Rest for the heavy-laden

than a Friend, that durst not do him good till he had begged his Leave to doe it. But he did the Part of a true Friend. His Eye no fooner saw, but his Heart pitied, and Pity set him a Work. To bind up bis Wounds, to pour in Oil and Wine, to accommodate him with his own Beast, and a convenient Lodging, and to provide for bis Cure at his own Charge.

And the Design of this following Difcourse is to do the like good Office to Men's Souls, as he did to the poor Man's Body. These have fallen among Thieves, too, by whom they have been stripped and wounded: and the good Samaritan, that alone can both cloath and heal them, is no other but JESUS CHRIST, the Saviour of the World, who came on purpose to seek and to save that which was loft. This he can do immediately by himfelf, but this he doth ordinarily by his Instruments, whom he hath ordained to Minister unto him in the Cure of Souls : And by their Ministry he poureth both the Oil and the Wine into the Soul that's wounded, either by Sin or for it. In this needful Office, I desire to ferve him, and to do what good I am able to all that need it; and bad rather be doing

than apologizing for what I do, or like a Mountebank, telling the World what Feats I am able or hope to perform. So that, if the Bookseller had not more than I, defired to be in the Fashion, I had not troubled you with one Word by Way of Preface.

If the Book, answer the Title, and Shew indeed where the Heavy Laden may find Rest, the Title doth fufficiently commend the Book. Whatever it be that is here done, now that I have offered it to your View, 1 must leave it to your Judgment, whether I will or no. And I'do expert, that every one will judge of it as be is affected; and judge as you please, I am not concerned for my own Credit, nor any otherwise than he, who having made the best Provision be was able for the Entertainment of his Friends, feeth but Few of them eat heartily, and all the rest too nice, and dainty to taste of any Thing he bath set before them, and some of them deriding the homely Fare. His Design was Friendship, and if it be otherwife taken, be is forry for it; but fatiffieth himself with this, that he cannot help

it.

How little need foever there may be of fuch Helps as this in other Parts of

the

the World, I cannot chuse but fee in this
little Corner of it, which lieth under my
Eye, a great many of those that would be
called Christians, who sufficiently need
what I here have endeavoured to doe for
for them. I cannot but pity them, and
bow can I do fo, and not afford them my best
Assistance; in pointing them out the Way
to Him, who so lovingly invites them, and
bath in Readiness for them, all that they
can need or defire? If any of them will
not accept of my Kindness, the worst that
I wish them is this; that they may not
however lose the Benefit of that free and
gracious Invitation, which is herein com-
mended unto them. It is the blessed JE-
SUS, who shed his precious Blood to re-
deem our Souls from Death, that. here
invites to Rest, and Life, and Happi-
ness; I am no more, but the Unworthiest
of those his Servants, who, at his Com-
mand, bid Men to the Feast, and fay what
be hath enabled me to perswade them to
come, and direct them in the Way.

What you are to expect in this Discourse,
the Contents will tell you, and all that I
Shall now tell you more, is only this, that
I cannot wish myself any greater Happiness,
than I am confident I have pointed out unto
you

you. As many of you as defire to be good
and safe, will love and pray for him that
doth his best to make you so, and will hear-
tily join with him in this Prayer to the
great God of all true Peace and Comfort,
That he would enable us all by his holy
Spirit to go on constantly, and chearfully,
running the Race that he hath fet before
us, till we obtain the End of our Faith,
even the Salvation of our Souls through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.