And God of a small People hath graciously made you a Multitude; you have been helped, and so born up by everlasting Arms, that you have held fast your Holy Profession in the Day of Trial, and exposed all that you have had in the World to spoil and loss, for the sake of Jesus Christ, when many turned their Backs, and exposed the Holy Name of God to Reproach; and to our further Joy, many of you have of late, more especially in your General Assemblies, showed your great Zeal for the Name of God, and Care of his Church, in a more than usual manner; and particularly you have endeavoured ⟨p. v⟩to revive our hopes, for the continuation of a faithful and laborious Ministry for the time to come, by striving to promote such Learning and Studies as God's Word directs to; and not require (like Israel's Task-Masters) poor Ministers, as I may so say, to make Brick and allow them no Straw; but you do now more fully see that Gospel-Ministers ought to have a Gospel-Maintenance, even such as God hath ordained; that so they might not be entangled with the Affairs of th•• Life, but wholly give themselves up to that great Work they are called to. Go on and prosper, Holy and Beloved, Let not your Hands be weak, nor Satan obstruct or hinder so hopeful a Beginning; let it appear you do love Jesus Christ more than Father or Mother, more than Son or Daughter; and labour to reform what is amiss as to those great Evils that abound too much in the Churches of the Saints, tho I hope not so much amongst you as among some others, particularly in respect of Pride and Covetousness, or that base Worldly and Earthly Spirit that is the Bane of Religion, and makes the Lord's People of so ill a savour in the World; let your Lives declare whose you are, and to what Country you belong; and as you have a good Doctrine, so labour for a suitable Conversation; and then, Brethren, what can or will be wanting to make you complete in the whole Will of […]? Truly, according to my small Light, I know ⟨p. vi⟩not, unless it be a restoration of this lost and neglected Ordinance of Singing Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, which I fear, and partly understand, some of you want light in. I have therefore made bold to dedicate this small Treatise to you all, hoping you will take it from me in good part, and well weigh what is here said, before you judg and condemn it for an Error.
And God of a small People hath graciously made you a Multitude; you have been helped, and so born up by everlasting Arms, that you have held fast your Holy Profession in the Day of Trial, and exposed all that you have had in the World to spoil and loss, for the sake of Jesus Christ, when many turned their Backs, and exposed the Holy Name of God to Reproach; and to our further Joy, many of you have of late, more especially in your General Assemblies, shewed your great Zeal for the Name of God, and Care of his Church, in a more than usual manner; and particularly you have endeavoured ⟨p. v⟩to revive our hopes, for the continuation of a faithful and laborious Ministry for the time to come, by striving to promote such Learning and Studies as God's Word directs to; and not require (like Israel's Task-Masters) poor Ministers, as I may so say, to make Brick and allow them no Straw; but you do now more fully see that Gospel-Ministers ought to have a Gospel-Maintenance, even such as God hath ordained; that so they might not be intangled with the Affairs of th•• Life, but wholly give themselves up to that great Work they are called to. Go on and prosper, Holy and Beloved, Let not your Hands be weak, nor Satan obstruct or hinder so hopeful a Beginning; let it appear you do love Jesus Christ more than Father or Mother, more than Son or Daughter; and labour to reform what is amiss as to those great Evils that abound too much in the Churches of the Saints, tho I hope not so much amongst you as among some others, particularly in respect of Pride and Covetousness, or that base Worldly and Earthly Spirit that is the Bane of Religion, and makes the Lor'd People of so ill a savour in the World; let your Lives declare whose you are, and to what Countrey you belong; and as you have a good Doctrine, so labour for a suitable Conversation; and then, Brethren, what can or will be wanting to make you compleat in the whole Will of 〈…〉? Truly, according to my small Light, I know ⟨p. vi⟩not, unless it be a restoration of this lost and neglected Ordinance of Singing Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, which I fear, and partly understand, some of you want light in. I have therefore made bold to dedicate this small Treatise to you all, hoping you will take it from me in good part, and well weigh what is here said, before you judg and condemn it for an Errour.
