b THE PREFACE.
to every man severally as he will, 1 Cor. xii. 11, Where he ha.s given least, they have a competency ; where he has hestowed most, there is no redundancy : none shall have cause to boast of his ten talents ; none reason to murmur that he has but one : but that which we must ever adore and admire, is, that where he has bestowed most liberally minis- terial abilities, he has also bequeathed sanctifying grace to keep them humble, to secure them against pride, and preserve them in a meek dependence upon himself ; that he should give them a due proportion of ballast to keep them steady, lest they should overset with bearing too great a sail ; that he should make and keep them lowly in their own eyes, who are precious in the eyes of others, and gracious in his. And still further, to admire his power that has wrought such glorious things by weak instruments ; saved them that believe by (what the world accounts) the foolishness of preaching ; dismantled the strong- holds of sin and Satan by the gentle breathing of the word and Spirit ; subdued proud, broken and softened hard hearts, not by might, not by power, not by the secular sword, but by the soft whispers of grace, by melting, bleeding, tender affections.
I have yet a further reach in this address, both upon preachers and their hearers.
1. To the former I would humbly offer, that they would so preach, 80 pray, so labour, as they that are convinced they are all this while a- dying, that are passing every moment from the improving of to the accounting for their talents. Dying ministers preach living sermons. It deserves our observation that God, who honoured his servant Ezekiel with abundance of glorious revelations and visions, enough to have swelled a bubble till it broke, to have lifted up a poor worm above its measure, should yet always use to him that abasing term, son of man ; warning him, and in him all his faithful ministers, to fulfil their min- istry, to work while it is called to day, that ' whatever their hand findeth to do, they should do it with all their might, because there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the gi-ave, whither they are going,' Eccles. ix. 10. How joyfully will a minister receive the sum- mons to his audit, when a good conscience shall afford him this testi- mony, ' I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith ! ' 2 Tim. iv. 7. How edifying would their preaching l>e, could they carry these thoughts with them into the pulpit — The eye that now sees me shall see me no more ; the ear that now hears me shall in a little while hear me no more ; there must be a last time that I must speak in Clnist's name to this people, and this may be that last time ! Oh ! with what fervent prayer, with what earnestness of affec- tion, with Mdiat yearning bowels to perishing sinners, with what zeal lor their conversion, would they engage in their Master's service, were their souls impregnated with lively quick apprehensions, that the graves are ready to receive them !
2. Nor would it less afi'ect the hearers, and awake their conscience to improve the labours of their ministers, could they maintain upon iheir hearts a vigorous sense, that they are dying apace from their faith- ful ministers, and they from them ; to repent, pra}', believe, work out their salvation, make their calling and election sure, at another rate of diligence than what is usuallv found amongst them.
THE PREFACE. 7
Reader, I will engross tliee no longer to myself. Be no more my reader, but the author's : there thou wilt find much better entertain- ment. And yet, because I would not lose thy good company —
First, It must be a ravishing sight to behold divine grace in all its dimensions : grace worlj:ing in the heart of God towards lost man, and grace working in the heart of renewed man towards God. Let us there- fore fix our meditations upon Titus ii. 11-14, where we shall meet with —
1. The whole duty of man, viz., ' the grace of God teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, right- eously and godly in this present world.' A word suitable, seasonable to our present day, wlierem the vigour of religion runs out into leaves ; when empty notions, too high for this world, and too low for the next, have eaten out the lite and power of practical godliness : when we dis- pute and quarrel ourselves out of our charity each to other, and our obediential love to our God ; when the name of grace is so abused to gracelessness, and professors can believe anything and practise nothing. But grace would teach us other lessons ; as, (1.) To live soberly and temperately to ourselves ; not perverting the ends of divine bounty and indulgence to make provision for the flesh, to be food for devouring lusts, fuel for the fire of raging corruptions ; but moderately to serve our bodies, that they may serve our souls, and both serve our God. (2 ) To live righteously towards all men, giving to all their due in all relations, superiors, inferiors and equals ; owing nothing to any man but love ; a debt which we must always pay, and always owe ; that * we may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things,' ver. 10. This is that which recommends religion to the sons of men ; it is this • well-doing, which puts to silence the ignorance of foolish men,' 1 Peter ii. 15. For men are not much concerned what we are to God, if we be unjust, false, treacherous, unfaithful, and over-reaching towards our neighbour. And, (3.) That we demean ourselves, in all the turnings of our conversation, holily towards God. Let our conscientious dis- charge of first-table duties be the test of our uprightness in those of the second ; let our honesty and sincerity in those of the second evidence our holiness in those of the first.