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My Lord,
THough Conscious to my self, that the bare Seasonableness of the following Discourse, and the acciden∣tally-straitned Preparation of him that spake it, might, to a Candid Audience, palliate the Faults of the hasty Com∣posure,
and render that acceptable from the Pulpit, which may justly be explo∣ded when coming from the Press; yet, having broke thorough these and other Discouragements, I now humbly pre∣sent to your Lordship this mean Atten∣dant at the Consecration of your Chap∣pel at Long Leat. That your Lord∣ship should command me upon so solemn an Occasion to Preach the Sermon, was an amazing Honour: That the Pub∣lication of it should be thought of, was a greater Astonishment to me. But I per∣ceive, that the Favours of the truly great, and the Divinely good, have al∣ways something of Transcendency in them; like the Influences of Heaven, are freely and unexpectedly showred down, not poorly barter'd for. While others require them, which are imbar∣ked in their Dependance, to study their
Passions, not their Honour, to be more solicitous to consider their Nature, to feed their Humours, than to doe them any real Advantage; and always rack, and often defeat the most reasonable ex∣pectations, or perhaps at length hardly part with their Kindnesses to those that have dearly bought them: Your Lord∣ship and your Relations (I speak ex∣perimentally) surprize with your Fa∣vours, scorn to have them at all (much less thus basely) earn'd, but liberally bestow, before any particular Service hath deserved them. Hence the ut∣most Performances of your Depen∣dants are already overpaid, sooner than begun; a••e but the unequal return of a strict Debt, which no future Endea∣vours can fully discharge, since the Circumstance of un-engaged, and first obliging, will ever be only on your Parts.
That God would enable those which share your Bounties, to answer the Designs of them, to be usefull in their Stations; and that he would be pleased both Temporally and Eternally to bless your Lordship, and your Family, is the Hearty Prayer of
Your Lordships Most Devoted Servant, Richard Roderick.