Milk for Babes and Meat for Men, Title page – Dedication 2
MILK for BABES, And MEAT for MEN. OR Principles necessary, to bee known and learned, of such as would know Christ here, or be known of him hereafter.
2. THESS. 1. 8.
In flaming Fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God: & that obey not the Gospel of our Lord IESVS CHRIST.
Rom. 10. 15.
How beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Gospell of peace, &c.
Imprinted Anno 1630.
To those, whom I have reason to hold deere in Sepulchers London, & elswhere in England, where I have spent the poore Talent, the Lord hath lent mee.
BELOVED FREINDS.
IT often falls out whilst some have thought it nothing to quit the outworks, and have blamed the watch that guarded them, the enemy hath goten within the ports, & the chiefe Cittadell hath beene endangered.
Give mee leave to tell you, that the cause of all uneven walking, carnall fea…ing, & painted profession amongst you, ariseth from a hart either unbroken or …nbottomd.
For the former of these, you have had …mongst you my poore endevours, I wish …hey had been more spirituall, more prevalent.
You had my liberty, and I wish my …ife had gone with it, could that have ac…omplished the end of my labours, the …alvation of your soules in the day of the LORD. I complaine not of unanswerable love from you.
For the second, I send you this tokē not that you want Catechismes, but tha… you may still know much Water canno… quench my love.
Commend mee to your Children and Servants and give them this. And know, that good things, if they bee no… esteemd in the abundance of them, wil… bee better valued by their want.
Oh walke worthy of the Gospell lest with some desolate Churches you once say: Wee had the Gospell.
I commend you all to his grace, who is able to keepe you in the Fellowship of the Gospel and rest.
Yours in him H. P.
To those, whom my Ministry may concerne in the Netherlands, especially these of Rotterdam, who have had most of my Labours.
Loving Freinds.
I Know what meanes, what mercies you injoy in these parts, & yet I am not ignorant, what disadvantages Godlines in the power of it hath, by errour in judgment, and loosenes in life; Look well, and you will finde, it is not all gold that glistereth: Beleeve it, A compleate Christian, is allmost as dainty as the man the Lord lookt for, Ezech. 22. Wherfore as you meet with my labours in publicke, so accept of this for you, & yours in private.
You have many other helps; but having resolved to pitch upon something of this kind, and finding all said before that could bee sayd, I pitcht upon this ground-worke, which I put into this order, for your Fartherance.
N…ver dreame of building without foundations, when you have well disgested this Milke, you must then bee fit for stronger Meat.
The Lord make us wise with Ioseph, it is a getting time, there will come a spending. And remember that if ever your poore Infants bee driven to wildernesses, to hollow caves, to Fagot and Fire, or to sorrowes of any Kinde, they will thanke God & you, they were well catechized.
The comfort of these principles hee wisheth you who is
Yours in the Rock Christ. H. P.