BY reason of my Lords absence, and your Honours, a great part of the year past, I have had more leisure, than I desired, and thereby opportunity to write out my notes on the first chapter of Peter, and not knowing which way to testify so fully as I ought, my observance, and duty to your Honour, or to satisfy the daily opportunity of many friends, I have adventured again to come under the Press, that so (receiving daily an increase of favours from your Honour,) I might thus publicly take occasion to profess my vows of service and thankfulness, beseeching your Honour to vouchsafe the acceptation, protection, and perusal of this abridgement of those Sermons, many of which your Honour hath bin pleased to hear with great attention. As for the desire of many go••y friends herein, I should not have been easily inclined to hearken to it (the world abounding with books even to loathing) but that in writings of this nature, and upon this Epistle, there is some want, and that I have received encouragement ⟨image 3⟩from the acceptation of my former labours, and that I know the matter herein contained is wholesome, and not unprofitable; and besides having suffered an involuntary vacation in my weekdays attendance in your Honours family, and an extreme loss in the want of divers of my chief bearers, I was resolved to try, whether I might be helpful to the Church of God abroad, by such an employment of my self in the hours I could spare from my study for the Lords day. My most humble request to your Honour is, that you would be pleased to grace these notes with the liberty to pass under the protection of your name, and favour; I should much rejoice, if the reading hereof, may make any supply of my intermitted service to your Honour, and your worthy family. The God of mercy and father of glory (that hath abounded towards your Honour, not only in the outward happiness of unstained nobility, greatness of means, and favour with the highest on our earth: but which is greatest of all, in the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ, in the largeness, and eminency of many singular gifts, and in abundance of all good works) make you perfect to do his will, and work in you an increase of all that is pleasing in his sight, that you may never lose, what you have wrought, but be kept without offence till the day of Jesus Christ.
BY reason of my Lords absence, and your Honours, a great part of the yeare past, I have had more leisure, than I desired, and thereby opportunity to write out my notes on the first chapter of Peter, and not knowing which way to testifie so fully as I ought, my observance, and duty to your Honor, or to satisfie the daily opportunity of many friends, I have adventured againe to come under the Presse, that so (receiving daily an increase of favors from your Honor,) I might thus publikely take occasion to professe my vowes of service and thankfulnesse, beseeching your Honor to vouchsafe the acceptation, protection, and perusall of this abridgement of those Sermons, many of which your Honor hath bin pleased to heare with great attention. As for the desire of many go••y friends herein, I should not have beene easily inclined to hearken to it (the world abounding with bookes even to loathing) but that in writings of this nature, and upon this Epistle, there is some want, and that I have received incouragement ⟨image 3⟩from the acceptation of my former labours, and that I know the matter herein contained is wholesome, and not unprofitable; and besides having suffered an involuntary vacation in my weekedaies attendance in your Honors family, and an extreame losse in the want of divers of my chiefe bearers, I was resolved to try, whether I might be helpfull to the Church of God abroad, by such an imploiment of my selfe in the houres I could spare from my study for the Lords day. My most humble request to your Honour is, that you would bee pleased to grace these notes with the liberty to passe under the protection of your name, and favour; I should much rejoyce, if the reading hereof, may make any supply of my intermitted service to your Honor, and your worthy family. The God of mercy and father of glory (that hath abounded towards your Honor, not only in the outward happinesse of unstained nobility, greatnesse of meanes, and favour with the highest on our earth: but which is greatest of all, in the unsearchable riches of Iesus Christ, in the largenesse, and eminency of many singular gifts, and in aboundance of all good workes) make you perfect to doe his will, and worke in you an increase of al that is pleasing in his sight, that you may never lose, what you have wrought, but be kept without offence till the day of Iesus Christ.
