Be Thankful London and Her Sisters, Title page – Dedication
Bee Thankfull LONDON AND HER SISTERS; OR, A SERMON of Thankfulneſſe: Setting downe the kindneſſe of God to vsus, the dutie of Thankfulneſſe, the way to it, and the practiſe of it. Applyed in particular to theſe times:
By ROBERT ABBOTT Preacher of Gods Word at Cranebrooke in KENT.
PSAL. 50. 15.
Call vponupon mee in the day of trouble, ſo will I deliuer thee, and thou ſhalt glorifie mee.
LONDON, Printed for Philemon Stephens and Chriſtopher Meredith, and are to be ſold at their ſhop at the golden Lyon in Pauls Church-yard, 1626.
TO THE RIGHT Worſhipfull, worſhipfull, and dearely beloued, his friends, kindred, and acquaintance within the Citie of LONDON, ROBERT ABBOTT wiſheth due Thankfulneſſe to God for his vnſpeakable MERCIES.
THough I liue a farre off from you, yet God knowes that I hauehave not beene vnmindfull of you in my daily prayers to God, which was the beſt good which I could doe vntounto you. And when I heard that God did beginne to ſhine in louelove vponupon the City againe, God knowes that I was not vnmindefull to bee thankfull to him that is the ſole Author of it. I thought not that enough: therefore as before I had ſpent many dayes in faſting, and prayer, for our ſelues in body; ſo did I reſolue (hauing that bleſſed liberty) to ſpende one day in faſting, prayer, and thankſgiuing for you: what good it wrought vponupon my owne people and thoſe of your body who heard me, I am not worthy to know: but what good I aymed at my conſcience is priuy to, & what my deſire is to do more. I conſider how louingly I hauehave beene intertained of many of you when I was aſsiſtant to a Reuerend Diuine amongſt you, who is now with God. I conſiderMaſter Haiward of Wool-Church. that I hauehave many brethren, ſiſters, and kinſ-folke, who hauehave fellowſhip with you, & whoſe ſoules I tenderly affect. In which reſpects though (as it is wittily ſaid) ſome more Learned, and godly men are Fathers, Nurſes and murtherers to their owne Children, in begetting, kisſing, and burying the fruits of their owne braines, yet am I still aduenturous to ſhew others what God hath giuen me (vnworthy wretch) to bring forth, and to ſay vntounto you; Behold I and my child. I hauehave not trimmed it with ornaments and laces of Aegypt, nor ſweetned it with the Frankincenſe and myrrhe of the Christian Synagouge: but as God hath ſent it with the lawe of God written in the fore-head, hands, feete and heart of it, ſo ſend I it vntounto you, deſiring God to make this ſeruice acceptable and profitable vntounto you: And ſo I rest,
Yours to be vſed in the Lord, ROBERT ABBOTT. From my Studie this fifteenth of Nouember 1625.