Luther, when he saw Melancthon, a godly and learned man, too much dejected for the state of the church in those times, falls a chiding of him, as David doth here his own soul: ' I strongly hate those miserable cares,' saith he, ' whereby thou writest thou art even spent. It is not the great- ness of the cause, but the greatness of om* incredulity. If the cause be false, let us revoke it. If true, why do we make God in his rich promises a liar ? Strive against thyself, the greatest enemy. Why do we fear the conquered world, that have the conqueror himself on our side ? ' ' Ego miserrimas curas, quibus te consumi scribis, vehementer odi. Quod sic regnant in corde tuo, non est magnitudo causae, sed niagnitudo increduUtatis nostra. Si causa falsa estrevocemus. Si vera, cur facimus ilium tantis promissis men- dacem; luctare contra feipsum maximmn hostem.'-''
Now, to speak something concerning the publishing of this treatise. I began to preach on the text about twelve years since in the city, and after- wards finished the same at Gray's Inn. After which, some having gotten imperfect notes, endeavoured to pulilish them without my privity. There- fore, to do myself right, I thought fit to reduce them to this form. There
* These remarkable words of a remarkable man are found in letters addressed to Melancthon during the Diet of Augsburg, a.d. 1530. They are effectively quoted by D'Aubign6, Hist, of Eeformation, b. xiv., § x., c. 6. — G.
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. 127
is a pious and studious gentleman of Gray's Inn, that hath of late published observations upon the whole psalm, =" and another upon this very versef verv well ; and many others, by treatises of faith, I and such like, have furthered the spiritual peace of Christians much. It were to be wished that we would all join to do that which the apostles gloried in, ' to be helpers of the joy of God's people,' 2 Cor. i. 24. By reason of my absence while the work was in printing, some sentences were mistaken. Some will be ready to deprave the labours of other men ; but, so good may be done, let such ill-disposed persons be what they are, and what they will be, unless God turn their hearts. And so I commend thee and this poor treatise to God's blessmg.
R. SIBBES. Geay's Inn, July 1. 1635.
* ' Whole psalm.' This probably refers to William Bloy's ' Meditations on the 42d Psalm.' 1632.
t ' Very verse.' Query, Dr John Reading's ' David's Soliloquy ; being the Sub- stance of Several Sermons on Psalm xlii. 11. 1630?'
X ' Faith.' Sibbes had himself prefaced Ball, and Preston, and Culverwell on ' Faith.'
*^* Sir Egerton Brydges, in his Eestituta, iii. p. 500, has this note : — ' One of these (on 'Faith '), was written by the Eev. John Eogers. minister of Dedham in Essex ; but I cannot point out the two writers previously alluded to.' G.
IN OPUS POSTHUMUM ADMODUM EEVERENDI,
MIHIQUE MULTIS NOMINIBUS COLENDI,
EICHAEDI SIBBES, S. T. PROFESSOEIS, AUL^
SANCT^. CATH. PK^FECTI DIGNISSIMI.
Vade, liber, pie dux animae, pie mentis Achates ;
Te relegens, fructu ne pereunte legat ; Quam fcelix prodis ! Prs3 sacro codice sordent,
Bartole, sive tui ; sive, Galene, tui.
Fidu prseco Dei, ccelestis cultor agelli,
Assidui pretium grande laboris habet : Quo niihi nee vita melior, nee promptior ore,
Gratior aut vultu, nee fuit arte prior.
Nil opus ut nardum caro combibat uncta Sabaeum,
Altave marmoreus sydera tangat apex : Non eget bic urna, non marmore ; nempe Tolumen
Stat sacrum, vivax marmor, et urna, pio.
Qui Cbristo vivens incessit tramite cceli,
^thereumque obiit munus, obire nequit : Ducit hie angelicis sequalia ssecula lustris,
Qui verbo studium contulit omne suum.
Perlegat hunc legum cultrix veneranda senectus,
Et quos plena Deo mens super astra vehit : Venduntur (quanti !) circum palatiafumi!
Hie sacer altaris carbo minoris erit ?
Heu ! pietas ubi prisca ? profana 6 tempora ! mundi Fsex ! vesper ! prope nox ! 6 mora ! Christe veni.
Si valuere preces unquam, et custodia Christi, Nunc opus est precibus, nunc ope, Christe, tua.
Certat in humanis vitiorum infamia rebus,
Hei milii ! nulla novis sufhcit herba mails ? Probra referre pudet ; nee enim decet : exprobret illa_
Qui volet ; est nostrum flere, silendo queri.
Flere ? Tonabo tuas, pietas neglecta, querelas : Quid non schisma, tepor, fastus, et astus agunt ?
Addo — Sed historicus Tacitus fuit optimus. Immo Addam — spha;rarum at musica muta placet.
Edv. Benlosio.*
C'EESSINGiE TEMrLARIOEUM,
Prid. Cal. Febr. MDCxxxv.t
* Edward Benlowes, Esq. He wasof Brenthall. Essex. Consult Brydges's Kesti- tuta, iii. 41, 42; and Wood's Fasti Oxon. (ed. by Bliss), ii. 358. His principal book is his ' Theophila.' Samuel Butler, Pope, and Bishop Warburton. have satirized his jioetry. It is to bo feared his tribute to Sibbcs will not neutralize the general con- demnation. Ho was a good man, and the friend of good men, to his own impover- ishment.
t Sibbcs died Jxdy 5. 1G35, and yet this poem, dated ' February 1635,' is in memo- riam. The explanation is tliat prior to 1752, the year in England was reckoned not from 1st January, but from 25th March. All those days, therefore, intervening between the 31st of December and the 25th of March, which we should now date as belonging to a particular year, were then dated as belonging to the year j)recediue; that, llenco while Benlowes wrote according to our reckoning in 1636, he still dates 1635. G.