Certaine sermons preached and penned by Richard Rogers preacher of Weathersfield in Essex, directly tending to these three ends. First, to bring any bad person (that hath not committed the sinne that is vnpardonable) to true conuersion. Secondly, to stablish and settle all such as are conuerted, in faith and repentance. Thirdly, to leade them forward (that are so setled) in the Christian life, to bring foorth the fruite of both. Whereunto are annexed diuers godlie and learned sermons of another reuerend and faithfull seruant of God, Mr. Samuel Wright, Bachelor of Diuinitie, late president of Sidney Colledge in Camebridge, deceased, tending also to the same ends, with diuers particular points in both, profitable and fit for these times.

TO ALL TRVE CHRI∣STIANS, AND WELWILLERS TO to the Gospel, or such as yet are further off from the power of it, whom the Lord in time may call: Richard Rogers wisheth al good that they want to make them trulie hap∣pie for euer.

CHristian and gentle Reader, I offer to thy view in this little booke, cer∣taine Sermons tending to the good of all that can finde time and wil∣lingnes to reade and regard them. And more particularlie, at this they aime; some of them, that they may helpe forward and perswade ignorant, profane bad persons, and hypocrites, to distast and waxe wearie of their euill and dangerous course. For out of all these kinds of wicked persons doth the Lord daily call home some, effectually; where the Gospell is soundly, plainly, and powerfully preached. And I would they should know as much as I say, to the end they may not harden their hearts against God, (as they may possibly and easily doe) while they see many safely and happily guided in their liues, and them∣selues nothing so, but may heare his voice willingly by repai∣ring to such wholesome Sermons, wherein the Lord sheweth himselfe willing to be reconciled vnto them, and wherein he thus speaketh; O nation, not worthie to be beloued, yet for all

this, if thou wilt returne from thine iniquitie, I will receiue thee graciously.

And what should make them like glad as the hearing of this? as the Gentiles were, when they heard first, that God had granted vnto them as well as to the Iewes, the glad tidings of saluation. Euen this sort of people may haue no small incouragement by reading these Sermons, and espe∣cially those among the rest, which shew how they that wan∣der out of the right way, may returne, and come home vnto it againe. Some of these Sermons doe aime at this, to keepe such as are drawne out of their sinfull course alreadie, to the certaintie of saluation, and to keepe such stedfast in their faith, hope, and repentance; and that they may not fall from them. And other some of them, serue to helpe forward all such so stablished, that they may grow in knowledge and grace, and so bring foorth fruits beseeming the Gospell. And I would they might finde no lesse fauour and acceptation with the readers, then I am sure they found with them who heard them preached.

I haue shewed what the matter is that is handled in these Sermons: now I will shew my reasons, why I haue gathered not one, but sundrie of the same argument together, and set them foorth so. And after, I will declare to thee, in what or∣der I place them in this treatise, and why.

The first reason why I set downe many in one booke of the same argument, and not of diuers, is this; for that this matter and doctrine of the conuersion of a sinner, is very hard to be perceiued and discerned of many hearers, and especially: so as they may cleerely see how to trace the way, and goe in it. Therefore that which could not so easily be perceiued in one sermon, I haue thought good to lay foorth in many, and out of diuers texts of Scriptures, which ten∣ding all to this end, to wit, to set downe the conuersion of a

sinner to God, doe giue more light in this matter, and offer occasion of more things about it, then one alone can doe.

These therefore being read with consideration, may (through Gods blessing) make this point cleere, who, how, and when a man is conuerted, and make him able to trie whither he himselfe be so or no. And if one be well grounded in the doctrine that teacheth this, and haue the vse of this, he shall much the easilier attaine to further knowledge, and consequently, to the vse thereof: both which are meanly, and of few attained to, seeing so few are well setled in the other.

The next reason of this my thus doing, is because this do∣ctrine of the conuersion of a sinner, is but little, and too sel∣dome taught, I meane al the parts of it are seldome set downe together; especially at one time, and in one sermon. All which were meete to be done, and oft; the weake capacitie, slipperie memorie, and many other defects in the most hearers, re∣quiring it; and that they might see, both how farre they are from conuersion, while they are in their first condition of ignorance, and vnbeliefe; and how they are to be brought to it, and also how contrarie their hearts and liues should be to that they were before, when they be conuerted These parts of it are seldome handled altogether in preaching, though one sometime, another of them another time be taught and deliuered. But it is a long time, though the word be dili∣gently preached (as in few places it is) before the most part of the hearers are able to lay one part and point of it with the other, and to make the whole worke of conuersion of them all.

And to adde the third reason, seeing all that the people know and practise without conuersion is nothing, I meane, either pleasing to God, or profitable to saluation vnto them∣selues. They may (I denie not) know many points, and learne sundrie instructions, as concerning the letter, but to know

so as they beleeue (without which faith it is impossible for them to please God) they cannot without conuersion; and to practise so in their liues, as that they may be said to repent and liue holily, (without which they shall perish, and neuer see the Lord) that is impossible without the same conuersion.

For these causes and some other, of which this is not the least, that by experience I haue seene great fruit come of this doctrine diligently and much taught, and little fruite, where it hath not been much in vse; for such causes (I say) I haue of purpose set out many sermons of this argument, desiring that the people may be made better acquainted with it, and that such Preachers as thinke me worthie to be heard in this request, would frame themselues to teach it in their owne, or in other places where they come.

As for them that feare they shall glut the people with bea∣ting thus vpon the same things, as though they could preach no other, I answere, if wee preach to the end the people may practise that which we teach, and if the people also make vse of that which they learne about this matter, it shall be found so hard and precious to know themselues conuerted, that they shall themselues desire that doctrine concerning it, to be taught againe and againe, and namely of faith and repen∣tance, rather then to be wearie of it; for they shall see, that when the same thing shall be taught out of new texts, euen the old matter shall be in manner new to them.

Now it followeth to shew, why these texts are set downe in the order in which they are placed in the treatise. The first texts are Acts 16.24. and Matth. 24.12.13. and the sermons on both, tend directly to shew, how a sinner is conuerted, ex∣cept the beginning of the Sermon in the 16. of the Acts, which yet maketh a way to the doctrine of conuersion in the storie of the Iailer. And in those two Sermons the reader may see the three parts of conuersion. And diuers of the other

Sermons doe also giue good light in the same: and namely the 5. of Deut. In the next place followeth the 13. of Matth. vers. 46. and Esay 55. vers. 1.2. In the former of these texts is commended to the reader what an excellent thing this conuersion and namely faith is, by a parable of the pearle: and the latter text containeth doctrine to incourage and hearten on all to thirst after, & most earnestly to desire these graces of faith & repentance, and other graces accōpanying them. The next in order is the 5. of Deut. 29. which, beside that I haue said of it alreadie setteth downe the fruit of con∣uersion, which is a godly conuersation, and how liuely it flow∣eth and proceedeth from this conuersion. The Sermons in the sixth text, to wit, in Matth. 11. vers. 20. tend to draw on and perswade to this conuersion, threatning woe to those that conuert not. In the Sermons of the seuenth text in Acts 9. vers. 31. there are examples, not of three persons, but of three particular Churches, who shewed foorth as shining lights, the fruit of conuersion in their liues, and vsed their libertie and time of rest free from persecution (vnder which they had liued before) to the growing in grace and knowledge with much comfort. In the last text, the 4. to the Philippians, vers. 4▪ the Sermons tend to shew what ioy the repentant life accompanied with the fruits of amendment, doth bring to all that leade it, and are conuerted, notwithstanding the dis∣couragements that are on euery side against them. I haue said now what I minded to do: that which remaineth, is this. The Lord make that which I set out to thee, with all other holy instruction, pro∣fitable to thee for the making thee trulie happie.

Thine in the Lord, RICHARD ROGERS.