The Way to True Happiness, Title page – Dedication
THE WAY TO TRUE HAPPINESSE, Or, the WAY TO HEAVEN Open'd.
In a SERMON before the Right Honourable, the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the CITY of LONDON, Jan. 28. 1654/5
By RALPH VENNING.
GAL. 6.15, 16.
For in Chriſt Jeſus, neither Circumciſion availeth any thing, nor uncircumciſion, but a new Creature; and as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them and mercy, and upon the Iſrael of God.
LONDON, Printed by T. R. and E. M. for John Rothwel, at the Fountain and Bear in Goldſmiths Row, in Cheap-ſide. 1655.
PACKE Mayor. Tueſday, Jan. 30. 1654.
ORdered that Maſter Venning be deſired from this Court to print, as fully as he can, his SERMON at Pauls on the laſt Lords day.
SADLER.
To the Right Honourable CHRISTOPHER PACKE LORD MAYOR, And the Right Worſhipful the ALDERMEN of the CITY OF London.
Honourable and Honoured,
THat I print this Sermon, and that I print it more largely then I preach't it, is in obedience to your Order, which (having reſolved a former ſcruple of mine,) will warrant me for ſo doing, without making any further Apologie; though I hope that the Readers advantage alſo will be the more. That my preaching then was not, and that my ſpeech now is not, with the enticing words of mans wiſdom, but I hope in the evidence and demonſtration of the Spirit and Power. The reaſon is, that your faith ſhould not ſtand in the wiſdome of words, but in the words of wiſdome, or, as the Apoſtle phraſeth it, not in the wiſdom of men, but in the Power of God: and that the heavenly treaſure might not taſte of the earthen veſſel.
Certainly there was never more need then in our dayes of preaching and preſſing that of our bleſſed Saviour, Labour not, or work not for the meat which periſheth, but for that which endureth to everlaſting life and if any ſay to me as they to him, What ſhall we do that we may work the Work of God? I refer them to the enſuing Diſcourſe for their Anſwer. Concerning which I only deſire that the Scriptures may be ſearch't which do abundantly witneſſe thereunto: To the Law and to the Teſtimony, if it ſpeak not according to that rule, there is no light in it; but if it appear, (as I beleeve it will) to be the voice of God, and not of man; I hope none will quarrel with it, leſt they be found fighters againſt God, and why ſhould we provoke the Lord to jealouſie? unleſſe we were ſtronger then he.
Solomon tells us that of making and reading many books there is no end, and when we have read, if at leaſt we could read, all that are made, this will be the Concluſion of the whole matter, Feare God, and keep his Commandments, for this is the whole (we reade it duty, the meaning is the whole) content and Happineſſe of man, this is all that's profitable to man, it being oppoſed to all the reſt under the Sun, which is but vanity and vexation of ſpirit; and verily, we may as well finde eaſe in hell, as finde Happineſſe any other way; and that we ſhall know, (however we judge now) when (as he ſaith) God ſhall bring every work into judgement, with every ſecret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
How much then doth it concern us to look about us, and to work out our ſalvation with feare and trembling here, leſt then we feare and tremble, becauſe we had not done it? Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perſwade men; as they love their ſalvation, and as they will anſwer it at the great and terrible day of the righteous judgement of God, that they abſtain from fleſhly luſts, which war againſt their ſoules; that they leane not to their own underſtanding, nor walk in the wayes of their heart, and in the deſire of their eyes, but that they conſider to know and do, what is the good and acceptable Will of God, that they may be found without blame, and that when he ſhall appear, ye may have confidence, and not be aſhamed before him at his coming.
Watch therefore, for you know not what houre your Lord doth come; but if any ſervant ſay in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, and ſhall beat the ſervants, and eat and drink with the drunken, the Lord of that ſervant will come in a day when he looks not for him, and at an houre when he is not aware, and will cut him in ſunder, he will cut him off, and appoint him his portion with unbelievers; and that ſervant which knew his Lords Will, and prepared not, neither did according to his Will, ſhall be beaten with many ſtripes.
I hope none will ſay as he that had a book brought him, which treated of Happineſſe, I am not at leiſure; What? not at leiſure to minde thy ſoule and thy Happineſſe? are the world and ſin ſuch excellent pieces? are they ſo lovely that thou ſhouldeſt ſet thine heart upon them? Oh why wilt thou ſet thine eyes upon that which is not? 'tis not what it ſeems to be, 'tis not that which thou lackeſt, nay, 'tis not that which thou thinkeſt 'tis; 'twill prove the greateſt cheat that can be, and though thou gain the whole world, what will it profit if thou loſe thy ſoul?
Well, you ſee the world tottering and tumbling about your eares, the faſhion of it, the luſtre thereof doth,) And Oh that therefore the luſt thereof did paſſe away! We are alſo making haſte to our grave; if they be not taken from us, yet we ſhall be taken from them, and who knows, only God knows hovv ſoon; To day then let us hear and obey the voice of God, that vvhen the Lord cometh, he may finde us ſo doing, as to ſay unto us, Well done, good and faithful ſervants, enter ye into your Maſters joy; Come ye bleſſed of my Father, inherit the Kingdome.
That this may be your portion, and the portion of them that heard it, and of them that read it, is the hearty Prayer of him, who is
12th. MonethMonth, or Febr. 20. 1654. Honourable and Honoured, Ingaged and willing, as he is able, to ſerve you, RALPH VENNING.