The Almost Christian Discovered, Title page – Dedication
ΕΝ ΟΛΙΓΩ ΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΟΣ
THE Almoſt Chriſtian DISCOVERED, OR The Falſe-Profeſsor Tried and Caſt.
Being the ſubſtance of Seven SERMONS, firſt preached at Sepulchres, London, 1661. and now at the inportunity of friends made publick.
By MATTHEW MEADE.
Luk: 16.14.
And the Phariſees who were covetous' heard all theſe things, and they derided him.
Verſ. 15.
And Jeſus ſaid unto them, ye are they which juſtifie your ſelves before men, but God knoweth your hearts: For that which is highly eſteemed amongſt men, is abomination in the ſight of God.
London Printed for Tho. Parkhurſt, at the three Crowns in the lower end of Cheapſide, over-againſt the great Conduit. 1662.
To the Congregation at Sepulchres that were the Auditors of theſe Sermons.
Grace and Peace be multiplyed.
Beloved,
WHat the meaning of that providence was that called me to the occupation of my Talent amongſt you this Summer, will be beſt read and underſtood by the effects of it upon your own ſouls: The kindly increaſe of grace and holineſs in heart and life, can onelyonly prove it to have been in mercy: where this is not the fruit of the word, there it becomes a judgement. The word travels with life or death, ſalvation or damnation, & bringeth forth one or other in every ſoul that hears it; I would not for a world (were it in my power to nake the choice) that my labours, which were meant & deſigned for the promotion of your immortal ſouls, to the glory of the other World, in a preſent perſuance of the things of your peace, ſhould be found to have been a Ministration of Death and Condemnation, in the great day of Ieſus Chriſt. Yet this (the Lord knoweth) is the too common effect of the moſt plain and powerful Ezek. 47.11.Preaching of the Goſpel, The waters of the Sanctuary, do not always heal where they come, for there are mirie and mariſh places that ſhall be given to ſalt. foreign The ſame word (foreign) is elſewhere in Scripture rendered barrenneſs, Pſ 107.34,he turneth a faithful land (foreign) into barrenneſs ſo that the judgement denounced upon theſe miry and mariſh places, is that the curſe of barrenneſs ſhall reſt upon them, notwithſtanding the waters of the Sanctuary over-flow them.
Jude. 12.It is ſad but certain, that the Goſpel inflicteth a death of its own as well as the Law; or elſe how are thoſe trees in Jude, ſaid to be foreign twice dead, plucked up by the roots. Yea that which in it ſelf is the greateſt mercy, through the interpoſition Rom. 5.8of mens luſts, and the efficacy of this curſed ſin of unbelief, turneth to the greateſt judgement, as the richeſt and moſt generous Wine makes the ſharpeſt Vinegar. Our Lord Chriſt himſelf, the choiceſt mercy that the bowels of a God could bleſs a periſhing World withal,Ioh. 3.16. whoſe coming (himſelf bearing Witneſs) was on no leſs errand then that of eternal life and bleſſedneſs to the loſt and curſed ſons of Adam; Ioh. 10.10Yet to how many was he foreign a ſtone of ſtumbling, Iſa. 8 14.and a rock of offence; Yea, a gin and a ſnare, and that to both the houſes of Iſrael, the onelyonly profeſſing people of God at that day, in the World. And is he not a ſtone of ſtumbling in the Miniſtry of the Goſpel to many profeſſors to this very day, upon which they fall and are broken? When he ſaith,Mat. 11.6 bleſſed is he whoſoever ſhall not be offended in me, he doth therein plainly ſuppoſe that both in his perſon and Doctrine the generality of men would be offended in him.
Not that this is the deſign of Chriſt and the Goſpel, but it comes ſo to paſs through the corruptions of the hearts of men whereby they make light of Chriſt, and ſtand out againſt that life and grace which the Lord Ieſus by his blood ſo dearly purchaſed, and is by the Preaching of the Goſpel ſo freely tendered; the wilful refuſal whereof, will as ſurely double our damnation, as the acceptance thereof will ſecure our eternal Salvation.
Mat. 11.23.Oh conſider it is a thing of the moſt ſerious concernment in the World, how we carry our ſelves under the Goſpel, and with what diſpoſitions and affections of heart and ſoul, ſeaſons of grace are entertained; this being taken into the conſideration to make it weight, that we are the nearer to heaven or to hell, to ſalvation or damnation, by every ordinance we ſit under: boaſt not therefore of Priviledges injoyed with neglect of the important duties thereby required. Remember Capernaums caſe and tremble; as many go to Heaven by the very gates of Hell, ſo more go to Hell by the gates of Heaven, in that the number of them that profeſs Chriſt, is greater then the number of them that truely cloſe with Chriſt.
Beloved, I know the Preaching of the Goſpel hath proſelyted many of you into a profeſſion; but I fear that but few of you are brought by it to a true cloſe with the Lord Chriſt for Salvation, (I beſeech you bear with my jealouſie, for it is the fruit of a tender love to your precious ſouls) moſt men are good Chriſtians in the verdict of their own opinion, but you know the Law alloweth no man to be a witneſs in his own caſe, becauſe their affection uſualally out-acteth conſcience, and ſelf-love baulketh truth for its own intereſt.
The heart of man is the greateſt impoſtor and cheat in the World, God himſelf adjuſts it,foreign Supplante tivum cor prae omui Jeremy 17.9. The heart is deceitful above all things. Some of the deceits whereof you will find diſcovered in this treatiſe, which ſheweth you that every grace hath its counterfeit, and that the higheſt profeſſion may be where true converſion is not.
Ezek. 13.22.Mat. 12.20.The deſign hereof is not to break the bruiſed reed, nor to quench the ſmoking flax, not to diſcourage the weakeſt beleiver, but to awaken formal profeſſors. I would not ſad the heart of any, whom God would not have made ſad, though I know it is hard to rip up the dangerous eſtate and condition of a profeſſing Hypocrite, but that the weak Chriſtian will think himſelf concerned in the diſcovery. And therefore as I Preached a Sermon on ſincerity, among you, for the ſupport and encouragement of ſuch, at the end of this: ſo I did purpoſe to have Printed it with this, but who can be Maſter of his own purpoſes, that is (as I am) under ſuch daily variety of providences; your kindly acceptation of this, will make me a debter for that.
The dedication hereof belongs to you on a double account, for as it had not been Preached, but that love to your ſouls cauſed it, ſo it had much leſs been Printed but that your importunate deſire procured it: and therefore what entertainment ſoever it findeth in the World, yet I hope I may expect you will welcome it, eſpecially conſidering it was born under your roof, and therefore hopes to find favour in your eyes, and room in your hearts.
Accept it I beſeech you, as a publique acknowledgement of the ingagements which your great and (I think I may ſay) unparalleled reſpects have laid me under, which I can no way compenſate, but by my prayers, and if you will take them for ſatisfaction I do promiſe to be your remembrancer at the throne of grace, whilſt I am
Matthew Meade.