The Book of Psalms Paraphrased, Title page – Dedication
…E BOOK OF PSALMS PARAPHRAS'D; WITH ARGUMENTS to each PSALM.
The Second Volume.
By SYMON PATRICK, D. D. Dean of PETERBƲRGH, and Chaplain in Ordinary to His MAJESTY.
LONDON, Printed by M. Fleſher, for R. Royſton, Bookſeller to His moſt Sacred MAJESTY, An. Dom. MDCLXXX.
TO The Right Honourable HENEAGE Lord FINCH, Baron of DAVENTRY, Lord High CHANCELLOUR OF ENGLAND, And one of His MAJESTY'S moſt Honourable Privy Council.
My LORD,
IT is ſo unuſual in this Age, to confer Benefits unſought, eſpecially ſuch as your Lordſhip was pleaſed lately to think me worthy of; that I ought to have the higher eſteem, not merely of your Lordſhip's ſingular kindneſs to me, but chiefly of that noble principle of Vertue in your mind from whence it purely flowed. Which will excuſe, I hope, the preſumption of this Dedication; to which I am prompted by nothing, but onelyonly an eager deſire, publickly to teſtifie my gratitude to your Lordſhip, as ſoon as it was poſſible. Which made me lay hold upon the very firſt opportunity, that preſented it ſelf: and chuſe rather to prefix your Lordſhip's great Name, to the remainder of this Work (part of which was publiſhed ſome months ago) then let any thing appear in the world under my name, which did not carry along with it a thankfull acknowledgment of my obligations to your Lordſhip. To whoſe Judgment knowing perſons attribute ſo much; that as it is a very great honour to receive any mark of your Lordſhip's good opinion, ſo it is a preferment to which, whether I will or no, your Lordſhip hath advanced me.
I will endeavour not to fall from it by forgetfulneſs of your Lordſhip's favours; but preſerve ſuch a remembrance of them, as is ſutable to the preſent ſenſe I have of them: which is as much beyond what I can expreſs, as they are beyond what I could deſerve.
The beſt expreſſion I can make of it will be in my prayers to God, that, as the King hath made you the ſupreme Diſpenſer of his Juſtice to his People, and his Divine Majeſty hath made you a great Pattern of Piety and Devotion, as well as other exemplary Vertues; ſo, He would be pleaſed to give you wiſedom and prudence to conduct your ſelf with ſuch dexterity as well as integrity in the management of all the publick Buſineſs, with the care of which you are intruſted, that you may continue (as you are) a ſupporter of the Government, a Patron of Religion, a Friend of good Men, and, in a word, a Bleſſing, not onelyonly to your own vertuous Family but, to the whole Nation. For, though there are ſome ſo imperfect, that they will allow no ſuch words to be ſaid of any, but thoſe that pleaſe them in every thing; yet, the moſt of good Men, or at leaſt the beſt, will thankfully acknowledge the happineſs we enjoy in the Authority your Lordſhip hath, and will joyn in thoſe Prayers with,
My LORD, Your Lordſhip's moſt humble and moſt obliged Servant, S. Patrick.