To the Reader

Reader.

I know how customary it is for men to ascend the public stage, with premised apologies for the weakness and unworthiness of their labors, which is an argument that their desires (either for the sake of others' profit, or their own credit, or both) are stretched beyond the tether of their abilities; and that they covet to commend themselves to the world's censure, in a better dress than common infirmity will allow. For my own part I may truly say with Gideon, Behold my thousand is the meanest (my talent is the smallest) and I am the least in my Father's House (Judges 6:15), and therefore this appearance in public is not the fruit of my own choice, which would rather have been in some other subject, wherein I stand in some sense indebted to the world, or else in somewhat more digested, and possibly better fitted for common acceptance. But this is but to consult the interest of a man's own name, which in matters of this concern, is no better than a sowing to the flesh, and the harvest of such a seed's time will be in corruption (Galatians 6:8).

You have here one of the saddest considerations imaginable presented to you, and that is, how far it is possible a man may go in a profession of religion, and yet after all fall short of salvation. How far he may run, and yet not so run as to obtain — this I say is sad, but not so sad as true, for our Lord Christ does plainly attest it: strive to enter in at the strait gate, for many I say to you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able (Luke 13:24; 1 Corinthians 9:24).

My design herein is that the formal sleepy professor may be awakened, and the close hypocrite discovered; but my fear is, that weak believers may be hereby discouraged. For as it is hard to show how low a child of God may fall in sin, and yet have true grace, but that the sinner will be apt thereupon to presume; so it is as hard to show how high a hypocrite may rise in a profession, and yet have no grace, but that the believer will be apt thereupon to despond. The prevention of which I have carefully endeavored, by showing that though a man may go thus far, and yet be but almost a Christian, yet a man may fall short of this, and be a true Christian notwithstanding. Judge not therefore your state by any one character you find laid down of a false professor, but read the whole and then make a judgment, for I have cared, as not to give children's bread to dogs, so not to use the dog-whip to scare the children. Yet I could wish that this book might fall into the hands of such only whom it chiefly concerns, who have a name to live, and yet are dead, being busy with the form of godliness, but strangers to the power of it. These are the proper subject of this treatise. And the Lord follow it with his blessing wherever it comes, that it may be an awakening word to all such, and especially to that generation of profligate professors (with which this age abounds) who, if they keep to their church, bow the knee, take out a few prayers, and at a good time receive the Sacrament, think they do enough for Heaven, and hereupon judge their condition safe, and their salvation sure, though there be a hell of sin in their hearts, and the poison of asps under their lips, their minds being as yet carnal and unconverted, and their conversations filthy and unsanctified. If eternal life be of so easy attainment, and to be had at so cheap a rate of devotion, it is to me a wonder what our Lord Christ meant to tell us: straight is the gate and narrow is the way, which leads into life, and few there be that find it (Matthew 7:14). And why the Apostle should perplex us with such a needless injunction, to give diligence to make their calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10), certainly therefore it is no such easy thing to be saved, as many make it, and that you will see plainly in the following discourse. I have been somewhat short in the application of it, and therefore let me here be your reminder in five important duties.

First, take heed of resting in a form of godliness, as if duties ex opere operato could confer grace; a lifeless formality is advanced to a very high esteem in the world, as a kab of doves dung was sold in the famine of Samaria at a very dear rate (2 Kings 6:25). Alas, the profession of godliness is but a sandy foundation to build the hope of an immortal soul upon for eternity. Remember the Lord Jesus Christ called him a foolish builder that founded his house upon the sand, and the sad event proved him so, for it fell, and great was the fall of it (Matthew 7:16, 27). Oh therefore lay your foundations by faith upon the Rock Christ Jesus, look to Christ through all, and rest upon Christ in all (1 Corinthians 3:11).

Secondly, labor to see an excellency in the power of godliness, a beauty in the life of grace. If the means of grace have a loveliness in them, surely grace itself has much more, for finis dat amabilitatem mediis — the goodness of the means lies in its suitableness and serviceableness to the end. The form of godliness has no goodness in it, any further than it serves and becomes useful to the soul in the power and practice of godliness. The life of holiness is the only excellent life; it is the life of saints and angels in Heaven, indeed it is the life of God himself. As it is a great proof of the baseness and filthiness of sin, that sinners seek to cover it, so it is a great proof of the excellency of godliness, that so many pretend to it. The very hypocrite's fair profession pleads the cause of religion, although the hypocrite is then really worst, when he is seemingly best.

Thirdly, look upon things to come as the greatest realities, for non entis & non apparentis idem est effectus — things that are not believed work no more upon the affections than if they had no being. And this is the grand reason why the generality of men suffer their affections to follow after the world, setting the creature in the place of God in their hearts.

Most men judge of the reality of things by their visibility and proximity to sense, and therefore the choice of that wretched cardinal becomes their option, who would not leave his part in Paris for his part in Paradise — sure whatever his interest might be in the former, he had little enough in the latter. Well may covetousness be called idolatry, when it thus chooses the world for its God (Colossians 3:5).

Consider eternity is no dream, hell and the worm that never dies is no melancholy conceit, heaven is no feigned Elysium: there is the greatest reality imaginable in these things, though they are spiritual and out of the ken of sense, yet they are real and within the view of faith: look not therefore at the things which are seen, but look at the things which are not seen; for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Fourthly, set a high rate upon your soul, what we lightly prize we easily part with, many men sell their souls (at the rate of profane Esau's birthright) for a morsel of meat, indeed for that which (in the sense of the Holy Ghost) is not bread; consider your soul is the most precious and invaluable jewel in the world, it is [illegible] the most beautiful piece of God's workmanship, in the whole creation, it is that which bears the image of God, and which was bought with the blood of the Son of God, and shall we not set a value upon it, and count it precious?

The Apostle Peter speaks of three very precious things.

A precious Christ, precious promises, and precious faith.

Now the preciousness of all these lies in their usefulness to the soul. Christ is precious, as being the Redeemer of precious souls; the promises are precious, as making over this precious Christ, to precious souls. Faith is precious, as bringing a precious soul to close with a precious Christ, as he is held forth in the precious promises. Oh take heed that you are not found overvaluing other things and undervaluing your soul. Shall your flesh, or rather your beast be loved, and shall your soul be slighted? Will you clothe and pamper your body, and yet take no care of your soul? This is as if a man should feed his dog and starve his child; meats for the belly, and the belly for meats, but God shall destroy both it and them (1 Corinthians 6:13). Oh let not a tottering perishing carcass have all our time and care, as if the life and salvation of your soul were not worth the while.

Lastly, meditate much of the strictness and suddenness of that judgment day, which you and I must pass through into an everlasting state, wherein God the impartial judge will require an account at our hands, of all our talents and betrustments, we must then account for time, how we have spent that, for estate, how we have employed that, for strength how we have laid out that, for affections and mercies how they have been improved, for the relations we stood in here, how they have been discharged, and for seasons and means of grace how they have been husbanded, and look how we have sowed here, so shall we reap hereafter (Galatians 6:7).

Reader, these are things that of all other deserve most of, and call loudest for, our utmost care and endeavor; though by the most least minded; to consider what a spirit of atheism (if we may judge the tree by the fruits, and the principle by the practice) the hearts of most men are filled with, who live as if God were not to be served, nor Christ to be sought, nor lust to be mortified, nor self to be denied, nor the Scripture to be believed, nor the judgment day to be minded, nor hell to be feared, nor heaven to be desired, nor the soul to be valued, but give up themselves to a worse than brutish sensuality, to work all uncleanness with greediness, living without God in the world, this is a meditation fit enough to break our hearts, if at least we are of holy David's temper, who beheld the transgressors and was grieved, and had rivers of waters running down his eyes, because men kept not God's laws. The prevention and correction of this soul-destroying distemper, is not the least design of this treatise now put into your hand; though the chief virtue of this receipt lies in its sovereign use to assuage and cure the swelling tympany of hypocrisy, yet it may serve also (with God's blessing) as a plaster for the plague-sore of profaneness, if timely applied by serious meditation, and carefully kept on by constant prayer.

Reader, expect nothing of curiosity or quaintness, for then I shall deceive you; but if you would have a touchstone for the trial of your state, possibly this may serve you: if you are either a stranger to a profession, or a hypocrite under a profession, then read and tremble, for you are the man here pointed at.

—Mutato nomine de te Fabula narratur —

But if the Kingdom of God be come with power into your soul, if Christ be formed in you, if your heart be upright and sincere with God, then read and rejoice.

I fear I have transgressed the bounds of an epistle; the mighty God whose prerogative it is to teach, to profit, whether by the tongue or the pen, by speaking or writing, bless this tract, that it may be to you, as a cloud of rain to the dry ground, dropping fatness to your soul; that so your fleece being watered with the dew of heaven, you may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in whom I am your friend and servant.

London, Octob. 29. 1661. Mat. Meade.