0.6. Forword

To the Congregation of God Dearly Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Our Lord Jesus Christ, Grace and Peace be Multiplied to You from God Our Father!

God wills that man be occupied. Prior to the fall He called him to an enjoyable task, and after the fall, to a difficult task. It is His will that everyone be faithful in the calling to which He has called him. Some callings are of a temporal nature, whereas others have a spiritual dimension. Even if a calling is of a temporal nature, this neither detracts from nor contributes to the spirituality of one’s service of God in the discharge of this calling; rather, such spirituality is contingent upon the spiritual state of the individual as well as the manner in which he engages himself in his calling. A natural man deals even with spiritual matters in a natural manner which is not pleasing to God. The spiritual man, however, deals even with temporal matters in a spiritual fashion. He views his encounter with them as a dispensation of the Lord, embracing them as the will of God. He performs his temporal obligations in willing obedience as a service to his God, having God’s glory as his objective.

Among all callings there is none so holy, excellent, necessary, and profitable as the office of shepherd and teacher in the church. Whomever God calls, qualifies, and renders faithful to be a minister of the New Testament is a marvel in this world. He is an instrument in the hand of God to save lost souls, to gather and edify God’s church, thereby encouraging the church to promote God’s glory upon earth. An unqualified minister is the most despicable and harmful creature to be found in the world. He is a disgrace to the church, a stumbling block whereby many fall into eternal perdition, and the cause of the damnation of many souls. A faithful servant of Christ, on the contrary, is an ornament in the house of his God, a light upon a candlestick, a city upon a hill, a leader of the blind, a terror to the ungodly, a joy to the godly, a comforter for the sorrowful, a counselor for those who are perplexed, and a guide for believers on the way to heaven. His life generally is of short duration, during which his preaching reaches but a few and he himself is consumed while illuminating others. The loss of a minister who is endowed with grace is inestimable.

God has wonderfully compensated for both the brevity of a minister’s life as well as the limited scope of his audience, by having given man the wisdom to become acquainted with the art of printing. It should be noted that this began during the time when the church was about to depart from Babylon. This art was brought to perfection precisely when the Reformation dawned at the beginning of the sixteenth century. Now a single minister, even centuries after his death, is capable of preaching to an entire nation, yes, even to the entire world. With joyful readiness I seize this opportunity to preach long after my death, according to the measure of the gifts the Lord has bestowed upon me.

Prior to the invention of the art of printing, it was necessary to dedicate one’s work to an individual of distinction from whom the various commissions would originate. This, however, is no longer necessary. At times these were offensive in nature, and occasionally a work was too insignificant for consideration by the eminent individuals to whom it was dedicated. In addition to this, such dedications many times lent themselves to misinterpretation of the author’s intention. Therefore I have omitted this and rather address myself to you, the Congregation of God, dedicating my work to you. May this book particularly be of service to the congregation which I am currently serving, the congregation which I previously served, as well as the congregation which called me twice but was not able to obtain me due to the condition of the congregation which I was serving at that time. Receive it with much affection and read it diligently and thoughtfully. Form small groups of acquaintances among yourselves for the purpose of reading a chapter or portion each time, and may that which is read present subject matter for edifying discussions.

I do not wish to comment upon the contents of this book as you will be able to read it for yourself. You should know, however, that whatever was useful from my previous works, such as Halleluja [Hallelujah], Scrupuleuze Communicant [The Scrupulous Communicant], and Leer en Leiding der Labbadisten [Doctrine and Government of the Labadists], has been included in this work, the material rightfully belonging to me.

I will also rejoice if my work may be useful in giving direction to theological students, student preachers, and young ministers. May it enable them to comprehend the unique, distinct nature of divine truths so that they may safeguard and practice these truths in deed. May they present them to the congregation in such a manner that it results in the conversion and strengthening of souls and in the edification of the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. May the almighty and good God, who repeatedly encouraged me when I had intentions of discontinuing this task and who is the Author of whatever good is to be found in this work, pour out His Holy Spirit upon all who will either read or hear this book read. May it be to the conversion of the unconverted, the instruction of the ignorant, the restoration of backsliders, the encouragement of the discouraged, as well as to the growth of faith, hope, and love in all who have become partakers of a measure of grace. May the Lord preserve His church, causing it to increase in number and in godliness, and may He bless our nation for the sake of the church. May He live and walk in your midst, illuminate you with His light, supply you with manifold grace, and guide you by His counsel. And, upon having run your course, may He take you up into everlasting glory. I am, and remain your fellow brother and servant in Christ, to whom be praise, honor, and glory to all eternity.

Wilhelmus à Brakel Rotterdam, February 2, 1700