[ The €piffle to t!Je 1(gad_--e_r._ -~-~ dable; bur yet it is another and afurther ll)atter to ho1d the C<tnd!e to the poor people of God (even eo the meandl:) eo light them to Heaven, or to take the ·foul by the hand, and lead ic from ll:ep to ll:qt through all the difficult ies, deceits and ' tUrnings at which the clofell: Hypocrites do miffe their wJy and lofe themfelV.es; and to do this [o cof.lvincingly, through!y and dill:inctly, as that the fecrets of hearts may be made maniftll:, the fecure felf:deceiver di!covered and a\Takened, and yet .the humble upright Cbrill:ian confirmed and encoura- · ged. In this Skill and Work, as the Author of the following Sermous, wJs known robe among the firll: Three;. fo thefe Lectures of his, up· on the Parahle of the Virgins, have been ell:eemed to excel in this kind; having left fuch a relifh upon the Hearers, as that they have not forgotten the Tall: of them tO this day. It bath therefore been the inll:ant de- l fire of many that heard them, and of fome that have but ·heard of them, that they might be imparted to the Publick. And furely bo!h the SubjeCt: and the manner of handling it is fuch, being wholly upon thofe d1iogs wherein the heart and lite of Religion lies, tbat we cannot difapprove of their Opinions, who h:lVe fo earnell:ly de fired ir. All the Ser- ' mons and Books that fpeak to the hem of ,Religion are little enough to feed that, and keep life there, efpecially in this languifhing and dy· , ing Age; wherein though there wants not common light and outward Pmfdlion , yet lofle of Love and inward deadntfie are as common. The work being fomwhat lengthy; and fitting Scnbes not eafily attainable in this Wilderneffe, it bath occafioned this delay hitherto. ' But we-hope it will now be neither unacceptable nor unfeafonable. Thefe Sermons are now tranfcribed by induRrious and intelligent perfrlns, and have been carefully reviewed and correCl:ed. They are w:itten out of the Authors own Notes, which he [!¥pared for preaching (only about a Sheet himfelf wrote out in his life-time, having rhoughts it feems of yield"ing ro thetr defires who were earnefl: for their publtl11ing ) by means whereof, though the Reader will often meet ·with Currndle of expreffi.on, and though foine lively paffages that were utcered in preaching may be wanting, yet you will have this benefic to have much in a little room. It may alfo eafily be obferved that not cu· rioficy ofwords, but weight of things was here fl:udied by, and flowed -from the heart and pen of the Author, which yet produceth the beft and truell:, i. e. a real Rhetorick. In fumme, although many imper· fec1ioris incident to fuch poll:·humous Editions cannot be wanting, yet we doubt not but the work will fpeak for it felf, to the inremgent and ferious Reader. We are not ' ignorant that ther.e be fame \vho fomwhat differ from this our Author in the accommodation of this Parable, and Analyfis of fome part of the Context, referring it eo the tim~s about the expected calling of che fews (and if fo, the fubllance of the work may be accounted to be in a more than ordinary manner proper and feafonable for A 3 thefe
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