A Christians Walk and Work on Earth, Frontispiece – Dedication
Christopher. Neſse aetatis Succ 56: 1678 Minniſter of the Goſpel in fleet Street London.
A Chriſtians Walk AND WORK on EARTH, Until he attain to HEAVEN. Which May ſerve as a Practical guide, and a plain Direction in his Pilgrimage thither, through his perſonal and Relative Duties. Marvelouſly uſeful to all perſons, and Families of all Ranks and Qualities, both in City and Country.
By Chriſtopher Neſſe, Miniſter of the Goſpel in Fleet-Street-London.
foreign Torah, Or, Lex Lux Prov. 6. 23.
Gods word is Davids Lantern and Candle, Pſal. 119. 105. Bleſſed is he that Readeth, Revel. 1. 3.
Printed for Dorman Newman, at the Kings Arms in the Poultrey, 1678.
To the Right Worſhipful and Worthily Honored, Sir. William Waller Knight, Living in Weſtminſter, &c. And to the Right Worſhipful and very Vertuous and Religious Lady his comfortable Conſort, &c. And to their two hopeful Olive-Plants, Mr. Richard, and Mris Katherine Waller. Grace, mercy, and peace, be Multiplyed.
Noble Sir.
YOu are a bleſſed branch of an Honourable ſtock, whom [I hope] Divine Providence hath thence extracted for ſome more than Ordinary Generation-work, and will [after all your Interchanges of Occurrencies, that now attend you) in due ſeaſon fix you as an Orient Star in your proper orbe and ſtation to diffuſe ſome delightful light, and benign influence to your Generation: The ground of my Hope hereof (for I profeſs againſt ſpeaking either at Random, or in Flattery, as fearing my Maker) is this; Beſides your Natural Candour, Sublime Temperature, and ſweetneſs of Diſpoſition, I have obſerved in you ſomething that is ſupernatural both of parts and of Piety. 1. Of paris in the Excellency of your Pen (both in publick Print, and in private Manuſcripts) your true Relation of the ſad eſtate of the Reformed Churches in forrain Countrys, is the former, and your graciouſly compoſed Letter you ſent me from France, when you laid under great weakneſs there, is the latter Teſtimony. 2. Of Piety in your owning, avouching and acknowledging the great Jehovah to be your God. Deut. 26. 17. Pro. 3. 6. I do perſonally know that you have made Prayer (to God) your Refuge while under miſery; and praiſe (of God) your Recompence, when under mercy. From hence I do both hope and conclude that your God [whom you ſerve] will aſſuredly own and Honour you. There is an eternal truth in that bleſſed word of God, [they that honour me, I will honour.] 1 Sam. 2. 30. 'tis a bargain of Gods own making, we may bind upon it, ſuch as acknowledge and avouch the Lord for their God, God will undoubtedly acknowledge and avouch them for his Servants: God never gives ſuch Excellent endowments in vain, but he honours them with Suitable Exerciſes and opportunities in the World. Fame follows Vertue cloſer then the ſhadow doth the Body, and true Piety is as a thouſand Eſchutcheons in it ſelf. Godlineſs [of it ſelf] is great honour as well as gain, though no more be gained but Godlineſs, it ſelf.
Honored Madam.
THe very boſom-Diſciple of Chriſt dedicates his ſecond Epiſtle, unto the Elect Lady [one undoubtedly Eminent both in favour with God and in Eſtimation among the Churches for her ſhining Faith and Holineſs, which are rarely found in great Perſons] and to her Children, rejoiceing in their Gracious carriage and Converſation. 2 Ep. Joh. v. 1. 2. both the Honourable Mother and Her Honourable Children had this Elders [the Apoſtles] unfeigned, and wellfounded Love. In Saluting therefore your Lady-ſhips hands, and the hands of your dear and delightful Children with this Dedication is no untrodden path, wherein not only this beloved Diſciple, but alſo the Fathers of the Church, [Jerome eſpecially] hath walked before me. I doubt not to ſay [without Vanity] that you are an Elect Lady having known your manner of Converſation for ſome few Years, both in your devotion to God [publickly and privately] and in your Communion with Saints, together with your Religious Education of your ſweet Children, I know you have taught them the good ways of the Lord. Gen. 18. 19. that neither of them might become degenerat plants, but both of them, the Heirs of the ſame promiſe, Heb. 11. 9. By all which you have confuted, that fond conceit of the World, to wit, that goodneſs and greatneſs are Inconſiſtent things, whereas they have an happy and a comely Conjunction in you: without Controverſy, greatneſs hath nothing greater in it, then both an Heart to be willing, and a power to be able to do good; how much you are capacitated and Qualified by your firſt Birth [which was honourable, as to Earth] but eſpecially by your New-Birth [which is more highly HoHonourable, as to Heaven; even your greateſt Credit and Comfort in both Worlds] hath been Manifeſt in many Fair and Legible Characters of long candour and kindneſs to me and to my Family.
But to bring thoſe two streams into one Channel, as God hath [by his Covenant of Marriage] made your two perſons to be one Fleſh: Though I might ſay much more in a juſt commendation of you both, yet I forbear: not only leſt I ſhould ſo much as ſeem to give Flattering duplicate page duplicate page Titles, which indeed I know not to do. I have as little Art in it, as heart to it, in ſo doing, my maker might ſnatch me away in that dangerous Sin of Flattery. Job 32. 21, 22. But chiefly becauſe your modeſt Ears, and humble Hearts do not love Salutations in the Markets, Math. 23. 7. Ye would not have it publiſhed upon the Houſe-tops, either what God hath done for you, or what ye have done for God. Therefore I ſhall only crave your pardon for affixing your Honourable Names to this little Book, which is not done, either altogether to ſeek your Patronage [as the manner is] for it hath Licenſe to go abroad into the World, or to beg your hand to help me higher in the World, for I am leſs then the leaſt of thoſe mercies of my God, that I do already enjoy, and I would lay at Gods foct [as the righteous Man did. Iſa. 41. 2.] in theſe things: but 'tis to expreſs my gratitude to you who have both watered this work and furthered it with your ſweet Influences.
I do here preſent you with the Walk and Work of a Chriſtian upon earth until he come [at the end] to Heaven, both theſe are weighty and worthy of all Acceptation. First, The Walk here doth infinitely tranſeend the beſt walk in your garden, or in the beſt ſpring-garden in the whole World. 'Tis a walk, wherein you may not only walk hand in hand with the Angels of God, [both thoſe that are Terreſtrial, to wit, Chriſtians, and thoſe that are Coeleſtial, to wit, Cherubims] but alſo with the God of Angels [himſelf] even as a Man walks hand in hand with his friend, thus Enoch walked with his God, Gen. 5. 24. Secondly, The work here is (verily) Angelical as well as Evangelical work, a work that is Honourable to the moſt Honourable upon Earth, giving more of Honour to them then it can receive of Honour from them. Deo ſervire eſt regnare, ſaith Auguſtin. And David accounted it a greater honour to be Gods Servant, then to be Iſraels King. Pſal. 18. Title. The great God is the moſt honourable Maſter, who Employs his Servants in this moſt honourable work, and will undoubtedly pay them with the moſt honourable wages, even with an hundred fould in this life, and in the World to come with life everlaſting. Mark. 10. 30. I have no cauſe to doubt but that you are [both of you] already true Spiritual Pilgrims in this Divine walk and work. And I cannot but be confident that you [both] do Ardently affect what ſoever may promote your Progreſs herein. O that my poor Labours might contribute any thing to further your paſſage, If but ſome few ſteps; I could [then] wiſh every word were Ten, every line a Leaf, and every Leaf a Volum, and that both my Tongue and my Pen might have ten-fold more of the Divine tincture upon them, to be ſerviceable to you thereunto: Your God and the God of your Fathers, hath already done ſingular things for you, and therefore he doth expect ſingular things from you, Math. 5. 47. Where the Husbandman beſtows his greateſt coſt, there he expects his largeſt crop. Your Trading and your Talents ſhould be proportionable; to whom much is given, of them much is Required, Luke 12. 48. I beſeech you therefore, as ye have received how ye ought to walk and to work in this paradiſe of chriſtianity (into which the ſecond Adam hath graciouſly reſtored you, as the firſt Adam caſt you out [in himſelf] from thence) ſo ye would abound more and more. 1 Theſ. 4. 1. According to the Divine directions herein preſented you: That ye may follow the foot steps of your Father Abraham who followed God blind-fold, when called [as you have been] out of one Land into another. Heb. 11. 8. That ye may be called at laſt from Earth to Heaven, in Soul and Body [as ye are already in Spirit] after ye have walked out your generation-work in Abrahams ſteps, to be ſafely lodged in Abrahams boſom; that the bleſſing of Abraham may come upon the hearts of your Son, and Daughter, and of their ſeed for ever; and that your Walls and theirs may be continually before the Lord of the whole Earth. Iſa. 49. 16. All this, is the unfeigned deſire and hearty Prayer (which ſhall never be wanting) of
Your Worſhips ſincerely and thankfully Devoted Chriſtopher Neſſe.