feet there was not the least blain or blemish. His outward man was clothed with all such requisite beauties and abilities that might render him lovely and comely to every eye. In a word, man's first estate was a state of perfect happiness. All within him, and aU without him, and all about him, spoke him out to be completely blessed. There was nothing within him, but what was very sweet and desirable ; there was nothing without him, but what was very delight- ful and amiable ; neither was there anything about him, but what was serviceable and comfortable. Oh, but now by his fall, his crown is fallen from his head, and from the heads of all his posterity. Lam. v. 16 ; for Adam was a public person. He was the prince of all man- kind ; and though all mankind was not actually in his loins when he fell, yet they were all potentially in his loins when he fell. If two kings make a league, and the one break it, he makes not only himseK but all his subjects liable and obnoxious to all the calamities and miseries that shall follow thereupon. Adam was our common father, and we are all his sons and daughters. Now we know by the law of inheritance, that if the father forfeit his lease, he disinherits his pos- terity. Now Adam forfeited his lease, as I may say, and divine justice took the advantage^ of the forfeiture, and so hath turned all his posterity out of doors. So that there is now no way under heaven to be happy, but by being holy. All sorts and ranks of men are fallen in Adam, and there is no way to rise but by Christ and holi- ness, &c.
II. A second reason why I dedicate this Treatise to all sorts and ranks of persons, is, because the matter contained in this book is of the greatest and highest concernment imaginable, to all ranks and degrees of men, from the greatest emperor that ever sat 2 upon a throne, to the meanest and the poorest wretch that ever lay upon a dunghill. And doubtless that which is of such a marvellous importance to all, may very justly and reasonably be dedicated to all.
III. A third reason why I dedicate this Treatise to all sorts and ranks of perons, is, because God^i7itends to save some of all sorts, ranks, and degrees. Though greatness and goodness do not always meet, yet greatness and goodness do sometimes meet; and though riches and religion do not always meet, yet riches and religion do sometimes meet ; though not many wise, yet some wise, 1 Cor. i. 26 ; though not many mighty, yet some mighty ; though not many noble, yet some noble shall be called, sanctified, and saved. Look, as the sun in the firmament doth cast his light and warmth upon all sorts, ranks, and degrees of men, Mat. v. 45 ; so doth the Sun of righteousness shine upon the understandings and consciences of all sorts, ranks, and degrees of men, and by his secret and spiritual influences, he warms and cheers the hearts of high and low, rich and poor, noble and ignoble. Abraham was very great and very gracious : Joseph was very high and very holy: Job was very rich and very righteous. Though most of those kings and princes that we read of in Scripture were bad, very bad, yet some of them were good, yea, very good.^
1 = Acted on the culpable ' forfeiture.'— G. '' Spelled ' set.'— G.
2 It is a strange saying in Lipsius. * The names of all good princes,' saith he, 'may easily be engraven or written in a small ring.' — Lipsius dc constantia, lib. IL cap. 25.
b THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
Some of tliem were as famous for grace, righteousness, and holiness : witness David, Asa, Josiah, Hezekiah, Jehoshaphat, &c., as Saul, Jehoram, Jehu, Ahab, and others of them were infamous for all un- righteousness and wickedness. God, for the glory of his own grace, and the honour of his Son's blood, will have some of all sorts, ranks, and degrees sanctified and saved : and upon this very ground he engages his servants to pray for all sorts, ranks, and degrees of men, in 1 Tim. ii. 1-4. Now where God is resolved to save, there he is resolved to sanctify : where he is resolved to make happy, there he is resolved to make holy. And therefore I look upon myself as many ways obliged to have so large a heart for God, as to do all I can to help on the sal- vation of all sorts, ranks, and degrees of men in the world. My heart's desire and prayer for England is, that her princes and nobles may be sanctified and saved, and that her gentry may be sanctified and saved, and that all the people of the nation may be sanctified and saved. 1 I look upon myself as engaged to do all I can, by my pen and prayers, to help make England holy, that so England may be truly happy. For of this I am most certain, that if God will but make England a holy nation, it is not all the powers on earth, nor all the powers of hell, that shall ever make England a miserable nation.
IV. A fourth reason why I thus dedicate this Treatise as you see, is, because m?/ former poor labours and endeavours have been acceptohle to some of all ranks and degrees, and they have been blest to some of all ranks and degrees; and I have been encouraged, whetted, and stirred up by some on all hands, once more to cast in my net. And now I have done it, oh that it may issue in the drawing of many souls to Christ ! and in the making of the graceless gracious, the pro- fane holy ! and in the making of those that are holy, to be yet more holy! kc.
V. A fiftli reason why I thus dedicate this Treatise as you see, is, because tlwugh all men are bound to be lioly, yet the great, the rich, the noble, and the honourable of the earth are hound above all other men in the world to be holy. God hath laid upon them greater obH- gations and ties to holiness, than he hath upon any other jmen under heaven ; and this you may see so clearly and so fully proved in this book — from page 433 to page 447 ^ — that neither the world nor the devil, as cunning and as learned a devil as he is, will ever be able to disprove. This reason alone is sufficient to justify my present prac- tice. 3
VI. My sixth and last reason why I thus dedicate this Treatise as you see, is, that it may be a blessed iestiinony and a standitig witness for Christ in this day of blasphemy, profaneness, looseness, and wick- edness, against all sorts and ranks of persons into whose hands it may fall, who, notwithstanding all that is here said, shall continue obsti- nate and impenitent in their ungodly courses and practices, as men resolved rather to go to hell than to heaven, and to be for ever unhappy
^ Rom. X. 1. — Paul's copy is not to be despised, but imitated.
^ That is, of the original edition. See General Index, under ' rich' and ' noble.' — G. ' ^ Reader, if thou art one that standest upon thy birth, nobility, and greatness, do thy- self that favour, and thy soul that right, as to read from page 433 to page 447, before thou goest any further. [As before. — G.J
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 7