propagate their own conceptions, under a pretence of doing the work of God ; if the envious man watcheth all night and waits all advantages to sow his tares, — how will you be able to lift up your heads with joy, and behold your Master's face with boldness at his coming, if, having received such eminent abilities, endow- ments, and furnishments from him for his service, and the service of his sheep and lambs, as you have done, you gird not up the loins of your minds, and lay not out your strength to the uttermost for the weeding out of the field and vine- yard of the Lord " every plant which our heavenly Father hath not planted," and for feeding the flock of Christ with sincere milk and strong meat, according as they are able to bear ? What you have received more than others is of free grace; which is God's way of dealing with them on whom he lays the most unconquer- able and indispensable obligations unto service. Flesh and blood hath not re- vealed unto you the truth of God which you do profess, but our Father which is in heaven. You do not upon any endeavour of your own differ from them who are given up to the sore judgment and ever-to-be-bewailed condition before men- tioned. It hath not been from your own endeavours or watchfulness that you have been hitherto preserved under the hour of temptation, which is come to try the men that live upon the face of the earth. It is not of yourselves that you are not industriously disturbing your own souls and others with this or that in- trenchment upon the doctrine of the gospel, and the free grace of God in Jesus Christ; which not a few pride themselves in, with the contempt of all otherwise minded. And doth not the present state of things require the full disbursing of all that you have freely received for the glory of Him from whom you have re- ceived it ? You are not only persons who, as doctors and teachers in a university, have a large, distinct disciplinary knowledge of divinity, but also such as to whom *' the Son of God is come, and hath given an understanding to know him that is true;" "into whose hearts God hath shined,to give the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ ;" and therefore may say, " ' What shall we render to the Lord?' how shall we serve him in any way answerable to the grace we have received? " I speak not this, the Lord knows it, before whom I stand, with reflection on any, as though I judged them neglecters of the duty incumbent on them. " Every one of us must give account of himself to God." The daily pains, labour, and travail, of many of you in the work of the gospel, the dili- gence and endeavours of others in promoting other useful literature, are known unto all. Only the consideration of my own present undertaking, joined with a sense of mine own insufficiency for this, or any other labour of this kind, and of your larger furnishment with abilities of all sorts, press me to this stirring up of your remembrance to contend for the faith, so much opposed and perverted. Not that I would press for the needless multiplying of books (whose plenty is the general customary complaint of all men versed in them), unless necessity call thereto. " Scribimus indocti, doctique." But that serious thoughts may be con- tinually dwelling in vou to lay out yourselves to obviate the spreading of any error whatever, or for the destruction of any already propagated, by such ways and means as the providence of God and the circumstances of the matter itself shall call you out unto, is in the desire of my soul.
Something you will find in this kind attempted by the weakest of your number, in this ensuing treatise. The matter of it I know will have your approbation, and that because it hath His whom you serve. For the manner of handling it, it is humbly given up to his grace and mercy, and freely left to your Christian judg- ment. The general concernments of this business are so known to all that I shall by no means burden you with a repetition of them. The attempt made by Mr Goodwin against the truth here asserted was by all men judy-ed so consider- able (especially the truth opposed having a more practical influence into the walking of the saints with God than any other by him assaulted, and the defend-
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 13