NOTES, WITH Practical OBSERVATIONS; TOWARDS The opening of the five first Delivered by way of EXPOSITION In feveral Lords-dayes Exercises. By BENJAMIN NEEDLER, Minister of Hereunto is added by way of Apendix certaine Di- London, Printed by T. R. & E. M. for Nathanael pppp 101 L pen 06 90 06 To the WORSHIP FULL, AND The reft his loving friends, The Parifhioners of MARGARET MOSES Friday-ftreet, London. Dearly beloved He main defigne of a Minister of the Gospell, next to the glory of God, fhould be the spirituall good, and advantage, as of the Church of God in generall, fo of the flock committed to his charge in par ticular. Had not this confideration been very powerfull, and prevailing on my Spirit, it would not have been able, to have broke through those many difficulties and difcouragements I amongst which the unworthineffe, and weakneffe of the Author was not the leaft) A 2 that that did way-lay the publication of thefe pa pers. The refult of my thoughts being affirmative, as to the prefenting of them to publike view, I determined to dedicate them to you my people. Guthat The reafons that moved me to this, (befides your intereft in the compofer of them, having -been your the equity of for now, for fome yeares; and it, that they that called for, and rejoyced in the firft-fruits of his Miniftery, fhould have tendred unto them the firft-fruits his labours in this kind alfo )were fuch as of these. 1. That I might be inftrumentall to eftablish you in fome of the truths of Christ in thefe erroneous dayes; a fitter expedient hereunto I know not any (next to the illumination of the Spirit) then the right understanding of the text, For these late yeares efpecially, the Devill bath walked up and downe our streets with a Bible under his arme, upon every turne pleads Scriptum eft, It is written. and 2. That you might be the more confirmed, concerning the sweet harmony of the Scriptures; how one Scripture Sweetly embraces, and kiffes each other, although there be many in the world, that would if they could (Horrendum fcelus!) make make them to fall out, and mutiny. One cals the old Teftament, and the New, Gods two lips, whereby he breatheth out the fame truth. Some have gone about to finde contradictions in them, but the Spirit of contradiction was in them, that went about it. oh that we could as well agree with them,as they agree with themselves while they are at peace in their doctrine, we are at warre in their interpretation. 3. That you might take notice of the obscu rity of fome texts of Scripture. We may fay of the whole booke of the Scriptures, as Saint Peter doth of all Pauls Epiftles: In which are fome things hard to be understood: Some things,though not all; there are fome excellent herbes in the garden of the Scriptures, whose names we know not. Difficilia quæ pulchra.And these things, They that. are unlearned, and unstable, wreft, as they do alfo, the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction. They deale with the Scriptures, as Chymifts deale with naturall bodies, torturing them to extract fomething out of them, which God and nature never put in them; Or as torturers deale with an innocent man, make him (peake that which he never thought; A feafonable Item for these dayes, when men think a small measure of A 3 gifts 2 Pet.3.16 |