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THE
EPISTLE
DH DICAT
ORII±,
downe
with the canndn
-fhot
of
Gods
threatnings9
the high
forts
of
their
proud prefumption,
and
rou.
zing
them
out
of
thé deepe
¡lumber
of
retchleffe
fe_
curitie ;
as
alto
by
railing vp and comforting
thole
that
mourne
in
Sion,
¡looping,
yea
lying grouelling
vnder
the heauie
burthen
of
their
finnes.
The
which
howfoeuer it
is
performed
by
many,
in
refpea
of
their
feuerall charges
committed
to
them
;
and fome
allo haue
briefly
touched
fome points
in
writing,
which concerned the comforting and
raifing
vp
oftheir
private friends
;:yet
not
any
(that
I know
of)
haue
in ourlanguage: largely
and
generally handled
thofe
controuerfies,andfpirituali
conflias betweene
the Chrifiian
and the enemies
of
his
faluation,
for
the common
good ofthe
whole
Church.
And
ther-
fore
hauing with
Elihu
long-waited to
fee
if
thofe
who
were more
ancient,
better
experienced,
and
more
richly
furnihed
with
Gods
gifts
and
graces
than
my
felfe,
would
undertake this worke,
which
is
to God
moflacceptable,and
to
his
Saints
and
chin.
dren
fo
profitale
and
necefiarie
:
at length
after
o.
thers long
filence,
I
refolued to
fpeake,
and
no lon-
ger
to
concede
fuck
true comforrs,as
God
bath
re-
taealed
vnto me ; to the
end
that
hereby I
might
re-
leeue and comfort thofe who
are
poore
in
fpirir,
and
humbled
in the
fight
of
finne
;
or
at
lean
by
offering
willingly
to
this
vfe
my
fmall
mite,'
might
giue
an
occafon
vnto
others
better
able,to
vnlocke
and
open
their
rich-
treafuries, that
they
may
bellow
vpon their
poore
brethren their
great talents
and
gifts
of
better
value.
The
which my
labours
as
I
did
not
rafhly
vn-e
dertake
them,fo
I haue
not
fuddainely
finifhed
them;
for
almoíl three
yeeres
Pince
I
purpolcd to
take this
work