The Mystery of Faith Opened Up, Title page – To the reader
THE MYSTERY OF FAITH OPENED UP. Or ſome SERMONS concerning Fa… two whereof were not formerly printed. Wherein the Nature, Excellency, and Uſefulneſs of that noble Grace is much cleared, and the practice thereof moſt powerfully preſſed. Whereunto are added three other Sermons, two concerning the Great-Salvation, one of theſe not formerly printed, and a third concerning Death.
By that pious and worthy Servant of Jeſus Chriſt, Mr. Andrew Gray, late Miniſter of the Goſpel in GLASGOW.
All theſe Sermons being now carefully reviſed and much corrected.
John 3.18.
He that believeth not, is condemned already, becauſe he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God.
Glaſgow, Printed by ROBERT SA…, and are to be ſold at his ſhop, …
CHRISTIAN READER.
AMongſt many weighty and ſoul piercing ſentences that ye will find in theſe following Sermons, this is one; That the profeſſors of this age, whether they go to Heaven or Hell, they will be the greateſt debtors that ſhal be in either place: the one to the free grace of God, and the other to his Juſtice. And certainly, if we ſpeak of theſe in this time, whoſe bleſſed lot it ſhal be to inherit the Kingdom, they cannot but acknowledge themſelves indebted to his love, above all that have gone before them, for waſhing them from ſuch ugly pollutions, as this generation hath been defiled with; for bringing thē through ſuch great tribulations, preſerving them in the midst of ſo great tentations, and dangerous ſnares, and have encompaſſed them; yea, and ſtill keeping in the light before them, notwithſtanding of ſo many blaſts (if we may ſo ſpeak) from all the four winds of Hell to blow it out. And on the other hand, if we ſhal ſpeak of theſe who in this generation ſhal periſh, aſſuredly their debt unto Divine Juſtice must be exceeding great, above all who are gone down to the pit before them; becauſe the rod of their mercies will be found to have been many Cubits longer, and many Cubits broader, then theirs who lived in the preceeding ages, and the great things that the Lord hath wrought in our days, have born a greater teſtimony against the wickedneſs, hardneſs, and atheiſm of this time, then of many former. But above all, the great meaſure of Goſpel light that he hath no leſs plentifully offered then wonderfully preſerved to this generation, beyond all our Anceſtors, hath undoubtedly made the ſin of theſe who ſhal utterly reject their own mercy ſo out of meaſure ſinful; and their unbelief ſo exceedingly inexcuſable, that their guilt muſt needs juſtifie Corazin and Bethſaida, or Sodom and Gomorrah, in that day when every man ſhal give account of himſelf to God. And amongst the many preaching-witneſſes, that (alace! we are afraid) ſhal compear in that day againſt many yet living in their pleaſures, and dead while they live; This now glorified Author cannot but be one, whoſe teſtimony muſt be very condemning, eſpecially to the vain, looſe, negligent, and time waſting youth in this age: For when he was firſt drawn forth to the Miniſtry, he was but a youth indeed, ſcarce twenty years compleat; for within that age, that by the Conſtitutions of this Church (except in caſe of more than common abilities, which indeed he had) is required for entring in that great and holy Calling: And for the ſpace of two years after (which was all the time that the Church enjoyed his labour) he was helped to preſs the truths and threatnings of God ſo home upon the conſciences of his hearers, that as it was obſerved of him; by one of his moſt learned and pious Colleagus, Maſter Durham, who is now in glory with him, he did many times cauſe the hair of their head to ſtand up: The Lord not only hereby verifying his Word, that he can take the weak things of the World to confound the ſtrong; and out of the mouths of babes can perfect his own praiſe: but deſigning alſo (as would ſeem of purpoſe) to ſend a boy out of the ſchool for a reprover of the ſluggiſhneſs of his people, that thereby the aged might be the more aſhamed, and the younger more afraid. Neither do we think that this was all; but truly when we conſider what meaſure of graces, gifts, and experiences the Lord did beſtow upon ſo young a perſon: and then with what humility, ſelf-denial, gravity, prudence, diligence, authority and moderation, he was helped to manage theſe Talents, during that ſhort time of his Miniſtry. It may be justly conceived that the Lord brought him forth to be a great conviction, even to many of us in the Miniſtry, who came into our Maſters Vineyard long before him and will go out behind him. And indeed to us it looketh ſomewhat like the Lords taking up of the little child, and ſetting him amongſt the midſt of his contending Diſciples, in th…ſe times, that even they who would be greatest amongſt us, might be the leaſt, and ſee ſomewhat of their own weakneſs.
As to the little Piece, whatever ye ſhal find in it, it hath this to ſay for it ſelf, that whereas many writings in the World do intrude themſelves upon the Preſs, yet this the Preſs hath violently thruſt into the world: For ſome young Student, from his good affection to the edification of the Lords people, and (no doubt) from his high esteem of the precious Author his memory, having given into the Preſs a copy of ſome of theſe Sermons, being only notes taken from his mouth when he preached them; no ſooner were they ſeen abroad, but all the Preſſes in the Nation fell a laboring about them, ſo that (if we miſtake not) in leſs then two or three months time, three or four Impreſſions were caſt of, yet all of them ſo imperfect and maimed, that howbeit the excellency of the matter, and the freſh remembrance of the worthy Author, his name made him very ſweet to many (eſpecially thoſe who had heard him preach) yet the unſuitable dreſs wherein they appeared, and their mistakes of the firſt Writers (they being hard lyable to take up every thing as it was ſpoken) occaſioning diverſe material failings in the ſenſe, beſides leſſer faults, could not but be a trouble to thoſe who were acquainted, not onlie with the ſingular graces, but parts alſo of the eminent Youth. This gave occaſion to ſome friends to ſpeak a little what way theſe prejudices, which both the Truth and the Authors name might ly under, by theſe uncorrect Impreſſions. And finding that the Copy which by providence the worthie young Gentlewoman, who was his wife, had lying by her, though it was but Notes taken from his mouth, yet was the moſt correct that could be found: And that it alſo did contain the whole purpoſes that had been preached upon the Texts; Yea, the whole purpoſes concerning Faith that he had preached, according to that method propoſed in the firſt of the Sermons formerly publiſhed. This was undertaken to be reviſed by ſome, who albeit none of the fitteſt for the imployments, yet rather or nothing ſhould be done in the buſineſs, were content to beſtow ſome hours upon it, according as other neceſſary employmēts would permit. And now having ſought out all the Notes of theſe Sermons, which we could find from other hands, and compared them with the Copie above mentioned, we do again preſent them unto the Lords people, not with anie confidence that our pains hath put anie new lustre upon them; onlie we have ſome hopes that the whole ſubject being now before them, and theſe things in the way of expreſſion helped, which either might ſeem to be ſomewhat unpleaſant, or lyable to miſtakes, they ſhal not now be leſs edifying, nor leſs acceptable then formerlie they were. We did not think fit to make anie conſiderable alterations, as to the method, or other things of that kind, lest haplie by ſtraining his excellent purpoſes too much, to ſhape them to the ordinarie rules, or to reduce them to that order which might beſt have pleaſed our ſelves, vve ſhould have vvronged the matter it ſelf, at leaſt have put them to a loſs vvho did hear him preach, and it may be now upon their reading things in that ſame order as they heard them, vvill be the more readilie brought under the impreſſions of that livelineſs, power and vveights which (it may be) formerly they felt upon their heartvvhen he vvas ſpeaking.
If the method do not altogether ſatisfie ſome ſpir, rits, or the explication ſeem not ſo full; or if they firſe ſome introductions which poſſibly lead not in ſo cloſe, or ſeem not ſo ſutable to the ſubject of the Sermons; or haply now and then there be ſome little digreſſions from the main purpoſe, we ſhal deſire that this may not at all be conſtructed to be the Authors ignorance of rules and method, or his want of abilities in humane learning it being well known to thoſe who were beſt acquainted with him, that he had a ſcholastick ſpirit, and was in reading far beyond his age and opportunities for ſtudying; but as to all theſe, we ſhal intreat you rather to conſider: 1. His age, and that his gift was but in the very moulding and breaking (as we ſpeak) in the point of order and method, when the Lord was pleaſed to call him home from his work. 2. That every man hath his proper gift of God; who in his great wiſdom, and certainly for the good of the Church, doth ſo order, that there is ſomewhat ſingular and peculiar almoſt in every mans way, as to theſe things. 3. For any thing we know, he had never that high eſteem of this, or any other of his labors, as to deſign any of them for publick view, and theſe are but Notes taken from his mouth. 4. We are perſwaded he ſtudied more his hearers then himſelf. Ye will eaſily perceive when ye have but read a little, that he hath been a man of a very zealous temper; that the great benfil of his ſpirit, and that which he did wholly ſpend himſelf about, was to make people know their dangerous condition by nature, and by all means to perſwade them to believe and lay hold upon the great ſalvation: And truly that a man in ſuch a frame ſhould leſs attend to theſe leſſer things, is not to be wordered at. And indeed though theſe things be good in themſelves, and worthy to be looked to in their own place; yet for a Miniſter of the Goſpel, in all Auditories, and upon all occaſions, to pin upon every purpoſe to ſuch a method, and inſiſt unto ſuch a meaſure of explications and criticiſmes upon words, it is but to ſetter himſelf, and to ſtarve his people. 5. Conſider the dulneſs of the most part of hearers in this age, and how hard a thing it is to awake a ſleeping world, and to get them but to think that it doth concern them to hear in earnest; and poſſibly it was not a ſmall piece of ſpiritual wiſdom in him (and it may be not unfit to be imitated by others) to b…gin or end all his Sermons with an awaking word concerning Heaven or Hell, or Judgement, and the danger of chooſing the evil, and refuſing of the good. 6. For digreſſions, the truth is, that his ſoul was ſo filled with ſuch longings after Heaven and Glory, and ſo inflamed with the love of Christ, eſpecially toward the latter end of his race, that when he fell upon thoſe ſubjects, upon which you will ſee moſt of theſe digreſſions are, he could not well contain himſelf, nor eaſily bring off his own ſpirit, a thing not unuſual to the Saints in Scripture: And howbeit ſuch things might ſeem ſomewhat ſingular in the time, and not ſo coherent; yet now we have grounds to apprehend, that they were often ſtrong influences of the Lords Spirit, ſtirring up a lamp, as it were, into a ſudden blaze. that was not to burn long in his Church. But now we ſhall detain you no longer, only this we may aſſure you of, that although theſe Sermons are neither ſo exact, nor ſo full, as doubtleſs they would have been, if they had come from the Authors own pen; yet, as I dare ſay, they were ſtudied with prayer, preached with power, and backed with ſucceſs; ſo alſo if ye ſhal read them with conſideration, meditate with prayer, and practiſe with diligence, ye ſhal never find your time nor pains ill bestowed; but ſhal have cauſe to bleſs the Lord for this, amongſt other helps that he hath given, for making you meet for the inheritance of the Saints in light. That it may be bleſt to this end, is the earneſt deſire and prayer of your ſervants in the work of the Lord,
RO. TRAIL.
JO. STERLING.