Preaching of Christ opened in a sermon preached at St. Peters Church in the…

To the Reverend my dearly beloved Brethren the Dean, Prebendaries, and the rest of the Clergy of the Cathedral Church and City of NORWICH.

Reverend and beloved Brethren. Ever since the preaching of this plain Sermon, I have been importuned Quotidiano convicio (if I may use the Orators expression) to make it public.¹ I have at last suffered my self to be overcome by the persuasions of my friends. My chief end therein hath been, That I might provoke my younger brethren to make it the main design of their Ministry to render the Lord Jesus, His divine Person, His sacred Offices, His heavenly Doctrine, His blessed Example, His spiritual Graces, the fellowship of his sufferings, the power of his resurrection, ²the excellency of his knowledge, ³the unsearchable riches of his love, & all the mysteries of his Kingdom, amiable in ⟨image 3⟩the eyes of their hearers, As it was foretold of him,⁴ That he should be the desire of all Nations, ⁵the chiefest of ten thousand, and altogether lovely. That in preaching the Law, they may lead men to Christ for mercy to pardon the Transgressions, and for Grace to obey the commands of it. That in preaching the Gospel, they may direct men unto Christ for Faith, to believe the promises of the Covenant, for he is the Author of our Faith: ⁶For Hope, to wait for the fulfilling of them, for he is unto us the Hope of Glory; and for Love, to in flame that purity and holiness which they are intended to kindle in us, for the Love of Christ constraineth us.