An Advertisement to the Reader
An Advertisement to the Reader Good Reader, Upon the publication of the second volume of Mr. Charnock's
Works, it was much lamented by those that knew him, and had a just value for him, that some sermons he was known to have preached
(and which were as worthy of the public view as the rest, and no less useful to the grand design of man's salvation) could not be found among his papers; especially three sermons which many heard him preach on three several Lord's Days, upon 1 Tim. 1:15, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
But now, beyond expectation, instead of them, the good providence of God has brought to light the two following treatises, by the unwearied diligence of Mr. Ashton, one of the laborious transcribers of the first volume of this author's works; and who, to give him his due, has raked them out of the ashes, and rescued them from that oblivion to which they seemed condemned; having, with great pains and patience, transcribed them, as well as with great judgment joined together the several materials he found belonging respectively to each subject, among the many loose papers of Mr.
Charnock that he had by him. The papers I have seen, and with Mr.
Ashton's help have (so far as was needful) compared the transcription with them.
One of these treatises contains the continuation of the author's meditations on 1 Tim. 1:15. And herein he handles a second doctrine, grounded on the last clause of the verse. The text was fruitful, and bore twins; whereof the younger only survives; the other, I fear, is dead without recovery.
But I verily persuade myself that many an honest soul will have occasion to bless the Lord for the birth (shall I say?) or the resurrection of this still-born offspring of so worthy a father; being thereby stirred up not only to admire that rich grace of God which so eminently appears in many times calling the chiefest of sinners, but encouraged in the faith of it, and supported under the burden of the greatest guilt, which we find so often oppressing, terrifying, and even sinking awakened sinners into despair, when they look upon their sins as not only above the sins of others, but even above the mercy of God itself, and therefore unpardonable.
If secure sinners shall dare to abuse the great truths here declared and set forth, to the strengthening of their hands in their evil works, and emboldening themselves to a life of sin because God's grace abounds, at their peril be it, and let them answer for it. But in the meantime, it is pity that such rich and precious cordials should be withheld from those that need them, lest others, to whom they do not belong, should presumptuously catch at them and undo themselves
by misapplying them. And who knows not that what is a cordial to some may prove poison to others?
As for the other discourse, Of Man's Enmity against God, we cannot find when or where it was preached. I have been credibly informed that the author had a design (had it pleased God to have prolonged his days) to have preached largely about original sin; and then it is not unlikely that he might intend this present treatise as one branch of it.
And in it, if the reader can but dispense with one degree less of that accuracy and neatness of style which usually appears in his other writings, he will find as excellent matter, and as great things, as in most of them; and indeed the true spirit of the author. He had made great use of the hammer in beating out the truth, but wanted time to apply the file for the more thorough smoothing and polishing of his work, which truly wants nothing but the finishing stroke. The thread of this discourse is as finely spun as of any, though the piece be not altogether so glossy. But whatever is wanting in ornament is abundantly made up in usefulness.
And if one of these treatises may be a glass in which humbled sinners may see the beauty and glory of sovereign grace, the other too may be a glass in which the best of saints may see the face of their own souls, and a lively representation of that inherent wickedness which all that diligently observe and know their own hearts cannot but acknowledge to be natural to them, as having been born with them into the world.