The Sinners Hope, Dedication to the reader
To The Chriſtian Reader, Eſpecially to thoſe of the Congregation of Mancheſter, in the County of Lancaſter, To whoſe Service The Lord hath at preſent appointed him in the Miniſtry of The Goſpell.
Dear Friends:
IT is the Judicious Obſervation of one, that it is no marvaile if many things in nature, which are unknown in their cauſes be very wonderfull, when many naturall things, that are known, are no leſſe wonderfull, if the commonneſſe did not prevent our conſideration of them, and they would be no leſſe admired and queſtioned for preternaturall, if not ſo commonly known as they are. And amongſt ſome others this of Letters, whereby men ſpeak with one another by their hands, and a man may diſcourſe with him that hath been dead ſome hundreds of years by taking up his booke and reading, as if he were raiſed from the dead to ſpake with him. It was the great goodneſs of God that directed ſome inſtruments at firſt to this moſt neceſſary help, upon many accounts to mankind in all the Affairs and concernments of life, and as an high improvement of this, no leſſe admirable and gratious was that providence of God that ſet this way of printing on foot, which as it is ſuch in the thing it ſelfe; ſo in that (as it is obſerved) it was in ſuch a time when much uſe was made to a bad end of the writings of men, wherein the vulgar were much abuſed and miſled by the falſe quotations and gloſſes upon the more rare and hard to be gotten written copies, that were then extant; as alſo, that when the light of the goſpell begun to break out again after a diſmall night of ignorance and ſuperſtition, there ſhould be ſuch a ready meanes prepared for the tranſmitting and diſperſing of this light all over the Chriſtian Churches; the benefits of which bleſſed providence we and our fore-fathers have abundantly taſted: And though I can not but bewaile the manifold miſchiefs and inconveniences of a licentious unlicenſed preſſe, the horrible abuſe and adulterating of this excellent benefit; yet the profit of printing, whereby we are made partakers of the labours of the Godly and and learned in former times and the labours of others may be transferred to poſterity, muſt needs be acknowledged as a glorious Mercy. I muſt needs confeſſe it was far from my thoughts ever to have ſaid thus much on this matter upon ſo feeling an occaſion as this is, but my deſire is to be ſerious in this undertaking, and to have an eye at God, and the ſpeciall end wherein I might be uſefull in this matter, how poore and meane ſoever the attempt be, or whatever it ſhall pleaſe God the ſucceſs ſhall be.
The manifeſtation of the ſpirit is given to every man to profit withall. 1 Cor. 12 7. v. 4.And there are differences of guifts, but the ſame ſpirit: To one is given by the ſame Spirit, A word of Wiſdome to another a word of knowledge by the ſame Spirit. A word of Wiſdome to ſpeak Parables, A word of knowledge, to open and explaine parables as a learned Annotator and Paraphraſt upon that Scripture.Sit ergo ſcientia mediocris cognitio; ſapientia vero revelationes magis arcanas et ſubl…mes contineat. Calvin in Loc. Calvin makes this knowledge to be, more mean attainments in the more myſterious things of God, and that of Wiſdome to be more penetrating into more high and hidden things. As therefore mens guifts do differ, ſo muſt needs the Books that are written by men of by differing gifts; I muſt needs confeſſe, my ſhare in this rich bounty in the things that are freely given us of God hath been, in what meaſure ſoever it is, of this ſecond kind; having attained (and deſirous to be heartily thankfull for it too) but to that of ſome Word of knowledge, at the utmoſt, that Mediocris cognitio, that meaner knowledg in theſe glorious myſteries; a word to explaine, open, and endeavour to ſet on, what is plainly ſet forth in Scripture for mans ſalvation. And whatever I am of this (more I am not ſuſpected of, I am ſure) it is a ſpeciall guift of the Spirit to be a plain preacher, and upon this conſideration being conſcious to my ſelf of my own weakneſs, I ſhould have reſolvedly kept my ſelf retired, if I had known that none but the fruits of the guifts of Wiſdome, in the more accurate and judicious labours of men of higher parts and abilities, could be of uſe to the Church of God.
I am (I bleſſe God) content with that part the Lord hath called me to act in his Church, and for which he hath in any meaſure furniſhed me, though much burthened and unſatisfied, that I do not what I might do to the utmoſt therein: and yet I oft think of what a judicious Divine once ſaid of one very famous for a practicall preacher, that we were in a ſad condition, if we had no able. Miniſters in England to deal with gain-ſayers, then ſuch as he. And I do bleſſe God that he hath furniſhed out many excellently qualified, and enabled to manage the controverſies of the times with much strength and and clearneſs, and to defend the truth againſt all Oppoſers. And though the multitude of Polemick diſcourſes hath bred ſome inconvenience, and many of theſe worthy Champions well skill'd at their weapons have been too apt to fall from the publick ſervice, to engage in unhandſome and ſome unwarrantable duells, making many controverſies and ingagements wholly perſonall, and ſo the fruit of this hath no way anſwered the time, parts and paines that have been uſed in it upon many occaſſions: yet to nauſeate or under value parts and labours this way, were for a peaceable people to throw away their defence and bulwarks in a trained military power for their preſervation. If we would have no Souldiers to defend us, our Enemies will find Souldiers to oppoſe us, and without reſiſtance by ſome well experienced Champions, to deſtroy us: And if we decry all polemick learning, we may ſoon be overthrown by it in our adverſaries, who cheriſh it to the utmoſt; and cannot be oppugned, nor the truth defended againſt them, unleſs by ſome eminently skil'd in it on our ſide: Men could not have peace, if it were not for warre; few would ſoone be to live in reſt, if none to maintaine war upon occaſion: Beſides, theſe pretious men of God thus ſpecially qualified keep the Bulwarks, whilſt others leſſe fit for ſuch ſervice ſhould ſet on foot and improve the trade of religion, by which we muſt ſubſiſt and live eternally. Every miniſter ſhould have his competency in both, the word of Wiſdome, and the word of Knowledge, though ſome mens potior parts, may lie more in the one, and leſſe in the other. But controverſie maintains the truth, and practicall piety improves it, that, without tending on this, defends a ſhadow, fights for religion while the heart and life is gone from it; this without that, lies open to uncertainty, continuall diſturbances from oppoſers, and danger of building without a foundation, theſe can not well and truly be the one without the other, ſo likewiſe theſe do one, remotely yet often very effectually, the work of the other: Controverſies well ſtated and cleared in many points lay the foundation ſolid for the power of Godlineſſe to build on; and the power of Godlineſs heartily admitted doth notably prepare for the right judging of controverſies and tends much to the quieting of them. I have taken leave to commend in theſe lines that part which here I preſent not to you: But yet I am confident of it, that I may get leave for the, whoever thou art that art more in controverſies, then the ſtudy of thine own heart, to lay aſide thoſe things, til this be firſt done. It is very ſad when men when read controverſies to ſatisfie the luſt and curioſity of their own carnall mindes, rather then to enquire into the truth under them, for Gods glory and the affecting their hearts therewith which it is poſſible for thee to have done, read practicall books another while, and amongst the reſt this, if thou pleaſe: I would thou mighſt return to thoſe things another man, and leſſe of thoſe matters would ſerve the turn, Five may be put out by taking away the fewel, as wel as by throwing on water; this ſtudy may heal diviſion by diverſions and by giving men a truer notion of differences, and of the ſeed and fuell of them from within us, which while the matter of prastical religion's neglected men have notwith them. The clenſing the ſtomack may prevent fumes into the head and cure the diſeaſe in that part this way. I I have purpoſeſly waved ſuch a notion of this very ſubject, as might have looked towards a controverſie, as alſo the like conſideration of it, referring to us as a nation gotten like the people of Iſrael in Ezra's time into a great tranſgreſſion, and under ſore judgments for the ſame, and what hopes might be in this thing I have but touched on the by; and all becauſe I ſee this other particular courſe to drive at the root of all diſeaſes amongſt us; if mens hopes were founded, ſecured, and improved about their own ſoules, it would ſoon give us a true ground of hope of things ſucceeding yet well in Church and ſtate. What God may be about to do with us of this Nation I am ſometimes deſirous to be enquiring after; the tokens of Gods diſpleaſure towards us are many as formerly, ſo of late more eſpecially in the ſickneſſes, ſtrang, epedemicall and of long continuance; ſuddain death; untimely and ſad accidents; the removall of the righteous, the Chariots of Iſrael and the horſemen thereof, ſome hopefull young men prepared for the miniſtry prevented with the crown, before the Church had any tast of their labours (a mercy no doubt unto them, but ſharpeſt diſpleaſure unto us) Reformation ſadly at a ſtand; many, ſenſleſs of any great evills upon us; many have been crying out of glorious times, till the very ſhadows of the evening are upon us, and we almoſt ſpent, the Nation ſecretly waſting and conſuming under our late brags of proſperity: the ſuddain and ſtrange revolutions; the turnings upſide down; the backward and forward proceedings in the affairs of the ſtate. And what ſhall we think will become of us? well may we thus conclude, that if God intend to keepe us for his people he will reform us, and before we be reformed, the heart of the people of the land must be prepared to the Lord God of their fathers (for the want of that kept up the high places in good and reforming governours times,2. Chro. 20.23. …. Chr. 34.3. and after when Joſiah did bring that to paſs, the heart of the people was yet unfit for ſuch a ſtate, and ſo reformation ſecured them not, as a people may drive off reformation ſo long, that when it comes it may not cure them) but now what way ſo like to prepare the heart of the people, as by ſetting them to this ſtudy of their own hearts? my expectation of our reviving in the Nation is, if God reſtore and revive his work on his peoples hearts, if wicked men be turned, and men ſeriouſly ſtudy theſe matters about the ſoul, theſe cloſe and inward things wherein we are gotten ſo far wide, as we are, the man that can ſave a ſoul is likeſt to be inſtrumentall to ſave the Land: The generall deſired reformation muſt begin, and be carried on in the particular care of every man about his own ſoul. If theſe hopes here layd down were improved, as here indeavoured to be preſſed, we might of the generall threating ſtate of the whole ſay, that, There might yet now be hopes in Iſrael concerning this thing.
That I ſhould adventure theſe papers into the world, it cannot be out of any conceipt I can have of any thing extraordinary in them, the profit of practical books I have had the comfortable experience of in my ſelf and others; the matter of this is not novell, neither every way common: The things may be found in other treatiſes of the like kind, the method and particular digeſtion of them may be new, however all good books of the like ſubject fall not into the ſame hands, and this may light where ſome of theſe things may be news, at leaſt,2. Pet: 1.12. where the Children of God may well bear their being put in remembrance of theſe things, though they may already know them, eſpecially you of my charge, dear to me in the Lord, becauſe ſeverall of your conditions I have perticularly digested in this diſcourſe, and I judged, upon the importunity of many of you to this publication, that it might be of uſe unto you to peruſe, that ſo you might be more familiar with theſe things, which I find many ſtill needing, as if nothing almoſt of this kind had been delivered.
It is much in my heart to perſwade Christians to read practicall books, and to ſtudy to looke after a ſpirituall proviſion from the Sabboth dayes and theſe helps, for their Souls to live more handſomely upon, then many of us do; to lay in on the market day to live on that week after, and when freſh proviſion is ſcarce or ſpent; or if thou wouldſt feaſt or have variety, it were good to have a ſtore, though of cel… proviſſion, to furniſh the Table with: we ſhould not keep ſuch ſtarved houſes for Religion, as is too common amongſt us, if this courſe and forecaſt were on foot. Time were well redeemed in families, to read ſome one of theſe books every day, and if this ſmall tract may be helpfull to any this way, I ſhall have much cauſe to rejoyce.
For my credit in this undertaking the Lord helped me over any thoughts at that, before I could hearken in the leaſt to the motion of appearing thus to the World. It is for thy good (dear Reader) that I have ventured my ſelf in point of credit no little: I ſhall challenge thy improvement of what is here tendred to thee with no other apologie; then thy ſerious thoughts of accounting for it at the barr of God. It is a weak Miniſter indeed, that ſhall either preach or print, if it be but truth, that may not lay enough before thee to heighten thy reckoning at that day.
I cannot (to invert that of Chriſt's friends to him) do this thing openly and ſeek to keep my ſelf in ſecret; Jo. 7.4.ſome hands this book may fall into, that I had not chiefly in mine eye in the publiſhing of it, and I ſhall not perſwade them to lay it down, I print not upon your motives, yet I may do it in part for your ſakes; I would wiſh you to ſuſpend your ſcorne and cenſure, till you have well ſecured your concernment in this very matter; look to the ſtate of your immortall ſoules, which you may ſoone come to the tryall of, and for this book or me do as you pleaſe. As it carries the meſſage of thegne at God and our Lord Jeſus Chriſt to men that muſt live for ever, perſwading them to come in, I know it is of that validity & athority that my name can no way diminiſh it; and I wil not derogate ſo much from the majeſty of the embaſſage, as to aſk your leave or pardon, that it is tendred to you. Reject it on your perill; It is the word, not which is, or can be by man, expoſed ſo to you to judge of, but that one day it ſhall recover its place, and be that by which you ſhall be judged For my ſelf I am willing to be in your eſteeme as you ſee fit, provided you neither wrong the truth nor your ſelves for me. If you receive any ſpirituall good here from, if you never ſee me, return thanks to God, who is always with you, and ſtands by you, and obſerves your very harts in the motion, the very title of the Book makes upon you, and to whome, I intreat you, ſpeak a word for your friend (though unknown to you) when it ſhall be well with you. If you refuſe to read or reading refuſe to hearken, you will give me leave to own my name, as one amongſt other witneſſes, againſt you, when we meet at the great day; and till then to be known to you, as one deſiring to be (as to others) dear to me in the Lord,
Your ſouls faithful friend and Servant in the Goſpel. Henry Newcome.
The Sinners Hope.
EZRA X. 2.
—Yet now there is Hope in Iſrael concerning this thing.