Five lessons for a Christian to learne, or, The summe of severall sermons setting out 1. the state of the elect by nature, 2. the way of their restauration and redemption by Jesus Christ, 3. the great duty of the saints, to leane upon Christ by faith in every condition, 4. the saints duty of self-denyall, or the way to desirable beauty, 5. the right way to true peace, discovering where the troubled Christian may find peace, and the nature of true peace / by John Collings ...

TO THE Right Honourable, The Lady Frances Cecill, the only Daughter of the Right Ho∣nourable the Lady Elizabeth, Coun∣teise Dowager of EXETER.

Increase of true Honour, and Peace, and Happinesse.

Madam,

WHen I conside∣red the plenty of Gospell-sheaves, which the Gra∣cious Lord of the Harvest hath in our days caused his reapers to bind up,

I could not but question whe∣my gleane were worth your Ladiships stooping to take up. God hath seemed to empty his treasuries upon our heads, that there is scarce a gospell-duty but some or other more eminent labourers in the Lords harvest have un∣dertaken to discover and urge, which makes me sometimes tremble to think at what dis∣advantage they must perish, that are yet dead or unfruit∣full. But if there be any lesson that hath been lesser urged, or practised than other, it is this of selfe Deniall. I rejoyce to see the flowings of the spirit of

grace in those eminent Ser∣vants of the Lord, that have both hunted for venison, and caught it, to make savory meat for the Saints, discovering those secrets of the Lords strength, and unsearchable riches of love, beyond the pennes or tongues of those that have gone before them. But methinkes, I have sometimes feared lest while those Emi∣nent ones have driven accor∣ding to the peace of their own soules, and made it their work almost onely to dresse out the strong meat, they should have driven beyond the pace of the Lambs, and onely go a∣way

with part of the flock who are able to receive and have eares to heare, such sub∣lime gospell mysteries. I have sometimes wished a Shepard or Hooker, or two more to stay behind, and to drive the remnant of the flock, which in heaven will overtake the other, though there be many things to be spoken which (without o∣ver driving them) they are not yet able to beare. I (be∣ing one borne out of due time) am onely fit for such a work, the opening the Rudiments of Christianity, and it shall be my crowne if by teaching the

A B C of the wayes of grace, I may be made instrumentall but to fit Saints for their high∣schooles. I have presumed here to present your Honour with the first Lesson of Grace. He that will be my disciple (saith Christ) let him deny himselfe, and take up the crosse and follow me; first deny himself, then fol∣low me. Not but that I hope your Ladiship can readily en∣dorse this sermon, with that speech of the young man, All these have I kept from my youth. Though I need not mind your Honour, that it is a lif's not a dayes practice. (Madam) there can be no

Mistresse like Experience, which easily convinceth me, that your Ladiship (who have had a constant sight of sublunary vanities, an enjoy∣ment of creature-contentments) is farre more able to read him (who now writes) a lecture of the Vanity of every thing under the Sun, than he is to read it your Ladiship, who hath been blest in the want of those advantages, and one∣ly (from a guesse at the body by the foot) can subscribe Solo∣mons account of them: surely (Madam) there is nothing under the Sun, but in cleaving to it, and neglecting Christ,

a rationall creature must dis∣honour himselfe as well as his Saviour, and as well call in question his own judgement, and out-law his owne rea∣son, as disobey his God. Christ, (Madam!) Ah! Christ, Christ alone is the excelling one; that is Altogether desires; It is the Rose of Sharon only that wants prickles. His name is the onely box of Ointment, which one fly or other will not make to stinke. And now I mention his name, I remember what the spouse saith, Thy name is an oint∣ment powerd forth, therefore doe the Virgines love thee. Of

those Virgines, I trust your Ladiship is, those that love Christ for the ointment of his name powred forth; (so I trust hath the Ointment of grace powred upon that head from which you drew your natu∣rall breath, ran downe to the skirts of all her Relations.) (Madam) This world is not so well bred, but in Christs wayes if your Ladiship de∣sire to walk, you must expect to be a sharer in the scoffs of those that put out the finger at those that run not with them to the same excesse of Ri∣ot. I need not mind your Ladiship of the Grace of our

Lord Iesus Christ, who pati∣ently endured the crosse and despised the shame for your sake. (Madam) the wayes of Christ, the paths of holinesse, are onely uncomely to those before whose eyes the Devill hath cast a mist, and the God of this world hath blinded their eyes, lest the glorious light of of the gospell should shine upon them. If the King desires our beauty, no matter, whether our rate be high or low a∣mongst the children of Vanity, whose God is their Belly, and whose glory is their shame. May your Ladiship strive af∣ter perfection, and yet daunce

before the Ark, though Mi∣chal mocks out at the window. The Moone keeps its course though the dogs bark. This Sermon (Madam) was for∣merly dedicated to your La∣diships eares, I never thought then, that the noise of it should have gone beyond the chappell it was preacht in, nor indeed had it, had not your Ladiships noble Mother commanded the transcripti∣on of a coppy, which desire was also seconded by other Noble friends, whose com∣mands I was as unwilling to disobey, as unable to performe, through my multitude of o∣ther

occasions, which is the on∣ly reason of my publication of it, that I might be thrifty of my time for my other studies, and by troubling the world worke my own ease. Having resolved upon this course, I was desirous it should ap∣peare as covertly as might be, and have therefore added it to some other Sermons, preacht long before then, sent to the presse to gratify the desire of the Printer. (Ma∣dam) your Ladiship I trust will easily excuse me for the want of paines in it; If I should spend time to tickle some few ears, it would be un∣thriftily

done, and possibly I might by it lose the advan∣tage of speaking to many an∣others heart; I had rather so preach and write that those that heare or read my sermons, should read and heare with a trembling heart, than with a tickled fancy. (Madam) Such as it is) I crave leave to pre∣sent it to your Ladiship, Be∣seeching the God of grace so to empower every line, that it may be a drop of mercy to your Honours, and every Readers soule, That your Ladiship may grow up like the tree planted by the rivers of water, and bring forth fruit

in your season, That in the re∣newing of every week, there may appeare in your Ladi∣ships heart & conversation, an answer of those old prayers newly returned to your La∣diships Noble Parent. That the Lord may have glory, your soule peace, and hee the dayly answer of his prayers, who truely is Madam,

Your Honours most humbly obliged servant in the Lord Jesus, John Collings.

Chaplyfield house, Aug: 21. 1649.