To the Reader, have adventured to publi(h the f my firft Efayes : and being confciows to my owninfufcience, have made the greateft part of it , rather a ColleStion out of others writings than any thingffiun out of my own brains. Yet, befides the pains in malting choice of, andgoing through f o many .duthors , 1 bave taken liberty to contraswhere it might well be done, and to va- ry thephrafe (not thinkingfit wholly to tye myfelf toother mens words) Sometimes to add, andothers fometimes to leave out , where my judgement didnot concur with theirs. Iprefume, Ineednot tell you the ufefulneffe of this Subject.' How necef ary it is toget and keep a good Confcience : To be ac - quaintedwith our SpirituallEflate, and condition : To be dire- Sfed in that great dutyoffelfexamination : To have rules pre- fcribedfor the right ordering ofour thoughts, Words, and "'- Mons.' To have our fins difcovered that we may avoid them ; and our Errors laid open that we may amend them. For as the clearefl blood makes the bei Spirits, and the purefi Aire ,breeds the greateft agility,fo theholiefi life yeelds the foundeff comfort, and the tendereft Confcience the molt unfhotted life. Tea, agoodConfcience will appear in the Countenance, andlookmer- rily out at the windows ofthe eyes. It made Stephen look like anlingellofGod,AÚ.6.15 It is premium ante prcmium: fiea- ven aforehand : Some clufieri ofGrapes ofthe Caleffiall Ca- naan. Its like Sampfons haire, that willmake a man invin- cible. It will (land under the greatefi preffures : It made the. Jpoftle togoe away rejoycing when they hadbeenbeaten, for that they were counted worthy to Puffer flume for Chrifts fake, Ac`s. 5.40,4i. It made many ofthe Martyrs to go as mer. rily to dye as to dine. Be the Aire cleere, or cloudy, he that bath a goodConfcience enjoyesperpetual)fereníty of foule, and fits continually at that bleffedFeafl,where theholy "Inge!" are Cooks, andButlers (as Luther pbrafeth it) and the three pertons ofthe Trinity are gladfome Gueffs. Let a manbefoundwith. in, andat peace with his own Confcience, and he will bravely bear up under unspeakablepreffures. Paul ( though no man out ofHellfußredmore) Yet didhe not only glory in Tribu- lation,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=