A Golden Topaz, Title page – Imprimatur
A Golden Topaze, OR, Heart-jewell. Namely, A Conſcience purified and pacified by the Blood and Spirit of CHRIST.
Written by FRANCIS WHIDDON Paſtor of Morton-Hampſted in Devon.
Unicnique liber eſſe propria Conſcientia, & ad hunc librum diſcutiendum, & emendandum omnes alii inventi ſunt.
S. Bernard.
OXFORD, Printed by Henry Hall. 1656.
TO MY FAITHFULL Flock, who love the Lord Jeſus Chriſt in Sincerity. Mercy unto you, and peace, and love be multiplied.
MY Deare Children, for ſo I am bold to call you, though you have had many teachers, yet not many fathers; if I may credit your owne tongues, there is a number of you will ſay, that in Chriſt Jeſus I have begotten you through the Goſpell, 1 Cor. 4.15. Let God have the glory: for what is Paul? or what is Apollos: or what am I? But the weake Inſtrument by whom the all-ſufficient God hath wrought faith in your hearts. I therefore according unto my Duty do here preſent unto you a tender of my true Affection towards you; in this plaine and ſhort Tract of Conſcience. The ſubject is worthy of all Acceptation, Though the Author bee the meaneſt of all his Brethren. You may conſider it as an Object both to your eare and eye, your eare hath heard it preached, and your eye may ſee and read it, and if your heart Affect it, the Jewell is your owne. And I who am your Paſtor may take the Boldneſſe and ſay. I need no Epiſtle of Commendation to you, or Epiſtle of Commendation from you: you are mine Epiſtle knowne and read of all that have ſpirituall eyes, and are acquainted with you, yea, you are the Epiſtle of Chriſt written not with Inke, but with the ſpirit, Not in Tables of ſtone, but in the fleſhy Tables of the heart. I hope I ſhall not be aſhamed of this my fooliſh Boaſting, But that when I am gone from you, this pretious Jewell which now I preſent unto you, will then be found ſtill to abide within you, and if at any time through careleſneſſe, this Jewell of a good Conſcience with in you, ſhall gather Duſt and loſe it's luſtre: Let this little Tract, if better be wanting, be Aſſumed by you, Read it once and againe humbly and adviſedly, ſo may you have hope, that your Dull and Dusky Conſciences will Recover it's former luſtre, with more peace and Purity.
And Now my deare children, knowing that ſhortly I muſt put off this my tabernacle of Fleſh, 2 Pet. 1.14. and be brought to the houſe appointed for all living, Job. 30.23. I ſhall endeavour to give you ſome few Advertiſmēts before I goe hence and be ſeene, no more.
Know (Deare ſoules) we are the people on whom the ends of the world are Come, and our daies very perilous and Dangerous, as ſaith the Apoſtle, 2 Tim. 3.1, 2, 3, 4. In which we find Iniquite to Abound and Damnable Errors & Hereſies to Superabound. What Enthuſiaſticall fancy, what Anti-Scripturall opinions? What Immaginary Raptures and Revelations have we now Amongſt us? ſo that now to Refraine from their evill opinion and practiſes, is to make our ſelves a prey. Never were the times more Contagious; Opinions more Infectious, & practiſes more Dangerous. So that every pious ſoule had need to be a Spirituall Phyſician, and ſtill to have Cordials to fortifie his ſoule within, and Repercuſſives to beate back the Infectious Venome of Sin and Error without. Preſervatives.
I. Be conſtant and ſincere in the preformance of all holy Duties, both publike and private in the Congregation and the Family. Let your holineſse appeare unto all, Be holy abroad and at home. Deſpiſe not ordinances neither in whole or part. But receive them with all thankfulneſſe as Love-tokens from your Father, and acknowledg a Neceſſitie of them all, and that as long as you are Below Temptations, you cannot be above Ordinances, which will be as long as you carry your Fraile Tabernacles about you. They are more neceſſary then your Appointed food; More to be Deſired then Gold, yea then fine Gold; And ſincere milke ſweeter then the hony or hony Comb, without which, you cannot be nouriſhed up unto everlaſting Life.
2. Keepe cloſe to your God in a way of Prayer and prayſes. Be Conſtant in Both: pray alwaies and in all things give thankes. What Grace you want get it by Prayer, and what good you enjoy weare it By Prayſe. If you thus draw neare to God in a way of Duty God will be ſtill neare unto you in a way of Mercy. The leaſt Dropp of the wine of mercy, ſhould Inflame your hearts with true thankfulneſſe, and fill your Mouths with conſtant prayſes. So that you lay new Ingagement on the god of mercy to beſtow more mercies; Not only to preſerve you from the evill of evils, But ever to Inrich you with the bleſsing of bleſſings.
3. Give not way to a cuſtomary Dulneſſe in Duty, but performe every Duty with all your power, with ſincere Intention, with heate of Affection, and with Diligence, and Delight. Eſpecially be not ſlight in ſecret prayer, meditation, and reading. Doe not the worke of the Lord deceitfully or negligently, leaſt the curſe of God fall on you, Jer: 48.10. Mal: 1.14. but zealouſly and heartily; watch to theſe duties, Eph. 6.18. Keep your hearts in a good frame for them, undefiled with ſin, untainted with the world; Endeavour to feele all Duties at your hearts, inlivening, inlarging, and inflaming your affections. Lay not out the chiefe of your zeale on Externals, opinions, and the ſmaller things of Religion, but let ſoule-ſaving worke be your maine and daily imployment. Exerciſe your ſelves in ſelfe-examination, looke daiely into your owne boſomes by a ſerious ſcrutiny, and ſpare not thoſe beloved Dalilah's, and curſed Achans which are the troublers of our Iſrael.
4. Get true light in your Underſtandings, not only a ſpeculative, but ſpirituall light; not a notionall, but experimentall light, the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jeſus. Such a light whereby you may be inabled to ſee ſin to be the greateſt evill, and God himſelfe to be the cheifeſt good. Such a light that melts the ſoule, that humbles the ſoule, that enlivens the ſoule, that quickens the ſoule, and that quiets the ſoule. Nouriſh not an head-light, but an heart-light. Let the word of truth dwell in you plenteouſly. Weake judgments are eaſily miſled both in opinion and practice, but a ſound judgement will preſerve you in both. So fly one error that you do not fall into another; it is eaſy to run into extreames, but very difficult to keep the golden Meane.
5. Keep your hearts with all diligence. (4. Pro.) Watch daily to prevent him, which watcheth ever to miſcheife you, I Pet. 5.8. And let yours praiers be frequent and fervent, Lord lead us not into temptation. Your enemies are many, mighty, and malicious, which ſtill lye in waite to breake your peace, wound your conſciences, leſſen your comforts, impaire your graces, blurre your evidences, and dampe your aſſurances; and unleſſe you ſtand upon your Guard, & ſet your ſelves in battell-array, to fight with thoſe ſtrong, ſubtile, ſedulous Goliahs, which come out to upbraid Gods little Champion. They (I meane the Divell and his Agents, viz: the world and the fleſh) will not only rage but raigne; not only aſſault, but take your ſoules captive at their will. Therefore (as you love your owne ſoules and the welfare of them unto all eternity) Get unto you the whole armour of God. Eph. 6. 13. Be ſtrong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Give no faire Quarter unto foule tempations: make up ſpeedily every Breach between God and your owne conſciences, and let not conſcience looſe its Tenderneſſe, but ſhun every evill and the appearance of it.
6. Let thy life be the life of faith. Saith Paul, the life that we now live in the fleſh, we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us, and gave himſelfe for us. Keep freſh the ſenſe of his love, and alwaies acknowledge a continuall need of his Bloud, Spirit, and Interceſsion, and how much you are beholding and ingaged unto him. Labour to draw and derive from Chriſt by the powerfull attractive force of faith, ſpirituall ability, ſufficient for every dayes worke. Act your faith dayly in the promiſes of grace and ſtrength. Go unto Chriſt ſtill for his wiſdome to counſell you; for his righteousſneſs to cover you, for ſtrength to reſiſt temptations; for the ſhoulder that muſt beare our Croſſes; for ability to performe all duties as duties.
7. Reſolve with david Pſ. 101. that you will not know a wicked perſon (i.e.) approve of him. If out of your families, have not fellowſhip with them, but reprove them; if in your families, let them not abide within your doores, but remove him or her as perſons moſt infectious and dangerous. We have ſins enough and too too many of our owne, therefore let us not encreaſe them by a baſe connivency at others mens ſins. Eſpecially avoid that generation of men whoſe grand deſigne it is to undermine the Goſpell, to ruine the Miniſtry, and to robb them of that maintenance, which is due unto them by the law of God, and by the Law of Nature, and by the law of Nations. Theſe croaking frogges have overſpread our Aegypt, ſo that they have made it ſtinke with their damnable Opinions & deviliſh practiſes. They creep into houſes and lead aſide ſilly women, 2 Tim. 3.11. and by their faire ſpeeches deceive the hearts of the ſimple, Rom. 16.18. And ſhall, if it were poſsible, deceive the very elect, Mark 13.22.
8. Affect a faithfull and powerfull Miniſter, who doth carefully look both to himſelfe and his Doctrine. Adſcribe neither too much, nor too little to your Teachers. Neither deſpiſe them, nor deify them, as the manner of ſome is. Eſteeme him not as a principle Author, but as a ſubordinate Actor; not as a Lord, but a Steward; not as a Maſter, but a Miniſter, and yet account him more then an ordinary Servant, even a man of God, A ſervant of the moſt high God, that ſheweth you the way of Salvation. Look on him not only as a Seer, but Over-ſeer, a Steward of Gods high ſecrets, a meſſenger of the Lord of Hoſtes, by whoſe Embaſſage peace is concluded, and reconciliation miniſterially made up between God and man. He is Gods mouth to you by preaching, and your mouth to God by praying. On that in ſpeciall place ſtandeth before God, and miniſtreth to him upon earth, as the Angels do it in heaven. Woodnots Aphoriſms 1. Cens. p. 42. The Jewes ſay, that he that dieth in the diſpleaſure of his Rabbi, ſhall never be forgiven in this world, nor in the world to come. i.e. of his teacher that hath the charge of his ſoule.Therefore take heed you fall not out with your Teacher, whome the moſt wiſe God hath thought fit to make your Paſtor; forſake not the Levite as long as thou liveſt upon the earth, Deut. 12.19. Doe not deſire ſuch a Teacher as thou mayeſt rule him, but ſuch as may rule you, Magiſtrates are choſen to governe the people, not the people to governe them. So Miniſters you are not to command them but obey them. Therefore obey them that have the Rule over you, Heb. 13.17. And ſubmit your ſelves, for they watch for your ſouls, as they that muſt give an account, that they may do it with Joy and not with greife.
I beſeech you in the bowels of Chriſt, let Death and Judgement poſſeſſe your moſt ſerious thoughts, waite for the one, and provide for the other. Dye daiely, (with Paul) and you ſhall dye well. Have thine end ever in thine eye, and ſweeten the bitter cup of Death by a dayly preparation. Get your tackling all in readineſſe, that you may faile over the Sea of mortall miſeries in ſafety and ſecurity to the Port of happineſſe. You ſhall all of you ere long lye gaſping for death on your dying beds, and there lye grappling with the King of feares, attended with Terrors. Therefore (as you love your ſoules) let the whole courſe of your lives be a conſcionable preparative to dye comfortably. Look on every day as your laſt. So live that you may ſay with David, Though I walke through the Valley of the ſhaddow of death, I will not feare. Oh that you would be wiſe and conſider your latter end, before you go downe to the chambers of death, whence you ſhall never returne. Would you dye willingly? would you dye well? Then get a part in Chriſt, a Title to him, an Intereſt in him. Worke out your ſalvation with feare and trembling. Give all diligence to make your calling and election ſure. So live, that you may not be aſhamed to die. So number your dayes, that you may apply your hearts to true wiſdome. So caſt up your Accounts, that you may give them up with joy and not with greife. Judge your ſelves for your daiely Deviations, and you ſhall not be judged; condemne your ſelves, and you ſhall not be condemned.
10 Laſtly. Let this little Book be in your hands, heads, and hearts. Let a good conſcience be written on your ſoules with Characters indelible never to be razed out, ſo that when death ſhall appeare, thou mayeſt be able to ſay, I have lived in all good conſcience before God untill this day.
Now whereas dull ſpirits are more quickned by Examples then Precepts. This place hath had a great advantage above other places adjacent. Mr. John Southmead who is now a glorious Saint in heaven, and his Soule made happy with the Spirits of juſt men made perfect. You know he was an old Diſciple, and ſerved his Maſter faithfully in his generation for many yeares, zealouſly ſtriving for the inlargment of the Kingdome of Chriſt and demoliſhing the Kingdome of Satan. A great Curb he was to prophaneſſe, witneſſe his great paines and travell in overthrowing thoſe Heatheniſh ſports and paſtimes, which were too common even upon the Lords day. God made him the Inſtrument to aboliſh Wakes, Revells, Maypoles and May-games, with their Apurtenances, Fidlers and ſuperfluous Ale-houſes, not only in his owne, but in many other Pariſhes adjacent. So that not only the Practice, but even the Name of theſe ſinfull Vanities is almoſt forgotten. Againe, as he was a ſtrong Curb to prophaneſſe, ſo was he as ſharp a ſpurr unto holineſſe. Witneſſe his great coſt and paines in getting a faithfull Teacher to inſtruct the people. Very carefull abroad to warne the unruly, to comfort the feeble minded, 1 Theſ. 5.14.and to ſupport the weake. And at home in his Family in repeating Sermons; reading, opening, and applying Scriptures unto ſuch as were under him; conſtantly praying for a Bleſſing on them, and as carefull in returning Praiſe to God for every Bleſſing both publick and private. But at laſt when the evill dayes came on him, ſo that the Keepers of the houſe began to tremble, Eccle. 14.3, 4.the ſtrong man to bow, the grinders to ceaſe, and the windowes to be darkened, he was willing for a Deſolution, very ready to goe hence, often ſaying, It is time for mee to be gone, my Maſter hath no more worke for me to do here upon earth. Now ſhall we forget ſuch a worthy ſervant of God? by no meanes. Let his memory be ever bleſſed, and his Name as precious oyntment powred forth. And let us honour his remembrance in an holy imitation of his vertues. But ſhould we forget him, yet his God would not forget his place, his perſon, his zeale, his labour of love: The Lord ſhall count when he writeth up his people, that this man was borne there. Pſ. 87.6. even in the family of Wrey, within the Pariſh of Morton, and in the County of Devon. Now you having ſuch an excellent Patterne and Preſident, let it be your earneſt deſire and endeavour to run on and not be weary, walke on and not be faint in thoſe waies (paved ith holineſſe) in which he hath walked, that ſo your end may be everlaſting life.
To conclude, looke on this ſmall Tract as a Dowry which your dying Paſtor hath bequeathed unto you, whom he loves in the Lord. Receive this proviſion which he hath made for you of wholſome meat, not caring for concealed Cookery, or the vaine enticing words of mans wiſdome. As it was intended for your Inſtruction, delivered to your Attention; ſo let it be digeſted by your Meditation, and practiſed in your Converſation. So both Paſtor and People ſhall behold each others face with joy at the Barr of Chriſt; and have a moſt happy admiſſion into his moſt glorious preſence, where there is fulneſſe of joy, and at whoſe right hand are pleaſures for evermore, Amen.
Your moſt affectionate though unworthy Teacher, FRANCIS WHIDDON.
To the READER.
Chriſtian Reader,
HEre is preſented unto thine eye a little ſmall Tract, which in it's front doth promiſe great things, as precious Stones and Jewels: Poſsibly if thou with an humble heart ſhalt call and cry, ſeek and ſearch, thou mayeſt find that which will be better thē Gold, more excellent then refined Silver, namely a good Conſcience. Let not any prejudice of perſon or partes cauſe thee to caſt it aſide, as not worthy thy view, neither cry thou, Tuſh what is this Pamphlet unto thoſe many large and learned Volumes of thoſe able and holy men, that have for…erly written upon this ſubject. I doe ingenuouſly confeſſe, it is very meane, my vintage leſſe then others gleanings. But what of that; if thou be an humble Chriſtian; thou wilt acknowledge that Paul and Apollos are but iuſtruments, and can do nothing without their principall Efficient, alſo we find by dayly experience, that the leſſe of man, the more of God; he can worke as well by the weakeſt as ableſt inſtrument, & draw as ſtrongly with an hair, as with a Cable rope. I muſt acknowledge the diſcourſe is very ſhort and very plaine, and both very needfull: in theſe full and ſurfeiting times; who ſeeth not that great volumes are little regarded, & large diſcourſes are eaſily laid aſide: men find much reading to be weariſome to the fleſh, I therefore affect brevity with perſpicuity. Should I be long in my diſcourſe, I am confident thou wouldeſt not read it over. But in ſo much as it is very ſhort, an houres labour or ſo; I may have hopes that thou wilt read it over and over, and the oftner the better.
As for plaineneſſe of the ſtile, I would have thee to know the Author is a very plaine man, and hath written it for a very plaine people in his owne Congregation. This was never intended to go abroad into the world, but to be confined to the place and people where it was firſt preached; a people that deſire the plaine evidence of the Spirit, & not the vaine enticing words of mans wiſdome. Therefore if thy Braine run over with vain ſpeculations, high notions, & frothy expreſsions, and wilt be wiſe above what is written, 1 Cor. 4.6. remember that of Auſtin, Multi propter arborem ſcientiae amittunt arborem vitae. Many with Adam ſo eagerly ſtrive for the tree of knowledge, that they loſe the tree of life. A good caveat for ſuch as are all for new diſcoveries, new lights, but not new lives. To you therefore that with the Athenian cry, quid novi? what new thing? I muſt anſwer, nec nova, nec novè, Theophilus.here is nothing new, but vetus veritas iiſdem verbis & iiſdē ſyllabis. The old truth in its owne words and ſyllables. If this do not like you, then lay it gently aſide, and it will not harme you.
But unto you that heartily deſire to have and to hold, to uſe and exerciſe, alwaies, in all things, and to all perſons, a Conſcience void of offence: if you want better helps take this for preſent. And becauſe this little Book muſt with little Benjamin, Gen. 43.14be ſent into Egypt, I ſhall with old Jacob, deſire that it may find favour where it comes. If others deſire the like with mee; I hope that neither they in Reading, nor I in Writing ſhall loſe our labour.
Thine as thou art Chriſt's F.W.
June 11. 1656. Imprimatur GERARD LANGBAINE Pro-Vicecan. OXON.