The True Light Shining in Darkness, Dedication
To my many Worthy and Beloved Friends of divers Congregations in and about the City of London; the Town of Hackney, and other Towns, within and without the Lines of Communication, where I have occasionally Preached this Gospel: Grace and Peace.
MOST Dear and Pretious Friends; Pretious I say, for the late Pretious Faith obtained by you, with us, 2 Pet. 1.1. Simon Peter, a Servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like pretious Faith with us, through the righteousness of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ: By which Faith, the very Faith of Gods Elect, Christ is pretious indeed to you, 1 Pet 2.7. Unto you therefore which believe he is pretious: But unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made the head of the corner: when to others a stumbling stone; even to them that stumble at the word being disobedient: Your Names are too many to be prefixed to this short Epistle, and besides in the matter of truth I like not to go to the Poll, as if truth needed a Muster-roll of names to carry the voice against such as are the opposers of it. It is enough that Christ hath a few names in Sardis, who have not defiled their Garments, and which shall walk with him in white, for they are worthy: It matters not how many the names of others in Sardis were, Rev. 3.4. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, that have not defiled their Garments: and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. It is enough that wisdom is justified of her Children: When true Wisdom neither in John Baptist the forerunner, who was greater than all the Prophets; nor in Christ the Head and Lord of them all, could have a testimony from an evil and adulterous Generation: Or if they had any thing like it for a time, they quickly recanted and recalled it, Mat. 11.16— 19. But whereunto shall I liken this Generation? It is like unto Children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a man gluttonous and a wine bibber, a friend of Publicans and sinners: But wisdom is justified of her Children. And John. 5.35. He was a burning and a shining light: And ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light.
I have been greatly refreshed and comforted in you all, by the grace of God, bringing Salvation to you, and which ye have not received in vain: But as ye have heard him and been taught of him, as the truth is in Jesus Christ; this grace hath taught you effectually to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live soberly, righteously and godly in this present World, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good works: And am still comforted in the remembrance thereof. And that these poor labours of mine in the Ministry of this Gospel hath had any effect upon your Souls, either in drawing you to Christ, or confirming or comforting you in Christ at any time, is and will be my rejoycing above all the esteem I have in your hearts, and all the help I have received from your hands by your Free, Kind, Liberal ministring to my necessities from time to time; and that my temptation which was in the Flesh through these necessities and wants and reproaches for Christs sake ye despised not, but received me and embraced me, (I will not say) as an Angel of God, or even as Christ Jesus; But one far greater than I can own my self to be: I can truly say I have rejoyced much more because of the Grace of God given to you, than in all the gifts to me; though I had need of them all, and do acknowledge them to be more and greater, than I am worthy of: But Christ is worthy, for whose sake only ye have counted me so, Mar. 9.4. And whosoever will offend one of those little ones that believe in me, It is better for him, that a milstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the Sea. And though I put not your names to this my Book, for reasons above mentioned, yet I hope they are all of them in the Book of Life. And this small Treatise, which is but a taste of some more that may follow in due time, if the Lord please; I do more especially Devote and Dedicate to the Use and Service of you all and yours; not doubting that whither I live or die, you will find out it, or it will find out you by some providence or other: I say I Dedicate it to you; not for Patronage or Protection; but for Debt: for it is much due to you who have been my fellow helpers in the Gospel, some of you for m…ny years. And two things I have to say to you all and leave here upon record as the greatest testimony of my thankfulness, love and care to and for you in the Lord. Namely,
First, That you beware and take heed of of a loose conversation, and that ye use not your liberty at any time, or in any thing for an occasion to the Flesh, or to the World; For we are not debtors to the Flesh, to live after the Flesh; for if ye live after the Flesh ye shall die, but if ye by the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body, ye shall live, Rom. 8.12, 13. And Jam. 4.4. Ye Adulterours and Adulteresses, Know ye not that the Friendship of the World is Enmity against God? Whosoever therefore will be the friend of the World is the enemy of God, 1 John 2.15. Love not the World, neither the things that are in the World. If any man love the World, the love of the Father is not in him. 16. For all that is in the World, the Lust of the Flesh, and the Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life, is not of the Father, but is of the World. 17. And the World passeth away and the Lusts thereof: But he that doth the will of God, abideth tfor ever. The power of Christ's Death is within you, therefore let your Old Man be crucified with Christ: That henceforth ye may not serve Sin; and let the World be crucified to you and you unto it, otherwise you cannot glory truly in the cross of Christ, Gal. 6.14, 15. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the World is crucified unto me, and I unto the World. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing▪ nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. You cannot be alive with Christ through Union with him; but you must be dead, and die continually both to Sin and to the World, Rom. 6.1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Secondly, That you shine as lights in the World, and be as the Sons and Daughters of God; without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation holding forth the word of Life, that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain, Phil. 2.14, 15, 16. Do all things without murmurings, and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the Sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine, (or shine ye) as lights in the World: Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. And our Lord hath said, Matth. 5.16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven. If the time will come when ye shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of your Father, Math 13.43. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun, in the Kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear let him hear. Surely ye should shine as lights more in this State of imperfection, and whilst you are in this World; and thereby show you are not of it, Rev. 22.14. Blessed are they, that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of Life; and to enter in through the Gates of the the City. 15. For without ar Dogs, and Sorcerers, and Whoremongers, and Murderers, Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.