Satan is a lion, not a lamb ; a roaring lion, not a sleepy lion ; not a lion standing still, but a lion going up and down. As not being con- tented with the prey, the many millions of souls he hath got, ' he seeks whom he may sip up at a draught,' as that word, xarwri/i, in the 1 Peter v. 8 imports ; his greatest design is to fill hell with souls ; which should awaken every one to be active, and to do all that may be done to pre- vent his design, and to help forward the salvation of souls.
Chrysostom compares good pastors to fountains that ever send forth
1 ' Essay, or attempt.' — G.
* 2 Cor. v. 14, 2 Cor. xii. 15, Solus amor ncscit difficultates, love knows no difficulties.
3 Myrtle : lib. xv. 35-38.— G.
4 It is said of Marcollus tho Roman general, that he could not he quiet, Nee victor, nee viclus, neither conquered nor conqueror ; such a one is Satan. [Plutarch, Marcellus. — G.]
EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 173
waters, or conduits that are always running, though no pail be put under.1 But,
Sixthly and lastly, I know the whole life of man is but an hour to work in ; and the more work any man doth for Christ on earth, the better pay he shall have when he comes to heaven. Every man shall at last ' reap as he sows.' Opportunities of doing service for Christ, and souls, are more worth than a world ; therefore I was willing to take hold on this, not knowing how soon ' I may put off this earthly taber- nacle ;' and remembering, that as there is no believing nor repenting in the grave, so there is no praying, preaching, writing, nor printing in the grave; we had need to be up and doing, to put both hands to it, and to do all we do with all our might, knowing that ' the night draws on upon us, wherein no man can work.'2 A Christian's dying day is the Lord's pay-day ; that is, a time to receive wages, not to do work.
And thus I have given the world a true account of the reasons that moved me to print the following discourse. Before I close up, I desire to speak a word to young persons, and another to aged persons, and then I shall take leave of both.
My request to you who are in the primrose3 of your days is this, If ever the Lord shall be pleased so to own and crown, so to bless and follow this following discourse, as to make it an effectual means of turn- ing you to the Lord, of winning you to Christ, of changing your natures, and converting your souls — for such a thing as that I pray, hope, and believe — that then you would do two things for me.
First, That you would never cease bearing of me upon your hearts when you are in the mount, that I may be very much under the pour- ings out of the Spirit, that I may be clear, high, and full in my com- munion with God, and that I may be always close, holy, humble, harmless, and blameless in my walkings with God, and that his work may more and more prosper in my hand.
Secondly, That you would by word of mouth, letter, or some other- way, acquaint me with what the Lord hath done for your souls, if he shall make me a spiritual father to you.4 Do not hide his grace from me, but acquaint me how he hath made the seed that was sown in weakness to rise in power upon you, and that
(First) That I may do what I can to help on that work begun upon you ; that your penny may become a pound, your mite a million, your drop an ocean.
(Secondly) That I may the better English some impressions that have been upon my own spirit since I began this work.
(Thirdly), That my joy and thankfulness may be increased, and my soul more abundantly engaged to that God, who hath blessed the day of small things to you, 1 Thes. ii. 19, 20 ; 2 Cor. ix. 2. Ponder these scriptures — 2 Cor. vii. 3, 4, 13 ; Philip, ii. 2 ; iv. 1 ; Philem. 7 ; 2 John 3, 4 — and then be ashamed to declare what the Lord hath done for you, if you can.
(Fourthly) It is better to convert one, than to civilise a thousand ;
1 Chrys. in Mat. Ho. 15.
2 1 Cor. xv. 58 ; 2 Cor. ix 6 ; 2 Peter i. 13, 14 : Eccles. ix. 10 ; John ix. 4.— G.
8 That is, ' in the early spring of life.' A frequent word in the Elizabethan writers. ' The primrose path of dalliance,' Hamlet, i. 3. — G. * Ps. lxvi. 16, and 1 Peter iii. 15.— G.
174« EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
and will turn more at last to a minister's account in that day, wherein he shall say, ' Lo, here am I, and the children that thou hast given me,' Isa. viii. 18.1 Such a man, with his spiritual children about him, shall look on God with more comfort and boldness, than those that are only able to say, ' Lo, here am I, and the many benefices ;' ' Here am I, and the many ecclesiastical dignities and glories ;' ' Here am I, and the many hundreds a year that man had given, and I have gotten.' But,
{Fifthly and lastly) The conversion of others is a secondary and more remote evidence of a man's own renovation and conversion. Paul was converted himself before God made him instrumental for others' conversion. God's usual method is, to convert by them who are con- verted.2
I do not remember any one instance in all the Scripture of God's converting any by such who have not been converted first themselves ; yet I know his grace is free, and the wind blows where it lists, when it lists, and as it lists.
To aged persons I have a word, and then I have done.
First, To grey-headed saints. Ah, friends ! ah, fathers ! would you see your honour, your happiness, your blessedness ? Then look into this treatise, and there you will find what an unspeakable honour it is to be an old disciple, what a glory it is to be good betimes, and to continue so to old age.
Secondly, To white-headed sinners whose spring is past, whose summer is overpast, and who are arrived at the fall of the leaf, and yet have a hell to escape, a Christ to believe in, sins to pardon, hearts to change, souls to save, and heaven to make sure ; would such be encouraged from Scripture grounds to repent, believe, and hope, that yet there is mercy for such, let them seriously peruse this treatise, especially the latter part of it, and there they may find enough to keep them from despairing, and to encourage them to adventure their souls upon him that is mighty to save.
There are many things in this treatise that are of use to all, and several things of moment, that are not every day preached nor read. I have made it as pleasurable as time would permit, that so it might be the more profitable to the reader, and that I might the better take the young man by a holy craft ; which is a high point of heavenly wisdom, there being no wisdom to that of winning of souls, 2 Cor. xii. 16 ; Pro v. xi. 13. I shall now follow this poor piece with my weak prayers, that it may be so blest from heaven, as that it may bring in some, and build up others, and do good to all. And so rest,
Your friend and servant in the Gospel of Christ,
1 Mat. xxv. 23 ; Dan. xii. 3 ; Prov. xi. 30. 8 Acts ix. 3 ; Isa. vi. 5 ; Mai. ii. 5-7, &c.
THE YOUNG MAN'S DUTY AND EXCELLENCY.