A Christian Looking Glass, Dedication 2 – To the reader
To the truly vertuous and religious Gentlewoman Mrs. HELLEN TOMSON, Alias WOODGREEN: Increaſe of Grace and Eternall Glory.
WHen I conſidered your conſtant reading Meditations, Prayers, Chriſtian charity, tears, your much ſequeſtring your ſelf from the world: when I looked upon your deare Siſter Elizabeth, whoſe practice is Chriſt, whoſe ſtudy is Divinity, whoſe whole work is Religion; My thought your religious courſes invited as well as deſerved my pains; (much endeared Aunts,) indeed I have not with a little joy taken notice, how oft by me (when have been accidentally at your houſe,) you have ſent your charity to the door, not knowing to whom, ('twas enough they were poor People,) not deſiring your left hand ſhould know what your right hand did; alſo how oft you have chid with your ſervants for calling the poor, beggars (in contempt,) becauſe perchance we are all ſuch; We all ſay, Give us this day our daily bread—Alſo ſince the ſame hand which made them ſuch can lay our honour in the duſt. Indeed the time ſpent in Gods ſervice is the moſt choice time, the only days of comfort, for is not one houre ſpent with Chriſt, more precious, joyous, comfortable, then all the reſt of our days? how do theſe end in mirth, thoſe in mourning?
I wonder not to heare Moſes from a Courtier to become a fellow-ſufferer with Iſrael, ſince his recompence as well here as hereafter was ſo great. He left a tyrant King for a mercifull God, a Court of pleaſure, for a Kingdome of grace, Attendants for Angels, Courtiers for Saints, Dainties for Graces, a kind of Sonſhip for true Adoption, a Kingdome of Trouble for a Heaven of Ioy.
How inſipid are things below to a Chriſtian in reſpect of Chriſt? how like the white of an egge (in Job) without taſt? how empty is the Creature, to the Creator; what delight is there in the Word? what heavenly conference among Saints? what humble familiarity have they with Chriſt by Prayer? how doth he anſwer them, filling their hearts with as it were laughter, and their ſouls with joy? they envy not the worlds favourites or darlings, while they enjoy their Chriſt. How ſad is a Chriſtian that (but ſeemingly for a time) hath loſt his Chriſt? (who is his life and ſoule of his ſoule) what fainting is in that ſoule? what enquiry after Chriſt by Prayer, as the Spouſe in the Canticles doth.
What hungring and thirſting is in the Saints after Chriſt? (more then in the Hart after the water-brooks)
How dejected is a Saint after ſinning? what a Stranger to himſelf? how mournfully he walks? how unpleaſing is every thing to him? what rivers of tears doth he ſhed? what ſorrow like his, till reconciled to his God?
How do the Saints hate ſin (tho they fall into it,) how do they condemne, ſtrive to crucifie it, (tho it dog them?) fleſh and blood never taught them this, nor the Divel will not willingly caſt out himſelf, you may ſee whoſe children they are, by their practice and obedience.
How eaſily do they kiſſe the rod when their Father ſcourgeth them? how like Mephiboſheth are they content to part with all to enjoy their David? how do they live by Promiſe, counting it far beyond an inheritance? how eaſily do they ſubmit their will to Gods Will? in ſumme, how are they delighted in goodneſſe? how much in the Company of Saints? (to ſee Chriſt in them, to ſee them deckt with his graces,) more then in the company of Princes that have not acquaintance with Chriſt? Dear Aunt, I love your practice, and ſtrive to imitate, ſince it will bring eternall peace. Pardon me if I have a little commented upon your (I hope, a Saints actions) I will do no more, I could do no leſſe; Go on to Perfection, to them that overcome Chriſt will give Crowns—
Sutton-Valence July 10. 1649. Which that you may do— and obtain, ſhall be the conſtant prayers & endeavours of your loving friend and obliged kinſman. H. Holland.
To the Courteous READER.
I Have been very juſt in publiſhing theſe Heads of Sermons (as delivered,) Time might have made me Parent of ſome more worthy piece on this Subject, but whiles I was delivered of this, ſome as it were preſent at the labour, (but not of my ſaid Pariſh) accuſed it of Baſtardy, not being from the true ſeed, the word; which made me own in publick this weak exerciſe: now the world may ſee I dare publiſh what I preach.
I ſometimes ſeem to diminiſh ſin in the Saints; John ſayes, they ſin not; I mean but as he does, they do not foreign make a trade of ſin, they do foreign ex Iohn 3. ſin, in ſome acts, not habit; they do peccare, not dare operam peccato (as Beza tranſlates the words, foreign & foreign) ſin, not walk, (implying an habit) in the way of ſin—they ſin with much reluctancy, not with a full ſwing, they hate what they do.
They run not after errors, but are overtaken, foreign ex Gal. 6.1. they fully cloſe not with ſuch: Chriſt hath told John, Rev. 13.8. thoſe that worſhip the Beaſt have not their names written in heaven: but they whoſe names are written in heaven, eſcape the beaſt, and all falſe teachers from hurting them much.
The name of the Beaſt is 666.
The Pope aſcribes this name to himſelf; VICarIUS GeneraLIs DeI In terrIs; where the numerall letters make up the ſaid number by which you know the Beaſt.
I have uſed many moderne Authors, which fitted my purpoſe, and many digreſſions, (as my manner of preaching is) digredi patimur non divagari; what faults you find, ſuppoſe them errata. So farewell. Yours to uſe.
Anglo-Hibernus.