The Nonsuch Professor in his Meridian Splendor, Title page – Dedication
THE Nonſuch PROFESSOR IN His Meridian Splendor, OR THE Singular Actions OF Sanctified Chriſtians.
Laid open in Seaven Sermons at Allhallows Church in the Wall, London.
By WILLIAM SECKER Preacher of the Goſpel.
For Iſay unto you, Except your righteouſneſſe ſhall exceed the righteouſneſſe of the Scribes and Phariſees, you ſhall in no caſe enter into the Kingdome of Heaven,
Math. 5. 20.
Non magna loquimur ſed vivimus,
Arnob.
London, Printed by M. S. for Thomas Parkhurſt, to be ſold at his ſhop at the three Crowns, over againſt the great Conduit in Cheapſide. 1660.
TO THE HONOURABLE, And truly Noble Patriots Sr Edward Barkham, Knight and Baronet; and his Religious conſort Dame Francis Barkham of Tottenham in the County of Middleſex.
Honoured Worthies.
THis Piece reflects on no Intereſt but what is Eternall: You have tide me in ſo many ſilken cords of your conſtant favours, that I muſt live and dye bound in thoſe pleaſant fetters; the only returne I am able to make you, is in Ink and Paper to acknowledge my ſelf your Debtor: Your Noble minds are like that of Artaxerxes King of Perſia, who thought it as well becoming him to accept of ſmall things from others, as to give great things himſelf.
Let rotten poſts be guilded, and decayed beauties painted; vertue like a precious Diamond needs no varniſh: Your own graces will ſpring you Rivers of praiſes, without the tide of others tongues flowing in to brim the banks.
Reall honour is not built on the glittering foundation of refined clay; the flouriſhing Lawrell of durable excellency, doth not alwayes grow in the ſmooth field of a brave Geneallogy.
That blood which runs in vertues veins, is of a more orient colour then that which ſwims in other channels: The faireſt flowers of humanity, are thoſe that ſpring up in the garden of ſincerity; piety is a more noble thing then parentage; it is better to be new borne, then it is to be high borne.
I beleeve you count that the ſweeteſt honey which you ſuck out of Chriſts hive, and take more pleaſure in your inward goodneſſe, then in your outward greatneſſe.
I am ſenſible what prejudices are taken againſt Epiſtles commendatory; letters are too often like multiplying glaſſes, which makes the ſmalleſt mole-hills, appeare like the greateſt Mountains; But yet I dare ſhew your unſpotted faces, without borrowing the ſuſpitious reflection of any falſe glaſſes: You have too cleare a knowledge of God to take any thing into your hands before him, and too deare a love to God, to ſet any thing in your hearts above him; you caſt more propicious aſpects upon Religion, then ever to think it a friend unto Rebellion, & lookt upon Fear God, and honour the King, as a couple that God had joyned t…gether, and that no man might put aſunder; and ſuch as have ſhaken theſe Pillars with their own hands, have pulled the houſe upon their own heads; Providence having laid on them the hands of vengeance, that laid on us the hands of violence, and brought them under the ſword of the Law, that kept us under the Law of the ſword.
You rejoyced in the firſt dawnings of the Morning of our Redemption from Aegyptian ſlavery and oppreſſion, & deem the ſuperſtruction of proſperity, is firmlieſt laid upon the foundation of Monarchy. When others have ſparkled like Stars in their Orbes, you have ſhined like a Sun in yours; having neither been like Crabs going backwards, nor like ſnails creeping forwards: When others have ſailed with every wind of Doctrine, you have ſteered your courſe according to the Compaſſe of Scripture; and have carried the lamp of Truth in one hand, and the beauty of holineſs in the other. It is ſaid of the Families of ſome great Perſonages, That there is more oathes heard in a day, then there are prayers made in a yeare; But I may ſay of yours, there is more prayers made in a day, then there are oathes heard in a yeare: The oyle of grace that is poured on your heads, runs down to the skirts of your garments. O how comely a Viſion is it, to ſee the Tabernacles of great men, to be the Temples of the great God!
Honoured Worthies, Many jewells God hath hung upon your terreſtriall Crown; he hath given you the fatneſſe of the earth, as well as the dew of Heaven, Eſau's Veniſon, as well as Jacob's Bleſſing; the nether ſprings of common bounty, as well as the upper ſprings of ſpeciall mercy: There are four ſhowers that have watred your Garden.
Firſt, a fruitfull Poſterity.
Secondly, a peaceful Tranquillity.
Thirdly, a faithfull Society.
Fourthly, a gratefull Memory.
As there is nothing wanting to you, ſo let there be nothing wanting in you; you cannot complain of God for want of mercy, let not God complain of you for want of Duty; as he hath opened his hands to bleſſe you, ſo do you open your mouths to bleſſe him: In the higheſt flood and ſpring-tides of outward mercies, its hard to keep our hearts within the channell.
Reſpected Sirs, You have a large roome in the boſomes of many that are godly; but alas! the beſt mens confidences on earth, are inſufficient evidences for heaven: A houſe well compacted is able to bear out a ſtorme, but a diſ-joynted building every puſh will throw it down. The beſt Patrimony is that above us, & the beſt Teſtimony is that within us; give me ſuch hopes as will not only goe with me to my bed of reſt, but will lye with me in my bed of duſt; as will not only bear me up in the Calme of Life, but will ſhoare me up in the Tempeſt of Death.
Sirs, You are like Beacons upon a hill which are viſible unto all: A ſmall ſtar may be darkned, and yet paſſe unobſerved, but the eclipſing of the ſuns ſplendor, is a part of the worlds wonder: a crack in the greateſt pebble, is not ſo bad as a flaw in the ſmalleſt jewell: O how amiably ſhould you live with men, who look to live eternally with God! The higheſt preheminence, calls for the exacteſt obedience; he is unworthy to be the chiefeſt in a family, that is unwilling to be the choyceſt of a family; yea, he puts a ſword into the hand of Vice, that ſnatches the ſcepter out of the hand of grace: None can challenge an intereſt in the love of God, but ſuch as are indued with the life of God.
Deare Sirs, I know you have affections to deſire the truth, as well as apprehenſions to diſcerne the truth; and read Books as Bees to fill your Combes, and not as Butterflies to paint your wings; and therefore I have preſented you with a Piece that is not notionall, but practicall.
A great ſhooe fits not a ſmall foot, nor a large Saile a little Boat; the ſubject is fitter for a Chriſtian to live upon, then for a Critick to look upon: They are as cruell Parents that murder the iſſue of their brains, as thoſe that murder the iſſue of their loynes.
I hope the dreggs doth not lye ſo thick in it, but you may draw out ſome cleer liquor from it; though the Author be contemptible, yet the matter is conſiderable: God lookes not for what he gives not: (As well as I am able) I have from this Scripture drawn you a Beleevers Picture; and according to this Glaſs doubt not but your ſelves will dreſs. If theſe bellowes keep the veſtall fire alwayes burning upon the Altar, and your graces have their advancement, I ſhall have my contentment. I have here laid the Rods of correction on the backs of offenders, and given the words of Inſtruction to the hearts of believers.
Worthy Sirs, Compare what is ſpoken in the books of men, with what is written in the Book of God; that the Briſtoll ſtone may not paſſe for the ſparkling Diamond, no… Braſſe and Copper goe as currant as Gold and Silver. I would lay no other burdens upon your backs, then I would carry upon my own ſhoulders; nor would I have you make any brick, but with Gods ſtraw.
Mans fault cannot prejudice Gods right; though we have loſt our abillity of obeying, yet he hath not loſt his Authority in commanding: By how much the greater you are then others, by ſo much the better you ſhould be then others: where Divine Providence advances to honourable dignity, there Divine precepts ingages to proportionable duty; on earth it's your buſineſſe to ſerve God, in Heaven it will be your bleſſedneſs to ſee God.
Many by feeding upon one diſh grow to maturity, when they that ſit down to a multitude are ſurfited with variety: When others grumble to look upon rich mens eſtates, doe you tremble to think upon rich mens accounts; and as the earth will doe you no good when you dye, ſo let it do you no hurt whilſt you live.
They that are in the right way to Paradiſe, ſhould greeve at every thing that hinders their progreſſe: There are many are the Pictures of piety, but I wiſh you may be the patterns of piety. Alas! what's the reflection in the glaſs to the complexion in the face? or the form of godlineſſe upon us, to the power of godlineſſe within us? ſuch Jonah's in the lading of our Veſſells, doth but fill the Seas with ſtormes and tempeſts.
You Worthies have almoſt ſtretcht your lives to Davids ſtandard; and who knowes how ſoon ſuch may meet with the death of the body that are incompaſſed with the body of death: Whilſt you are deſcending to the bottom of the hill of nature, I wiſh you may be aſcending to the top of the hill of grace; that the nearer your bodies draw to the pit of corruption, the nearer your ſouls may draw to the place of perfection; that your declining Sun may not ſet under a cloud, that hath ſo long ſhined in a clear sky.
Ʋſually their durations are the ſhorteſt, whoſe poſſeſſions are the greateſt; But you have had as larg a ſhare of being as you have had of bleſſing.
My hearts deſire and prayer to God for both you and yours, is, that you may be as glorious in Heaven, as you have been proſperous on earth; that you may be ſuch jewels of grace, as may be lockt up in the Cabinet of glory; that ſuch ſilver Cups may be found in the mouths of all your ſacks, that the word which hath brought ſalvation to your ſouls, may bring your ſouls unto ſalvation; that as your children ſit like Olive plants about your Table, ſo you and your children may ſit like Olive plants about his Table; that your little family below, may make up that great family above; that when others as chaffe are thrown into the fire, you as wheat may be gathered into the Garner: That you may live long on earth profitably, and for ever in Heaven joyfully, is the Prayer of
Your Humble Servant, William Secker.