The Glories of Christ Set Forth in His Mediatorial Character

Bookseller having communicated to me his intentions of publishing a small volume of the works of Dr. THOMAS GOODWIN, and having requested that I would introduce it to the Christian world, with my recommendation; the conviction of much usefulness resulting to the Church of God, in the Lord’s blessing, from the labors of so great a man, became too powerful a stimulus in my view, to refuse the servir*. And although the very name of GOODWIN, where known, supercedes all necessity of recommendation; yet among that class of godly readers, for whom this little volume is more immediately designed, it is possible, that they may be altogether unacquainted with his name, or his labors. Under this impression, I have very cheerfully prefixed this Preface, And while I hope the iy RECOMMENDATORY PREFACE.

godly in the Lord’s household may be highly benefited, under the Lord’s teaching, from these writings; it will be very much to my honour to have my name thus connected with that of Dr. THOMAS GOODWIN.

From the days of the apostles to the present hour, I verily believe, the Church of Christ hath never been blessed with one more highly taught of God. He appears to have been specially raised up for great purposes. He shone, and still shines, as a star of the first magnitude in the hemisphere of the ministry. And although now for more than a century the great Head of the Church hath taken him home to himself in hea ven, yet his labors which he left behind him, still lighten,, and will continue to lighten to the latest period, the Church upon earth. Like the Patriarch of whom we read, who by faith obtained witness that lie was righteous; so God testifieth of his gifts; and by it he being dead yet speakcth.

1 cannot send my feeble recommendation of this great man’s writings abroad into the Church, without remarking, at the same time, the peculiar favorableness of the present moment for the introduction of such works as Ur. Goodwin’s. They will minister, under the Lord’s blessing upon them, to guard the Lord’s people against the flimsy religion of modern professors: and by distinguishing the substance from the mere carcase of what is now called Gospel, to establish the minds of real believers in that faith which was once delivered to the saints.

I look up to God the Holy Ghost, in fervent and earnest prayer, that His unction may accompany the perusal of this little volume to the hearts of all his people; that while all the benefit will be to the Church, all the glory may be to the LORD, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in the face of Jesus Christ.

ROBERT HAWKER.

Plymouth, Charlw Vicarage,
Jane 1617.

THOMAS GOODWIN, the eldest son of Richard and Catharine Goodwin (the name of whose family was Callingwood), was born October the 5th, 1600, at Roselby, a little village in Norfolk. He was brought up religiously by his parents; and they, devoting him lr» the ministry of the gospel, gave him also a learned education. After some time spent in school, having got the knowledge of the Latin and Greek tongues, he was sent to Cambridge, August 25, 1613, and placed in Christ’s College, under the tuition of Mr. William Power, one of the Fellows. He continued about six years in that college, which flourished in a fullness of all exercises ot learning and in the number of scholars, there being two hundred of them But in Anno Domini 1619, he left it and removed to Catherine Hall, the state of which seemed so contemptible to him, (there being no more than 16 scholars and few acts or exercises of learning,) that though he was chosen Fellow and also Lecturer for the year 1620, yet he had some thoughts of leaving it. He had by an unwearied industry in his studies, so much improved those natural abilities which God had given him, that though so very young he had gained a great esteem in the Univerpity. But all this time he walked in the vanity of his mind, and ambitious hopes entirely possessing him, all his aim was to get applause, to raise his reputation, and in any manner lo advance himself by preferments But God, who had destined him to higher ends than what he had projected in his own thoughts, was graciously pleased to change his heart, and to turn the course of his life to his own service and glory. But as the account of the work of the Holy Spirit on bis own soul will be most viii THE LIFE OF

acceptable as related by himself, I shall present it in his o*n words.

“Though by the course of nature (saith the Doctor) in my first birth, I was not like to live, being born before my time, and there fore of a weak constitution; yet God so strengthened me, that he preserved me, as DawV/ saith, when I hung upon my mother’s breasts: as one in whom he meant to manifest his grace in the miraculous conversion of my soul Unto himself. He did often stir up in me, in my childish years, the sparks of conscience, to keep me from gross sins, and to set me upon performing common duties. I began to have some slight workings of the Spirit of God from the time that I was six years old. I could weep for my sins, and I had flashes of joy when I thought upon God and his goodness. I was affected with good motions and affections of love to God and Christ, for their love revealed to men; and I felt grief for sin at displeasing God. This shewed how far goodness of nature might go, as well in myself as in others to whom yet true sanctifying grace never comes.

“But these feelings of mine I then thought was grace; for I reasoned myself into a belief that it -was not nature. 1 received the sacrament at Easter when I was but fourteen years old, and lor that service prepared myself as I was able. I set myself to examine whether I had grace or not, and by all the signs in Ursin’s Catechism, which was then much in use among the Puritans in the College, and I found them all, as 1 thought, in me. And at that first sacrament I received, with what inward joy and com* fort did I sping with the rest the 103d Psalm * which was usually sung during the administration. And after having received it, 1 felt my heart chcared after a wonderful manner, thinking my self sure of heaven, and judging all these workings to be infallible tokens of God’s love to me, and of grace in me. All this while, not considering that these were but mere strong fits of nature’s working; God hereby making way to advance the power of his grace llw? more in me, by shewing me how far j might, go and yet deceive .iiiybdf, and making me know that grace is a thing surpassing the power of nature. And, therefore, lie suffered me to fall away, not from these good notions, for I could raise them when I would, but from the practice of them; insomuch as then my heart began to suspect them as counterfeit.

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