THE PREFACE TO the READER.

THE PREFACE TO the READER.

Christian Reader,

I Had not performed a trust, had not I published this ensuing Narrative; and I had not paid a debt which I do and shall ever owe to the Public, had not I made it common. Mr Bolton (a man of precious memory, and famous in his generation) desired me upon his death-bed, •o publish such of his papers as I thought fit for the Press, which I have already done. This copy being found amongst them, (though ⟨image 3⟩penned by another hand) I durst not withhold, being to my knowledge intended by him for the press in memory of his familiar friend and spiritual father, Mr Thomas Peacock; who was a very Godly Minister of Christ, and of rare example for humility and holiness o• life; for a Religious care in educating his scholars, and for exceeding charity to the bodies and souls o• poor distressed Christians. An• yet this godly man, that for piet• had in him the root of an Oak, whe• God cast him upon his bed of sickness, and suffered Satan to wino […] him, he was no more in his hand then a leaf tossed too and fro wit […] the wind. Gods dealings wit […] him in these his last conflicts, ar• of singular use in these present times in which the ends of the world, an• the dregs of schism and sin an• come upon us at once.

I Had not performed a trust, had not I published this ensuing Narrative; and I had not paid a debt which I doe and shall ever owe to the Publike, had not I made it common. Mr Bolton (a man of precious memory, and famous in his generation) desired me upon his death-bed, •o publish such of his papers as I •hought fit for the Presse, which I have already done. This copy be•ng found amongst them, (though ⟨image 3⟩penned by another hand) I durst not withhold, being to my knowledge intended by him for the presse in memory of his familiar friend and spirituall father, Mr Thomas Peacock; who was a very Godly Minister of Christ, and of rare example for humility and holines o life; for a Religious care in educating his scholars, and for exceeding charity to the bodies and souls o poor distressed Christians. An yet this godly man, that for piet had in him the root of an Oak, whe God cast him upon his bed of sicknes, and suffered Satan to winno him, he was no more in his hand then a leaf tossed too and fro wit the winde. Gods dealings wit him in these his last conflicts, ar of singular use in these present times in which the ends of the world, an the dreggs of schisme and sinne an come upon us at once.

First, for caution to the true servants of God, to take heed of small sins; for from the lesser sins and infirmities of Mr Peacock, the Devil did thence take a rise to cast him into the most bitter spiritual desertion that we shall lightly read •f: under which he had sunk, had not God wonderfully put to his hand, by making the issue of his afflictions more glorious and comfortable, •hen the combat was grievous and terrible. It was a memorable saying of Francis Spira, which he spake to his mournful children and friends, beholding that sad spectacle of his small despair, earnestly wishing them to take heed of committing the smallest sins against conscience; By this means, saith he, I fell into greater sins, till I •ame to deny the Gospel of Christ, •nd after that to renounce it in •riting, and deliberately to subscribe ⟨image 4⟩[…] ⟨image 4⟩[…] ⟨image 5⟩[…] ⟨image 5⟩[…] ⟨image 6⟩to it with my hand, though (saith he) I hea•d a voice in my conscience telling me, Spira, do not subscribe it; after which I thought I heard the voice of Christ whom I denied before men, to pronounce the sentence of death upon my soul, and to exclude me from salvation. And thus he dyed.

First, for caution to the true servants of God, to take heed of small sinnes; for from the lesser sinnes and infirmities of Mr Peacock, the Devil did thence take a rise to cast him into the most bitter spirituall desertion that we shall lightly read •f: under which he had sunk, had not God wonderfully put to his hand, by making the issue of his afflictions more glorious and comfortable, •hen the combate was grievous and errible. It was a memorable sayng of Francis Spira, which he spake to his mournfull children and friends, beholding that sad spectale of his small despaire, earnestly wishing them to take heed of committing the smallest sinnes against onscience; By this means, saith he, I fell into greater sinnes, till I ame to deny the Gospel of Christ, nd after that to renounce it in riting, and deliberately to subscribe

Secondly, for confutation of sundry sor•s in Religion, in these unhappy days of Civill war, as naturally producing them as mud and filth do toads and vermin. Some there are that quite abrogate the Law, which Christ came to fulfil, and so make the gate of Heaven wider then ever our Saviour made it, by admitting lawless persons into it. Holy Bradford was of another mind, who was wont to say, that the gate of Heaven was so strait, that he which halted ⟨image 6⟩could not enter into it; and the way […] narrow, that he which reeled ••uld not walk in it. Others there •re, who though they do not whol• destroy the law, yet they cast it […] to a dead sleep, thinking it unlawful in the children of God to be ••rry, or to mourn for sin, contrary to the Doctrine of the primitive Fathers, teaching this lesson, temper doleat paenitens, & de •olore gaudeat; Let the penitent person always mourn, and rejoice […] that mourning; agreeing with ••e rule of our Saviour, Blessed are •hey that mourn, for they shall •e comforted.

Secondly, for confutation of sundry sor•s in Religion, in these unhappy dayes of Civill warre, as naturally producing them as mud and filth doe toads and vermin. Some there are that quite abrogate the Law, which Christ came to fulfill, and so make the gate of Heaven wider then ever our Saviour made it, by admitting lawlesse persons into it. Holy Bradford was of another minde, who was wont to say, that the gate of Heaven was so strait, that he which halted ⟨image 6⟩could not enter into it; and the way 〈…〉 narrow, that he which reeled ••uld not walk in it. Others there •re, who though they doe not whol• destroy the law, yet they cast it to a dead sleep, thinking it unwfull in the children of God to be rry, or to mourn for sinne, conary to the Doctoine of the primive Fathers, teaching this lesson, emper doleat paenitens, & de olore gaudeat; Let the penitent erson alwaies mourn, and rejoyce that mourning; agreeing with e rule of our Saviour, Blessed are hey that mourn, for they shall e comforted.

Nay, I lately heard it not with••t horror; that some men, in outward appearance of great sanctity, •e hold an opinion, that it is a cult in godly men to pray for par•n of sin, (all sins being pardon•• in Christ before they pray) contrary ⟨image 7⟩to the prayer of our Saviour Forgive us our trespasses. Neither Mr Peacock, nor any of those godly Divines that came to comfo•• him, knew this kind of Doctrine neither we, nor the Churches of Go• till within these few late unhappy days.

Nay, I lately heard it not with••t horrour; that some men, in out•ard appearance of great sanctity, •e hold an opinion, that it is a •ult in godly men to pray for par•n of sin, (all sinnes being pardon•• in Christ before they pray) contrary ⟨image 7⟩to the prayer of our Saviour Forgive us our trespasses. Neither Mr Peacock, nor any of thos• godly Divines that came to comfo•• him, knew this kinde of Doctrine neither we, nor the Churches of Go• till within these few late unhapp• dayes.

What will become of our reformed Religion, streaming down to […] in the blood of so many Martyr•• if God by a miracle of mercy shou•• not shorten these our miserab•• days? For whiles some are takin• from us the Ten Commandement• others, the Lords Prayer, there […] scarce any thing left us of Christ•• anity but our Creed, and how lo•• we shall enjoy this the Lord in He• ven knows. For so long as t•• civill sword of war devours […] much Protestants blood from wit• out, and a worse civill war sin and separation, destroys ⟨image 7⟩many Protestant souls from within, •e may justly fear that we shall either want sound Orthodox Protestants to maintain it; or we shall ••ant a Creed for them to maintain.

What will become of our reformed Religion, streaming down to 〈…〉 in the blood of so many Martyr•• if God by a miracle of mercy shou•• not shorten these our miserab•• dayes? For whiles some are takin• from us the Ten Commandement• others, the Lords Prayer, there 〈…〉 scarce any thing left us of Christ•• anity but our Creed, and how lo•• we shall enjoy this the Lord in He• ven knowes. For so long as t•• civill sword of warre devoures 〈…〉 much Protestants blood from wit out, and a worse civill warre sinne and separation, destroyes

I shall, for conclusion, desire that Reader into whose hands this ensuing discourse shall fall, to observe three things concerning M• Peacock, a man whom I well knew, •nd bless God that ever I knew •im.

I shall, for conclusion, desire that Reader into whose hands this ensu••g discourse shall fall, to observe •hree things concerning M• Pea•ock, a man whom I well knew, •nd blesse God that ever I knew •im.

1. That the forest and sharpest afflictions do very often befall the •earest and choicest servants of God: I mean, not outward and temporal afflictions, common to good and •ad: but inward and spiritual afflictions, and the heaviest of these spiritual desertions, whereby God withdraws his glorious countenance from his children: and Sa•an in lieu thereof, shows them his ⟨image 8⟩ugly visage, thereby convincing a• secure world. That it is no easy matter to go to Heaven, and tha• the safest and surest way to it, is to sail by the gates of Hell. If th• righteous can scarcely be save• (saith the Apostle) where shal• the wicked and sinner appear?

1. That the forest and sharpest •fflictions doe very often befall the •earest and choisest servants of God: I mean, not outward and temporall •fflictions, common to good and •ad: but inward and spirituall af••ictions, and the heaviest of these •pirituall desertions, whereby God •ithdrawes his glorious counte•ance from his children: and Sa•an in liew thereof, shews them his ⟨image 8⟩ugly visage, thereby convincing a• secure world. That it is no easy matter to goe to Heaven, and tha• the safest and surest way to it, is to sayl by the gates of Hell. If th• righteous can scarcely be save (saith the Apostle) where shal the wicked and sinner appear?

2. That the deepest humiliation of Gods children, do usually determine in the highest consolations And hereby the wicked, who like ravening wolves hunt after such opportunities, do miss of their prey and return ashamed when they consider what end God hath made. An• thus it fell out with Mr Peacock here.

2. That the deepest humiliation of Gods children, doe usually determine in the highest consolations And hereby the wicked, who like ravening wolves hunt after such opportunities, doe misse of their prey and returne ashamed when they consider what end God hath made. An• thus it fell out with Mr Peacoc• here.

3. Lastly, Though a spiritua•• desertion be the highest affliction that befalls Gods child; yet it discovers in him the greatest sincerity of an upright heart; For at such time he is so far from hiding h•• ⟨image 8⟩sins, that he cares not what •ame he puts upon himself, so God •ay have glory. For in a spiritual desertion, though the soul of Christian be extremely distressed ••rough the terror of sin; yet at •he same time hath it a true touch […] grace, though not of the comforts •f it: like iron touched with the •oad-stone, it stands directly Northward, though with much tremb•ng: So doth the soul of a Christian stand directly Heaven-ward in •his hellish agony: and the absence •f God and of his consolations, is •he cause of those bitter convulsion•its in the soul. And as soon as e•er the comforts of grace shine upon •t, those former tremblings of heart for grief, are presently changed in•o leapings for joy; just as the same sprinkles of the face, which serve for •rying when the heart is grieved, •erve for laughter when it is filled ⟨image 9⟩with joy. This was the case […] Mr Peacock, in this manner h• grieved, in this manner he rejoiced and this happy issue God made of h• bitter afflictions. So that amid• the numerous and various afflictions of Gods dear Saints and Children, this conclusion of the Prophet David remains sure and firm Mark the upright man, and be hold the just, for the end of tha man is peace. So I rest,

Thine in the Lord E. B