The Epistle Dedicatory.
THE
EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
MY LOVING FRIENDS,
THE ALDERMEN, THE ESQUIRES, AND
THE REST OF THE INHABITANTS
OF THE
PARISH OF STEPHEN'S WALBROOK,
IN THE CITY OF LONDON.
Honoured, and Beloved, My heart's desire for you is that you may be saved. It has been a long time in my thoughts, after the many signal demonstrations of your love to me, to show my gratefulness in return; such as I have, I give you. I dedicate this manual to you, as a standing testimonial of that real respect, and zealous affection which I bear towards you.
The subject of it you will find to be a Christian's delight and meditation in God's law. I have purposely for your sakes laid down several heads, or particulars, for your meditations to dilate and run upon, such as the attributes, the promises, the love of Christ, etc. If someone at last grew sober by looking often at a ring with a death's head,1, who knows whether by often meditating on these things, your hearts may be brought into a more serious and heavenly frame?
Meditation is a holy kind of usury; it is putting out sermons to use, which brings in no small profit at the year's end. Meditation is a duty which carries meat in the mouth of it; "My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, while I meditate on you," Psa 63.5-6.
There is little written, so far as I know, upon this subject. Most discourses of this nature digress into ejaculations.2 I have, with the help of God, cut my way through the rock, not finding any path that others had gone in before me; so that I have not offered to you that which cost me nothing (2Sam 24.24). For the style of it, it is plain.
But truth, when it is in the plainest dress, is most lovely. The star shines brightest in its native lustre. Divinity has so much intrinsic
beauty, that it needs no art of wit or fancy to set it off. Who goes to embroider a pearl? or paint over gold? This would only debase and eclipse it. It is a sign of a wanton Christian to look most at the fringing and garnishing of a truth. I wish it were not the sin of many in this city; they like the dressing, but loathe the food. The blue flowers which grow among the corn make a fine show, and are pleasing to the eye, yet they are prejudicial to the harvest. Rhetorical flourishes may please the fancies of men, but I greatly question whether they will not lessen Christ's spiritual harvest at the end of the world. When men preach words rather than matter, they catch people's ears, not their souls; they court, but do not convert. If the patient's wound bleeds — no, rankles — it is better for him to have a deep incision made in the flesh, than to bind it with silk, or dress it with aromatic ointments.
It is true, ministers ought to clothe the truths they preach in decent expressions to preserve them from contempt. Though they must come in plain speech, let it not be rude speech. But let them take heed, lest with their affected new-coined phrases, unsuitable to that gravity which the apostle speaks of in Tit 2.7,3 they adulterate and corrupt the simplicity of the word. It is like some kinds of sauces and compounds which take away the natural taste and savour of the meat. As for you, my friends, I hope the Lord has given at least some of you a spiritual palate, to relish and thirst after the sincere milk of the word, 1Pet 2.2. A savoury heart is for wholesome doctrine.
How glad I would be, dear friends, if I might, either by preaching or writing, become savingly instrumental for your good; and before I die, that I might help to make a happy marriage between Christ and you, 2Cor 11.2.4 I bless God that I see some of you walking in the truth, 2Joh 1.4, when so many in the world are marching apace towards hell. But O that I might see an increase of holiness among you, that more converts might be brought in, and as so many jewels, make the crown of Christ shine the brighter! Do not hearken to the siren songs of the world: the sins you commit in haste, you will repent at leisure. Sugared poisons go down pleasantly, but afterwards they wring and torment the body.
Let me earnestly beseech you to put a bill of divorce into the hand of your sins; do not let error turn gangrene, nor lust burn, malice boil, pride swell, intemperance overflow, or covetousness take root in any of your souls. Purge out the old leaven; and if you ever expect to go to the New Jerusalem when you die, become new creatures while you live.
Do not rest in baptismal privileges: all are not Israel who are of Israel, Rom 9.6. How is a man better to have Christ's name upon him, if he still retains Satan's image? How is he advantaged to have the oracles of God, and lack the Spirit of God? Do not think that an empty profession will save; millions will be sent to hell in Christ's uniform,5 Mat 7.22-27.6 O labour to "know the grace of God in truth!" Col 1.6.
The Lord has been at great cost, and charges you to bring yourself near to him; do not let God be a loser by you. Pindar 7 says, it was an opinion of the people in ancient times, that Jupiter rained down gold upon the city of Rhodes — give me leave to apply that to you. God has rained down golden showers upon you. What mercies he has enriched you with! What talents he has entrusted you with!
Your estate is a talent, your health (in these sickly times especially) is a talent, your sanctuary blessings are talents, every motion of the Spirit, every opportunity for heaven is a talent, and nothing is more sure than that you will be called to give account shortly, Mat 25.1920. Now if you have let your talents lie rusting, and done no good with them, hiding your talents will not hide your sin — expect a heavy doom. Do not think these things are impertinences. Do not be so evil, as to be too good to be advised.
I confess, with Ignatius, that I am the least of all who labour in God's vineyard; but though I am with you in weakness, yet, as the apostle says, "in much tremblings," 1Cor 2.3. I tremble to think how sad it will be if any of you were to perish in these days of the gospel, even though you have been placed under a trumpet that is less shrill and powerful. It will be my prayer for you all, that you may be fruit-
bearing trees — that when the great vine-dresser removes you from here by death, he may transplant you into the celestial paradise.
Be pleased to accept these few notes which, some years ago, you seemed to hear with much affection. I will only desire two things of you: that you would thoroughly peruse them, and then copy them out in your daily practice. Get up into your tower of meditation, and look often with Moses, upon Him who is invisible, Heb 11.27. But I will not hold you any longer. I remember St. Paul at the close of his
Epistle, craves the Thessalonians' prayers, 1The 5.25. "And so I will end my epistle, begging a contribution of your prayers for me, that the Lord would give me the strength of Heaven to do the work of Heaven; that he would help me to take heed to myself and my doctrine; that he would make me not only faithful, but successful in my ministry among you — so that, "when the chief Shepherd appears
I may receive a crown of glory which does not fade away," 1Pet 5.4. I will not further enlarge, unless in my affections towards you.
"Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight," 8 which shall be the earnest prayer of him who is,
Your friend and servant, for Jesus' sake,
THOMAS WATSON.