Tc theReader. [C thelafbes ofan evill Confcience. Quid prodeft bonis plena arca, fì inanis fit Confcientia ? -faith St. Auf}in, what good is there in a chef! full ofgoods, when the Confcience is empty of goodnefe : Such an one is like Naaman, a richman, but a Leper: or like jefabel, that ( nodoubt) had acoldheart under apaint. edface : Such an one in the :Riddell ofhis mirth bath many a fecret gripe, and little knows the worldwhere his fhooe pinched.) hint. EveryFowle that loath the beautifullefl Feathers, bath not the fweeteft flefh : nor cloth every tree that beareth a goodly leaf, bear goodfruit : andmany thingsgl f erbefides Gold: So is it with wickedmen, in the fulnefs of their fufficiency they are in ftraits,&. Job zo.zz, &c. But I will enlarge nofurther : Ifball only tellyou that in or- dering tbefe Cafes ofConfcience, Iproceed (asyou may eafly perceive ) Alphabetically, according to the method which I ufed ¡tiny Mirror, where you may finde Examplesfinable for thefe feverall heads, andby that little progreffewhich I have already made, you may judge howmuch isyet behind : which were enough to deter an oldman, as I atu being in the fixttethyear ofmy age, but that, Ihope, I am doing the Lords work, and if my Ma/ler callme away before I have finifbedit, Ifhallnot muchfaileof St. when the Lord came, he mightfinde himaut precantem, aut prxdicantem, either pray- ing, orpreaching. I have one requeft more to the godlyjudicious, that wherein they obferve myfailings,theywouldbepleafedeither by Wordor Letter to informme ofthem, that I may reE7 fe them for the time to come : and if Ifinde thefe my poor labours ufefull, andacceptable to the Church ofChrifl, I fhall be encouraged , whilfi Godcontinues life, andhealth togo on in the fame : Iant alp toacquaint you, that theBookseller bath fo ordered the Print- ing hereof, that whofever pleafeth mayput in fair paper be- tween each Chapter, tomake larger Additions to thefame. Thus beggingthine earnesiprayersfor a bleffing upon my Labors both public![, andprivate, I refi Frommy study inThrid- Thine,and the Churches fervant needleftreet, Lonel(m,(714ar. S A. C L AR K E. the 22. 1658. 9
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