The Almost Christian Discovered, Author to the reader
TO THE READER.
Reader.
I Know how cuſtomary it is for men to aſcend the publique ſtage, with premiſed Apologies for the weakneſs and unworthineſs of their labours, which is an argument that their deſires (either for the ſake of others profit, or their own credit, or both,) are ſtretched beyond the tedder of their abilities; and that they covet to commend themſelves to the Worlds cenſure, in a better dreſs then common infirmity will allow; for my own part I may truely ſay with Gideon, Behold my thouſand is the meaneſt (my Talent is the ſmalleſt) and I am the leaſt in my Fathers Houſe, foreign Iud. 6.15.and therefore this appearance in publique is not the fruit of my own choice, which would rather have been in ſome other ſubject, wherein I ſtand in ſome ſenſe indebted to the World, or elſe in ſomewhat more digeſted, and poſſibly better fitted for common acceptation; but this is but to conſult the intereſt of a mans own name, which in matters of this concern, is no better then a ſowing to the fleſh, and the harveſt of ſuch a ſeeds time will be in corruption.Gal. 6.8.
Luk. 13.24.1 Cor. 9.24.Thou haſt here one of the ſaddeſt conſiderations imaginable preſented to thee, and that is, how far it is poſſible a man may go in a profeſſion of Religion, and yet after all fall ſhort of ſalvation; haw far he may run, and yet not ſo run as to obtain, this I ſay is ſad, but not ſo ſad as true, for our Lord Chriſt doth plainly atteſt it, ſtrive to enter in at the ſtrait gate, for many I ſay unto you, will ſeek to enter in, and ſhall not be able.
My deſign herein is that the formal ſleepy profeſſor may be awakened, and the cloſe Hypocrite diſcovered; but my fear is, that weak beleivers may be hereby diſcouraged: for as it is hard to ſhew how low a Child of God may fall in ſin, and yet have true grace, but that the ſinner will be apt thereupon to preſume; ſo it is as hard to ſhew how high a Hypocrite may riſe in a profeſſion, and yet have no grace, but that the beleiver will be apt thereupon to deſpond. The prevention whereof I have carefully indeavoured, by ſhewing, that though a man may go thus far, and yet be but almoſt a Chriſtian, yet a man may fall ſhort of this, and be a true Chriſtian notwithſtanding; judge not therefore thy ſtate by any one character thou findeſt laid down of a falſe profeſſor, but read the whole and then make a judgement, for I have cared,Mat. 15.26. as not to give childrens bread to Dogs, ſo not to uſe the Dog-Whip to ſcare the children: yet I could wiſh that this book might fall into the hands of ſuch onelyonly whom it chiefly concerns, who have a name to live, Rev. 3.1.and yet are dead, being buſie with the form of godlineſs, 2 Tim. 3.5.but ſtrangers to the power of it. Theſe are the proper ſubject of this Treatiſe. And the Lord follow it with his bleſſing wherever it comes, that it may be an awakening word to all ſuch, and eſpecially to that generation of profligate profeſſors (with which this age abounds) who, if they keep to their Church, bow the knee, tale out a few prayers, and at a good time receive the Sacrament; think they do enough for Heaven, and hereupon judge their condition ſafe, and their Salvation ſure, though their be a hell of ſin in their hearts,Ro. 3.13. and the Poyſon of Aſps under their lips, their minds being as yet carnal and unconverted, and their converſations filthy and unſanctified: if eternal life be of ſo eaſie attainment, and to be had at ſo cheap a rate of devotion, it is to me a wonder what our Lord Chriſt meant to tell us,Mat. 7.14. ſtraight is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth into life, and few there be that find it. And why the Apoſtle ſhould perplex us with ſuch a needleſs injunction, To give diligence to make their callling and election ſure, 2 Pet. 1.10certainly therefore it is no ſuch eaſie thing to be ſaved, as many make it, and that thou wilt ſee plainly in the following diſcourſe: I have been ſomewhat ſhort in the application of it, and therefore let me here be thy remembrancer in five important duties.
Mat. 7.16 verſ. 27.2 King. 6.25.Firſt, Take heed of reſting in a form of godlineſs, as if duties ex opere operato could confer grace; a lifeleſs formality is advanced to a very high eſteem in the World, as a Kab of Doves Dung, was ſold in the Famine of Samaria, at a very dear rate. Alas the profeſſion of godlineſs is but a ſandy foundation, to build the hope of an immortal ſoul upon for eternity, remember the Lord Jeſus Chriſt called him a fooliſh builder, that founded his houſe upon the ſand, and the ſad event proved him ſo, for it fell, and great was the fall of it. Oh therefore lay thy foundations by faith upon the Rock Chriſt Jeſus,1 Cor. 3.11. look to Chriſt through all, and reſt upon Chriſt in all.
Secondly, Labour to ſee an excellency in the power of godlineſs, a beauty in the life of grace; if the means of grace have a lovelineſs in them, ſurely grace it ſelf hath much more, for finis dat amabilitatem mediis the goodneſs of the means lies in its ſutableneſs and ſerviceableneſs to the end, the form of godlineſs hath no goodneſs in it, any farther then it ſteads and becomes uſeful to the ſoul in the power and practiſe of godlineſs. The life of holineſs is the onelyonly excellent life, it is the life of Saints and Angels in Heaven, yea it is the life of God himſelf. As it is a great proof of the baſeneſs and filthineſs of ſin, that ſinners ſeek to cover it, ſo it is a great proof of the excellency of godlineſs, that ſo many pretend to it; The very Hypocrites fair profeſſion pleads the cauſe of Religion, although the Hypocrite is then really worſt, when he is ſeemingly beſt.Malus ubi bonum ſe ſi…ulat tunc eſt paſſimus.
Thirdly, Look upon things to come as the greateſt realities, for non entis & non apparentis idem eſt effectus, things that are not beleived, work no more upon the affections then if they had no being; and this is the grand reaſon why the generality of men ſuffer their affections to lacquey after the World, ſetting the creature in the place of God in their hearts.
Col. 3.5.Moſt men judge of the reality of things by their viſibility and proximity to ſenſe, and therefore the choice, of that wretched Cardinal becomes their option, who would not leave his part in Paris, for his part in Paradiſe: ſure whatever his intereſt might be in the former, he had little enough in the latter: well may covetouſneſs be called Idolatry, when it thus chuſes the World for its God.
Mar. 9 44O conſider eternity is no Dream, Hell and the Worm that never dies is no melancholy conceit, heaven is no feigned Elyſium: there is the greateſt reality imaginable in theſe things, though they are ſpiritual and out of the ken of ſenſe, yet they are real and within the view of faith: look not therefore at the things which are ſeen, but look at the things which are not ſeen; for the things that are ſeen are temporal, 2 Cor. 4.18.but the things which are not ſeen are eternal.
Iſa. 55.2.Heb. 12 16.Fourthly, Set a high rate upon thy ſoul, what we lightly prize we eaſily part with, many men ſell their ſouls (at the rate of prophane Eſau's birth right) for a morſel of meat, nay for that which (in the ſence of the Holy Ghoſt is not bread; O conſider thy ſoul is the moſt precious and invaluable jewel in the World, it is foreign the moſt beautiful peice of Gods workmanſhip, in the whole creation, it is that which bears the Image of God, and which was bought with the blood of the Son of God,1. Pet. 1.18, 19. and ſhall we not ſet a value upon it, and count it precious?
The Apoſtle Peter ſpeaks of three very precious things.
A precious Chriſt,1 Pet. 2 7 2 Pet. 1.4 and 1.1.
Precious promiſes,
And precious Faith.
1 Cor. 6.13.Now the preciouſnes of all theſe lies in their uſefulneſs to the ſoul. Chriſt is precious, as being the Redeemer of precious ſouls; the promiſes are precious, as making over this precious Chriſt, to precious ſouls. Faith is precious, as bringing a precious ſoul to cloſe with a precious Chriſt, as he is held forth in the precious promiſes. Oh take heed that thou art not found overvaluing other things and undervaluing thy ſoul. Shall thy fleſh, nay thy beaſt be loved, and ſhall thy ſoul be ſlighted? wilt thou cloath and pamper thy body, and yet take no care of thy ſoul? this is as if a man ſhould feed his Dog and ſtarve his Child; Meats for the belly, and the belly for Meats, but God ſhall deſtroy both it and them. Oh let not a tottering periſhing carkaſs have all our time and care, as if the life and Salvation of thy Soul were not worth the while.
Gal. 6.7.Laſtly, Meditate much of the ſtrictneſs and ſuddainneſs of that judgement day, which thou and I muſt paſs through into an everlaſting ſtate, wherein God the impartial judge will require an account at our hands, of all our talents and betruſtments, we muſt then account for time, how we have ſpent that, for eſtate, how we have imployed that, for ſtrength how we have laid laid out that, for affections and mercies how they have been improved, for the relations we ſtood in here, how they have been diſcharged, and for ſeaſons and means of grace how they have been husbanded, and look how we have ſowed here, ſo ſhall we reap hereafter.
Mat. 7.10, 20.Reader, theſe are things that of all other deſerve moſt of, and call loudeſt for, our utmoſt care and indeavour; though by the moſt leaſt minded; To conſider what a ſpirit of Atheiſme (if we may judge the tree by the fruits, and the principle by the practiſe) the hearts of moſt men are filled with, who live as if God were not to be ſerved, nor Chriſt to be ſought, nor luſt to be mortified, nor ſelf to be denyed, nor the Soripture to be beleived, nor the judgement day to be minded, nor hell to be feared, nor heaven to be deſired, nor the ſoul to be valued, but give up themſelves to a worſe then brutiſh ſenſuality,Eph. 4.19 and 2 12. to work all uncleanneſs with greedineſs, living without God in the World, this is a meditation fit enough to break our hearts, if at leaſt we are of holy Davids temper,Pſal 119.158. who beheld the tranſgreſſours and was grieved, and had rivers of waters running down his eyes,verſ. 136. becauſe men kept not Gods Laws. The prevention and correction of this ſoul deſtroying diſtemper, is not the leaſt deſign of this Treatiſe now put into thy hand; though the cheif vertue of this receit lies in its ſover aign uſe to aſſwage and cure the ſwelling tympany of Hypocriſie, yet it may ſerve alſo (with Gods bleſſing) as a plaiſter for the plague-ſore of prophanneſs, if timely applyed by ſerious meditation, and carefully kept on by conſtant prayer.
Horat.Reader, Expect nothing of curioſity or quaintneſs, for then I ſhall deceive thee; but if thou wouldſt have a touchſtone for the tryal of thy ſtate, poſſibly this may ſtead thee: if thou art either a ſtranger to a profeſſion, or a Hypocrite under a profeſſion, then read and tremble, for thou art the man here pointed at.
—Mutato nomine de te
Fabula narratur —
Mark 9.1 Luk. 17.21.But if the Kingdom of God be come with power into thy ſoul, if Chriſt be formed in thee, if thy heart be upright and ſincere with God, then read and rejoyce.
Iſa. 48.17I fear I have tranſgreſſed the bounds of an Epiſtle; The mighty God whoſe prerogative it is to teach, to profit, whether by the Tongue or the Pen, by ſpeaking or writing, bleſs this tract, that it may be to thee, as a cloud of rain to the dry ground, dropping fatneſs to thy ſoul; that ſo thy fleece being watered with the dew of Heaven,2 Pet. 3.18. thou mayſt grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, In whom I am Thy friend and Servant.
London, Octob. 29. 1661. Mat. Meade.