Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
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B01135
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The true Israelite, or, The sincere Christian distinguished from the hypocrite. By Master William Andrewes, late minister of the word of God.
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Andrewes, William, minister of the word of God.
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1638
(1638)
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STC 630.5; ESTC S124182
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38,395
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238
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THE TRVE ISRAELITE OR The sincere Christian distinguished from the hypocrite By Master WILLIAM ANDREWES late Minister of the word of GOD. LONDON Printed by Richard Oulton for Ralph Mabb and are to bee sold by Charles Greene. 1638. TO THE RIGHT worshipfull Tho Ratcliffe Esquire Secretary to the right Reverend and right Honourable William Lord Bishop of London and Lord high Treasurer of ENGLAND Sir THe worth of the Author the respects I owe you and your owne Innate goodnesse have incouraged mee to chuse you the Patron of this Post-humus For the Author as hee was a Divine sound and orthodox in judgement so hee was peaceable in the Church and sincere in his life for his learning though himselfe it may bee was a stranger to you yet as hee that by Hercules his foote drew the proportion of his whole body so in this little Mirrour if J mistake not you may perceive him to bee one that was brought up at the feete of Gamaliell mighty in the Scriptures and well studied in the Fathers The respects I owe to your selfe are such as that having this opportunity to manifest my acknowledgement of them I had doubtlesse incurred the censure of ungratefull negligence if J should have let it slip and not improoved it to this end from your owne goodnesse I gather an assurance of your favourable acceptance both of this Orphan and the presenter who am put in trust to commend the patronage of it to some one whose emminency in the World for vertuous qualifications might somewhat shelter it from these blacke-mouth'd Calumniators that these times are pestred with These are the reasons worthy Sir why I have though without your foreknowledge prefixed your name in the Front of this tract I humbly crave your pardon if herein I have trespassed any thing and that you would bee pleased to doe the Author and me so much honour as to suffer His Israelite to come abroad into the world under your worthy patronage In the assurance whereof I crave leave to remaine Your worships to be commanded Ralph Mabb TO THE Reader Christian Reader THe Author of this Treatise had no sooner intented and fitted it for the Presse But it pleased God to take him hence into the fellowship of the spirits of just men made perfect After a whiles detainment it is now fallen to my lot to vsher it into the World It is his owne and a peece well beseeming such a workeman The judicious Reader may find in it a compendious Epitome of divinity morallity and elegancy of phrase ioyned with no lesse honesty and integrity of the hidden man of the heart A thing in the sight of God much set by It is a discourse very seasonable the world being filled now more with shaddowes then substances men striving rather to appeare to be that which they are not then to bee that indeed which they onely appeare to bee This may therefore serve thee for a touchstone to try the truth of that which if thou hast will gaine thee esteeme with him that seeth not as man seeth It mattereth not so much what men are valued at in the scales of humane judgements so they bee found weighty in the ballance of the Sanctuary Popular esteemes are alwayes subiect to errour If Christ reckon a man a true Israelite None dare call his iudgment into question and who would not have his approbation who would not glory in such a testimony This small tract Amongst others may serve thee both for direction and tryall If by it thou reapest any comfort and furtherance in thy heavenly course thou canst doe no lesse than be thankefull to God for the Author and to esteeme of mee as one that is A desirer of the common good R. M. Aprill 8. 1636. PErlegi tractatū hunc cui titulus est The true Israelite in quo nihil reperio sanae fidei aut bonis moribus contrarium quo minus cum utilitate publica inprimatur Tho. Weekes R P Episc Lond Capell domest THE TRUE ISRAELITE Iohn 1.46 47. Then Nathaniel said Can any good thing come from Nazareth Philip said unto him Come and see Iesus saw Nathaniel coming unto him and said of him Behold a true Israelite in whom is no fraud SAint Iohn who alone among the Evangelists setteth downe the history of Nathaniel hath from the forty verse of this Chapter unto the end thereof delivered unto us six speciall things concerning him First his Calling to the Faith of Christ and that by the ministration of Philip. Secondly his Comming to Christ Thirdly the Commendation that Christ gives him Fourthly his Conference with Christ Fifthly his Confession and notable acknowledgment of Christ saying Thou art that Sonne of God Thou art that King of Israel Ioh. 1.49 Sixthly his hopefull blessing in the promise of Christ made unto him saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 1.50 thou shalt see greater things than these Three of these are contained in the words now to bee handled namely Nathaniels 1. Calling 2. Comming 3. Cōmendation First his Call in these words Come and see In his Call to Christ two things are observable 1 His prevention he comes not of himselfe but moved and excited by God 2 His direction hee comes not by himselfe but guided by the hand of Philip. 1. His Prevention THAT Nathaniel comes not to Christ but moved and stirred up by the preventing grace of God shewes that the state and condition of every man by Nature is such that we are found of God before we seeke him and moved by his grace before we stirre unto him So that each one of us may truely say of our selves with the Prophet David Ps 119.176 I have gone astray like a sheepe that is lost O seeke thy servant Wee are by Nature as the lost groat fallen out of the hand of Gods favour by Adams fall Wee are by continuall practice of our naturall errors as the lost sheepe that have wandred from God and we are by rebellion and wilfull neglect of Gods offered grace as the prodigall and lost Childe that have wantonned against God We are bound therefore thankfully to acknowledge and carfully to maintaine the preventing grace of God which finding us lost under the Fig-leaves of vain security in the shadow of death yet leaves us not till we are brought to the tree of life the Light of Grace and Glory For though it be said onely that Iesus saw Nathaniel comming unto him yet hee was not a bare beholder of his comming but the Cause the moover the secret worker therof Iesus saw Nathaniel comming but he also saw his owne handy worke upon him according to that speech of our Lord Ioh 15.5 Without me ye can doe nothing Nathaniel being deceived in the apprehension of Christ as meere man asked him vnde me nosti Whence knewst thou me Iohn 1.48 to whom the Lord replied Before that Philip cal'd thee when thou wast under the figge tree I saw thee O Nathaniel if the