The Parable of the Pilgrim, Imprimatur – Preface
Perlegi Ingenioſum, & Pium hunc Librum, cui Titulus (The Parable of the Pilgrim) in quo nihil reperio Doctrinae, Diſciplinaeve Eccleſiae Anglicanae, aut bonis moribus Contrarium.
Joh. Hall. Rev. in Chriſto Patri Humfredo Dom. Epiſc. Lond. à ſac. Domeſt. Exaedibus Londinenſ. April 11. 1665.
THE PARABLE OF THE PILGRIM: Written to a Friend.
BY SYMON PATRICK. B. D.
LONDON, Printed by Robert White for Francis Tyton at the Sign of the three Daggers in Fleet-ſtreet. 1665.
MY FRIEND,
THat I ſend one to wait upon you in the habit of a Pilgrim, which hath been ſo long out of Faſhion, and quite worn not only out of our uſe, but out of our knowledge; may ſeem a thing very ſtrange and be ſurpriſing to you. But when you ſhall conſider that old faſhions are wont to come about again, and that we are much in love with Antiques, and that our eyes are drawn to one that appears in an unuſual or forraign dreſs, who elſe would not be obſerved; it may abate a little of the wonder. I ſay a little, becauſe ſome will ſtill remain, that he ſhould come from one of my complexion, who have but a little of fancy in my compoſition; and ſo muſt needs be a ſtranger to works of this nature. But you will receive ſatisfaction in this alſo, when you ſhall know (as the truth is) that I met with a man one day that had put himſelf in this habit; who pleaſed me ſo much, that he perſwaded me to conceive this deſign of providing ſuch another Pilgrim to ſerve you. It hapned, I mean, that reading a little while agone the works of a late Writer*Baker's Sancta Sephia. I found among other matters a ſhort diſcourſe, in the compaſs of four or five leaves, under this name of The Parable of the Pilgrim: And it was ſo agreeable to that ſmall portion of fancy I am indued withall, that I preſently thought a work of this nature would be very grateful to you alſo. This was the occaſion of theſe Meditations, which as faſt as my other imployments would permit I have brought into this ſhape wherein they are now preſented to you. The title of my Book I have borrowed from him, becauſe I could not find a better; and I have made uſe likewiſe of one ſentence very often which he puts into his Pilgrims mouth; but with ſuch improvement of ſenſe, that it is little more then the words that I am beholden to him for. And as to the matter of it, I muſt leave you to judge when you have peruſed it, how pertinent it is to your preſent and paſt condition; being aſſured that if you find not all that you deſire, yet you will find that I had an unfeigned deſire to do you ſervice. As to the dreſs of it, I know that you will not expect this Pilgrim ſhould come to you in fine Aparrel and like ſome Gallant; but rather judge it more decent that he is attired plainly according to the quality and condition of his perſon and profeſſion. This made me the more careleſs in what clothing I ſet him out, and to take ſuch trimming as came next to hand: having a far weightier care upon me, to make him ſpeak ſuch clear and perſpicuous language as you might readily apprehend. And indeed if there be any thing here ſaid that is not plain and eaſie, it is very much againſt my will: for I am of his mind that hath told us, It is the greateſt miſery in writing not only not to be underſtood, but to be underſtood with difficulty. And now if this poor Pilgrim ſhall find any acceptance at your hands, and be found capable to ſerve the ends of Wiſdom and Vertue which he would willingly advance; I pray keep him with you, that if he can live longer then I, he may alwayes tell you how much I am
Your Friend S. P. Covent-Garden, Decemb. 14. 1663.
An Advertiſement.
THE Reader may be pleaſed to know that this Pilgrim hath dwelt for ſome time in the ſervice of a Private Friend, (to whoſe uſes and occaſions he was particularly addreſſed) and there hath been ſo well entertain'd, that he was not ambitious of any higher preferment. But he met with a perſon ſo charitable, and who proved alſo ſuch a friend to him; that he was thought worthy to be advanced to a more publick imployment, and would not be permitted to remain any longer in that private attendance. In obedience therefore to the commands he received, he comes now abroad, and offers his aſſiſtance to any that ſhall think good to make uſe of it: being grown alſo bigger ſince he went thither, and ſo of better ability to ſerve more then one. In plain words (for thoſe I moſt affect; and if you meet with ſo much as any Metaphorical expreſſions in the Book, it is but ſeldome, and only to comply with the Title) this Diſcourſe was writ with a reſpect to the neceſſities of a particular perſon: who imagined that others might poſſibly reap ſome benefit by it, and therefore deſired it might not lye in a private hand. But it being neceſſary to tranſcribe the Papers that they might be read by the Printer; it was thought withall adviſeable that ſome things ſhould be inlarged to make them better underſtood, and others added to render the uſefulneſs of the Treatiſe (if it can have any) of greater extent. Only this muſt be remembred, that a regard was ſtill had to the needs of that Perſon (which yet are ſuch as all pious Souls generally labour withall) and therefore it muſt not be expected that every caſe which can occurr in Chriſtian life, ſhould here be handled. And indeed that would have ſwelled this Diſcourſe to over great a bulk, and required very long conſideration; or elſe it is like it had been attempted.
It muſt be noted alſo, that it was thought fit to make the diſtance but ſhort between the Pilgrims parting with his Guide and their meeting again; becauſe that would ſtill have too much inlarged this Treatiſe, to deſcribe particularly, his behaviour in the whole courſe of an Holy Life, for which that would have been the proper place.
There are ſome things alſo may ſeem a little ſtrange which are ſaid to have hapned to the Pilgrim; but you are to remember that God puts good thoughts into our minds more wayes then one; and to know that the ſubſtance of what is reported is not a Contrivance, but a real Truth.
And now it would argue great unexperience of the world to expect, that this Pilgrim ſhould not meet with ſome, whoſe curioſity he cannot humour; and others whoſe ſowreneſs nothing can pleaſe. But he that ſends him abroad will be abundantly ſatisfied if he become uſeful to any well-diſpoſed Soul, who ſhall have a mind to bear him company to Jeruſalem. And if he chance to meet with any that ſhall only ſtudy to cavil, and pick a quarrel with him; He is prepared beforehand to take no notice at all of it, nor to be more troubled at their incivility; then a devout Hermite is at the ugly faces, which the Creatures who ſomething reſemble men make at him, as he is walking through the deſarts.