The Anchor of Hope for Gods Tossed Ones, Title page – To the reader
THE Anchor of HOPE, FOR Gods toſſed ones. OR, Mercies thoughts for the veſſels of mercy under miſery. OR, Gods bowels let out opened, proclaimed to afflicted Saints. In a little Treatiſe on the 29. of Jer. 11. verſ. By JOHN WELLES Paſtor, lately Preacher of the Word at Watton in Hertfordſhire.
Who ſo is wiſe, and will obſerve theſe things, even they ſhall underſtand the loving kindnes of the Lord
Pſal. 107. laſt
O taſte and conſider that the Lord is good: Bleſſed is the man that truſteth in him.
Pſal. 34.8.
foreign.
London, Printed by I. Coe, for Henry Overton. 1645.
To the Right Honourable, and truly Noble, the Lord SAY and SEALE, the Author deſireth all the good of Jeſus CHRIST.
RIGHT HON:
HE wrongs not this age, that ſpeaks of it, either in a Poeticall ſtraine, and ſo calls it … iron one; or in the ſpirits …aguage and ſo calls it an …amantine, or ſelf-loving one …ly tis ſad to ſee, how men write themſelves (too too … gibly) lovers of themſelves and how men ſpeake the… ſelves rockes in their p… ctiſe: there is much fighti… but little ſighing; m… blood, but little bleed … Nay, is not the Lords … an outcaſt ſtill with mo… Who ſeekes after her? W… is ſorry to hear her cryes, … ſee the throes, and pangs, … be upon her? The heart … men upon the earth are ha… ned againſt her, whilſt ſh… in travail, whilſt ſhee p… to bee delivered from … that is Rome,Reve. 12.2 Filius maſculus, a Son, a man, and that even at the birth, here is the wonder. and ſin; … injoy, all that is truth … Chriſt: even a bleſſed Re… mation; which may be … named (foreign a male … man childe) and at … birth all the members of … … Chriſt may greatly re…ce, becauſe ſuch a one is …rne into the world. But …at do I ſpeak of this age? … me to the Saints, theſe …urne indeed, but is it not … ſparingly, weakly, dry… and too too carnally, that …ies in it much of a mix…e of duſt, of an outward … eſtate, as well as the pure … of ſin, or a ſtrong faith … the bleſſed love, and in the …cious promiſes of the … their God: I would I …uld ſay, that Saints themſelves were not too too …ch, guilty of mourning, … without ground and …hout hope in theſe trying …: ſometimes we appre…nd ſin under ſuch a colou…le notion, that it even …rks us to much ſenceleſſeneſſe and carnall ſecurity … ſometimes againe we appr… hend ſin, the Sword, … the ſore preſſures of … Kingdome, under ſuch … black, ſuch a darke notio… that wee are even hopeleſ… and begin to looke upon … ſelves, as fuell for the fire … the Swords waſtings and … ſolations: againſt this latte… this ſmall treatiſe bends … ſelfe, the very drift of it b… ing this, to preſent before … beleevers eyes, the mercif… purpoſes, the tender and … thoughts of their God, t… wards his people in ev… times: and to ſpeake … thoughts, there are no app… henſions, more likely, m… ſure, more powerfull, to le… us to that bleſſed Rock … ſtaying our ſelves upon Go… …r into that glorious light of …rong conſolatiō in him; then …o eye our God in his mercifull thoughts towards us, when we be at loweſt: upon theſe thoughts we may well …itch, when ſo many bloody and malicious thoughts, …re all purſuing to take hold …on us: Surely theſe will (Jeſus Chriſt giving a bleſſing) …ead us out of the Confuſion of theſe dayes, into the admiration of this God: That of Chryſoſtome is both wittie and holy: Dominum ipſum admiramur quidem miracula facientem, ſed amplius admiramur miſerantem, & longanimiter ſuſtinentem: When the Lord workes miracles we wonder, But more when hee ſhewes mercy, when he exerciſes his love and patience: and may we not ad one Amplius to … and ſay,foreign Amplius admiram… Dominum ſic cogitantem bon… Wee wonder moſt of all … that God who purpoſe good, and ſo much good to… Oh theſe Machſceboth Sch… lom, in the Text, theſe cogitationes pacis, theſe thought of peace in our God, an… from him; theſe ſhould ta… up our hearts, in the mid… of all our troubles and heart breaking miſeries! tis th… onelyonly way to be out of th… ſtormes, to dwell in the lo… of our God: Oh tis pleaſant … tis ſweter then hony to th… ſoules mouth! and have w… not need of ſuch ſweetnes i… theſe ſower, in theſe bitte… times? have we not need … ſuch a name now as Jehova… is, and of ſuch love as God himſelfe is, and ſhews unto …is choſen ones? I have …one, only this, why I pre…nt it to your honour; My …eep engagements they bid …e make bould to come with … handfull of my firſt fruits, …d preſent my thankfulnes … you, though narrow and …mpriſed in a little room: ſpecially knowing the no…enes of your ſpirit, to re…ive the things of Jeſus Chriſt: I grant they be nuda …de, plain truths, and mean… diſht out; yet to a good …omack theſe wil be heartily …elcome, now the Lord him…lf ſend out his beſt mer…es upon your honour, and …ur noble family, and give a …eſsing along with his …uths, to the glorious advantage of ſoules in Chriſt ſo he deſires and praies who is,
Your Honours i… the ſervice of th… Lord Jeſus Chriſt: JOHN WELLES
To the READER.
READER:
EXpect not that I ſhould ſay much, the tract it ſelfe ſpeakes but little, though it ſpeake of great things, if thou enquire why the Author ſhewes himſelfe in the preſſe: I can tell thee, tis out of a deſire to do thee good in print. The matter and ſubject I know is very ſeaſonable in theſe evill times for a good ſoul to chew upon, that I dare commend unto thee: for the manner of the handling of it I will ſay but this, it is according to the talent God hath lent me: If thou gain any light, any growth, any comfort, any quickning in thy faith; bleſſe God; and thinke of me, as one, that hath obtained mercy at the hands of Ieſus Chriſt: and as one, that (were he not compaſt about with ſuch a weight of infirmities, hee would do (thorow the grace of Chriſt) moſt exactly as hee writes. Reader, ſay what thou wilt of me, but be ſure to ſpeake well of God of Chriſt, of his love, of his promiſes: be aſhamed to ſown, ſinke, or fall, when God, when Chriſt, puts under ſo many hands to keepe thee up: Live in God, thou wilt live no where elſe: Stay thy ſelfe upon this Rocke, who purpoſes to be ſuch a ſure one to …ee: Let not thine eares al…aies be fild with the ſad out…ies, and dolefull clamours of …ood and miſery: turne thy …res towards God, liſten what … ſayes: the voice of miſery …ings us to bemoan our ſelves; … to cry, alas what ſhall we do? …ut the voice of the Mercifull …oughts of our God ſpeakes to …ch Saint as the Angels to Mary, Why weepeſt thou? Or … our Saviour to that woman, …e healed of a bloody iſsue,Ioh. 20.13 Luk. 8.48. foreign Ferendum & ſperandū eſt: We muſt bear and yet be patient and full of hope to. be … good comfort: beleeve, and …ll ſhall be well: weep not: ſtay …our ſelves upon my bowels … ſaies God) you ſhall not miſ…arry. What remaines then, …ut this? Love the light thou …eeſt: practiſe the truths thou readeſt, be a follower of God, that purpoſes, and boſtowes ſu… love, and be on earneſt ſuiter … that God for one who deſires … be a friend of the Bridegroom… a friend of truth, and a friend of thine.
Iohn Welles.