First Epistle of John Applied Part 1, Title page – To the reader
THE Firſt general EPISTLE OF St. JOHN THE APOSTLE, Unfolded & Applied.
The Second PART, In Thirty and ſeven Lectures on the Second Chapter, from the third to the laſt Verſe.
Delivered in St. Dionyſ. BACK-CHURCH, By NATH: HARDY Miniſter of the Goſpel▪ and Preacher to that Pariſh.
LONDON, Printed for Joſeph Cranford, and are to bee ſold at his ſhop at the Caſtle and Lion, in St. Pauls Church-yard. 1659.
To the Right Honourable Lady, Chriſtian, Counteſſe Dowager of Devonſhire.
Madam,
I Finde this Holy Apoſtle directing his Second Epiſtle to an Elect Lady; Ep. 2. v. 1whereby hee conferr'd no ſmall Honour upon her; I am bold to dedicate this Second Part of my weak Labours on his firſt Epiſtle to your Ladyſhip, as eſteeming it (and that juſtly) a great Honour to mee.
St. John dignifieth the Perſon to whom hee wrote, with the Title of a Lady; it ſeemeth hee was of another ſpirit than our Levelling Quakers, who denying a Civil difference of Superiour and Inferiour, refuſe to give thoſe Reſpects, both in Geſtures and Titles, which are due to ſome above others. And as he calleth her a Lady, in reference to her external Quality, ſo an Elect Lady, in regard of her choice internal qualifications, as being,Hieron. Ep. ad Demetri. to uſe St. Hieromes Language, concerning a prime Lady in Rome, Non minus ſanctitate quam genere Nobilis) no leſſe good, than great▪
An Amiable ſight it is when theſe two entwine each other; Piety in a mean one, is like a Mine of Gold in the earth; Nobility in a bad one, is like a blazing Comet in the Aire: But Piety in a Noble perſon, is like a bright ſtar in the Heavens. Honour without Vertue, is as a Cloud without water; Vertue without Honour, is as a Room without Hangings: But Vertue and Honour is as a Golden Apple in a Silver Picture; or rather, as a Pretious Diamond in a Golden Ring. Both theſe were conſpicuous in St. Johns Elect Lady, and I may no leſs truely ſay, are met together in you.
Should I give the World a true account of thoſe Intellectual, Moral, and Spiritual endowments, which God hath conferred upon your Honour, I eaſily beleeve (what St. Hierome ſaith in reference to a Noble Lady, Si quacunque virtutibus Id. ibid.ejus congrua dixero, adulari putabor) I ſhall bee cenſured as a Flatterer. Beſides (to ſpeak St. Ambroſe his phraſe in an Epiſtle to the ſame Lady) IAmbroſ. Ep. ad De…etri. am juſtly fearful, N… verecundiae tuae oneroſa foret etiam vera laudatio, leſt I ſhould offend your Ladyſhips Modeſty, by expreſſing a Character of your worth, though never ſo conſonant to truth. I foreſee alſo, how needleſſe any Enconium will bee of your Merit: The Lives of great perſons, being, as Cities built upon an Hill, generally obvious. I am withall ſufficiently ſenſible what an arrogance it is, ut tuis praedicationibus ingenium meum par eſſe Id. ibid.praeſumam (as the ſame Father in the ſame Epiſtle elegantly) that I ſhould think my rude penſil fit to draw the Lineaments of your better part; upon all which conſiderations I have reſolved againſt that common cuſtome of a Panaegyrick.
OnelyOnly (after St. Johns pattern) I beſeech you Ep. 2. v. 5.(Madam) that you would abound yet more in all vertue, ſo as the light of your good works may ſhine more and more to the perfect day. To this end, Let thoſe excellent counſels which are given by him in this Chapter, and though I cannot ſay fully, yet I dare ſay faithfully expounded by mee in this Book, bee firmly engraven upon your Noble Breaſt.
Account it your Higheſt Honour (with Mary)Verſ. 3 6 to ſit (as it wete) at Chriſts feet, not onelyonly that you may hear, but keep his Commandements, and to make good your Chriſtian profeſſion by treading in his footſteps, and walking as he walked.
By imploying (as you do) this Worlds goods, for Pious, Hoſpitable, and charitable uſes, let it appear that you have learned to Love your Brother, and not10▪ 16▪ to love this world.
Go not forth to thoſe Antichriſtian Lying Teachers, who by Hereſy and Schiſme are gone out of the Church of England, that (according to the19, 2…. Motto of your Honours Armes, Cavendo tutus) your pretious ſoul may bee ſtill ſafe from errour, by bewaring them, and their poyſonous doctrins.
Finally, As you know, ſo abide in him, whom24▪ you have beleeved, and let thoſe truths, which you have heard from the beginning, and hitherto embraced, abide in you to the end of your life.
I muſt not (Right Honourable) conclude this Epiſtle, without fulfilling the chief End of its Dedication, namely, to confeſſe my Obligation, and profeſſe my gratitude to your Ladyſhip, for thoſe kinde aſpects, and benigne influences, which in theſe black and cloudy daies, the bright beams of your goodneſs have vouchſafed (as to many of my Reverend Brethren, ſo) in particular to my ſelf, the unworthieſt of them all.
I have nothing more to adde but my Devotions▪ That the great God would accumulate upon your own perſon, with all that are deſcended from, and related to, you, the bleſſings of Life, Health, and Wealth, of Love, Grace, and Peace, of Joy, bliſſe, and Glory, is, and ſhall bee the unceſſant Prayer of
Madam, Your Honours greatly Obliged, and Humbly devoted Servant, NATHANAEL HARDY.
To the Reader.
THis Epiſtle, which I have undertaken by divine aſſiſtance to unfold, is as it were a goodly Fabrick, conſiſting of five Rooms, being divided into ſo many Chapters. Among thoſe, this Second is the moſt ſpatious and ſpecious, by reaſon of which this Volume is ſwelled far bigger than the former. I need not tell thee how well worthy this Room is of thy moſt ſerious view; Thus much I dare aſſure thee, the more often thou lookeſt into it, the better thou wilt like it.
At the entrance into it, is as it were the Effigies of Chriſt, as an Advocate for thy Conſolation, and a pattern for thy Imitation. Towards the further end is the portraiture of Antichriſt, with all his curſed crew, ſpitting fire out of their mouths againſt the Holy Jeſus, denying him to bee the Chriſt, againſt whom the Apoſtle giveth a ſeaſonable Caveat.
On the right hand hang the lovely Pictures of thoſe Virgin graces, Knowledge, Obedience, Love of God, and of our Neighbour, and perſeverance in the faith.
On the left hand are repreſented thoſe miſ-ſhapen Monſters, of Malice, and Envy, in hating our brother, of worldly love, with all her Brats, the luſt of the fleſh, the luſt of the eies, and the Pride of Life.
Finally, there are in it ſeveral partitions (one for Fathers, another for young men, and a third for Children) for Men, for Chriſtians, of all ages and ſorts.
Theſe following diſcourſes, are as ſo many windows to let in light to this Room, whereby thou mayeſt the better view it, and whatever is contained in it. I have not made uſe of painted glaſs, which (though it may adorn) obſcureth, but rather that which is plain and clear, as affecting, not the oſtentation of my own wit, in high language, but thy edification, by ſignificant expreſſions. I have uſed my utmoſt care, that the ſeveral windows might bee well leaded, by a methodical and rational connexion. Many flaws thou wilt meet with (ſome whereof are already obſerved) which I hope thy can did ingenuity will pardon. That it may pleaſe the Father of Lights, to tranſmit through theſe diſcourſes, ſome beams of heavenly knowledge into thy ſoul, is, and ſhall bee the earneſt Prayer of him, who deſireth to live no longer, than he may be ſerviceable to God and the Church in his Generation.
Nath. Hardy.