desire to cleanse themselves from all
filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of
God, some satisfaction herein, laying before them some plain directions
framed to their capacities, and suited to some of their most ordinary
and usual causes; some whereof are more comprehensive, and others more
particular, may be looked upon as exemplary instances, serving for other
cases of the like nature; for hardly could every particular
circumstantiate case be particularly spoken to, and some might judge
that to be superfluous, if thou, in the light and strength of Christ,
shalt really practise what is here pointed forth, I may be confident to
say, thy labour shall not be in vain in the Lord, and thou shalt attain
unto another sort of holiness than that which proud pretenders boast of,
and shalt be far without the reach of that snare, which unstable souls
are too readily entangled with. I mean, the plausible pretension of more
than ordinary sanctity which yet is but forced, feigned, constrained,
mostly external, and framed to cause admiration in beholders, whom they
intend to make a prey of. This shall be no temptation to thee, who by
experience findeth a more safe, satisfying, full, free, easy, pleasant
and heartsome way of mortifying lusts, growing in grace, and in the
knowledge of Jesus Christ, and so perfecting holiness, by running
immediately to Christ, and by living in and upon him, who is made of God
to us, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. That the
Lord may bless the same to thee, for this end, shall be, and is the
desire and prayer of him who is,

Thy servant in the work of the gospel,

JOHN BROWN.

RECOMMENDATION.

CHRISTIAN READER,

If thou answer this designation, and art really a partaker of the
unction, which is the high import of that blessed and glorious name
called upon thee, thine eye must affect thy heart, and a soul swelled
with godly sorrow must at last burst and bleed forth at a weeping eye,
while thou looks upon most of this licentious and loathsome generation,
arrived at that height of prodigious profanity as to glory in their
shame, and boast of bearing the badge and black mark of damnation. But,
besides this swarm who savage it to hell, and make such haste hither, as
they foam themselves into everlasting flames, carrying, under the shape
and visage of men, as devils in disguise; the face of the church is
covered with a scum of such, who are so