Honoured Madam,
I Have observed your Ladiship carefull in two things: to improve the duty commanded in the Law, and to imbrace the promise tendered in the Gospel; the former hath been a spurre to holinesse, the latter a curb to unbeliefe. The consideration of this (together with the remembrance of those manifold favours which your Ladiship hath plentifully vouchsafed to me and mine) hath provoked me to dedicate this Treatise unto you, which although it hath much controversall matter in it, yet it is not without many practicall Directions and Consolations. It hath been Gods goodnesse unto you, that although in these times of calamities your portion hath been one of the afflictions in Paul’s Catalogue, without settled aboad; yet God hath lest your minde fixed and immoveable in the truth, being enabled to1 magnifie Grace in the highest manner, out of the reall sense of your necessity and unworthinesse, yet to avoid Antinomianisme: and on the other side, to be punctuall and exact in the duties of mortification and holinesse; yet to take heed of Pharisaicall Popery. And indeed, this is the right sense, when we are so diligent in working out our salvation with feare and trembling, as if there were no grace to justifie; and yet so resting and beleeving in the grace of Christ, as if no good thing had been done by us.
Madam, goe on with the assistance of God, and account the things of grace more excellent then the things of parts; and while others rejoyce in opinions, and new notions about faith and holinesse, doe you delight in the things themselves. The Lord keep his best wine for you in the later end of your age, and give you to see the fruit of your Prayers, a settled reformation in the Church, that so (when your time shall come) you may depart in peace, feeling much of the power and love of God living, and much more of them, dying.
Madam, this is the prayer of your Ladiships humble servant in the Lord, Anthony Burgess. Septemb. 21. 1646.
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