To the Reade-r. - .Peril~- If th9uwilt not be at a [mall expence of time and. pains to read it over, if after the negleit of fo many means of inftru6lion, this al[o be rejeCfed, how juft!y mayeft thou be defiroyed fQr lack of knowledge ? How form may the things which belong unto thy peace be hid from. thine eyes ? .A continued wilful -· want of underfranding is large ground for fear, lejt-:·, he that made thee iliould not have mercy on thee, and he that formed and redeemed thee fhould fhew thee no favour. If tboN. readeft, but doft not praSi{e– wbat {cripture and reafon fo pathetic_ally p.Z,ead for, the - increafe of thy knowiedgewillincreafe·thy-forrow, liecaufe it "PP ill aggravate thy fin; for to ·him that · knows his Lord's will, how-andwhy _to do good, . and dots it not, but the forbidden evil, to him 'tis heinous, inextufable fin, for which he is liable to be · beaten with many ftripes, in ccnftant dreadful ·dan- -ger ·of feverer pu.ni.fhment. I hope -tberefore tbou '»'ilt _peru{e [o {hQrt adifcourfe, and art not un"A'illing to do it in {~cb a manner, M t9 grow acquainte4. ~itl}, and b~ perfuaded to thy great duty, Jtnd, which i.r infeparable from it, thy ·.greateft ·advantage; ·and that thou may•ft· '1/0t fait~ thereof, is·:·tbe defign ~t the following dire– Clions. · r. Pray £nthe nam_eof 6brifi,.... M thou·art-and .fottlt 'De· enabled, for the more eff~Ciual affiftances of ibe Holy Spi- -~ rit. Such is the corruption of our nature, that it utterly – difables to mttk_e·a _faving ufe of outR'ard means with– o:•t inr>~ard aids•.unlefs the.spirit, by bis powerful opera· t10ns, work #;ee tnto a feriera teachable temper, {et home -. the attempts of Go£s meJTe-ngers, and give them an effii. cttc<fa~ beyond their own, the moft -concerning truths, and -– %Vergbtufl arguments can never -be[d reprefented and in- _ [ f1rced, Mto overcome thy fen[ual, ·wbr/dly inclinations, ~e{cue thee from the d?mini.on offiYJ- and Satan, and /;ring . t!;e~ -h~c~ tt. -G;o.d. . T/;ou tm~ft f-berefore pr(tJ; _and t-h a_t · A : -3 - witb_-
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