The Blessedness of Being Bountiful, Title page – Dedication
THE BLESSEDNESSE OF BEING BOUNTIFULL: OR, Our Bleſſed Saviours uſual PROVERB, Opened, Aſſerted, and Practically Improved.
By SIMON FORD, D. D.
LONDON, Printed for James Collins at the Kings Arms in Ludgate-ſtreet, 1674.
VIRO NATALIBUS, ERUDITIONE, Omnimodiſ que VIRTUTIBUS Nobiliſſimo, GEORGIO Baroni de BERKELEY;
IN ALBUM CURATORUM HONORIFICORUM HOSPITII Vulgo DICTI DE BRIDEWELL, Alteriúſque de BETHLEM, DEMISSIONE SUI GRATIOSA NUPER ADSCRIPTO;
ET PROINDE IN HAC PAGELLA (HONORIS ergô) SEPARATIM NOMINANDO:
HUNC (TANQUAM TESTI EXPERTO) De BEATITƲDINE BENEFICENTIAE TRACTATULUM, Humillimè Offert, OMNI OBSERVANTIAE GENERE ADDICTISSIMUS,
SIMON FORD.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFULL; Sir William Turner, Kt. PRESIDENT, With his Aſſiſtants, the Governours of the two HOSPITALS of Bridewell and Bethlem.
Gentlemen,
IF, (as it hath of late in like caſes been cuſtomary) I ſhould plead the Authority of your Court, as that which hath without any inclination of mine own, ſolely prevailed with me to print this Diſcourſe; I muſt ingenuouſly confeſs, it would be no other than a modeſter kinde of diſſimulation with you and the World.
For I muſt own, that when I delivered the ſubſtance of it from the Pulpit in two Sermons (the one at the Spittle before the Lord Maior then being, and the Aldermen of this City, on Wedneſday in Eaſterweek, 1672. and the other, which was but the former (at the Inſtance of ſome of you) repeated with ſome ſuitable enlargements, in your own Chappel of Bridewell at your late General Meeting, 1673.) I was not without thoughts of publiſhing it: becauſe my principal Deſign in preaching it being (as in Duty I am bound, having by your favour been elected and hitherto continued Preacher to one of them) to promote the good of the two Hoſpitals under your Government; I juſtly conceived that the more publick I made it, the more effectually it was like to anſwer my end.
Only I muſt withall acknowledge, that the general acceptance which it found from thoſe of you that heard me in both Auditories, and the testification of your Deſires (by an expreſs Order of Court) to have it printed, concurring with mine own inclinations; gave me a great additional encouragement to adventure it thus to the publick View.
Concerning the ſucceſs of which undertaking, I am not altogether out of hope that it may in ſome ſort anſwer my deſires; conſidering the ſerious Importance of the weighty Argument it handles, and the great ſuitableneſs of the matter contained in it, to the blowing up thoſe few ſparks of Charity, which (notwithſtanding theſe hard Times) remain yet unextinguiſhed in the breasts of many worthy Citizens and others; into ſuch Acts and Expreſſions, as the great Exigences of this City, and particularly, of theſe your Hoſpitals, do require.
However, if my hopes of ſucceſs upon others ſhould unhappily fail me; yet I have reaſon to believe that my Endeavours herein will meet with a favourable acceptance and compliance from you, who have already given me ſo great a pledge of it, in commanding its publication.
I ſhall not farther enlarge this Dedicatory Addreſs to you, becauſe I ſhall thereby the longer detain you from the Diſcourſe it ſelf; which I hope you had no other deſign in calling for, than that you might read and practiſe it, and thereby acquire that Bleſſedneſs to your ſelves unto which it directs. Which alſo, that you may obtain, is and ſhall be the conſtant Prayer of
(Right Worſhipfull,) Your Obliged Servant in the Work of our Lord Jeſus, Simon Ford.
The Bleſſedneſs of being Bountiful, &c.
Acts 20. 35.
—It is more bleſſed to give than to receive.