Three Treatises to Awaken Secure Sinners, Dedication 2 – To the reader 2
TO The Right Honorable Chriſtopher Pack, Lord Maior of London, with the Right worſhipful Aldermen.
Right Honorable,
BEing deſired to Preach before you at Pauls, I was fain to preach a Sermon which I had preached once before to a poor ignorant Congregation in the Country, having little leiſure for ſtudy in London. I was glad to ſee that the more curious ſtomachs of the Citizens did not nauſeate our plain Country Doctrine, which I ſeemed to diſcern in the diligent attention of the greateſt Congregation that ever I ſaw met for ſuch a work: But I little expected that you ſhould have ſo far eſteemed that diſcourſe, as to have thought it meet for the view of the world, as I underſtood by a Meſſage from you, deſiring it may be Printed. I readily obey your w…ll, when it gives me the leaſt intimation of the will of God. Its poſsible ſome others may afford it the like favourable Acceptance and entertainment. I am ſure the ſubject is as neceſſary as common; and the Plainneſs makes it the fitter for the ignorant, who are the far greateſt number, and have the greateſt need. I have added the 9, 10, 11, and 12. Heads or Common places, which I did not deliver to you for want of time; and becauſe the reſt are too briefly touched (as contrived for an hours work) I have enlarged theſe; though making them ſomewhat unſuitable to the reſt, yet ſuitable to the uſe of thoſe that they are now intended for: The Directions alſo in the end are added.
Bleſſed be the Father of Lights, who hath ſet up ſo many burning and ſhining lights in your City, and hath watered you ſo plenteouſly with the Rivers of his Sanctuary, that you have frequent opportunities for the refreſhment of your ſouls, to the joy of your friends, the grief of your enemies, and the glory of that Providence which hath hitherto maintained them, in deſpite of Perſecution, Hereſies and Hell! It was not alwaies ſo in London: It is not ſo in all other places, or famous Cities in the world: Nor are you ſure that it will be alway ſo with you. It doth me good to remember what bleſſed Lights have ſhined among you, that new are more gloriouſly ſhining in a higher ſphere: Preſton, Sibbes, Stoughton, Taylor, Stock, Randal, Gouge, Gataker, with multitudes more that are now with Chriſt! It did me good to read in the Preface to Mr. Gatakers funeral Sermon, by one of your reverend and faithful Guides, what a number of ſound and unanimous Labourers are yet cloſe at work in that part of Chriſts Vineyard! And it did me good in that ſhort experience and obſervation while I was there, to hear and ſee ſo much of their Prudence, Unity and Fidelity.
Believe it, it is the Goſpel of Chriſt that is your Glory: and if London be more honorable then other great and famous Cities of the earth, it is the light of Gods face, and the plenty and power of his Ordinances and Spirit that doth advance and honour it. 0 know then the day of your viſitation!
Three things I ſhall take leave to propound to your Conſideration, which I am certain God requireth at your hands. The firſt is, that you grow in knowledge, humility, heavenlineſs and Unity, according to the bleſſed means that you enjoy. In my eyes it is the greateſt ſhame to a people in the world, and a ſign of Barbarouſneſs or blockiſhneſs, when we can hear and read what a famous, learned powerful Miniſter ſuch a place, or ſuch a place had, and yet ſee as much ignorance, ungodlineſs, unrulineſs and ſenſuality as if the Goſpel had ſcarce ever been there. I hope it is not thus with you; but I have found it ſo in too many places of England. We that never ſaw the faces of their Miniſters, but have only read their holy Labours, have been ready to think, Sure there are few ignorant or ungodly ones in ſuch a Congregation! Sure they are a people rich in Grace, and eminently qualified above their brethren, who have lived under ſuch Teaching as this! At leaſt, ſure there can be none left that have an enmity to the fear of God! But when we have come to the Towns where ſuch men ſpent their lives, and laid out their labours, we have found ignorant ſottiſh worldlings, unprofitable or giddy unſtable Profeſſors, and ſome haters of godlineſs among them. O what a ſhame is this to them to the eyes of wiſe men! and what a confounding aggravation of their ſin before God! Thrive therefore and be fruitful in the Vineyard of the Lord, that it may not repent him that he hath planted and watered you.
The ſecond is this; Improve your intereſt to the utmoſt, for the continuance of a faithful Miniſtry among you: and when any places are void, do what you can to get a ſupply of the moſt Able men. Your City is the Heart of the Nation: you cannot be ſick but we ſhall all feel it. If you be infected with falſe Doctrines, the Countreys will ere long receive the Contagion. You have a very great influence on all the Land, for good or evil! And do you think the undermining enemies of the Church have not a ſpecial Deſign upon you in this point? and will not promote it as far as is in their power? Could they but get in Popiſh or Dividing Teachers among you, they know how many advantages they ſhould gain at once! They would have ſome to grieve and trouble your faithful Guides, & hinder them in the work, and leſſen that eſtimation which by their Unity they would obtain: And every Deceiver will hope to catch ſome fiſh, that caſteth his Net among ſuch ſtore. We beſeech you, if there be Learned, Holy, Judicious men in England that can be had for ſupply on ſuch occaſions, let them be yours; that you may be fed with the Beſt, and Guided by the Wiſeſt, and we may have all recourſe to you for advice; and where there are moſt Oppoſers & Seducers, there may be the moſt Powerful, Convincing helps, at hand; Let us in the Country have the honeſt raw young Preachers, and ſee that you have the chief Fathers and Pillars in the Church. I ſpeak it not for your ſakes alone, but becauſe we have all Dependance on you.
The third thing which I humbly crave, is, that you will Know them which Labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admoniſh you, and to eſteem them very highly in love for their work ſake; and be at peace among your ſelves. 1 Theſ. 5. 12, 13. And that you will inſtead of grieving or rejecting your Guides, Obey them that have the Rule over you, and ſubmit your ſelves: for they watch for your ſouls as they that muſt give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you. Heb. 13. 17. 7. Encourage your Teachers, for their work is great, their ſpirits are weak, they are but frail men; the enemy is more induſtrious againſt them then any men; and their diſcouragements are very many, and the difficulties which they muſt encounter are very great. Eſpecially, Obey, ſubmit and encourage them in the work of Government and Exerciſe of Chriſts Diſcipline, and managing the Keyes of the Kingdom which he hath put into their hand. Do you not perceive what a ſtrait your Teachers are in! The Lord Ieſus requireth them to exerciſe his Diſcipline faithfully and impartially: He giveth them not empty Titles of Rule, but layes upon them the burden of Ruling: It is his work, more then their honour that he intends: and if they will have the Honor, it muſt be by the work. The work is, as to Teach the ignorant, and convince the unbelieving and gainſaying, ſo to admoniſh the diſorderly and ſcandalous, and to reject and caſt out of the Communion of the Church the Obſtinate and Impenitent; and to ſet by the Leprous, that they infect not the reſt; and to ſeperate thus the precious from the vile by Chriſts D…ſcipline, that dividing ſeparation, and ſoul deſtroying Tranſgreſsions may be prevented or cured. This work Chriſt hath charged upon them, and will have it done who ever is againſt it. If they obey him and do it, what a tumult, what clamours & diſcontents will they raiſe! How many will be ready to riſe up againſt them with hatred and ſcorn! though it be the undoubted work of Chriſt, which even under perſecution was performed by the Church-Guides. When they do but keep a ſcandalous untractable Sinner from the Communion of the Church in the Lords Supper, what repinings doth it raiſe! But, alas, this is a ſmall part of the Diſcipline: If all the apparently obſtinate and impenitent were caſt out, what a ſtir would they make! And if Chriſt be not obeyed, what a ſtir will conſcience make? And it is not only between Chriſt and men, but between men and men, that your Guides are put upon ſtreights. The Separatiſts reproach them for ſuffering the Impenitent to continue members of their Churches, and make it the pretence of their ſeparation from them; having little to ſay of any moment againſt the authorized way of Government; but only againſt our ſlackneſs in the Execution. And if we ſhould ſet to the cloſe Exerciſe of it, as is meet, how would City and Country ring of it, and what Indignation ſhould we raiſe in the multitude againſt us! O what need have your Guides of your Encouragement and beſt Aſsiſtance in this ſtreight! God hath ſet them on a work ſo ungrateful and diſpleaſing to fleſh and blood, that they cannot be faithful in it, but twenty to one they will draw a world of Hatred upon themſelves, if not mens fiſts about their ears. Feſtred ſores will not be lancht and ſearcht with eaſe: Corrupted members are unwilling to be cut off, and caſt aſide: Eſpecially if any of the great ones fall under the cenſure, who are big in the eyes of the world and in their own. And yet our Soveraign Lord muſt be obeyed; and his houſe muſt be ſwept, and the filth caſt out, by what names or Titles ſoever it be dignified with men. He muſt be pleaſed, if all be diſpleaſed by it. Withdraw not your help then from this needfull work. It is by the Word, Spirit, and Miniſtery, that Chriſt the King of his Church doth Govern it: Not ſeparatedly, but joyntly, by all three: To diſobey theſe, is to diſobey Chriſt: and ſubjection to Christ is Eſſential to our Chriſtianity. This well thought on might do much to recover the Unruly that are Recoverable. You may conjecture by the ſtrange oppoſition that Church-Government meets with from all ſorts of carnal and corrupted minds, that there is ſomewhat in it that is eminently of God. I ſhall ſay no more but this, that It is an Able, Judicious, Godly, Faithful Miniſtery, not barely heard and applauded, but humbly and piouſly ſubmitted to, and obeyed in the Lord, that muſt be your trueſt preſent glory, and the means of your everlaſting Peace and Joy.
So teſtifieth from the Lord, Your ſervant in …he faith of Chriſt, Rich. Baxter.
To the Ignorant or Careleſs Reader.
SEeing the Providence of God hath commanded forth this plain Diſcourſe, I ſhall hope (upon experience of his dealing in the like caſes with me) That he hath ſome work for it to do in the world. Who knows but it was intended for the ſaving of thy ſoul, by opening thine eyes and awaking thee from thy ſin who are now in Reading of it! Be it known to thee, it is the certain Truth of God, and of high concernment to thy ſoul that it treateth of; and therefore requireth thy moſt ſober Conſideration. Thou haſt in it (how weakly ſoever it is managed by me) an advantage put into thy hand from God, to help thee in the greateſt work in the world, even to prepare for the great approaching Judgement. In the name of God, I require thee, caſt not away this advantage: Turn not away thine ears or heart from this warning that is ſent to the… from the living God! Seeing all the world cannot keep thee from judgement, nor ſave thee in Judgement: let not all the world be able to keep thee from a ſpeedy and ſerious preparation for it. Do it preſently, leſt God come before thou art ready! Do it ſeriouſly, leſt the Tempter over-reach thee, and thou ſhouldſt be found among the fooliſh ſelf-deceivers, when it is too late to do it better. I intreat this of thee on the behalf of thy ſoul, and as thou tendereſt thy everlaſting Peace with God, that thou wouldeſt afford theſe matters thy deepeſt Conſideration. Think on them, whether they are not True aud weighty: Think of them lying down and riſing up. And ſeeing this ſmall Book is faln into thy hands, all that I would beg of thee concerning it, is, that thou wouldſt beſtow now and then an hour to read it, and read it to thy family or friends as well at to thy ſelf; and as you go, Conſider what you read, and Pray the Lord to help it to thy heart, and to aſsiſt thee in the Practice, that it may not riſe up in Judgement agai…ſt thee. If thou have not leiſure at other, take now and then an hour on the Lords dayes, or at night to that purpoſe; and if any paſſage through brevity (ſpecially neer the beginning) ſeem dark to thee, Read it again, and again, and ask the help of an Inſtructer, that thou mayeſt underſtand it. May it but help thee out of the ſnares of ſin, and promote the ſaving of thy Immortal ſoul, and thy comfortable appearance at the great day of Chriſt, I have the thing which I intended and deſired. The Lord open thy Heart, aud accompany his Truth with the Bleſsing of his Spirit! Amen.