Directions for Weak Distempered Christians, To the reader
TO THE READER.
Readers,
IT is a matter of greater moment than I can express, what Idea or Image of the nature of GODLINESS and CHRISTIANITY is imprinted upon mens minds: The description which is expressed in the sacred Scriptures, is true and full: The thing described is rational, pure, perfect, unblameable and amiable. That which is expressed in the Lives of the most, is nothing so; but is purblind, defiled, maimed, imperfect, culpable, and mixt with so much of the contrary quality, that to them that cannot distinguish the Chaff from the Wheat, the Sickness from the Life, it seemeth an unreasonable, fancifull, loathsome and vexatious thing; and so far from being worthy to be preferred before all the Riches, Honours and Pleasures of the world, that it seemeth worthy to be kept under as a troubler of Kingdoms, Societies and Souls. And doubtless this monstrous Expression of it in mens Lives, is because the perfect expression of it in Gods Word, hath not made … impression upon the Mind, and consequently upon the Heart. For as it is sound doctrine which must make sound Christians; so Doctrine worketh on the will and affections not as it is in it self, and as delivered, but as it is understood, believed, remembered, considered; even as it is imprinted on the Mind, and used by it. And as interposed matter, or defective application, may cause the Image on the Wax to be imperfect, though made by the most perfect Seal: so is it in this case; when one man doth defectively understand the Scripture-description of a godly man, or Christian; and another by misunderstanding mixeth false conceptions of his own; and another by a corrupt depraved will doth hinder the understanding from believing, or remembring, or considering and using what it partly apprehendeth; what wonder if the Godliness and Christianity in their hearts be unlike the Godliness and Christianity in the Scriptures: When the Law of God in Nature and Scripture is pure and uncorrupt, and the Law of God written imperfectly on the heart, is there mixt with the carnal Law in their members, no marvel if it be expressed accordingly in their lives.
I have therefore much endeavoured in all my writings, and especially in this, to draw out the full pourtraiture of a Christian or godly man indeed, and to describe Gods Image on the soul of man, in such a manner as tendeth to the just information of the Readers mind, and the filling up of the wants, and rectifying the errors which may be found in his former conceptions of it. And I do purposely inculcate the same things oft, in several writings (as when I preached I did in all my Sermons) that the Reader may find that I bring him not undigested needless novelties, and that the frequent repetition of them may help to make the deeper and fuller impression: For my work is to subserve the Holy Ghost, in putting Gods Law into mens hearts, and writing it out truly, clearly and fully upon their inward parts; that they may be made such themselves, by understanding throughly what they must be, and what a solid Christian is: And that thus they may be born again by the incorruptible, immortal seed, the Word of God which will live and abide for ever; and may purifie their souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, 1 Pet. 1.22, 23, 25. He is the best Lawyer, Physician, Souldier, &c. who hath his Doctrine in his brain, and not only in his Books; and hath digested his reading into an intellectual systeme and habit of knowledge. If Ministers had an hundred times over repeated the integral pourtraiture or character of a sound Christian, till it had been as familiar to the minds and memories of their hearers, as is the description of a Magistrate, a Physician, a School-master, a Husband-man, a Shephered, and such things as they are well acquainted with, it would have been a powerfull means to make sound Christians. But when mens minds conceive of a Christian, as a man that differeth from Heathens and Infidels, in nothing but holding the Christian Opinions, and using different words and ceremonies of worship, and such like, no wonder if such be but opinionative lifeless Christians: And if their Religion make them no better than a Seneca or Plutarch, I shall never believe that they are any surer to be saved than they. And such a sort of men there are, that suppose Christianity to consist but of these three parts; 1. The Christian Doctrine acknowledged (which they call Faith.) 2. The Orders and Ordinances of the Christian Church and Worship, submitted to, and decently used (which they call Godliness.) And 3. The heart and life of a Cato, Cicero, or Socrates adjoyned: But all that goeth beyond this, (which is the Life of Christianity and Godliness, a Lively Faith, and Hope, and Love, a Heavenly and Holy mind and life, from the renewing in dweling Spirit of God, which is described in this Treatise) they are strangers to it, and take it to be but fansie and hypocrisie. These No-Christians do much to reduce the Church to Infidelity; that there may be indeed No Christians in the world. For my part I must confess, if there were no better Christians in the world than these, I think I should be no Christian my self: And if Christ made men no better than the Religion of Socrates, Cato or Seneca, and did no more to the reparation and perfecting of mens hearts and lives, I should think no better of the Christian Religion than of theirs: For the means is to be estimated by the End and Vse: And that's the best Physician that hath the Remedies which are fittest to work the cure. If God had not acquainted me with a sort of men that have really more Holiness, Mortification, Spirituality, Love to God, and to one another, and even to enemies, and more heavenly desires, expectations and delights, than these men before described have, it would have been a very great hinderance to my Faith.
The same may I say of those that place Godliness and Christianity only in holding strict opinions, and in affected needless singularities, and in the fluent Oratory and length of prayer, and avoiding other mens forms and modes of worship, and in any thing short of a Renewed, Holy, Heavenly heart and life.
And undoubtedly if a true, full Character of Godliness had been imprinted in their minds, we should never have seen the Professors of it so blotted with sensuality, selfishness, pride, ambition, worldliness, distrust of God, self-conceitedness, heresie, schism, rebellions, unquietness, impatiency, unmercifulness, and cruelty to mens souls and bodies, as we have seen them in this age; and all this justified as consistent with Religion.
And I fear that because this Treatise will speak to few that are not some way guilty, every face which hath a spot or blemish will be offended with the glass: and lest the faulty will say that I particularly intended to disgrace them: But I must here tell the Reader, to prevent his misunderstanding, that if he shall imagine that I have my eyes upon particular parties, and as a discontented person do intend to blame those that differ from my self, or to grieve inferiours, or dishonour and asperse superiours, they will mistake me, and wrong themselves, and me, who professedly intend but the true Description of sound Christians, diseased Christians, and seeming Christians.
And for the manner of this writing, I am conscious it hath but little to commend it. The matter is that for which it is published. The Lord Verulam in his Essayes truly saith, that much reading makes one full; much discourse doth make one ready, and much writing doth make a man exact. Though I have had my part of all these means, yet being parted five years from my Books, and three years from my Preaching, the effects may decay; and you must expect neither Quotations or Oratory Testimonies or ornament of stile: But having not yet wholly ceased from Writing, I may own so much of the exactness as will allow me to intreat the Reader, not to use me as many have done; who by over-looking some one word, have made the sense another thing, and have made it a crime to be exact in Writing, because they cannot or will not be exact in Reading, or charitable or humane in interpreting.