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COurteous Reader: I here present thee with some peeces & fragments of an intire and iust discourse in∣tended by the Author, con∣cerning that vsefull & wor∣thy Argument, the sinceri∣ty and triall of a Christians loue to Christ: It was the glory of the last age, that a∣mong other miracles, God blessed it with the resurre∣ction of Leraning, it being
being a time wherein liued and flourished men famous for learning and piety, who sent abroad into the world many large volumes for the vindicating of Gods true Re∣ligion and worship from Bar∣barisme, Errour, and Super∣stition: And 'tis a part of the happinesse of this our Age, that (beside the same truth still maintained) it hath sent forth many famous Trea∣tises concerning the nature of faith, the power and pra∣ctise of Religion. Amongst which, this would not haue beene of the least note, if the Author himselfe had liued to finish it: A continua∣tion and perfecting whereof
I cannot hope for from o∣thers, much lesse dare I pre∣sume to attempt it my selfe, as euer loathing that soloe∣cisme,
Hor. Art. Poet. —vt turpitèr atrum Desinat in piscem mulier formosa supernè.
Take therfore these Sermons as they were deliuered and left by him: What is done in them I had rather should appeare to thy iudgement in the serious reading, then from my opinion of them: onely let mee intreate thee to read them with the same spi∣rit they were written (for that's the way to profit by o∣ther mens works) and con∣tent
not thy selfe to trifle a∣way some odde houre in thē, but reserue them to some of thy most retired thoughts and seuerest meditations, so maist thou by Gods blessing finde something to streng∣then the assurances of thy hopes by Christ, and to en∣crease thy future care and loue to sincerity. In which respests, if they profit any in∣to whose hands they come, I shall lesse blame the importu∣nity of some who for that cause earnestly desired them, and the lesse regard the cen∣sure of others, who may hap∣ly mislike the publishing of them. As his conuersation was sweet, so is his memory
pretious, to mee as to any o∣ther: Neither can I thinke it any way stained by the ser∣uice of loue, wherein I chose rather to giue life to some things of His, than that all should die with him. All the good bee thine, and all the Glory, Gods. Farewell.
Thine in the truest Bond. W. LYFORD.