THE

EPISTLE DEDICATORY.

To his dearly-beloved Brother and Sister, Mr. J. C. and Mrs. E. C. the Author wisheth Grace, Mercy, and Peace.

DEAR FRIENDS,

THE double tie of nature and grace, besides the many endearing passages, that for so many years have linked and glued our affections so intimately, cannot but beget a tender sympathy in me with you under all your troubles, and make me say of every affliction which befalls you, Half mine. I find it is with our affections, as with the strings of musical instruments, exactly set at the same height: if one be touched, the other trembles, though it be at some distance.

Our affections are one, and so in a great measure have been our afflictions also. You cannot forget, that in the year lately past, the Almighty visited my tabernacle with the rod, and, in one year, cut off from it the root and the branch, the tender mother

and the only son. What the effects of these strokes, or rather of my own unmortified passions were, I have felt, and you and others have heard. Surely I was a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; yea, I may say with them, "Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall, my soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me."

I dare not say, that ever I felt my heart discontentedly rising and swelling against God; no, I could still justify him, when I most sensibly smarted by his hand: if he had plunged me into a sea of sorrow, yet I could say, in all that sea of sorrow there is not a drop of injustice. But it was the over-heating and over-acting of my fond and unmortified affections and passions, that made so sad impressions upon my body, and cast me under those distempers which soon imbittered all my remaining comforts

to me.

It was my earnest desire, so soon as I had strength and opportunity for so great a journey, to visit you; that so (if the Lord had pleased) I might both refresh, and be refreshed by you, after all my sad and disconsolate days; and you cannot imagine what content and pleasure I projected in that visit. But it proved to us (as all other comforts of the same kind ordinarily do) more in expectation than fruition; for how soon after our joyful meeting and embraces, did the Lord overcast and darken our day, by sending death into your tabernacle, to take away the desire of your eyes with a stroke! to crop off that sweet and only bud, from which we promised ourselves so much comfort: but no more of that, I fear I have

gone too far already. It is not my design to exasperate your troubles, but to heal them; and for that purpose have I sent you these papers, which I hope may be of use both to you, and many others in your condition, since they are the after-fruits of my own troubles; things that I commend not to you from another hand, but which I have (in some measure) proved and tasted in my own trials.

But I will not hold you longer here: I have only a few things to desire for and from you, and I have done.

The things I desire are,

First, That you will not be too hasty to get off the yoke which God hath put upon your neck. Remember when your child was in the womb, neither of you desired it should be delivered thence, till God's appointed time was fully come; and now that you travail again with sorrow for its death, O desire not to be delivered from your sorrow one moment before God's time for your deliverance be also fully come. Let patience have its perfect work; that comfort which comes in God's way and season will remain by you, and do you good indeed.

Secondly, I desire, that though you and your affliction had a sad meeting, yet you and they may have a comfortable parting. If they effect that upon your hearts for which God has sent them, I doubt not but God will give them a fair testimony when they go off.

If they obtain God's blessing upon them in their operation, surely they will have your blessing too at their valediction. And what you entertained with

fear, you will dismiss with praise. How sweet is it to hear the afflicted soul say, when God is loosing his bands, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted!"

Thirdly, I heartily wish, that these searching afflictions may make the most satisfying discoveries, that you may now see more of the evils of sin, the vanity of the creature, and the fulness of Christ, than ever you yet saw. Afflictions are searchers, and put the soul upon searching and trying its way. When our sins find us out by affliction, happy are we, if by the light of affliction we find out sin. Blessed is the man whom God chasteneth, and teacheth out of his law. There are unseen causes, many times of our troubles; you have an advantage now to sift out the seeds and principles from which they spring.

Fourthly, I wish that all the love and delight you bestowed upon your little one, may now be placed to your greater advantage upon Jesus Christ; and that the stream of your affection to him may be so much the stronger, as there are now fewer channels for it to be divided into. If God will not have any part of your happiness to lie in children, then let it wholly lie in himself. If the jealousy of the Lord hath removed that which drew away too much of your heart from him, and hath spoken by his rod, saying, "Stand aside, child; thou art in my way, and fillest more room in thy parent's heart than belongs to thee"-O then deliver up all to him, and say, Lord, take the whole heart entirely and undividedly to thyself.

Henceforth, let there be no parting, sharing,