Come and See the Bliss of Brightest Beauty, Title page – Dedication
Come and see. THE BLISSE OF BRIGHTEST BEAVTIE: SHINING OVT OF SION IN PERFECT GLORIE. Being the summe of foure sermons preached in the Cathedrall Church of Glocester at commandment of superiours.
BY WILLIAM LOE.
Imprinted at London by Richard Field for Mathew Law. 1614.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL, AND RIGHT WORTHY GENTLEman Sir William Sandis Knight, and to that weldisposed, & very Christian Ladie, the Ladie Margaret Sandis his vertuous wife, and ioyfull consort, grace and glorie be multiplied in Christs kingdomes of grace and glorie.
MVch honored. The Christian neighborhood, and kind commerce both of bountifull liberalitie, and gracious respect, which my selfe, and mine receiued from you and yours this time tweluemoneth by our contiguous vicinitie, hath occasioned me to be thus bold in saluting you after long silēce with a paper token, the onelyonly miniment, and memoriall of a Scholer in this last, and worst age, that hath nothing for vsus but bookes amongst the best, and by-words amongst the worst, as her onelyonly bequest, and our legacie. Howsoeuer, notwithstanding it is the heartie ioy of Israel, & the vnspeakeable comfort of Iacob, that still some of the precious balme of Gilead that falls vponupon Aarons head, doth distill downe euen vntounto the skirts of his priestly clothing. And whereas others may hauehave spices, and balmes to preserue their bodies for a time, and monuments of brasse, and stone to continue a future glorie to their memorials: yet euer those hauehave bene most enobled, whose remembrances the tokens of vertue, and godlinesse hauehave endeuored to eternize, and keepe from the rottennesse of corrupted baserie, and obscure obliuion. And albeit the purport of this whole proiect is but the turning of my tongue into my pen, and the matter it selfe is but a preaching againe (as it were) the same words another saboth day,Act. 13. as the Gentiles besought Paule in the Acts: yet I pray you entertaine them as the presence of my spirit, the pledge of mine heart, and the earnest of that affection, and louelove which I iustly beare vntounto you. And whereas before I spake in a great auditory in the presence and countenance of a liuing man, am now content in this my paines to bury my selfe in a dead letter of lesse effectuall perswasion: But principally I protest to this only end and purpose, that God might be magnified (if it be his holy will) in me the weakest, & meanest of his seruāts both by the meditations of mine heart, and in the endeauors of mine hand. The Treatise is of the louelove of God deuoted vntounto your selues in whom I hauehave obserued much louelove toward God, toward your brethren without, and amongst your selues at home. Goe on then (blessed in the Lord Iesu) in this sacred vettue that disposeth you to God so amiablie, and youIoh. 20. shall find these holy encreases in you 1. You shall euer desire to thinke on him that madeLuke 2. you. 2. Gladly, and willingly to frequent his house the pallace of praier 3. Duly to speake,1. Pet 4. & talke of him. 4. Often to heare of him byIo. 14. his messengers, and to meditate of that you heare. 5. Readie will you be to giuegive for his1. Io. 3. sake. 6. Ioyfull that you suffer whatsoeuer itIo. 18. 1. Io. 5. be for Gods honour. 7. Duly to bowe your hearts to the obedience of his holy lawes, 8. Yea you wil louelove them that louelove the Lord,Mat. 12. and despise and hate them that hate him. 9. Neither will you louelove this world, nor anything therein, vnlesse it be for the Lords cause. 10. Yea in a word, you will louelove your friend in the Lord, and your enemie for the Lord.
Long may the blessing of this diuine louelove which is the beautifull Idea of your soules, sparkle and flame in you. Let the God of heauen grant that the distempered humours of misperswasion may neuer quench it within you, nor the ouerflowings of vngodlinesse in the world euer put it out, but let the light of Gods owne most blessed countenance for euer and euer shine vponupon you, and cause it to be enflamed eternally. I beseech the God of heauen and of earth to multiplie his richest blessings vponupon your selfe, your Ladie, and your children for euermore. Euen so Lord Iesu be it.
The Colledge of Glou. Febru. 20. 1611. Yours, because you are of Christ. WILLIAM LOE.