A plaine and compendious exposition of Christs Sermon in the Mount contayned in the 5.6.7. chapters of Saint Matthew. Being the substance of sundry sermons. By Iohn Carter minister at Belstead neare Ipswych:

TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVL S^r. WILLIAM BORLACE the elder of Bockmore-hall in the Coun∣tie of Buckingham, Knight; AND Mistris HELLEN BACON of Shrubland-hall in the Countie of Suffolke, Widow, Grace and peace be multiplyed.

RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL;

HAuing now, in appearance, well ncere serued my time, and ho∣ping shortly to put off this my Tabernacle, my desire is to leaue some memoriall of my poore la∣bours to my dearely beloued Pa∣rishioners, and all other well affected people. That after my decease (if it bee the will of God) they

they may haue the mayne documents of the truth, which is according to godlinesse, heretofore taught by word of mouth, alwayes in remembrance. Con∣cerning the subiect or matter of this Treatise, since our Lord and Master, Christ Iesus himselfe, goeth before me in the whole, and I doe but follow him from step to step, as a plaine, and (I trust) faithfull interpreter of his minde, it challengeth, of right, audience, attention, and absolute obe∣dience at all hands, as being in it selfe most sa∣cred and compleate: whereof that of Christ else∣where may iustly bee taken vp, This doe, and liue. For it contayneth a plaine and perfect path∣way to Heauen; as the conelusion of this Sermon doth vndeniably demonstrate, wherein the hearers and doers of these his words are pronounced vn∣moueable, as being built vpon the rocke. The me∣thode or order, vsed by this great Prophet, is in like manner most admirable, though (in my poore opinion) not so well obserued by interpreters. This also I haue endeauoured to vnfold▪ referring euery document to the proper place; which (as I take it) helpeth not a little to the vnderstanding and bea∣ring in minde of the whole Sermon. But if any thing be performed by mee in t••is Worke, and my decrepit old age, worth your trauailes in reading, I had rather that you should find it, then my selfe

relate it; wherefore I desist. Onely giue me leaue (I pray you) to request two things of your Worships; especially of you, good Sir William, so much con∣uersant in learned Writers of all kinds (which re∣quests also I make to all other, who shall venture their paines and time vpon this Treatise) first, that you would not expect any excellencie of words, or intising speech of mans wisdome, which the Apo∣stle r 1.1 so vehemently disclaymeth vpon most strong Reasons, and our Lord Christ looketh not after heere, or in any other his teachings, but deliuereth the plaine and simple truth, in all holy plainenessc and simplicitie, nothing at all carefull to please mens fancies by curious phrases and figures of speech, strange and farrefetcht conceits, or various mixture of humane Literature, for ostentation sake: mine vnfeined endeauour hath beene to fol∣low him herein also from step to step, making the exposition as sutable, as I could, to the Sermon it selfe. My second suite is, that you would be plea∣sed not to iudge of the whole Worke by some parts and passages of it, especially in the beginning of it (which perhaps will hardly satisfie the iudicious Reader) but to shew me this fauour, if you make a beginning, to take the paines at your leisure, to reade all: I dare promise nothing, yet my hope is, that, so doing, your labour (as the Apostle spea∣keth

in a higher case) shall not bee altogether in vaine in the Lord. Thus crauing pardon for my boldnesse in presuming to dedicate these weake pa∣pers vnto you, I humbly take my leaue; intreating God Almightie so to be with you by his grace and Spirit, that you may grow euery day more and more like vnto your worthy Mothers (your Fathers I knew not so well;) I meane those two famous Sisters of blessed memory, Mistris Elizabeth Bar∣ret of Bray, and Mistris Anne Borlace of little Marlow, both Widowes indeed: whom Enuie it selfe cannot deny to haue shined as Lights in their times, for the practice of pure and vndefiled Re∣ligion. Whom also if you continue to imitate, and to be inheritours of their great vertues, as you are of their great estates, you shall leaue your names as a blessing to your Posteritie, as they haue done theirs to you.

Your ancient poore friend, and petitioner to God for you and yours, IO. CARTER.

Notes

• r 1.1

  1. Cor. 1. 17. & 2. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.