MY hearts desire and request unto God for you is, that ye may be saved: I say the truth in Christ also, I lye not, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness, and continual sorrow in my heart, for them amongst you, who as yet walk disorderly, and not as beseemeth the Gospel, little labouring to acquaint themselves with the mystery of godliness; for many walk, of whom I have told you often weeping, and now tell you again with sorrow, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their ⟨image 3⟩belly, who mind earthly things. You know (Brethren) how I have been amongst you, and in what manner, for these two years past; and how I have kept back nothing (to the utmost of the dispensation to me committed) that was profitable unto you; but have showed you and taught you, publicly, and from house to house, testifying to all, repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lor• Jesus Christ. Now with what sincerity this hath bin by me performed; with what issue and success by you received, God the righteous Judge will one day declare; for before him, must both you, and I appear, to give an account of the dispensation of the glorious Gospel amongst us: in the mean while, the desire of my heart is, to be servant to the least of you in the work of the Lord. And that in any way, which I can conceive profitable unto you either in your persons or your families. Now amongst my endeavours in this kind, after the Ordinance of public Preaching the Word, there is not, I conceive, any more needful, (as all will grant that know the estate of this place, how taught of late days, how full of grossly ignorant ⟨image 3⟩persons) then Catechising, which hath caused me to set aside some hours for the compiling of these following, which also I have procured to be Printed merely because the least part of the Parish are able to read it in writing, my intention in them being, principally, to hold out those necessary truths, wherein you have been in my Preaching more fully instructed: as they are, the use of them I shall briefly present unto you.
MY hearts desire and request unto God for you is, that yee may bee saved: I say the truth in Christ also, I lye not, my conscience bearing mee witnesse in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heavinesse, and continuall sorrow in my heart, for them amongst you, who as yet walk disorderly, and not as beseemeth the Gospel, little labouring to acquaint themselves with the mystery of godlinesse; for many walk, of whom I have told you often weeping, and now tell you again with sorrow, that they are the enemies of the crosse of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their ⟨image 3⟩belly, who minde earthly things. You know (Brethren) how I have been amongst you, and in what manner, for these two yeers past; and how I have kept back nothing (to the utmost of the dispensation to mee committed) that was profitable unto you; but have shewed you and taught you, publickly, and from house to house, testifying to all, repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lor• Jesus Christ. Now with what sincerity this hath bin by mee performed; with what issue and successe by you received, God the righteous Judge will one day declare; for before him, must both you, and I appear, to give an account of the dispensation of the glorious Gospel amongst us: in the mean while, the desire of my heart is, to bee s•rvant to the least of you in the work of the Lord. And that in any way, which I can conceive profitable unto you either in your persons or your families. Now amongst my indevours in this kinde, after the Ordinance of publick Preaching the Word, there is not, I conceive, any more needfull, (as all will grant that know the estate of this place, how taught of late dayes, how full of grossely ignorant ⟨image 3⟩persons) then Catechising, which hath caused me to set aside some houres for the compiling of these following, which also I have procured to bee Printed meerly because the least part of the Parish are able to read it in writing, my intention in them being, principally, to hold out those necessary truths, wherein you have been in my Preaching more fully instructed: as they are, the use of them I shall briefly present unto you.
