The Fast Friend, Dedication 2
And TO The Religious, and Well affected Gentlewoman, Mrs. Bridget Herrys, his worthy Confort, and my Honored Patroneſs
Increaſe of all Outward and Inward Bleſsings.
Good Mrs. Herrys,
IF it be a fault to joyn you both in this one Dedication, excuſe it; ſeeing God hath joyned you together by his own Ordinance, and knit your hearts together with the Bands of Love: And both, as one have manifeſted your good Affections unto me, in conferring that Rectory upon me where I now (at preſent) am, and whereof you both are the true and undoubted Patrons.
The ſame cauſe (than) I have, of reſpective thankfulneſs to the one, as well as to the other; and no other way have I really to expreſs this thankefulneſs (be ſide my Prayers) than by ſending forth theſe Papers, under your Names, the poor Preſent of an ever remaining Debtor, wiſhing they were as worthy of reſpect from you, as in many reſpects they do belong unto you.
I ſend them not cloathed, (as the Mother of Cyrus willed, that the words of thoſe who ſpake unto her Son ſhould be) in Silk; but in a homely Countrey dreſs, ſuch as they were clad withall, in the firſt delivery; I may truly ſay with Moſes, I am not eloquent,Exod. 1.10. neither at any time have been. And yet I ſhould be loath to deliver my Maſters Meſſage, with irreverent, and uncircumciſed lips; but in ſuch a Language, as may beſeem his ſervice regarding more that my words be full of ſenſe, then of ſound,1 Cor. 2.4. and ſuch was the Apoſtles ſpeech; might my preaching be like his, then I ſhould think I were rightly eloquent.
The Eye, indeed, is a ſtricter and more curious Examiner, then the Ear▪ and a ſeverer Judge: Life puts a working luſtre upon the meaneſt Language being ſpoken, (and that generally the Hearer is much affected with); but that luſtre is lost in writing which our words had in the delivery. And being but as dead in the letter, the Reader expects that the phraſe and style ſhould be pleaſing and adorned (as a dead Corpſe uſed to be) with Flowers of Eloquence and Oratory; which yet (unleſſe the matter be ſound and ſacred) cannot keep mens Writings from rottenneſs and putrefaction. However, this my labour, in reſpect of the ſtyle and phraſe, may be judged by a curious Eye to be ſimple, plain, and popular, and in that reſpect contemptible; yet I aſſure you, that the Subject-matter of the Book is Divine and ſacred, and in that reſpect not deſpicable; but ſuch as may exerciſe the Devotion of the beſt Lady in the Land. Good Mrs. Herrys, that God,Iob 7.1…. who doth viſit man every morning, and try him every night, hath viſited you with infirmity of Body, whereby you are often diſabled from attendance on his Publique Ordinances, to your great grief (I doubt not): Be pleaſed under this your reſtraint, to have ſome ſerious and private conference with this Friend, which I here preſent unto you, (as a thankeful testimonial of that duty which I owe you) and I am aſſured it will ſpeak a word in ſeaſon to your heart, and furniſh you with ſome comfortable Cordial, to revive your fainting ſpirits, in the ſaddeſt condition that you can be under. For it is onelyonly the aſſurance of God's friendly love and favour, that gives the Godly ſatisfaction in their ſoareſt Afflictions. Nor ſhall I be wanting, whileſt I am in this Earthly Tabernacle, to aſſiſt you with my poor Prayers: Beſeeching
The Father of all Bleſſings, that He would bleſs you, both with the Bleſſings of the Throne, and of the Foot-stool, and enable you ſo to glorifie him in this life, that you may be glorified of him in the next. Deſiring ſtill to be eſteemed one that is
Devoted, in any Chriſtian Duty, to ſerve you, Nehemiah Rogers.