THE EPISTLE TO the godly Reader of these pious Sermons.

THE Author of
these ensuing
Sermons, Mr.
William Fenner,
was so deservedly famous
in the Church of God, and
so well known unto me in
particular, and one to
whom I was so much obliged
when he was living, as
that I could not thinke it
sufficient to give a bare
Imprimatur unto his Sermons,
but have added this
Testimony also, that thereby
all good people might
bee encouraged to read
these works of his, whose
life and conversation was
a continuall Sermon, and
who spent himselfe in studying
and preaching, and
whose memory will bee
ever pretious unto

Your loving friend,

Edm. Calamy.

To the Reader.

Good Reader,
THe Author of these Sermons, having
served his time, and being
fallen asleep, the lot is fallen upon
me to appeare in their behalfe, and
to seale unto my judgement and faithfulness in
such a case, with thine opinion and approbation.
For the truth is, thath the strenght and
value of my testimony concerning them, is
like to extend no further, then thine doth
concerning me: So that if I adde any thing
to their credit and estimation in the world, by
my recommendation, it is by the mediation of
thine ingenuity & fairness towards me. But
if thou shalt please to be at any reasonable cost
in the reading of them, and lay thy judgement
and conscience as close to the Spirit, as
thou must thine eyes to the letter of what thou
readest, I make no question but I shall be the
gainer, and not they, by this engagement of
my selfe for them: true worth especially when
it overcomes, and breakes out of the cloud
of obscurity, alwayes returnes more then
what it receives from any mans testimony:
neither is there any method or trade so
proper and certaine whereby to raise an estate
of honour and reputation to a mans selfe, as
the bestowing or casting honour and reputation
upon others, so hee bee carefull and dexterous
in the choice of his subject. Iohn Baptist
by giving testimony onely to one, Iesus
Christ, out-grew the common stature of those
that are born of women, in true greatness,
Mat. II. II. and yet there was little or nothing
in effect added to Jesus Christ himself
by his testimony, Ioh. 5. 34. It is an ingenuous
and inoffensive way to serve our selves
out of other mens excellencies by advantcing
them: neither doe the generality of
men in their practice, more generally consent
upon any principle of reason & equity, then
this, to recompence such men with tearmes of
honour, who are unpartiall and free in subscribing
and acknowledging the worth and
eminencie of others. And as many that are
but of mean condition in the world otherwise,
yet maintaine themselves comfortably, by
trimming and dressing the gardens and orchards,
and vineyards of rich and wealthy
men: so may men that want other personall abilities.
and excellencies of their owne, subsist
upon terms of a convenient reputation, onely
by vindicating, adorning, and setting forth
the endowments, and gracefull parts of other
men.
The subject or argument of these Sermons, is
partly that noble & high-importing strain of
Christians devotio~, preparatio~ for that solemn
enterview of Jesus Christ in his death at his
Table: the great severity of Gods proceedings
against despisers of admonitions and reproof.
Both the arms of savoury consideration for all
those that love not death; and more especially
for those, who desire not onely to be saved,
but to be saved upon sweeter and more comfortable
termes then as by fire, I Cor. 3. 15.
Those that were chastened with weakness, and
sickness, and death amongst the Corinthians,
I Cor. II. 30. were yet saved, vers. 32, but
this was as by or through fire: though they did
not perish, were not consumed by the flames
of Gods displeasure against them, yet they
were sorely scorched with them: the smell of
this fire was strong upon the garments of their
flesh: They discerned not the body of his Son
Iesus Christ, in his ordinances, but in stead
of that holy, reverend, and deep-studied behaviour
which was due unto it, both from their
inner and outward man, as being a creature
of the highest and deepest sanctification that
ever God sanctified; sanctified not onely to a
more excellent and glorious condition, but also
to many ends and purposes of farre higher
and deerer concernment, both for the glory of
God, and benefit of men themselves, then all
other creatures whatsoever, whether in heaven
or in earth: They handled and dealt
by it in both kindes, as if it had been but a
common or unsanctified thing; thus they discerned
not the Lords body. And as they discerned
not his body, so neither did God in
some sense discerne theirs, but in those so are
strokes and heavy judgements which he inflicted
on them had them in no other regard or
consideration, then as if they had been the bodies
of his enemies, the bodies of wicked and
sinfull men; thus drawing the modell and
platform of their punishment as usually hee
doth from the structure and proportion of
their sin. And if the morall or spirituall
seeds and originals of our outward and bodily
afflictions, as sicknesses, weanesses, either upo~
our selvs or ours, declining estates, losses, &c.
which still lie deeper then the naturall were
but carefully and narrowly sought out, it is
much to be feared we should find a great part
of them at least in the bowels of the same sin
so frequent amongst us, I mean of not discerning
the Lords body. The just and righteous
God builds up the breaches that we make upon
the honor belonging to the body of his Sonne,
with the ruines of that honour which hee had
given unto ours in health, strength, life, and
many other outward comforts and supports.
But thou wilt hear more of these things in the
sermons themselvs: the wholsom admonitions
& reproofs wherein co~tained, with the rest of
that heavenly provisio~ for thy soul, which thou
shalt find here gathered together, & laid into
thy hand, I hartily wish may be sanctified unto
thee by the highest hand of the sanctifier: that
so thy sins and corruptions may flie 7. wayes
before that Spirit of power which here pursueth
them, and never presume to returne back
again unto them more. The God whom wee
serve, is able to performe this great petition,
by Jesus Christ. To whose grace the peace of
thy soule is faithfully and feelingly recommended
by
That poore and unworhty
servant of Christ and his
Church,
John Goodwin.