A Dying Fathers Last Legacy to an Only Child, Frontispiece – To the reader
Lo heere! the Dictates of a Dying: man!
Marke well his note! who like th'expiring Swan
Wisely praesaging hir approaching Doomb
Sings in soft charmes hir Epicaedium.
Such Such are His; who was a shining Lamp
Which though Extinguisht by a fatall Damp
Yet his Last-Breathings shall like Incense hurld
On sacred Altars, soe perfume the world,
That the Next, will admire, and out of doubt
Reuere that Torchlight, which this age, put out
A Dying Fathers LAST LEGACY TO AN OnelyOnly Child: OR, Mr. HUGH PETER'S ADVICE TO HIS DAUGHTER: Written by his own Hand, during hi… late Imprisonment in the Tower of London; And given her a little before his Death.
LONDON, Printed for G. Calvert, an… T. Brewster, and are to be sold at the Black… spread-Eagle, and at the Three Bibles, at th… West-End of Pauls, 1660.
To the Impartial READER
BE not Discouraged from reading this small Treatise, because of the unhappy End of a wearisom pilgrimage, which the Author met with in this world; If we get a Fall in a journey, or meet with a great showre of rain so it be in the close of the day, when we are near our Inn, where we meet with accommodation and refreshment, we are the less troubled; Yet such was his Care (who for many years was very Instrumental in the Church of God, and a means of bringing many Souls to Christ; and for the Good of others, came into this Kingdom when it was in a flame of Civil War, which hath signed him also, that he might escape everlasting flames) in this Discourse he bewails the vanity of his own Spirit; And we will not Exause him: he finds himself too busie in Aliena Republica, and we will not justifie him; But if that precious Gold should be cast away because there is some Dross, or the Children of God cast out of the Family for every fault though heinous, we should condemne the Generation of the Iust: You will find in this Legacy, to his only Child, that he had a Root of Grace, and that the Fountain was clear from which ran so savoury a stream; And that at the last when he had no hope to save a frail Body, yet he minded his own and others Souls; And that he was a Master Workman in that Mysterie, wherein he had laboured succesfully so many years; And we hope, that notwithstanding the prejudicasie of some against him, and the words of others, and his sad shameface Catastrophy, we may charitably judge, that God hath wiped away all Tears from his Eyes, that he is entered into Rest, his Works following him; and that he is made perfect by his great Sufferings; And wish the same to you, except these Bonds.
G.F. N.B.