I Owe you a treble debt, of love, of service, of thankfulness. The former, the more I pay, the more still I owe. The second I will be ready to pay to the uttermost of my power; though short both of your deserts, and my own desires. Of the last I will strive to give full payment; and in that (if it be possible) to come out of your debts. Of all I have in this volume given you the earnest: as therefore you use to do with bad debtors, take this till more comes. You see I have venturously trafficked with my poor talent in public, whilst I behold richer graces kept close at home, and buried in silence: liking it better to husband a little to the common good, then to hoard up much wealth in a sullen niggardice. I censure none: if all were writers, who should be readers? if none, idle Pamphlets would take up the general eye, be read and applauded, only through want of better objects. ⟨image 4⟩If the grain be good, it doth better in the market, then in the Garner. All I can say for my self is, I desire to do good; whereof if I should fail, yet even that I did desire it, and endeavour it, shall content my conscience. I am not affrighted with that common objection of a dead letter: I know that God can effectuate his own ends, and never required man to appoint him the means. If it were profitable being spoken, sure it cannot be unnecessary being written. It is not unknown to you, that an infirmity did put me to silence many weeks: whilst my tongue was so suspended from preaching, my hand took opportunity of writing. To vindicate my life from the least suspicion of idleness, or any such aspersions of uncharitable tongues, I have set forth this real witness, which shall give just confutation to such slanders. If it be now condemned, I am sure it is only for doing well. I very well know the burden of preaching in this City: we may say of it in another sense, what Christ said of Jerusalem, O thou that killest the Prophets. Many a Minister comes to a Parish with his veins full of blood, his bones of marrow; but how soon doth he exhaust his spirits, waste his vigour! And albeit there are many good souls, for whose sake he is content to make himself a sacrifice: yet there are some so unmerciful, that after all his labour would send him a beggar to his grave. I tell you but the fault of some, quitting your particular selves:
I Owe you a treble debt, of loue, of seruice, of thankfulnesse. The former, the more I pay, the more still I owe. The second I will be ready to pay to the vttermost of my power; though short both of your deserts, and my owne desires. Of the last I will striue to giue full payment; and in that (if it be possible) to come out of your debts. Of all I haue in this volume giuen you the earnest: as therfore you vse to doe with bad debters, take this till more comes. You see I haue venturously trafficked with my poore talent in publike, whilest I behold richer graces kept close at home, and buried in silence: liking it better to husband a little to the common good, then to hoord vp much wealth in a sullen niggardice. I censure none: if all were writers, who should bee readers? if none, idle Pamphlets would take vp the generall eye, be read and applauded, onely through want of better obiects. ⟨image 4⟩If the graine be good, it doth better in the market, then in the Garner. All I can say for my selfe is, I desire to doe good; whereof if I should faile, yet euen that I did desire it, and endeuor it, shall content my conscience. I am not affrighted with that common obiection of a dead letter: I know that God can effectuate his owne ends, and neuer required man to appoint him the meanes. If it were profitable being spoken, sure it cannot be vnnecessary being written. It is not vnknowne to you, that an infirmity did put me to silence many weekes: whilest my tongue was so suspended from preaching, my hand tooke opportunity of writing. To vindicate my life from the least suspition of idlenesse, or any such aspersions of vncharitable tongues, I haue set forth this reall witnesse, which shall giue iust confutation to such slanders. If it be now condemned, I am sure it is onely for doing well. I very well know the burden of preaching in this Citie: wee may say of it in another sense, what Christ said of Ierusalem, O thou that killest the Prophets. Many a Minister comes to a Parish with his veines full of bloud, his bones of marrow; but how soone doth he exhaust his spirits, waste his vigor! And albeit there are many good soules, for whose sake hee is content to make himselfe a sacrifice: yet there are some so vnmercifull, that after all his labor would send him a begger to his graue. I tell you but the fault of some, quitting your particular selues:
