We shall conclude with a character of Mr. Flavel. He was a man of a middle stature, and full of life and activity : he was very thought- ful, and when not discoursing or reading, much taken up in medi- tation, which made him digest his notions well. He was ready to learn from every body, and as free to communicate what he knew. He was bountiful to his own relations, and very charitable to the poor, but especially to the household of faith, and the necessitous members of his own church, to whom, during their sickness, he al- ways sent suitable supplies. He freely taught academical learning to four young men whom he bred to the ministry, and one of them he maintained all the while at his own charge. He was exceedingly af- fectionate to all the people of Dartmouth, of which we shall give one remarkable instance; When our fleet was first engaged with the French, he called his people together to a solemn fast, and, like a man in an agony, wrestled with God in prayer for the church and nation, and particularly for the poor seamen of Dartmouth, that they might obtain mercy ; the Lord heard and answered him, for not one of that town was killed in the fightj though many of them were in the engagement. As he was a faithful ambassador to his Master, he made his example the rule of his own practice, and was so far from reviling again, those that reviled him, that he prayed for those that despitefully used him : one remarkable instance of which is as follows : In 1685, some of the people of Dartmouth, accompanied too by some of the magistrates, made up his effigy, carried it through the streets in derision, with the covenant and bill of exclusion pinned to it, and set it upon a bonefire, and burnt it ; some of the spectators were so much affected with the reproach and ignominy done to this reverend and pious minister, that they wept, and others scoffed and jeered : it was observable, that at the very same time, though he knew nothing of the matter, he was heaping coals of fire of another nature upon the heads of those wicked men, for he was then praying for the town of Dartmouth, its magistrates and inhabitants; and when news was brought him, upon the conclusion of his prayer, what they had been doing, he lifted up his prayer unto God for them in our Saviour's words, Father, for give them, for they know not what they do.
J DISPLAY OF CHRIST IN HIS ESSENTIAL AND MEDIATORIAL GLORY.
CONTAINING FORTY-TWO SERMONS ON VARIOUS TEXTS.
To his much honoured and beloved Kinsman, Mr. John Flavel, of London, Merchant, and his virtuous Consort, the Author wisheth Grace, Mercy, and Peace.
MY DEAft AND HONOURED FRIENDS,
J. F my pen were both able, and at leisure, to get glory in paper, it would be but a paper glory when I had gotten it ; but if by dis- playing (which is the design of these papers) the transcendent ex- cellency of Jesus Christ, I may win glory to hhn from you, to whom I humbly offer them, or from any other into whose hands provi- dence shall cast them, that will be glory indeed, and an occasion of glorifying God to all eternity.
It is not the design of this epistle to compliment, but to benefit you; not to blazen your excellencies, but Christ's; not to ac- quaint the world how much you have endeared me to yourselves, but to increase and strengthen the endearments betwixt Christ and you, upon your part. I might indeed (this being a proper place for it) pay you my acknowledgments for your great kindnesses to me and mine ; of which, I assure you, I have, and ever shall have, the most grateful sense : but you and I are theatre enough to one another, and can satisfy ourselves with the inclosed comforts and delights of our
xviii THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
mutual love and friendship. But let me tell you, the whole world is not a theatre large enough to shew the glory of Christ upon, or unfold the one half of the unsearchable riches that lie hid in him. These things will be far better understood, and spoken of in heaven, by the noon-day divinity, in which the immediately il- luminated assembly do there preach his praises, than by such a stammering tongue, and scribbling pen as mine, which doth but mar them.
Alas ! I write his praises but by moon-light ; I cannot praise him so much as by halves. Indeed, no tongue but his own (as Nazianzen said of Bazil) is sufficient to undertake that task. What shall I say of Christ ? The excelling glory of that object dazzles all apprehension, swallows up all expression. When we have bor- rowed metaphors from every creature that hath any excellency or lovely property in it, till we have stript the whole creation bare of all its ornaments, and clothed Christ with all that glory ; when we have even worn out our tongues, in ascribing praises to him, alas I we have done nothing, when all is done.
Yet, wo is me ! how do I every day behold reasonable souls most unreasonably disaffected to my lovely Lord Jesus ! denying love to One, who is able to compel love from the stoniest heart I yea, though they can never make so much of their love (would they set it to sale) as Christ bids for it.
It is horrid and amazing to see how the minds of many are capti- vated and ensnared by every silly trifle; and how others can in- differently turn them with a kind of spontaneity to this object, or to that (as their fancy strikes) among the whole universe of beings, and scarce ever reluctate, recoil, or nauseate, till they be persuad- ed to Christ. In their unconverted state, it is as easy to melt the obdurate rocks into sweet syrup, as their hearts into divine love.
How do the great men of the world ambitiously court the ho- nours and pleasures of it ? The merchants of the earth trade, and strive for the dear-bought treasures of it ; whilst the price of Christ (alas ! ever too low) falls every day lower and lower upon the ex- change of this world ! I speak it as a sad truth, if there were no quicker a trade (as dead as they say it is) for the perishing trea- sures of the earth, than there is for Christ this day in England, the exchange would quickly be shut up, and all the trading companies dissolved.
Dear Sir, Christ is the peerless pearl hid in the field, Mat. xiii. 46. Will you be that wise merchant, that resolves to win and com- pass that treasure, whatever it shall cost you ? Ah, Sir, Christ is a commodity that can never be bought too dear.
My dear kinsman, my flesh, and my blood; my soul thirsteth for your salvation, and the salvation of your family. Shall you and
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. xix
I resolve with good Joshua, that whatever others do, " we and our families will serve the Lord ;" that we will walk as the re- deemed by his blood, shewing forth his virtues and praises in the world ? that as God hath made us one in name, and one in affection, so we may be one in Christ ; that it may be said of us, as it was of Austin and Alippous long ago, that they were .sanguine Christi con- ghttinati, glued together by the blood of Christ.