Your honour's to be commanded,
John Sedewick,*
* This is John Sedgwick, B.D., though curiously enough misspelled here ' Sedewick,' a younger brother of the more celebrated Obadiah Sedgwick. Against none of the Puritans has Anthony a-Wood written more bitterly or slanderously. He died in 1643. Thomas Case preached his funeral sermon. Consult Brook's 'Puritans,' ii. pp. 485-486, and Wood and Ncwcourt. His ' Bearing and Burden of the Spirit ' (1639, ISmo), and his 'Eye of Faith' (1640, 18mo), breathe much of the spirit of Sibbes.— G.
TO THE READEE.
The highest points of Christian religion, and such as are most above the reach of human wisdom, are those that lie below, in the foundation ; and therefore are they called the ' mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,' Mat. xiii. 11 ; and the ' deep things of God,' 1 Cor. ii. 10. And the know- ledge of these things is termed an ascending into heaven, John iii. 13 ; a knowledge of such things ' as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor would ever have entered into the heart of man,' had they not been revealed to us by him that came down from heaven, even the Son of man that is in heaven. That blessed apostle St Paul, that was rapt up into the third heaven, did yet chiefly desire to study and teach these principles of the doctrine of Christ. ' I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified,' 1 Cor. ii. 2. Yea, and after all his study and 'teaching, was not ashamed to confess of himself that he was not yet perfect in the knowledge of Christ, nor had attained so much as might be attained, but was still therefore looking upward, and pressing forward to that which was before, Phil. iii. 12, 13. And indeed what David acknow- ledged, concerning his searching the Scriptures in general, that though he had proceeded further in the discovery of divine truths than those that went before him (Ps. cxix. 99), 'I have more understanding than all my teachers, for thy ' testimonies are my meditation ; ' yet he was still to seek of that which might be known ; ver. 9G, ' I have seen an end of all per- fection, but thy commandment is exceeding broad.' Even as those great discoverers of the new-found lands in America, at their return, were wont to confess that there was still a 2j?».s ultra, more might be descried than was yet seen, that may we say concerning those glorious things revealed unto us in the gospel concerning Christ. Proceed we as far as we can in the study of them ; that, we know, will be nothing, to that which is still to be learned ; for the riches of Christ herein discovered are indeed unsearch- able, Eph. iii. 8.
It is no disparagement therefore at all, either to those that are the chief masters of the assemblies, Eccles. xii. 11, to teach, or those that are of the highest form -- in Christ's school, to learn, yea, and that again and again, * the first principles of the oracles of God,' Heb. v. 12. Sure I am, how- ever others pufied up with an opinion of their own worth may be otherwise minded, the reverend and learned author of these ensuing treatises was of this judgment, who, though he were a wise master-builder, xei according to the grace that was given unto him (which was indeed like that of Elisha in regard of the other prophets, 2 Kings ii. 9, the elder brother's privilege, * That is, ' scat,' a scholastic or educational term. — G.
494 TO THE READEB.
a dnuhlo portion), he was still takin}:; all occasions to lay well the foundation, and that in one of the most eminent authorities for learning and piety that are in the kingdom.
The}'^ that were his constant hearers know this well. They that were not, may see it by these his sei-mons now published, reduced, as was deemed most lit, into four several treatises ; wherein, as the season required, he still took the opportunity of instructing his hearers in this great mystery of our religion, the incarnation of the Son of God, one of the chief fundamentals of our faith ; one of the chief of those wonders in the mercy-scat, which the chorubins gaze at, which the angels desire to pry into, 1 Peter i. 12. And, indeed, by reason he spake at several times, and by occasion of so many several texts of Scripture concerning this subject, there is scarce any one of those incomparable benefits which accrue to us thereby ; nor any of those holy impressions w^hich the meditation hereof ought to work in our hearts, which is not in some place or other sweetly unfolded. In the first treatise * the mystery itself is indeed chiefly opened, and is therefore called, ' The Fountain Unsealed ; ' the rest, as in so many streams, convey to us that water of life which is issued from thence, teaching us how to improve the knowledge hereof to the glory of God, and the spiritual enriching of our own souls. The noted humility of the author I now the less wonder at, finding how often his thoughts dwelt on the humiliation of Christ. If we that now read them be not changed into the same image from glory to glory, it will be our own fault. This take from me ; the treatises following are published by copies of his sermons which himself approved and appointed, and that by subscribing his own hand, purposely to prevent imperfect copies. Embrace them, therefore, as truly his ; and the Lord so raise up thy heart in the careful perusal hereof, that ' thy profiting may be seen of all,' 1 Tim. iv. 15.