A Preparation Unto Fasting and Repentance, Title page – Dedication
A PREPARATION vntounto FASTING and REPENTANCE.
By PETER MOVLIN, and tranſlated by I. B.
LONDON: Printed by T. S. for Nathaniel Newbery, and are to be ſould at the ſigne of the Starre vnderunder S. Peters Church in Cornehill, and in Popes head ally. 1620.
To the Religious and Vertuous Lady, the Lady IANE BOYS, Widdow to the right worſhipfull Sir IOHN BOYS, ſometime Recorder of the City of Canterbury; grace & peace from our LORD IESVS CHRIST.
MAdame, I preſent vntounto your Ladiſhips view and reading, this Homelie preached in the French tongue by that learned and iudicious diuine, Mr. Peter du Moulin, Miniſter of the word of God, and by me tranſlated, touching that excellent conference betweene God and his ſeruant Abraham; wherein we may behold on the one ſide the nature of ſinne, and the vengeance of God when ſinners are come to their full meaſure; on the other ſide the patience and familiar acceſſe, which he affords to thoſe that louelove him, how milde and patient he is towards them that feare him, and how hee behaues himſelfe towards his enemies, and all to this end to moue vsus all to faith, repentance, and humility.
And ſithence my ſmall paines in engliſhing it yeelds me a right to make choyce of one to whom I may dedicate this little volume, I am bold to preſent the ſame vntounto your Ladiſhip (hoping your fauourable acceptance therof) and the rather becauſe it befits you, (Madame) in many reſpects, for theſe vertues that are here required, are in you. (Madame) I ſpeake it without flattery; faith, repentance, humility, zeale to Gods houſe, louelove to his word, louelove and faith which you hauehave to the Lord Ieſus, and towards all his Saints; for you are an Anna, alwayes ſeruing God in the Temple with faſting and prayers, a Lydia in hearing Gods word, a Mary in pondering and meditating the ſame, a Dorcas to Widdowes and Orphans, a Shunamite to the Prophets and Miniſters of God, not onelyonly countenancing our perſons and miniſtery with your perſon and preſence in our Church of Canterbury when you are here, but alſo cheriſhing vsus with good and comfortable words, and exerciſing your liberall charitie towards our poore, not leeſing your firſt louelove, like the Epheſians, but continuing it towards vsus frō time to time; and therefore the iuſt God will not forget your piety towards him, nor your charity towards his Saints; but as your name and charitable workes are inregiſtred in our booke of remembrance, ſo is your name written in the Booke of Life, your deeds of charity in feeding, couering, viſiting the poore, written in that Booke that ſhall be opened in the day of iudgement to your conſolation; then ſhall you reape plentifully what you ſowe here, and as Damaſcen ſpeakes, here you giuegive a little, there you ſhall receiue much; now you giuegive a tranſitory thing, then ſhall you gaine an eternall; here you giuegive a penny, there you ſhall receiue a Kingdome; for if Iulius Ceſar gaue Lands to one that gaue him but a draught of water, what a reward will Chriſt giuegive to thoſe, that giuegive but a cup of water to drinke in his name to thoſe that belong to him? If Darius gaue a Kingdome to Siloſontes, that gaue him a garment onelyonly; what a Kingdome will Chriſt giuegive to thoſe that giuegive him cloathing, foode, and drinke, in the name and perſon of the leaſt and pooreſt of his brethren? The ſame Ieſus Chriſt whom you feede, cloath, and viſite here on earth in his members; as he feedes you and cloathes you here on earth, not onelyonly corporally, but alſo ſpiritually, with the ſpirituall Manna the bread and water of life, euen he himſelfe who is your ſpirituall foode and garment alſo, will giuegive you that euerlaſting Kingdome, prepared for you from the foundation of the world; where and when you ſhall be crowned with the crowne of righteouſneſſe, cloathed with the roabes of glory, ſit downe with Abraham, Iſaack and Iacob to be nouriſhed with the fruit of the tree of life and water of life, and liue eternally with him in the kingdome of heauen, Amen.
Canterbury the 30. of Iune, 1620. Your Ladiſhips in all dutifull ſeruice to command, IOHN BVLTEEL.