Gods Holy Mind Touching Matters Moral, Dedication
To his Dearely and Welbeloued Friends, the Inhabitants and Parishioners of St. Marie Magdalens in Barmondsey, I.H. in Soule desireth, and from his heart wisheth an increase of sauing grace, with all true happinesse on earth, and eternall glorie in Heauen.
IT is not my purpose, neither doe I think it needfull for me to enter into commendation of the Author of this worke, whose worth is so well knowne to you, that for the space almost of twentie yeeres inioyed his labours, and are witnesses of his watchfulnesse, faithfulnesse, diligence, and painfulnesse in his Ministerie, euen beyond strength of bodie; yea, some of you (I doubt not) being the Seales of his Apostleship,1 Cor. 9.2. the Lord by his Ministerie working your conuersion, and calling you out of darkenesse into his marueilous light.1 Pet. 2.9. Neither will I speake of the excellencie of the Worke, nor shew how commodious it may bee to Gods Church: for these are done by one better able, though the Worke will sufficiently commend it selfe to eueryevery honest-hearted and indifferent Reader. I would rather make bolde to giuegive you a word of aduertisement, exhorting you not to mourne immoderately, (though neither you nor I my selfe can sufficiently bewaile our losse) but to reade his Works diligently, whereby he being now dead, speaketh vntounto you the same things that hee taught you while hee was aliue, and liued amongst you: and among others, labour to acquaint your selues well with this Worke of his, and be often conuersant in the reading of it; wherein is layd before you what God requireth of you in his Law, and whereby you are taught how to behaue your selues both toward God, and toward man; and shewed in a good measure both what may bee done, and what ought not to be done. And let me intreat you, not to rest in the bare reading of these things,…ut. 4.6. but get them into your hearts, that you may keepe them, and doe them; whereby you shall shew your selues wise indeed,eut. 6.3. and so shall it goe well with you. See that as hee went before you by sound doctrine, and in a holy life: so ye be followers of him, as he followed Christ: and then shall you in the end be taken vntounto him to inherit that glory which he already in part enioyeth.1 Cor. 11.1. But if you be carelesse to keepe and doe these things heere layd downe before you, he himselfe, his former labours and paines taken with you, and these his Workes, whereby he is in a sort still calling vponupon you, shall be witnesses against you. Take heed it be not said of any of you,Gal. 4.11. that Labour hath been bestowed vponupon you in vaine. To this his Exposition, or opening of the Commandements, is annexed his fruitfull Exposition of the Lords Prayer, teaching vsus what Prayer is, to whom we are to pray, for what, &c. Let it bee your care also to make good vse of this, so shall you hauehave much comfort. I am the bolder to exhort you hereunto, because it pleased the Lord to call me, and you to make choyse of mee, to bestow my poore Labours among you: now though I cannot doe what I ought, and would doe; yet my hearts desire is,Rom. 10.1. that you might be saued; and my daily prayers shall bee, that the Lord would bee pleased to blesse and make prosperous, both this and all other good meanes, and lawfull endeauours, or paines taken for that end, that when you hauehave done the businesse, and finished the worke for which you were sent, and hauehave finished your course with comfort heere on earth, you may bee taken vntounto Christ, to hauehave your abode in heauenly glory, and your inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
Yours in the Lord Iesus, and in the seruice of the Gospell, IOHN HILL.