The Inseparable Communion of a Believer with God, Title page – To the reader
THE Inſeparable Communion OF A Believer WITH GOD IN HIS LOVE Being the Subſtance of Several SERMONS Preached on ROM. VIII. 38.39.
By that Reverend Miniſter Mr. THOMAS MALLERY, late Paſtor of a Church in London.
LONDON, Printed for R. D. near the Royal Exchange. MDCLXXIV.
AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE Chriſtian-READER.
THE Author of this ſhort Treatiſe was ſo well known to the Churches of Chriſt in and about this City, that neither himſelf nor any of his holy Labours do need an Epiſtle of Commendation to them: For [though he be dead] he yet ſpeaketh by his paſt Example to Believers, in word, in converſation, in charity, in ſpirit, in faith, in purity; And by his Miniſtry which he Managed as the Steward of God, holding faſt the faithful Word with uncorruptneſs; and diſpenſed with gravity, ſincerity, ſound ſpeech as cannot be condemned, rightly dividing the Word of Truth, whereby as he did approve himſelf to God a Workman that needed not to be aſhamed, ſo alſo to every Mans Conſcience that knew him, and more eſpecially to the Flock over which the Holy Ghoſt had made him Overſeer, to whom in Chriſt Jeſus, both his Perſonal Grace, and Miniſterial Abilities, are acknowledged as the Auther and Finiſher of them.
The deſign therefore of theſe few lines, is not ſo much to beſpeak an Acceptance with the Reader, as to Advertiſe him, That theſe Sermons were not prepared [or for ought is known] ever intended by himſelf for the Preſſe, but are made publick by ſome of his Friends (in whoſe Memory his Name and Labour yet live) as thoſe that God made uſeful and ſavoury to them when he Preached them; and which they hope may be Profitable to all the Saints.
Yet the Reader may be aſſured, That they are the true Copy of his own Notes, [the Errors of the Tranſcriber excepted] which he Prepared to methodize what of the Word he Miniſtred in his daily courſe, which were enlarged and further emproved in the lively Delivery of them; which latter if we could preſent thee with, as truly as the ſubſtance of them is here emitted: eſpecially, if it had pleaſed the only wiſe God to have ſpared him to a Review of them by that ſpiritual Judgment which he was ſingularly bleſt with, to deliver the things of God not only ſolidly, but in many things very ſublimely, there would need no Apology to the World, (whoſe courſe is to cenſure rather then to ſtudy profit by the Labours of Gods Servants) for the ſeeming abruptneſſe of ſome of his notions, and the brevity of the whole: which laſt inconvenience yet is attended with this advantage, That the godly Reader may with leſs expence of time peruſe them, and with greater facility retain them: and the worth and weight he finds in them will recompence his labour, through the bleſſing of the Holy One who teacheth us to profit, as he hath Promiſed to all that are intereſſed in this inſeparable union to, and communion with him in Jeſus Chriſt, who will through him make us Conquerours over the unprofitableneſſe of our own hearts, as well as all other our ſpiritual enemies.