The Abridgment of the Gospel, Title page – To the reader
THE ABRIDGEMENT of the Goſpell: Or THE ORDER AND COVRSE o… …ans ſaluation, as it is ſet foorth by ZACHARIE the father of IOHN BAPTIST, Luke 1.67. &c. and further opened in ten Sermons thereupon:
By SAM. HIERON.
1. TIM. 3.16.
Without controuerſie, great is the myſterie of godlineſſe.
LONDON Printed by M. Bradwood for Samuel Macham, and are to be ſold at his ſhop in Pauls Church-yard, at the ſigne of the Bull-head. ANNO 1609.
TO THE READER.
I Continue ſtill (Christian Reader) to impart vntounto thee ſome of my Sermon-notes: not ſo much to ſupply thy want (God hauing ſo abundantly bleſſed this age with better helps) as to manifeſt my deſire of doing my vtmost good in Gods Church. Thou hast here ſuch Obſeruations as it pleaſed God to inable me to deliuer (in the place where I liue) vponupon the ſong of Zacharie. In which (in my poore vnderſtanding) the order and courſe of mans ſaluation is as effectually ſet forth, as in any other part of holy Writ. The fountaine of it is Gods merciemercy: the ground, Chriſt Ieſus: the ſubſtance of the thing it ſelfe, Redemption from the bondage of ſpirituall enimies: it was anciently promiſed to the Fathers, and reported by the Prophets in all ages: Knowledge of it is now giuen vntounto vsus by the Miniſterie of man: and the end is, to leade vsus by the cheerefull practiſe of Holineſſe and Righteouſneſſe, to the comfortable fruition of eternall Peace. Some other points (of good vſe) are occaſionally handled in theſe Lectures, but theſe be the principall. The ordinarie vſe of this Scripture in the Church, hath moued me (beſides the particular excellency thereof, it being indeed the very Abridgement of the Goſpell) to cull it out from among my other Readings vponupon Luke, and to commend it to thy view. So praying God to bleſſe my labour to thy vſe, I commend thee heartilie to his Grace. Modbury in Deuon.
Thine in the Lord, SAM. HIERON.