A Discovery of Glorious Love, Preface – To the reader
To his beloved friends, the godly Inhabitants of the Town and Port of Sandwich.
Particularly The Congregation over which the Holy Ghoſt hath made my reverend Brother (Mr. Francis Prentice) Overſeer.
Beloved in Chriſt,
HOwever thoſe who are in the world, may account the inſuing Sermons riddles, and paradoxes: yet to you (whom I hope Chriſt hath taken out of the world) they are experienced truths. Its true, yee know them already (for I have preached them to you.) But that you might have them in remembrance; I have been willing to Print them for you; And yet not for you only, but for as many as beleive in the Lord Jeſus.
It was Peters care to perpetuate thoſe things by writing, which hee had preached by word: That ſo albeit his hearers knew, yet they might bee eſtabliſhed * in the truth. foreign i.e. rooted or ſetled as upon a firm foundation.Certainly next to the knowing of truths, is the eſtabliſhment in them, which ſome wanting, are gone aſide after airy vanities.
Tis true; your eſtabliſhment primarily, and cauſally depends on the Spirit. But yet ſecondarily, and inſtrumentally, it is attained unto by the word. For therefore it was that Peter writ (as hee ſayes 2 Pet. 1.12.) and ſurely his writings were words. And yet the words of Chriſt were not bare letter: No, they were Spirit and Life. And the truths of Chriſt held forth by any, according to the meaſure of the gift received, are as truly Chriſts words now, John. 6.63.as when hee was here on earth: elſe how could Paul ſay?foreign i.e. according to the eies ſight. that Chriſt came and preached to the Epheſians, and was evidently crucified before the Galatians (as tis Eph. 2.17. and Gal. 3.1:) neither of whom heard of Chriſt, till after his aſcenſion. I hope it will bee no pride but a gratefull and neceſſary witneſſe to the grace of Chriſt, if I ſay I have both ſpoke and writ the truth, as it is in Jeſus, and as the Spirit hath given utterance. Yea and that in a meaſure alſo I can ſay, that thoſe things which I have heard, and ſeen, I have declared unto you, that your joy might bee full.
I know nothing ſo directly tending to both the truth, and fulneſſe of a Saints joy (of which I account my ſelf obliged to bee a helper) as the knowledge of the love of Chriſt.2 Cor. 1. ult. Now this is the ſubject I treat of. And this I deſire to put you in remembrance of, as knowing nothing more ſtrong, and conſtraining unto duty,2 Cor. 5.14. than joy ſpringing forth of this well of ſalvation.
I ſhall not trouble you with a large Epiſtle. Four words only in this publick view (for ſo is printing) I ſhall leave with you, as my witneſſe unto Chriſt in ſome preſent truths now denied) which I deſire may never bee a witneſſe againſt you.
1. That Jeſus whom wee preach, and whoſe love wee declare, is the ſame Chriſt ſtill: i.e. the ſame God in mans nature (which is the choyce thing in him capable of being anoynted,foreign i.e. the ſelf ſame, not another. and ſo of making him Chriſt) hee that aſcended is the ſame that deſcended, and hee that deſcended, is the ſame alſo that aſcended (as tis Eph. 4.9, 10.) Hee ſtill retains the human nature which once hee took: and ſo is ſtill not only the ſame God, but man. Its true the manhood or fleſh of Chriſt is now glorified, but tis not annihilated, his body is made glorious, but ſtill tis in body. The man is ſet down on the right hand of God, Heb. 10.12.
2. This Jeſus ſhall come again in the ſame mann…r in which hee did aſcend, as hee was viſible (even to the eyes of the fleſh) when hee went away, ſo ſhall hee bee ſeen in like manner comming again, Act. 1.10.11. Hee is not ſo ſwallowed up in Spirit, foreign.as that hee is gone out of the fleſh▪ But albeit his all and onelyonly preſence bee now in Spirit; yet hee ſhall come again, and all eyes ſhall ſee him: and they alſo who pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth, as it is Apoc. 1.7. Whoever ſhall ſay theſe Scriptures are not to bee taken in the letter (I know I have the mind of Chriſt, if I ſay in this) hee hath not the Spirit.
3. That till this comming again, wee are to wait for him, and upon him in the ſpiritual, and yet external obſervation of the Ordinances of the Goſpel. And in them wee are to expect, and ſhall find, the ſweet and ſpiritual incomes of himſelf, in diſcoveries of that love of which I treat.
4 That in the day of Chriſts comming again, thoſe Miniſters will bee found bleſſed, Lu. 12.42.who as faithfull and wiſe Stewards ſhal be found giving the houſhold their portion of meat in due ſeaſon. And theſe Saints will be blameleſſe, who in that day ſhall bee ſound exerciſed in, and yet living above the obſervation of preaching, fellowſhip, prayers, and breaking of bread, which Chriſt hath commanded to bee kept up til hee come.
And now (beloved) what is the panting of my Spirit, both for my own ſoul, for yours, and for all the Saints? Is it not this? that the morning of that day would dawn? Is it not,Chriſt is foreign i.e. the day dawning: and foreign, i.e. the light bringer, and he is alſo the morning ſtar. that the ſhaddows would fly away, and that the day ſpring from on high, might again (in the glory of Chriſt (God and man,) viſit us? Surely theſe are the daily groanings of the Spirit in mee: But with theſe there is alſo a mixture of ſighs: oh! that the Spirit would make us diligent, that wee may bee found of him in peace, 2 Pet. 3.14.without ſpot, and blameleſſe: and oh! that we may bee counted worthy to eſcape all theſe things which (in part are already) come to paſſe: and to ſtand before the ſon of man, yea, and oh! that when the Lord ſhall call us to an account, concerning the oracles, Rom. 3.2. foreign. i.e. to commit as a choice treaſure.the ordinances which he hath committed to us: wee may be found Firſt, neither as having defiled them with our own inventions: Nor Secondly, as diſ-eſteeming them upon pretence of our attainments: No nor thirdly to have made them our reſt and confidence. But I ſhal ſigh the reſt in ſecret, I beſeech you beleeve that my heart underwrites this, that I am
Yours, intirely affectionate in the love and labour of the Goſpell. JOHN DURANT.
A word to the Reader.
IN theſe Sermons I preſume thou wilt perceive the plainneſſe of man; and my prayer is, that thou mayeſt likewiſe perceive the power of the Spirit.
The time of their preaching, was (ſome eleven years ſince) even the noon of the day of Englands trouble; At that time they were accounted ſeaſonable.
The matter of them, is ſome Goſpell light, of the glorious love of Chriſt, and this makes mee think they can never bee unſeaſonable.
The manner of their delivery, was (as it ought to bee) not with enticeing words of mans wiſdome. But in the ſimplicity & plainneſs of the Goſpel.
The end was, and is, next to Chriſts glory, thy good (O beleever!) who ever thou art, and if this bee not attained, I muſt cry out, I have laboured in vain! And
Two requeſts I have unto thee,
The firſt is, that thou charitably cover the failings of the Preacher. Remember the heavenly treaſure of the Goſpel, is in earthen veſſels.
The ſecond is; that thou carefully correct the Errata's of the Printer, which by reaſon of my abſence from the Preſſe could not bee avoided.
If to theſe two thou wilt over and above adde thy prayers for mee, that I may ſtill bee inabled from an experimental knowledge of Goſpel truths ſo publiſh the ſame unto poor ſouls; Thou wilt doe more than requite mee for my pains in this, even oblige mee to a publication of ſome other Papers. In hope whereof, I ſubſcribe my ſelf,
Thine in the ſincerity and ſtrength of Goſpel-love. John Durant.