Gods Call from Heaven Echoed, Dedication 4 – Imprimatur
To his neer relations in the bonds of conſanguinity and affinity; and to all his loving friends and acquaintance in the City of London, County of Suffolk, and elſewhere.
Reſpected Kinsfolk and Acquaintance,
RElations and friendſhip are the pillars of human ſociety, great comforts of our lives; love is the ſinew of friendſhip, and religion is the life of this love. What is love without religion, but a ſenſual affection? and acquaintance without love, but flattery and diſſimulation? ſo that religion is the centre to the lines of love and friendſhip, and that wherein they live and have their being. Non nobis ſolum nati ſumus, We were not born for our ſelves alone, ſaid the Heathen Orator. And if for others, for their good; and if for their good, then their beſt good, or their good in the beſt reſpects thereof. God made and knit us together in bonds, not to further or let each other alone in ſin, (which we are apt to do through the corruption of baſe fleſh) but to admoniſh and help each other on towards grace and glory. Though I muſt confeſs I fail too much in the duty of every of my relations wherein I ſtand; yet I bleſs God that he hath helped and encouraged me in ſome meaſure to deal with divers of you in the way of private admonition, which I hope hath not been altogether fruitleſs. It is a precious duty, I wiſh it were more put in uſe and practice.
I have had ſometimes wiſhes (though the thing can hardly be attained) that we might all meet together at ſome times, (eſpecially we that are more neerly related to each other) not only for civil ſociety, but alſo and principally for ſpiritual advantage. In ſome meaſure I may have my deſire, meeting with you all by counſel and advice in this Book; and oh that God would ſo bleſs it (for which I deſire to bend my knees, and lift up mine heart every day) that we might one day meet with each other in the preſence of God in the higheſt heavens. Come, let me beg your hearts for the Lord; let the words of a Brother, Kinſman, Friend, in the name of Chriſt prevail with you. Who knows but God allied me to, and gave me acquaintance with any of you for ſuch an end and purpoſe as this?
Some of you may be yet knee-deep and more in the clay of a natural condition, ſtanding at a great diſtance from the father of light. The Lord pull your feet out, and ſet them on the rock Chriſt.
Others of you may be waſhed and whited over with civility and common profeſſion; but remember, that not every one that ſaith, Lord, Lord, ſhall enter into the Kingdom of heaven. Pardon me that I hint you of ſin, and the danger of a natural condition; it was mine own condition once, and whether I have yet fully paſſed it I have much cauſe to fear, I find my heart ſo carnal, ſold under ſin.
Others of you may have ſome early glimmerings of the ſpirit dawning upon your ſouls. The Lord cauſe the ſun of righteouſneſs to riſe upon you with healing under his wings, and bring your bloomings and buddings to ripeneſs and maturity.
Some others may have a through work of grace upon their hearts; the Lord make ſuch thankful, (for it is an ineſtimable mercy) and keep their feet that they fall not.
Various are your conditions in regard of temporals and ſpirituals; various are your relations to, and acquaintance with me: whatſoever the one or the other be, let nothing be a bar to keep you from accepting the counſel of the holy Ghoſt, which is ſent in love, let it therefore be ſo taken. I would not theſe things ſhould be a witneſs againſt you or me another day; The Lord therefore for his Chriſt's ſake ſo ſanctifie theſe truths to us, and us by theſe truths, that we may all attain to grace and increaſe thereof, to the comfort of our own ſouls, to the praiſe and glory of God by Chriſt. So prays
Your dayly Orator at the throne of grace, J. V.
The Epiſtle to the READER.
Chriſtian Reader,
THou mayſt wonder to ſee me add to the pile and heap of books. Not glory, nor gain (unleſs of God, of ſouls) (though my heart be very evil, and have the ſeeds of all ſin in it) are the wheels on which I move in this labour. Not affectation, but affection to my heavenly Father, to my earthly Friends, put me on to this. Some years ſince in my publike preaching. I went through the chief heads in Divinity, and when I came to this of Effectual Calling, I inſiſted the longer upon it, becauſe it was very practical, and of great concernment. I found it then making ſome impreſſion, I hope it may do ſo now; if but one ſoul be thereby turned in to the Lord, it is worth my pains, though a thouſand times more. I was deſirous to communicate it to my friends, to whom I dedicated, for their good if the Lord be pleaſed to bleſs it. It had been a weary task to have tranſcribed many copies; I was reſolved therefore to take the ſhorteſt cut. It is a complaint that the Preſs is oppreſſed, and not without cauſe; yet much Printing I think is no more to be indicted then much Preaching, if ſo be the matter be ſound and ſavoury. That feminine toleration that Midwives ſo many ſpurious births into the world, and that licentious liberty whereby any one and any thing may preach and be preached, are well worthy of cenſure and ſharp animadverſions, it is hard to ſay which more. Much reading is a wearineſs to the fleſh, and ſo may much hearing, yet if either be rendred under God a means of conviction and converſion to the ſpirit it is no matter. Daniel got knowledge of things of concernment by books, Dan. 9. 2. I ſee the Lord owneth and bleſſeth reading as well as hearing, printing as well as preaching. (though of all means of grace I take preaching▪ to be the King:) Mine own ſoul through the mercy of God (for ever bleſſed be his name) hath received ſome good (if it be not preſumption to ſay ſo) that way, as well as by the preaching of the word; and though this be drawn up by a weak worthleſs creature, yet God I ſee ſometimes makes uſe of, and bleſſeth a wooden as well as a golden inſtrument. And though hereby I expoſe my ſelf who am weak to the acute judgement of parted and learned men, yet I weigh it not, if but one ſoul may be gained and brought in to God by this ſervice, as I hope there ſhall, and the Lord raiſeth mine heart to ſome comfortable expectation thereof. What a rejoycing would it be to me, if my poor labours might tend to the enlargement of my ſoveraigns Kingdom? Reader, I ſhall no further apologize for, or give an account of this undertaking, though more might be ſaid. I deſire thine earneſt prayers, that while I give theſe counſels and cautions to others, my ſelf may not be a caſt-away, as thou haſt mine. If thou be a ſinner, the Lord conform thee to his will; if a Saint, the Lord confirm thee in his ways. The Lord be with thy ſpirit, and his, who is
Thine as he hopes for thy ſouls good, J. V.
Imprimatur,
Edmund Calamy.