Old Jacobs Altar Newly Repaired, To the reader
To the Ranſomed ones of the Lord; with all that in every place call upon the name of Jeſus Chriſt our Lord.
Dear Friends:
WHen, with my own people, I thankfully owned before the Lord, an eminent Deliverance from an imminent Danger, I then entred uppon this Diſcourſe, which was ſuited to that Providence: And having often reflected upon that ſignall mercy, duely conſidering the opportunities of doing and receiving good, which I have had, ſince that gracious reprieve from death, I have ſince drawn up my Meditations, which then were ſhort, ſuddain and confuſed, into a more enlarged, orderly, and methodicall Treatiſe: I do not covet the applauſe, of men, nor court your Acceptance with ſtrains of wit, an affected Eloquence, new lights put into a dark Lanthorne, or Seraphicall Notions, high and ſublimate, but preſent you with a plain and practical Diſcourſs, deſiring to ſpeak from the heart to the heart. The Treatiſe is Tripartite, thereby reſembling the heart, which is Triangular; and 'tis my ſingle deſigne, to endeavour, that upon the points or corners of your hearts may be engraven your Dangers, Deliverances, and Duties; that ſo the mercies of God, which are Records of greateſt Import, may be preſerved with greateſt care, and you may be provoked to act with greateſt Conſcience for God.
We cannot look back upon Adam in his lapſed Eſtate, but we may ſee a deluge of wrath breaking in upon whole mankinde, at the breach of the firſt Covenant; we cannot read over our own Diaries, but we may read our own Dangers, drawn up in black Characters of our ſins, as provoking God unto diſpleaſure againſt us, nay, the times that lately paſſed over us, preſented us with danger, from the ſword of men in the heat of warr; and now are we in dayly hazards from the arrows of the Almighty, in various and violent diſtempers.
Again, we cannot ſeriouſly ſtudy the Goſpel, but our great Deliverance from wrath to come, by the precious bloud of our Crucified Jeſus, preſents it ſelf unto our view, nor can we conſiderately ſurvey our own Soules, but we may read the counterpane thereof, tranſcribed by the Eternal Spirit; nor own Experiences, but we may meet with large Volumes of eminent Deliverances, perſonall and Nationall, wrought for us by the outſtretched arme of an Almighty God: Again, if we turn over thoſe holy leaves of the Scriptures of Truth, if we conſult the Experiences of Gods people in the Ages that are paſt, or ſeriouſly adviſe with our own ſpirits, when, in a right frame, we ſhall finde many Duties charged upon us, as our returnes to God, for our great Deliverances: The great God will not be a loſer by his mercies, he exſpecteth ſome incomes into the bank of his glory; if he have it not from us, he will have it out upon us; If we do not give it, he will take it. Deliverances are a great Talent put into the hands of men to trade withal for God; They that lap up this Talent in a napkin by forgetfulneſs, or ſquander it away by unſuitable actings, heap guilt upon their own ſoules, and ſhall be ſure, at the reckoning day, to finde this ſin, as the Iſraelites did an ounce of their golden calf, in all the rebukes of God upon them: The ſad Conſideration whereof, hath been, and is much upon my heart, and hath been a principall inducement, to thruſt this Treatiſe into the world, which is not Polemical in the main intention of it, my Standard bearing this Motto, Zech. 8.19.LOƲE THE TRƲTH AND PEACE; nor is it provoking, I hope, to any, Iames 3.17.being the product of that wiſdome, which is first pure, then peaceable, &c. — I have avoided all bitterneſs, that I might not ſtirr up any prejudice: my buſineſs is to be a Remembrancer from the Lord, unto you, and to provoke unto love and good works, as the genuine improvement of grace and mercy received.
I have not exactly methodiſed this Treatiſe, nor caſt it into the mould of the Title Page, but laid down all Sermon-wiſe, handling the Saints Dangers and Deliverances in the Doctrinall, and their Duties in the Applicatory part of it; in which, I have reſpect, as well to Spiritual, as to Temporal Dangers and Deliverances, and with reſpect to all, as they ſtand in a perſonall or Relative capacity.
I will not Cramben bis coctam dare, by Epitomizing in the Epiſtle, what is largely preſſed in the body of the Diſcourſe: I ſhall therefore onelyonly entreat you, to bewail before the Lord, that root which bringeth forth wormwood and gall amongſt us, that diſcontent and ſullenneſs of ſpirit, by means whereof God is not owned in, nor honoured for thoſe glorious vouchſafements of mercy, which have been matter of envie and aſtoniſhment in all the Nations about us; that land-flood of corrupt Principles and practiſes, which, like a ſwift and ſpreading Torrent hath laid a great part of the Nation under water; that ſpirit of bitterneſs and enmity againſt Godlineſs in the power, and Religion in the purity of it; and thoſe ſad diviſions about, which ſadly hinder the work of a thorough Goſpel-Reformation, &c. all which are ſowre grapes, yea clusters of Gomorrah, and not ſuch a Vintage, which the Lord might reaſonably exſpect from a people of ſuch rich mercies, ſuch ſignal preſervations, and under the enjoyment of ſuch encouraging advantages as ours have been: O that your ſouls would mourn in ſecret places for theſe things! O that you were ſo affected with them, that you would refuſe your pleaſant bread! O that you would ſo reprove a carnal and careleſs Generation of men, by your lively acttings for God, that many, yea all, who have experienced the goodneſs of the Lord in eminent preſervations, may glorifie the name of the Lord by an Evangelical converſation, that ſo the preſence of God may ſtill give us rest, that our Engliſh Zion may be made an Eternal Excellency, a joy of many generations, Iſay 60.15, 18.that our walls (through the divine Cuſtodiency) may ſtill be called Salvation and our gates praiſe. But though this ſpiritual Lethargy be incurable in many, yet be ye, (O ye Ranſomed ones of the Lord) awakened unto duty, and let the ſenſe of mercy, in the eminent appearances of God to your help, in the daies of your diſtreſs, carry you like wind and tide, full ſail in your zeal for his Glory; in order to which, I ſhall humbly offer theſe hints unto you, and I entreat the people of my own charge to take ſpecial notice of them, as being mainly intended for them.
1. Be frequent in your reveiws of thoſe feared dangers and fretting diſtempers, thoſe painful ſickneſſes and perplexing ſorrows, from which the good Hand of God has fetcht you; gather up your dangers and deliverances, your preſſures and preſervations, how the Lord has granted you life and favour, life with the comforts of it to make it ſweet and deſireable, Iob 10.12.and his viſitation has preſerved your ſpirit; has ſecured your lives in the midſt of many dangers, which ſurely have been many from infancy to gray hairs; that ſo you may viſite him in duty, who hath ſo often viſited you in mercy: there are frequent viſites paſt betwixt friends: God is your beſt friend; account that day loſt, wherein you do not viſit him and keep up ſweet communion with him. It was a gallant ſpeech of a brave man; Marqueſs of Vico.accurſed be that man, who values the wealth of the world worth one daies communion with God; Pſal. 34.2, 4.and act up unto David's pattern, I will bleſs the Lord at all times, &c. I ſought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me out of all my feares, which were many and lay hard upon him, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech, and acted the part of a mad man, which ſo ſober a perſon as David, would not have done, had not his fears been ſtrong and his faith weak.
2. Get your Spirits tinctured with a deep ſenſe of that darkneſs which was upon you, when day firſt broke upon your ſouls, what deſperate courſes you were engaged in, and out of what company the Lord pluckt you, with whom ye were folded, as thornes, before converſion; own the conduct of that providence, whereby you have been led from Beth-haven to Beth-El, from profane places and ſocieties, into ſuch families, ſuch fellowſhips, and Congregations, where Religion has been owned, family-duties carefully obſerved, Sabbath-ſtrictnes advanced, the Word ſpiritually diſpenſed, and holineſs has been contended for, whereby a ſaveving change has been brought forth in you, or you have been more built up in faith and holineſs. Let the conſideration of what you are, compared with what you have been, be much upon your ſpirits, that you may with thankfulneſs adore the riches of that mercy, by which you have been differenced, as to preſent grace, and hope of future glory, from the profane world.
3. Keep up your firſt love to Chriſt, and your firſt hatred to ſin: Yonge converts have uſually ſtrong affections: Thoſe ſinnes which have been Peccata in deliciis, which have had moſt of the heart, are moſt upon the conſcience, moſt in the confeſſion, moſt in the holy mournings, and are moſt the abhorency of new Converts. Again, ſuch is their ſenſe of differencing mercy, that they are all Love to God, and all Zeal for his glory; Apoc. 2.2, 3. Mihi ſane Auxentius nunquam aliud quam diabolus erit, quia Arrianus. Hilar.you may read this in the gallantrie of the Epheſians ſpirit, I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canſt not bear them which are evil (either paſſions in thy ſoul, or perſons in thy ſociety) &c. —a high ſtrain of Love! the ſtream muſt needs be ſtrong that turns all theſe wheeles; it argues a great force of affection, to draw out the ſoul into all theſe noble actings for Chriſt, but as a well-kindled fire abates in heat and light as the fuel waſtes; or as a paſſionate lover remits of that violent affection, when the perſon beloved has been ſome time enjoyed; So it fareth with theſe Epheſian Chriſtians, they left their firſt love, the love of their Eſpouſals, and ſo became Apheſis, … Mr. Trap. n loc.remiſs, and careleſs, poſſeſt with a ſpirit of ſloth and indevotion: O let not this charg be drawn up againſt us, that the candleſtick may not be remooved from us! What attempts have been made to un-church, un-ſabboth, and un-goſpel us, and how ſignally the Lord has appeared, for us, you know; O remember that ſtrength of zeal, that warmth of ſpirit, that height of love to God, his truth, waies, and people, thoſe ſighings, prayings, faſtings, fightings, &c. that were amongſt us, when the yoak was looſned from our necks, and when a doore was firſt opened unto us for Religion, and Reformation in the long Parliament: Labour therefore to keep up your firſt abhorency of ſin, and your firſt affection to Jeſus Chriſt.
4. Cheriſh an high eſteem of Goſpel-ordinances: Remember how pretious the word was then unto you, when viſions were ſcarce, how you bleſſed God for it, and rejoyced in it, when you ran to and fro to find it; how your feet ſtood in the houſe of the Lord, and you flew as Doves to their windows, ſwiftly and in flocks, when Pulpits began to be filled with zealous, ſpiritual, and conſcientious Preachers: O let not this Manna loſe any of it's ſweetneſs upon your taſtes, now that you have it in ſo much peace and plenty: Bread, if wanting, is called for, though the table be heaped with diſhes. The word is bread to all creature-comforts, 'tis that which makes them noble and nouriſhing. O then be often in the galleries with the King, Cant. 7.5.drink deep of his ſpiced wine, feed freely of thoſe dainties which, are prepared, and ſerved out by the Eternal Spirit: When you here a Sermon-bell, think you hear a voice from heaven, calling you in the words of Divine Herbert,
Come hither all, whoſe taſte
Is your waſte
Save your coſt, and mend your fare,
God is here prepar'd and dreſt,
And the feaſt
God in whom all dainties are.
You know and lament the negligence of ſome; and the wantonneſs of others: thin Congregations and empty ſeats, is not the complaint of a ſimple Miniſter, 1 Pet. 2.2.Still deſire the ſincere milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby. Do not wean your ſelves from the breaſt, whilſt you are in a growing eſtate, and never think you are paſt growth, Epheſ. 4 13.until you be come to a perfect man, unto the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſs of Chriſt, which ſtate of perfection, Scripture and your own experience, duly conſulted with, will tell you, is not attainable on this ſide Heaven.
5. Maintain an evangelical brotherly love amongſt your ſelves; Love is the greate Goſpel Soder and Cement, a characteriſtical note of Chriſt's Diſciples, without which, the higheſt pretence to piety and profeſſion is under cenſure by the Holy Ghoſt; Iac. 3.14, 15, 16.O how did Chriſtians cling together in times of trouble! What friendly entertainment did Saints find in the hearts and houſes each of other, when they were forced from their dwellings by an enraged enemy? how did the old Primitive and puritane love begin to ſpring up and flouriſh in England? And now, that we have no enemy to quarrel with, will you needs quarrel one with another? What an unſuitable return is this unto the God of Peace, for his aſtoniſhing mercies and preſervations? Ah friends, well may the Lord take this ill from his people, after ſuch notable deliverances as ours have been; it was a good wiſh of an Heathen Ʋtinam inimicitiae mortales, Livye.amicitiae immortales eſſent, and I wiſh the ſame, that your friendſhips were immortal, your enmites mortal, that your diſſentions like to Jonas his Gourd, might die at the root in one night, and that Brotherly love might continue as a Teyle-tree and as an Oake whoſe ſubſtance is in them. 1 Ioh. 3.14. verſ. 18.O then, preſerve this evidence for heaven un-blurred in your ſouls, that you may know, you are paſſed from death unto life, becauſe you love the Brethren: let love be without diſſimulation; love not in word and in tongue onelyonly, but in deed and in truth: it is eaſy to make them two, who were never truly one, to make them foes who were never truly friends, to keep them oft from being one bread, who were never one body. And in caſe of difference, leave your gift at the Altar, not leave the Altar, that's not the mind of Chriſt, and goe and reconcile your ſelves: There is a memorable ſtory of Ariſtippus an Heathen, who went of his own accord to Aeſchines his enemy, ſaying, ſhall we not be reconciled, until we become a Table-talk to all the Country? To whom Aeſchines replied, that he would gladly be at peace with him; remember therefore ſaid Ariſtippus, that although I am the elder, and the better man, yet I ſought firſt unto thee, thou art indeed ſaid Aeſchines a far better man than I, for I began the quarrel, and thou the reconciliation: O ſtand not upon punctilios, but goe thou and do likewiſe, you know the ſad fruits of contention, where a ſcar-fire is, the bels ring backward; So, where this fire breaks forth in fellowſhip and fraternity, Religion is Retrograde; all things go backward and run into diſorder; Communion is broken, Prayer is hindred, mutual edification neglected, Brotherly admonition will not be borne, the weak are offended, and the mouths of the wicked are opened wide in reproaches and calumnies.
6. Preſerve oneneſs in Judgment: beware of dividing opinions and dividing in opinion; Labour for ſtability in judgement, for rooting in the faith: It's a great honour to be ſtanding Chriſtians in falling times: be much and ſerious in ſearching the Scriptures, much and ſerious in examining your grounds of profeſſion: Look often to your foundation; be true to your own experiences, Cant. 1.8.and recede not from your approved principles: follow the foot-ſteps of the flock, keep cloſe to the Sheapheard tents, conforme to the pureſt times, the moſt primitive and Evangelical practiſes: do not haſtily leave the good old way: meddle not with thoſe that are given to changes in fundamentals, Doctrinal or Practical: Errour, as one ſaies, is a whirl-pool, firſt turns men round, and then ſucks them in: He has no ſure ſtanding, who leaves the top of the hill. Iſlebius Agricola, the firſt Antinomian, at laſt turned Papiſt. How gradual has errour been amongſt us? unto what a monſtrous bulk is Hereſy now grown, both as to perſons and opinions, which but a few years ſince was hardly viſible? now low did ſome begin, who now are mounted upon the higheſt Pinacles? O then, ſtop the firſt leak, leaſt the Ship be immerſed; quench the firſt ſparks, leaſt the maiſter-timber become a flame; not onelyonly keep, but contend earneſtly for the faith, Iude 3.which was once delivered unto the Saints; we are the truſtees of Jeſus Chriſt, the treaſure that is committed to our truſt is very pretious, above the vaule of heaven and earth, in the account of the great Truſter; and that's an obligation to faithfulneſs, we are not to look onelyonly to our ſelves, but to poſterity, to that Doctrine which is tranſmitted to them: one generation teacheth another; and as we leave them Laws and other National priviledges, ſo it would be ſad, if we ſhould not be as carefull to leave them the Goſpel. O then, as the Church is terrible as an army with banners, ſo is ſhe beautifull, when ſhe marcheth orderly under the Standard-Royal of truth, and ſurely, if we remember, how we have rejoyced in the ſalvation of our God, and, in his name have ſet up our banners, when formidable Armies were drawn up in great fury againſt us, we cannot but charge blame upon our ſelves, if we ſhould forſake his Colours, and fly to the painted Pageants of the Prince of darkneſs.
7. Let not evil root in your hearts by the love of money: Lay not up your treaſures upon earth, leſt they keep your hearts too much out of heaven; ſeek not great things for your ſelves, with the neglect of greater; Let not friendſhip with the world, put you into a ſtate of enmity with God: Remember what a friend God was unto you in the midſt of your late ſtraits and dangers: How little a value you ſet upon your ſtocks and lands, your ſhops and trades, in the heat of the late dreadfull Warrs, how they that rejoyced were as though they rejoiced not, they that bought, as though they poſſeſſed not; and will you now doat upon the world, and put any truſt in deceitfull riches? What a ſad preſage is this of another War? what a blemiſh upon Profeſſours? what a Reproach upon Religion? There is no ſin ſo contrary to a true Saint, as earthly-mindedneſs, whoſe Converſation ought to be in heaven, his inheritance lying there; O then, roul away this reproach from you; be content with food and raiment, though none of the fineſt; time was, when you would have valued peace, and the Goſpel, as choice mercies, though with courſe dreſs and Diet; make ſhift a while, ere long, you ſhall be cloathed with long white Robes, clean and fine, and ſhall drink of that wine, which ſhall be ever new in the kingdome of your Father.
8. Laſtly, Be moſt intent upon the quatuor noſiſſima, the four last things; Let your thoughts be much ſpent upon death, theſe dying times, by way of preparation, that it may come without a ſting and terrour to you; of Judgment, by way of preoccupation, judging your ſelves here, that you may not be judged hereafter of Hell, by way of prevention, waiting for, and making ſure your Intereſt in Jeſus, who will deliver you from wrath to come. And of heaven, by way of prelibation, taſting the peace, joy and comfort of that bleſſed Eſtate, living upon the foretaſtes of heaven; living up to the holineſs of it, and giving all diligence to make your Calling and Election ſure, that as the Lord hath given you an earneſt of his mercy, in temporal Preſervation, ſo the Lord may give you the full Treaſures of his grace in everlaſting Salvation.
To ſhut up all, (And indeed 'tis time), for according to the Rules of Architecture, the two porches of it are much too big for the building;) my witneſs is in heaven, that I covet not the applauſe of men, I am not carried on by a popular ſpirit, to make this publick; nor do I deſigne it to that end, which Abſalon did his pillar; 2 Sam. 18.18.The Lord, I truſt, hath given me a name, better then of ſons and daughters; Iſa. 56.5. Heb. 2.4. Zech. 1.4.but that (like Abel's faith) it may ſpeak when I am dead: The Prophets, do they live for ever? Alas! we are earthen veſſels, ſoon daſhed in pieces, every Age hath born ſad witneſs to this, and none more then the preſent, wherein many honourable veſſels, that were ſanctified, and made meet for the Masters uſe, 1 Tim. 2.21.and prepared unto every good work; are broken by the hand of heaven, as earthen pitchers, Lam. 4.2.the work of the hands of the Potter; And therefore, I have ſpared ſome hours from my ordinary pains, and ſtudies, to prepare this Treatiſe; That, when the Lord ſhall ſilence me by death, that my voice ſhall no more be heard from the Pulpit, I may ſtill ſpeak to the people of God from the Preſs, who are a people lying near my heart, whoſe Stability in the Faith, Union in Love, Progreſs in holineſs, Growth in grace, and further ripening for glory, is the hearty deſire of an unworthy Miniſter of the Goſpel, who is yours and the Churches, ſervant in the Lords work,
N. Whitinge.