A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Dedication 4 – Publishers advertisement
To the truly Elect Lady, Madam Rookesby, &c.
Madam,
THough there be too many Ladies in our Day (for which the Land mourneth) that are called Ladies of Honour; but alas! they have been Ladies of Pleaſure, as well as of Honour. But I can call you with confidence, not only a Lady of Honour, but of Holineſs alſo. I know, that the holy Education wherewith the Lord did bleſs you under your very Religious Parents (both of them belonging to famous Mr. Bowles his Church at York) hath left a Divine Tincture abiding upon your ſpirit unto this day, and I hope it will accompany you into a better World, Rev. 14.13. Whereas other Ladies, do ſpend moſt precious time in beholding their Faces by Reflection, and do therein (as it were) even nail the Eyes of their Heads upon the ſurface of their Looking-Glaſes; yet all this while they hereby overlook the moſt important Concerns of their moſt pretious and immortal Souls, quite forgetting what Solomon ſaith, Favour is deceitful, and Beauty is vain, but the Woman that feareth the Lord, ſhe ſhall be praiſed] Prov. 31.30. But I preſume your Ladyſhip hath learnt better Leſſons in Chriſt's School, Eph. 4.20. namely to improve all opportunities in viewing the ſtate of your Soul as the Looking-glaſs of the Law of Liberty doth repreſent it to you, James 1.25. and nailing (as it were) the Eyes of your Mind, to the ſubſtance of the Word of God, which you do prefer above all the moſt coſtly Chryſtal▪ Mirrours in the World, as it doth exceed and excel them in many unparallel'd excellenceis. As (1ſt.) In its Clearneſs; no Dooking-glaſs that is but of Man's making, can be comp…red to this Mirrour of the Word which is of God's own making. (2dly.) In its Truth, making no falſe Repreſentations of evil for good, or of foul for fair, as ſome Artificial Glaſſes will do. (3dly.) In its Largeneſs; for God's Word ſheweth to thoſe that ſeriouſly inſpect it, what they are within, as well as without, and what they are behind, as well as before, which the beſt Glaſs of Man's making cannot perform▪ (4thly.) In its Duration; one foul fall may break the fineſt Looking-glaſs, but this of God's Word doth laſt for ever, and not one tittle of it can fail, John 10.35. Matth. 5.18. Yea, it will ſerve at laft to break thoſe who endeavour to break the Commands of it by a wilful neglect, or a ſcornful contempt, John 12.48. (5thly.) In its ſingular Efficacy; this Divine Glaſs can ſmooth thoſe wrinkles, waſh away thoſe ſpots, and amend thoſe faults which it diſcovereth, when the Spirit doth take Chariot in the Word, John 17.17. Luke 5.17. (6 thly.) In its manifold Variety of Images it preſents and repreſents for an holy imitation by all Ladies in all after-Ages; yea, and all thoſe Images or Objects are to be ſeen at large, and all at once (which is both impracticable and impoſſible in common Looking-glaſſes) by a ſincere inſpection into it. Thoſe holy Images for imitation are threefold: The firſt is of holy Perſons; the ſecond is of holy Actions; and the third is of holy Qualifications, all relating to the Female Sex. Firſt; of the firſt, The Holy Perſons, or Religious Ladies, that the Looking-glaſs of God's Word doth repreſent to open view, are many, both in the Old and in the New Teſtament, all for holy Patterns and Imitation. (1ſt.) In the Old Testament. As (1.) Sarah leads the Van like a Royal Lady, and is preſented as a moſt eminent Example to all Ladies for Faith, Obedience, &c. Heb. 11.11. 1 Pet. 3.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. (2.) Rebekah, Gen. 25.22. and 27.4, 6. (3.) Rahab, Joſh. 2.11. James 2.25. Heb. 11.31. (4.) Deborah, Judg. 4.4. & 5.1, &c. (5) Naomi and Ruth, Ruth 1.16, 20, &c. (6.) Manoah's Wife, Judg. 13.3, 23, &c. (7.) Hannah, 1 Sam. 1.13.28. & 2.1, 2, &c. (8.) Abigail, 1 Sam. 25.25, 26, 28, 31, &c. (9.) Bathſhebah, Prov. 31.1, &c. (10.) The Queen of Sheba, 1 Kings 10.1, 8, 9. Matth. 12.42. (11.) The Shunamite, 2 Kings 4, 8, 9, 10. (12). The Widow of Zareptah, 2 Kings 17.12, 15, 18, 24. (13.) Eſther, chap. 2.20. &c 4.16, &c. To name no more here for brevity's ſake. (2dly.) In the New Teſtament; As (1.) The bleſſed Virgin Mary, who found favour with God above all Women, &c. Luke 1.30.46, &c. (2.) Elizabeth, Luke 1.6, 42. (3.) Anna, Luke 2.36, 37. (4.) Mary Magdalen, and the other Mary, Matth. 28. v. 1, &c. (5.) Joanna the Wife of Chuſa, and Suſanna, Luke 8.3. & 24.10. (6.) Priſcilla, Acts 18.18.26. (7.) Tabitha or Dorcas, Acts 9.36. (8.) Phoebe, Rom. 16.1. (9.) Lois and Eunice, 2 Tim. 1.5. Many more might be added, ſeeing ſome Criticks do obſerve that, the New Teſtament affords more holy Women upon Record, than the Old doth. Secondly, The Holy Actions of Religious Women (that are Recorded for imitation, Rom. 15.4.) be many more than the Confines of an Epiſtle can contain. Take a few Inſtances, beſide that of Sarah (whoſe Name Hebr. ſignifies a Lady, or Princeſs) above-mentioned. As (1ſt.) 'Tis a lasting monument upon the heads of thoſe, wiſe-hearted Women, who ſpan with their hands Blue, Purple and Scarlet, &c. for the uſe of the Tabernacle in Moſes's Time, Exo. 35.25. I do not at all doubt but your Ladiſhip hath ſpun fairer Threads for the Service of the New Jeruſalem, &c. (2 dly) 'Tis a Memoir of great Honour to thoſe Devout Women who ſo willingly reſigned up their own curious Looking-glaſſes, that a Sacred Laver of Braſs for God's Service be made of them, Exod. 38.8. Reſolving, that whereas other Women, out of vanity, do ſpend many hours in looking upon their Looking-glaſſes; theſe zealous Souls will ſpend their precious Time better in Faſting and Prayer at the Door of the Tabernacle: Likewiſe I dare with confidence affirm, Madam, that you ſpend much more precious Time in looking into the Looking-glaſs of God's Word, how you may adorn the hidden Man of your heart, 1 Pet. 3.3, 4. to render you the more acceptable to your Creator, &c. than you do to compoſe your Outward Dreſs in your common Glaſs for Acceptance among Fellow-creatures; and you could freely ſacrifice all your Artificial Looking glaſſes, ſo the glory of God's ſervice might thereby be promoted. (3dly) Abigail is famous upon Record for her meek and quiet Temper (which is in God's ſight of great price, 1 Pet. 3.3.) who would not croſs her Husband while the Springtide of his Paſſion laſted; but ſhe prudently waited until it was a low Ebbing-water, and then ſhe made an effectual Application, 1 Sam. 25.36, 37. And 'tis a Ruled Caſe, that the Husband and the Wife ſhould never be angry both together, &c. (4thly) Phoebe hath an high Title of Honour given her, Rom. 16.2. where ſhe is called not ſo much an Helper, but a Patroneſs; as the word foreign ſignifies. (5thly.) Priſcilla is called a Co-worker with the Apoſtle, as the word foreign ſignifies, Rom. 16.3. ſee verſe 6. and 12. There is not Room to add more Inſtances.
Thirdly; The holy Qualifications ſumm'd up together, (1.) Virtuous, Ruth 4.11. (2.) Gracious, Prov. 11.16. (3.) Prudent, Prov. 14.1. (4.) Faithful, 1 Tim. 3.11. (5.) Sober. (6.) Grave. (7.) Chaſt. (8.) Holy, &c. Titus 2.5. 1 Pet. 3.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. If I ſay theſe Virtues have an happy conjunction in you, I can aſſure you, Madam, 'tis not the ſtinking breath of a ſordid Sycophant; for I muſt ſay with Elihu, [I know not to give flattering Titles to any; in ſo doing my Maker would ſoon take me away] Job 32.21, 22. This I muſt ſay, you affect not the vanity of thoſe fooliſh faſhions drawn up by the Finger of God himſelf in that Map of one and twenty Ornaments, Iſa. 3. where the Moons there mentioned, verſe 18. (which Women wore upon their heads then) ſeem now grown to the full Moon, in our wanton Dames; but your Dreſs is decent, rather below than above your Station, &c. That you may retain your Honour by Humility, as the ſtrong Man retaineth Riches (by Wiſdom and Power) Prov. 11.16. That you may ſtill walk humbly with your Maker, both in God's Arm, and in God's Armour; and that all thoſe Sacred Truths contained in this Volume may be writ by the Spirit of God upon the Table of your heart, as the Epiſtle of Chriſt, 1 Cor. 3.3. is the unfeigned prayer of.
Your Ladiſhips Servant in the beſt Bonds, Chriſtopher Neſs.
A Brief Account and Recommendation of the Author's worthy and profitable Labours in theſe four Books ſtyled, The Hiſtory and Myſtery of the Old and New Teſtament; although we judge that they carry a ſufficient Teſtimonial within themſelves, and that they need no other commendation from, or to any man, but the ſerious Reading and puruſal of them: For we find, that by his ingenious Contexture of the Hiſtory of the Scriptures, and opening the Myſtery contained therein, he hath made the Reading of the Scriptures more pleaſant, more profitable, and more plain to the underſtanding than what may be found in any Expoſitour that hath gone before him; & we cannot but bleſs God, who hath inclined the heart of our worthy Brother to a work of this nature, and to publiſh it in ſuch a ſeaſon, wherein ſo many Attempts have been made to caſt contempt upon the Scriptures, and all revealed Religion.
Auguſt. 27. 1696.
Matthew Barker,
George Griffith,
Samuel Slater.
Many more hands might be procured, but the Preſs will not give time.