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THere having been seve∣ral Excellent things of a Devotional Nature Written for the Use and Benefit of Ordina∣ry and Vnlearned Persons, but little or nothing for the pious entertainment of more refined and elevated Understandings, I thought I could not em∣ploy my Pen to better pur∣pose than in writing some∣thing of the like Kind for the use of the Learned Reader, who, perhaps needs as much to be assisted in his Devotion as the more Ignorant; and
whose Heart may want as much to be Inflamed, as the others Head does to be In∣structed.
It must be acknowledged therefore that I now write only to those of the Learned Order, and not to all of them neither, but only to those who are not spoil'd by their Learning, and whose under∣standings are not Cramp'd by the cleaving Prejudices of Scho∣lastick Education, To those who have a genius for the the Contemplative Way, who have Patience enough to per∣sue a long train of thoughts, A∣cuteness enough to discern their Order and Dependence, and (which is worth all) Indiffe∣rency
enough to use and allow Liberty of Thinking, and not to startle, and be affrighten'd at a New Notion.
By these few hints the Reader may easily perceive both what kind of Compositi∣ons these are, and how I would have him come Pre∣pared and Qualifi'd to the Reading of them. What further concerns him to know, in reference to the Sub∣ject and Design of the Book, he may learn from the Intro∣duction.
I. N.