Accordingly therefore, after my return to the place of my abode, I hastily drew up the substance of the following Discourse; which, a year ago, I transmitted into their hands who desired it from me, without reserving to my self any Copy. Hereby it became difficult to me, presently to comply (besides divers considerations I might have against the thing it self) with that joint request of some of you (in a Letter, which my removal into another Kingdom occasioned to come long after to my hands) that I would consent these Papers might be made public. For as I have reason to ⟨image 5⟩be conscious to my self of disadvantages enough to discourage any undertaking of that kind: so I am more especially sensible, that so cursory and superficial a management of a Subject so very important, (though its private occasion and design at first, might render it excusable to those few friends for whom it was meant) cannot but be liable to the hard censure (not to say the contempt) of many whom Discourses of this kind should more designedly serve. And therefore, though my willingness to be serviceable in keeping alive the apprehension and expectation of another state, my value of your judgments who conceive what is here done may be useful thereto; and my peculiar respects to your selves, the members and appendants of a Family to which (besides some relation) I have many obligations and endearments; do prevail with me not wholly to deny: Yet pardon me that I have suspended my consent to this publication, till I should have a Copy transmitted to me from some of you, for my necessary review of so hasty a production, that I ⟨image 5⟩might not offer to the view of the world, what, after I had penned it had scarce passed my own. And now, after so long an expectation, those Papers are but this last week come to my hands: I here return them, with little or no alteration; s•ve, that what did more directly concern the occasion, towards the close, is transferred hither; but with the addition of almost all the directive part of the Use: which I submit together to your pleasure and dispose.
Accordingly therefore, after my return to the place of my abode, I hastily drew up the substance of the following Discourse; which, a year ago, I transmitted into their hands who desired it from me, without reserving to my self any Copy. Hereby it became difficult to me, presently to comply (besides divers considerations I might have against the thing it self) with that joint request of some of you (in a Letter, which my removal into another Kingdom occasioned to come long after to my hands) that I would consent these Papers might be made publike. For as I have reason to ⟨image 5⟩be conscious to my self of disadvantages enough to discourage any undertaking of that kind: so I am more especially sensible, that so curs•ry and superficial a management of a Subject so very important, (though its private occasion and design at first, might render it excusable to those few friends for whom it was meant) cannot but be liable to the hard censure (not to say the contempt) of many whom Discourses of this kind should more desgnedly serve. And therefore, though my willingness to be serviceaable in keeping alive the apprehension and expectation of another state, my value of your judgments who conceive what is here done may be useful thereto; and my peculiar respects to your selves, the members and appendants of a Family to which (besides some relation) I have many obligations and endearments; do prevail with me not wholly to deny: Yet pardon me that I have suspended my consent to this publication, till I should have a Copy transmitted to me from some of you, for my necessary review of so hasty a production, that I ⟨image 5⟩might not offer to the view of the world, what, after I had penn'd it had scarce passed my own. And now, after so long an expectation, those Papers are but this last week come to my hands: I here return them, with little or no alteration; s•ve, that what did more directly concern the occasion, towards the close, is transferred hither; but with the addition of almost all the directive part of the Vse: which I submit together to your pleasure and dispose.
