The great evil of procrastination, or, The sinfulness and danger of defering repentance in several discourses / by Anthony Walker ...

TO THE HONOURABLE THE LADY Frances Shane.

Good Madam.

I Easily foresee your Ladyship, will be somewhat surprized to find your honourable Name pre∣fixt to so inconsiderable a Piece; And I confess you•• may be justly ••empted to think, what the great Augustus said to him, who entertain∣ed him with a slender Supper, and

with rancid Oyl: I knew not be∣fore that you and I were so famili∣arly acquainted, and it may increase your wonder to find your Name be∣fore the Sermons preach'd at their Funerals, whose very Names 'tis like you never heard before.

For the first, I acknowledge I have much cause to wish the Present I make you, were more proportio∣nable to your Ladyships merit, and more worthy your Acceptance, but the less it deserves, the more it needs the shelter of such a Patronage, and how mean, and even affectedly plain, soever the manner of handling them is, the Truth and Duties treated of are of great concern and moment, and highly useful and necessary; and though as to the main, they come too late, (which is your Ladyships Praise and Happiness) to assist and direct you; your early Piety, and e∣minent Vertue, being already so far advanced, in what they are designed to excite in others: Yet they may

Comfort you, and Incourage your Pro∣gress in that good course, you have so far, and so happily proceeded in already, and may remain as a Tes∣timony of the just Value I have for that serious Strictness you own and practise, in the Work our great Ma∣ster hath given us to do: and wise Vigilance you use to be found so do∣ing, whensoever He shall come to call you, and may gratify my inno∣cent Ambition, to let others know the Honour you have allowed me in your Friendship.

As to the second, tis true the oc∣casion of printing them is wholly owing to two Funerals, but this was meerly accidental, for they were ex∣torted from me, by those who were indeed Auditours at Church, but not Guests at the Funeral, and there∣fore I have divested them of that Character, by omitting the Testimo∣nies I then gave to the Memory of my Friends, that that might give no Di∣version to the main Design.

But Madam, I fear your Lady∣ships quicker thoughts will start a third Objection, more difficult than either of the former; that is, sus∣pect I deal with you, like some non∣solvent Debtor with his impatient Creditor, design to while you off with this poor Trifle, instead of pay∣ing the Debt you have so long ex∣pected, and so often demanded, that is, the fuller Account of the Life of your incomparable Aunt, and the Col∣lection of her excellent Papers.

Madam, I must own my self in∣debted to your Ladyship in this par∣ticular, as also to the Expectations and Desires of many other worthy persons, to whom the short Me∣moirs annexed to her Funeral Ser∣mon have been so useful, and there∣fore so acceptable. And therefore I ingeniously confess, I think my best Plea will be to plead guilty of too much Delay, though I want not just Excuses to alleviate the Fault: but I rather choose to renew my

Promise of the speedyest Diligence, when this small Work hath past my Hands, to reassume and finish what I had so many Months since made a good Progress in, and by Gods Per∣mission and Assistance shall draw the Portracture of that great modern Pattern of Piety, out of her own Pa∣pers; shewing the Steps by which, and Method in which that blessed Saint arrived at that eminent Height, in the power of Godliness, and kept her self in the Love of God. And I hope I shall not again desist from that Undertaking, till your good Ladyships Desires be gratified, and Commands obeyed in that particu∣lar, as they shall be with all sinceri∣ty and readiness in all things else (for I know you can injoyn nothing but what is Just and Honourable)

By good Madam, your very good La∣dyships most Faithful, and most O∣bedient Servant A. Walker.

March, 9. 1680/1.