading and increaſing of the power of godlineſs, which God eſtabliſh. The God of their Mercy grant,Phil. 2 22. that aged Paul and young Timothy (who hitherto hath ſerved with him in the Goſpell, as a Son with the Father) may long, and long live and love and labour together, and be bleſſed in their labors, and remain a bleſſing to that great congregation, both ſowing precious ſeed, and reaping the labours of thoſe men of God, who have laboured with them, and before them to the defeating of Satans policies, the diſappointing of the deluded hopes of the buſy ſpirit of diviſion, the raiſing and eſtabliſhing of the grounded hopes of the righteous, and the united joy and glory of Miniſters and people at that great day of gathering together unto Jeſus Chriſt, which for the churches ſake is the hearty deſire and prayer of
Thy ſoules friend, who doth rejoyce and bleſs God with thee, for the love and labours of his Servants, John Angier: