THE EPISTLE DnDICA 7ORIP6 Worke in hand, which I hauenow by Godsaffiftance finned ;but at the fins (I confeffe) I intended not that it fhould come into publike view ; but onely ( as others before me) propounded as the end ofmy labours , the comforting and railing vp of a moft faithful! feruant ofGod, and my moft Beare friend, whobathbound mewith many benefits to the per- formanceofall Chriftian dudes. Butafterwards fin- ding it to grow to fuch a volume, that it was too great to paffe in a written copie ; and hoping that that which was profitable for one might bee be- neficial! vnto many, at length I refolucd to make my labours publike by committing them to the preffe. The principal! things that I propounded tomy felfe in this rreatile are there ; firft and fpeci- ally Iendeauourto comfort thole who are affii6ted in confcience,in the fight and fenfe of their firmes, byofferingvnto them certaine afiürance, that their fumesare remitted, and that themfelues are elected to eternal! life, in the 'late of grace, reconciled vnto God inChrift,and receiued intohis loue and fauour. Secondly, I labour to leade the Chriftian in an men courfe, vnto the hauen of eternal! happineffe; that hee maynot runneafide, neither on the right hand, and fo fallingvpon the rockes ofprefumptionmake íhipwracke of his foule, nor yet on the left hand,and fo plunge himfelfe into the guile of defperation. Wherein I haue purpofely and aduifedly auoided their praäife, who fcatter their confolations they know not where, to bee applied they care not by whom ; whereof it commeth topaffe that thole that are molt fecure and prefumptuous arrogate them, to whom they doe not appertaine ; and thole that A4 are
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