Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

To the Chriflian Reader. Lords bufine f e what I could doe, to put others in mind who are ofgreater abilitie,what they fhould doe; drawing them on by my example to perfefl that, which i haue but rud ly attempted;wherein my poore labours fhat but limn as fades, to brew the greater glory of their furpafing excellencies, and but as courfer wares,to make their finer fluff es more faleable and commendable.Llnd hawing through Gods of fiance fmJhedandfet fourth thefirfl part of this ChriliianWar- fare,wherein I haue laid opens thefubtiltie, power, politicke flratagems,and pernicious tentatìens-of Satan our grand enemie; and withall haue armed andfwrnifhed the weake ChriFlianwith fuch means and fpiritual weapons, as may by the blrng and afiflance of Gods holy /pirit flrengt hen him in theincounter,repell theenemie,and obtain victorie;and hawing found that the Work,likecourfe meate in the time of a great dearth, bath been efïeemed of many hungrie foules aboue defeert,their necef'ttie,andnat anyfelfe-excellencie,gi- uing worth veto it, and making it, though in it felfe but homely fare,pleafing and acceptable to their f hharpened appe- tites : I haue the rather bin incouraged to fit upon the fe- cond part of this Warfare, & to arme the Chri flian againfl allthofeafflults,whichthe fecund enesnie of our faluation, the world,affaileth him with ; which as the following dif- eourfe,and the experience ofal times fufciently fherv,are no let/ dangerous and pernicious then the ether. L_ nd be- cauf I hold a firangeparadoxin the conceit of worldly men, maintaining that theft earthly things are bale and of little worth, and therefore to bee contemned or lightly valued, which they fo much magnifiein theiriudgements, adhere vnte in their hearts and affections, and bothget andkeepe with fO great care and labour, and late with fah bitter grie>e; I thought it fit (brfdesmy wonted order) not only plentifully to co,frme this truth by the holy Scriptures, but of