holiness, and great encouragers of holiness, and great promoters of holiness, and great followers after holiness, and great experiencers of the sweet and powerful operations of holiness in their own souls. And oh that this might be all your honour and happiness, to be in all re- spects as famous for holiness, as any of your sex hath been before you.
Christ hath prayed as much for your souls, as he hath for the souls of others ; and he hath paid as much for your souls, as he hath for the souls of others ; and he hath sweat, and wept, and bled as much for your souls, as he hath for the souls of others ; and he hath suffered, and satisfied as much for your souls, as he hath for the souls of others ; and he hath purchased and prepared as great and as glorious things for your souls, as he hath for the souls of others, if you will be but a holy people to him : and what doth all this speak out, but an unspeak- able readiness and willingness in Jesus Christ to sanctify you, and save you, as well as others ?
All knowing men can tell you, that many ladies and gentlewomen in all ages have been very famous for all natural, moral, spiritual, and acquired excellencies ; yea, more famous than many men that yet have done worthily in their generation ; and by their attainments you may easily see what is possible for you to attain unto, both in respect of gifts and grace, i Of all things, gracious examples are most awaken- ing, convincing, and encouraging ; for in them you may see that both the attainment of holiness, and the exercise of holiness, is possible, though difficult ; in eyeing of examples, it is always best to eye the highest, the holiest, and the worthiest examples ; for, as he that shoot- eth at the sun, though he falls short of his mark, yet will shoot liigher than he that aimeth only at a shrub ; so those that set up the highest examples of holiness for their mark, for their imitation, will certainly attain to greater degrees of holiness, than those that propose to them- selves the meanest and the lowest examples of holiness for their .pat- tern and imitation.
Well, Ladies and Gentlewomen, do you think that it is good going to hell, that it is good dwelling with the devouring fire, that it is good dwelling with everlasting burnings, that it is good for ever to be sepa- rated from the presence of Grod, Christ, angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect ? Isa. xxxiii. 14 ; 2 Thes. i. 7-10 ; that it is good for ever to lie a-sweltering under the wrath of an infinite just God, and to abide for ever and ever under those pains and torments that are endless, easeless, hopeless, and remediless ? and that it is good to be associated, and fettered with devils and damned spirits to all eternity ? Oh no, this cannot be good ; for the very serious thoughts of these things are enough even to raise a hell a-this-side hell in our hearts. Oh then. Ladies and Gentlewomen, pray that you may be holy ; hear that you may be holy ; read that you may be holy ; and with all your might press after holiness, and pursue hard after holiness as after the one thing necessary ; for without holiness you will as certainly go to hell, as holy persons shall certainly go to heaven ; and this you will find as clearly and fully proved in this following Treatise, as heart can wish.
^ A man might write volumes on this subject : there is so much said in scripture and history upon this account; but in an epistle a touch must suffice, &c.
32 THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
Oh that you would for ever remember this, that without all perad- venture you shall never be saved, unless you are sanctified ; you shall never be truly happy, unless you are really holy: except God should do five things that are not possible for him to do — viz., 1. Change his purpose ; 2. Make null and void his decree ; 3. Make a new gospel ; 4. Find out a new way to heaven ; and 5. Ungod himself. God must undo himself and ungod himself, if ever he make you happy before he hath made you holy ; and therefore, oh, what infinite cause have you to read this following Treatise, and to study this Treatise, and to medi- tate on this Treatise, and to pray over this Treatise, and to look up to heaven for counsel and strength to make such an improvement of the means, helps, and directions that are here prescribed for the attaining of holiness, as that you may be made really holy, that so you may be everlastingly happy I And to quicken and encourage your hearts in this work, I could heartily wish, that as soon as you have read over the epistle, you would read from page 433 to page 447, for there you will find many arguments that are of a particular concernment to your- selves, and that ought to be no small obligations upon you to work you to pursue after holiness with all your might, &c.i
If this Treatise should fall into the hands of any faithful, serious, gracious, conscientious, laborious ministers' hands, as I suppose it may, I would then say. Reverend sirs, let my weak endeavours be a spur, a provocation to you to lay out your choicest and your chiefest gifts, parts, strength, time, and opportunities to promote holiness of life, and holiness in doctrine, worship, discipline, and in all your sacred communions. Certainly, had we all eyed hohness more, and preached holiness more, and practised holiness more, and cried up holiness more, and encouraged holiness more, and countenanced holiness more, the countenance both of God and man might have been set more pleasingly towards us than they are this day. When once maintenance comes to be more in ministers' eyes than holiness, and when their studies and en- deavours are more to make men proselytes to this or that way, this or that form, this or that party, than to make men holy, it is no wonder if God writes out ' bitter things ' against them. I doubt not but provi- dential dispensations have had such a teaching virtue in them, as to lead you to lay your fingers upon several such-like sores, and to mourn over them, and to justify the Holy One of Israel, who is holy in all his ways, and righteous in all his works. 2
Truly, brethren, I have always looked upon the great work of the ministry to lie in two things : first, in making unholy men holy ; and, secondly, in making them that are already holy to be more and more holy. First to beget holiness, and then to nurse up holiness ; first to bring souls to Christ, and then to build up souls in Christ, is with- out all peradventure the work of works that should be most in every minister's eye, and that should always lie nearest and warmest upon every minister's heart, &c. And, through grace, I have made this my grand design in the course of my ministry, and throughout all my writings ; and now it yields me that joy, that comfort, that content,
* Be it remembered this was written at the time of the ' Ejection ' of the Two Thousand, of whom Brooks was one. — G.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY, 33