N TO THE GODLY READERS, AND ESPE& cially to them amongft whom this Author and my felfe exercife our fun&ion. T bath pleafed God[(goodReader) to vfe oily Mini,flery,not in one, but in moe places in this manner,Hill to fucceede the autbour of this trea. tile, to mater what he bath planted, to labour in the harueil, whereof he call the feede, to feed , and further to bring on thole, ofwhew he was the fpiritual !Father , and bytheimmortallfeede of Gods word, firfl begat them ; andItill to enter vpon bis labours and goe forcwarel = j= withhis beginnings : 4lwayes to my great helpe , and comfort ( God knowing other wife my wants andweaknes) the eaf rlierto wade there wherehe had blokes the ill , the plainlier to en, andlead ethert, wherehe had beaten the path,and more rea.. lily to build vpon, and reare vp, where he h,ïd laid the foundation, andfquared the, fran andwith lefJe pains to kepe agoing that which he had mooned , and fez agoü g:'Got a- uing dealt thus mercifully with mein my Minißery, and by the band of this autbour thus helpen me; 1 thought my felfe in duty bound , in refpell of this courfe which God path ta. ken with me , ( and efpecia/1y by his meaxes) to giue to thee forge teffimony of this his worke , for thy further profit , and withall to him femewiticesofmygoodwill. Sul.po,6so my filf,tn re /peal of thefors, er caufe,as fit to do this as another,and knowing the abet and hawing reaped the prefii of theft his labours, and daily reaping it, being and abiding in the place where thisfeed :vie call, I thought I ought to doe as willingly and .0 readily as any ether. If fer no othercaufe, yet to commend this efpecially to them to bring forth fun he fruit among whom it was fìrflTowne, and in whofe hearts l doubt not,but it Cooke roote no u !mg fnce. An efpeciall commendation of this worke if 1 would take that tray :it tght be drawee from the workman of it mooplentifully , from bitflackand kindred edaca; ion and fuch lake ; which becatife it is rare fiute on fuch trees, to fame may make it fief e the better: but 1page euer theftfhewes and outward leaues to deckle itwith, it hailing enough ix it felfe to commend it , leaß:f l fhould long fpeake of this colour , andgrace , I Jleuld fpeaktbe leffe of him,or of the thing it felfe,minding not to fpeakmuch of either, & but lit. sle in all. And as I pale theflock from whence this graft was token, fo :rill I not /land to thew you where it was ingrafted& planted,in what vnieserf tie, in what Colledge,what root he took,whatfufficieat time hegrew, how he fpred there & what liking,which wouldmake this fruit to manynot without caufe to re/lifb the better.But to come to that which cemmetb meter to the bringing forth,& producing ofthis work,when hewas frß planted by a fellow - fbip in that famous Colledge of the boly,& vndiuided Trinity,in Cambridde,wholly,or walk! efpecially confecrate,d to the lludy of hm,,C¢ his knowledg,whafe name it beareth: foßreight he tookhimfelfe to thatßuay wherby he might bemoll feruiceable to Gods Church,&fame tryall firß bad ofhisgifts,as it were aduowed himfelfea man tothe Lord,to feruein his Ta- bernacle: Not long after,that betimes he might begin to be profitable , and be profitable leng;Çod touching his betert,he tookon him the Ilditaillery and fo mercifully cod dealt with him, that withall he placed him in one certaine charge not far from his Colledge ; that het might haue where to fow,beflil at hand to fow,and know both what,& hew to fow,and to his comfortfee thegrowing vp,and fruit ofit. Now horsing there painfully labored by the [pace aimoß of tweyeeres,andPeen the effelt of that profi fe,with what meafureye meate,fliallbe meafitred to you againe,and Onto them that haue,lball more be gitien,that though he call in with fullband,asid euer te zealous heart to doe good,in à continued courfe;yet Golfo blefJld ét,that the harue/l euer a eunded hislabour,and exceeded his hope ; and that little Towne was a candlelight, fet on a candle/lick!, and a rawer vpon the top ofa hill. When God to his comfort had t bus encouraged him in his Law,he bygreat meaner caLteth him from his little towne (irbere bee had no pafiorall charge) to agreater charge-and in refpea of the change,and dignity of theplace whither he was called, it was as it were frons Tecon to De- thel ,frompreaching in force vplandß,and countrey Towne on the wilderneffe of Iude a,to Flcrods Court er as indeed io many rejfrells, it well may ¿.efaid, by a SergiusPaulus vnto his haute. When be had there continued now a whole yeare and more, to thegood reformsti- tien, tendgreatbenefit ofthat moil honorable Family; it pleafed God that has Sergius Pauluá
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