Yet this (the Lord knoweth) is the too common effect of the most plain and powerful preaching of the gofpel. The waters of the fanctuary do not always heal where they come; for there are "miry and marifh places that fhall be given to falt," Ezek. xlvii. 11. The fame word is elfewhere in feripture rendered barrennefs," He turneth, a fruitful land into barrennefs," Pfal. cvii. 34. So that the judgment denounced upon thefe miry and marifh places, is that the curfe of barrennefs fhall reit upon them notwithstanding the waters of the fanctuary overflow them.

It is faid, but certain, that the gospel inflicteth a death of its own, as well as the law; or elfe how are thofe trees in Jude, verfe 12, faid to be, (dis apothanonta) twice dead, pluckt up by the roots! Yea, that which in itself is the greatest mercy through the interpofition of mens lufts, and the efficacy of this curfed fin of unbelief, turneth to the greatest judgment; as the richest and most generous wine makes the sharpeft vinegar. Our Lord Christ himself, Rom. v. 8. The choiceft mercy that the bowels of a God could bless a perishing world withal, whofe coming (himself bears witnefs, John iii. 16) was no lefs errand than that of eternal life and bleffednefs to the loft and curfed fons of Adam: Yet to how many was hea ftone of ftumbling, and a rock of offence: Yea, a gin, and a fnare, Ifa. ii. 14. and that to both the houfes of Ifrael; the only profeffing people of God at that day in the world,

and

and is he not a stone of ftumbling in the miniftry of the gospel to many profeffors to this very day, upon which they fall and are broken? When he faith, "Bleffed is he whofoever shall not be offended in me" Matth. xi. 6. He doth therein plainly fuppofe, that both in his perfon and doctrine, the generality of men would be offended in him.

Not that this is the defign of Christ and the gofpel, but it come fo to pass through the corruptions of the hearts of men. Whereby they make light of Chrift, and ftand out against that life and grace which the Lord Jefus by his blood fo dearly purchased, and is by the preaching of the gofpel fo freely tendered; the wilful refufal whereof will as furely double our damnation, as the acceptance thereof will fecure our eternal falvation.

O! confider it is a thing of the most serious concernment in the world, how we carry ourfelves under the gofpel, and with what difpofitions and affections of heart and foul, feafons of grace are entertained; this being taken into the confideration to make it weight, that we are the nearer to heaven, or to hell, to falvation, or to damnation, by every ordinance we fit under. Boaft not therefore of privileges enjoyed, with neglect of the important duties thereby required. Remember Capernaum's cafe, and tremble, Matth. xi. 23. As many go to heaven by the gates of hell, fo more go to hell by the gates of heaven, in that the number of them that profefs Chrift,

is greater than the number of them that truly clofe with Chrift.

Beloved, I know the preaching of the gofpel hath profelyted many of you into a profeffion; but I fear that but few of you are brought by it to a true cloft with the Lord Chrift for falvation. (I befeech you bear my jealoufy, for it is the fruit of a tender love to your precious fouls.) Moft men are good Chriftians in the verdict of their opinions; but you know the law allowed no man to be a witnefs. in his own cause, because their affection ufual ly out-acteth confcience, and felf-love balketh truth for its own interest.

The heart of man is the greatest imposter and cheat in the world; God himself adjusts it, Jer. xvii. 9. "The heart is deceitful above all things." Some of the deceits whereof ye will find difcovered in this treatife, which fheweth you that every grace hath its counterfeit, and that the higheft profeffion may be, where true converfion is not.

The defign hereof is not to "break the bruifed reed, nor to quench the fmoaking flax," Math. xii. 20. not to difcourage the weakeft believer, but to awaken formal profeffors. I would not fad the hearts of any, "whom God would not have made fad," Ezek. xiii. 22. though I know it is hard to rip up the dangerous eftate and condition of a profeffing hypocrite, but that the weak Chriftian will think himself concerned in the discovery.

And

And therefore as I preached a fermon on fincerity among you, for the fupport and encouragement of fuch, at the end of this, fo I did purpose to have printed it with this: But who can be mafter of his own purposes, that is (as I am) under fuch daily variety of providences? Your kindly acceptation of this, will make me a debtor for that.

The dedication hereof belongs to you on a double account; for as it had not been preached, but that love to your fouls caufed it, fo it had much less been printed, but that your importunate defire procured it: And therefore what entertainment foever it findeth in the world, yet I hope I may expect you will welcome it, efpecially confidering it was born under your roof, and therefore hopes to find favour in your eyes, and room in your hearts.

Accept it, I befeech you, as a public acknowledgment of the engagements which your great and (I think I may fay) unparalelled refpects have laid me under, which I can no way compenfate, but by my prayers; and if you will take them for fatisfaction, I do promife to be your remembrancer at the throne of grace, whilft I am,

MATTHEW MEAD.

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READER,

KNOW how cuftomary it is for men to afcend the public ftage with premifed apologies, for the weakness and unworthiness of their labours, which is an argument that their defires (either for the fake of others profit, or their own credit, or both) are ftretched beyond the tedder of their abilities, and that they fovet to commend themselves to the world's cenfure in a better dress than common infirmity will allow: For my own part, I may truly fay with Gideon, My thousands is the meaneft, (my talent is the finalleft) and I am the leaft in my father's house," Judg. vi. 15. And therefore this appearance in public is not the fruit of my own choice; which would rather have been in fome other subject, wherein I ftand in fome fenfe indebted to the world, or else in somewhat more digefted, and poffibly better fitted for common acceptation: But this is to confult the intereft of a man's own name, which in matters of this concernment, is no better than a fowing to the flesh, and the harveft of fuch a feed time will be in corruption, Gal. vi. 8.

Thou