The Art of Embalming Dead Saints, To the reader
To the Reader.
Honeſt Reader,
I Should not ſtay thee with the ſhorteſt Preface to ſo ſmall a work, but that it is ſomething needfull for me, and may not be unprofitable unto thee. It is not by ſubtile Apologie to palliate any errour, but by a plain confeſsion to prevent prejudice, which may ariſe in a good heart upon harmleſſe grounds.
1. It may be perhaps ſuggeſted to thee, this Sermon was preached twice; I confeſſe, theſe which I publiſh, are my ſecond thoughts upon this text; My firſt were vented not yet a yeere ſince at the Funerall of a dear Chriſtian Friend once of my Flock in London, which though for ſubſtance they were the ſame with the laſt, yet theſe in forme and inlargment are much different: however confitentem habes non reum, I account it no crime to preach one Sermon twice, neither I hope wilt thou pre-judge it for this reaſon, if it were ſo.
It glad's mee now that by this I have occaſion to make mention of the name of that deceaſed member of Chriſt Maſter John Underwood, whom I had cauſe to prize living, (as I have to carry dear and precious in my heart. Many good ſouls in*All Hallows in Breadſtreet. that place ſurviving, whoſe I account my ſelfe yet to be for Chriſts ſake, if my life can doe them good.) And of him dead I cannot be unmindfull; It was his charge to me before his death, Speak not a word of me, and I obeyed his voice, yet now I hope it will be no impiety to write a word. If of truth and inlargedneſſe of heart to Chriſt,Matth. 25. the living and great expreſsions to his members may be an evidence as Chriſt makes it; Let the World then judge of him by the following character. Hee was a very free and open-hearted man to Chriſts cauſe and members, becauſe they were Chriſts. J ſpeak of my own knowledge, every yeer when he made up his books, and had ſummed up his debts and gains, conſtantly he would reſerve the tenths, and write himſelfe, ſo much debtor to God; for many yeers together he made me his Almoner, to relieve impriſoned, impoveriſhed, and ſick Chriſtians by theſe portions, with truſt in me not to reveal his name, which J kept unto his death: The better tenth of his eſtate he gave to God alſo in his laſt Will. I mention this for a ſpectacle to the World, who thinke all loſt that is ſpent upon God, but in this Chriſtian let them ſee, by liberall things is the liberall man eſtabliſhed. Iſai. 32.8.Hee died enriched with a full eſtate. J believe he is at reſt, let him ſleep untill the morning; Reader pardon this digreſsion, it was a godly Friend led me aſide.
2. It may be alſo muttered, much other phraſe more inlargments are Printed than were ſpoken. J confeſſe it, J promiſe the ſame things to thee, good Reader, not the ſame words through out that I preached: If J could do it, yet J know a difference obſervable in phraſe and ſtyle betweene writing and ſpeaking; Our people deſire the loweſt words wee can ſpeak in hearing, but our Readers of all ſorts are not ſo pleaſed; Life put's a working luſtre upon the me aneſt language being ſooken, when the beſt words will not move being dead onelyonly in the letter: I hope the phraſe throughout is Gods, if any thing different from the voice, hanc veniam date, I muſt beg this courteſie if ever J come to the Preſse again. As for inlargments they are no more, but what by ſtraits of time I was forced to conceale and jumble with the reſt, or elſe which were added for more perſpicuity, whereby J hope thou ſhalt be no loſer.
3. It may be ſaid theſe many Authors alleaged were ſilenced in the Pulpit. J acknowledge it; J am never much in mentioning humane authorities in my Sermons, not to obſcure their worth, nor to be unthankful to them, for I am much beholden to them. But theſe conſiderations make mee mute in this, Firſt, Our people skill not of them, Secondly, One Word of Chriſt is worth a thouſand for him who preacheth to ſave ſouls. Thirdly, Their names and words with leſse loſse may fit a margin, than fill a Sermon, which being but for an houre ſhould be full of God for the ſouls to whom it is ſent. Theſe ſtops removed, J ſhall ſtay thee no longer from the work: Read in conſcience, read in love, read to gather, read to live. The Lord Almighty, the God Holineſſe, while thou art reading and looking deliver thee up unto his truth, and change thee into the ſame Image from glory to glory; to glory over ſin here, to glory over death and the grave hereafter. Thus powreth he out his ſoule for thee, that preſents this Book unto thee. Pray for him whom thou art ſure to have,
Thine in Chriſt Jeſus devoted for thy good G. H.