TlteWord is a Lovc·Lette{ fcomGod, ~ufejl autem Scriptura {«era, rtiftquttdamBpi– Jiola 0mnipotet~zu Dei 4dcrt«tu– rt1m[N41tii Greg. Epijl. /ill. 4• Bpi~.4S. 1 :rim.J.l f• Simi'e. 'The Saints fore contained, and to a found and fincere praCtice of it, in our lives and converfattons,may be this: The Word of God is, as it were, an Epiiile or Letter (as one ofthe Fathers calls ir) written from Ged ..Almightie unto us miferable men,publiilied byhis owne Sonne,fealedbyhis Spirit,witnelfed byhis Angels, conveyed unto us by his Cqurch, the PiUar .tnfigrsundofTruth, confin~ed with the 1 bloud of millions of Martyrs, which bath alrea.. · die brought thoufands of foules to Heaven) and fills every heart that tmderfiands ir,and is wholly guidedby it,with Light and Life,with Grace and Salvation. Now let us imagine a man to havea ,Letter fent unto him but by an Earthly King; (Jr fo.m€ great Prince in ·the World ; wher.ein bee -ihould have a Pardon granted him for fome ea pi– tall Crime, and high Offence, whereby beewere lyable to a terrible kind ofdeath; or wherein bee fhouid be fore-warned of forne g!eat and immi– nent sanger hanging over his head,and readieeve– ryhoure to fall upon him; or,wherein bee tbou'ld have affured and confirmed unto him, under th-e Kings Seale, fom~ rich Donation, or great Lord– Chip. ·Now I fay, if a man fbould receive but a Letter froqt fome high and mightie Potentate upon Earth, wherein any of thefe favours thould be conveyeduntohim ; how reverently would he receive it? how thankfuJiywould he accept of it? how ofren would he reade it ? how warilywould he keepe: it ? how highly wouldhe efi:eeme of it ? Why, in this royall and facred Letter fent from theKmg and great Corna1ander bothof Heaven ' and
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