Five Lessons for a Christian to Learn, Dedication 4
To the Right Honourable, the Lady Katharine Courteen, Grace, Mercy, and true Peace.
Madam,
WHen this Sermon was firſt preach'd, your Honour was pleaſed to entitle your ſelfe to it, conceiving it (which indeed was compoſed for my ſelfe) to have been prepared and ſuted to the temper of your Ladiſhips ſpirit, at that time. So farre my Maſter onoured me that day, as to doe him a double work with the ſame hand. Truly (Madam) it was a ſalve provided for my owne uſe, and not intended further, than for my friends, in that aſsembly where firſt I publiſhed it; and accordingly was laid up in my cloſet, till I brought it forth privately, for the uſe of ſome other noble friends, who were better able then my ſelfe to judge of the efficacy of it; having received from ſome of them a probatum eſt, and God having made it acceptable, and in their eſtimation more uſefull, than my own low opinion of the workman's pains in it conceived it. They were pleaſed to deſire the recent, which (to ſpare my owne paines in tranſcribing it) was the onelyonly cauſe of my leaſt thoughts of the publication of it. Truly (Madam) in theſe unhappy times, wherein the Preſſe is become ſuch a proſtitute, I think I may eaſily be excuſed of my ambition, to have this or any other worthleſſe notes of mine come under it. To abate the noiſe of many things in Print, (which, believe it, ſounds not at all ſweet in my eares) I have deſired it ſhould be added to ſome former Sermons which before were in the Printers hands, in which alſo I ſatisfied but his deſires, in denying my ſelfe in my owne: But to thoſe worthleſſe precedent pieces, it comes in a fit place. The firſt of the Sermons tels us what is the ſtate of the Elect by nature. The ſecond, what is their eſtate in Christ, and deſcribes their way of Reſtauration. The third, points out their duty, as redeemed ones, to lean upon their beloved. The fourth, minds them of the Saints great duty of ſelfe-denyall. Now in regard that the ſoule reconciled to God, may bee ſometimes ſaying, where is my God become? and as there is none lives and ſins not, ſo none ſhall live, but at one time or other ſhall meet with trouble; I have added this to the other, in which I have endeavoured to diſcover to a Chriſtian, how hee may recover his quiet, and in the midſt of thoſe troubles, which in the world hee ſhall bee ſure to meet with, find that peace which paſſeth all underſtanding. The firſt of theſe Sermons ſhews us our originall want of peace, being not reconciled to God. The ſecond deſcribes our Peace-maker, and his ſeverall acts, both of purchaſe and application; by which he both made peace for his elect in generall, and applies it to each of them in particular. The third diſcovers the inſtrument, and directs the ſoul, in the particular uſe of Faith, which is the inſtrument to convey this peace to the ſoule upon all occaſions. The fourth will teach the ſoule, how to keep its peace. And this, in caſe the ſoule hath loſt its peace, and the ſpirit of the Chriſtian bee over whelmed with trouble, wil in ſome meaſure direct him how to find his peace, and how to come out of trouble by the hand of Chriſt. (Madam) this is a great Goſpell myſtery; It is a ſubject that deſerved a more learned pen, and one more experienced in the wayes of God, to have diſcuſſed and reſolved it, than that poore worthleſſe creature who hath undertaken it. That in the world the Saints muſt look for trouble, your Honour knowes (I believe) by as ſad experiences as moſt of thoſe that tread the wayes of God. That in the midſt of theſe troubles, in Chriſt the ſoule of the Chriſtian may have peace, This Text and Sermon (Madam) I truſt wil ſufficiently make good both by generall proofe, and particular demonſtrations. In troubles to have peace, is no characteriſticall note of a Saint; To come out of troubles, and reduce the ſpirit to a quiet compoſure, is a worke may be done, by thoſe that have not taſted how good the Lord is: But in the midſt of oppreſſing troubles to draw peace from Jeſas Chriſt, and to come out of worldly troubles with a Goſpell-peace, to have a ſoule calmed upon Goſpell-principles, Hic labor, hoc opus eſt, This is a work worthy of a Saints indeavour, and a wages worthy of his paines. Diſturbed ſpirits may quiet of courſe; nature may be out of breath with ſighing, and the fountaine of teares dried up; the ſpirit of a man, meerly as a man, of an heroick, highborne, gallant temper, may beare his infirmitie, and hee may break through an hoſt of troubles, meerely by the ſtrength of his owne ſpirit, or the force of his owne reaſon: But to come out of trouble this way, ſhall bring no comfort to the ſoule. This is but breaking priſon, without a faire diſmiſſion, or paying the Jaylors fees; Troubles will overtake ſuch ſoules, with an hue and crie, and fetter them in a worſer manner; and God will againe arreſt them upon quare clauſum fregit, an heavier action than before. But by this ſhall a Chriſtian know, if the wound of the ſpirit bee healed, it is with the balme of Gilead; if he hath come out of trouble fairly, hee hath come out upon Goſpell-conſiderations. The peace in trouble, that is not found in Chriſt, is not worth the taking up; and from it a Chriſtian ſhall extract no comfortable evidence of peace to his owne ſoule, but in his peace hee ſhall have great bitterneſſe. I have often thought that a watching Chriſtian might bee juſtly troubled, to conſider ſometimes, how hee comes off a trouble; for it is uſuall with us, either to let nature tyre out it ſelfe, and when our Paſſions are ridden off their legges, then they lie downe. or elſe, to conclude it upon morall principles. Thus if our ſpirits bee ſick, as if there were no God in Iſrael, wee for the moſt part ſend to Belzebub, the God of Ekron, and forſake the ciſtern of living waters, to digge up to our ſelves ciflernes that will hold no water, or if any, none long. O that thoſe, that profeſſe to live above nature, and carnall reaſon, would alſo act above them. If our bodies be ſick, nature prompts us to a Phyſician, and our reaſon forbids us to uſe an Emperick. O that Gods children would learne this reaſon, in the midſt of all trouble to runne to the balme of Gilead, to the Phyſician there, for all other Phyſicians are of no value; and will profeſſe much, but doe little, to the ſetling of a diſturbed ſpirit. (Madam) I have preſumed, out of all thoſe noble friends which God hath made mee happy in, to pick out your Ladiſhip, to preſent this worthleſſe piece of my labours to: partly, becauſe I know it holds out to your Ladiſhip a great piece of your Honours gracious practice; and partly, becauſe it hath ſeemed good to our wiſe God, to page missing nothingneſſe of the creature. I am afraid the City will runne out at the Gates, I ſhall therefore add no more, but humbly offering it to your Ladiſhip, ſhall take my leave and reſt,
Your Honours moſt humble ſervant in the Lord Jeſus. John Collings. Chaplyfield-houſe, Septemb. 3. 1649.