To
the
Christian
Reader
.
WHo
so
shall
duly
consider
the
whole
Progresse
of
mans
estate
from
life
to
death
,
shall
finde
it
gentle
Reader
,
to
be
nothing
else
but
a
verie
pilgrimage
through
this
earth
to
another
world
;
for
whether
we
obserue
the
common
course
of
all
flesh
,
which
from
the
mothers
wombe
to
the
graue
,
is
still
trauelling
with
change
of
bodily
constitution
,
from
youth
to
age
,
from
health
to
sicknesse
,
and
so
from
one
estate
to
another
.
Or
if
we
behold
the
particular
incounters
which
each
man
findeth
in
himselfe
,
in
the
variable
change
of
his
hopes
and
crossing
of
his
purposes
:
In
both
it
shall
by
a
generall
experience
of
all
mens
calamities
be
assuredly
confirmed
to
be
too
true
.
But
how
much
more
may
we
finde
in
the
direction
of
our
soules
to
the
pr●per
h●uen
of
their
habitation
(
euen
to
heauen
)
a
multitude
of
aduersaries
lying
in
the
way
to
hinder
our
trauell
to
that
promised
land
;
how
many
afflictions
of
the
minde
,
frailties
of
the
flesh
,
bayts
of
the
world
,
and
snares
of
Satan
,
are
bent
against
vs
,
to
slacken
(
if
not
cleane
to
diuert
,
our
due
course
thitherwardes
,
in
such
sort
as
if
God
of
his
infinite
mercie
and
prouidence
did
not
oftentimes
preuent
and
stop
our
willes
and
powers
,
and
bridle
the
malice
of
these
aduersaries
,
we
should
all
assuredly
perish
by
the
way
.
But
now
(
such
is
his
fatherlie
care
and
loue
to
vs
in
Christ
)
that
hee
hath
left
vs
a
direction
&
readie
way
of
saftie
in
the
midst
of
all
ass●ults
●r
●fflictio●s
how
peri●●ous
soeuer
,
euen
praier
;
whi●h
being
formed
accor●ing
to
the
rules
prescribed
vnto
vs
by
his
sonne
,
and
with
feruencie
of
faith
offered
vp
vnto
him
:
are
of
power
to
penetrate
the
heauen
,
purchase
our
safetie
,
p●y
our
debts
,
&
procure
vs
peace
of
hart
in
the
midst
of
all
e●rt●ly
perils
:
yea
(
knowing
our
coldnesse
herein
,
and
feare
of
our
owne
guils
,
deterring
vs
from
his
presence
)
he
doth
not
onlie
licence
vs
to
this
boldnesse
,
but
allureth
vs
by
manie
sensible
blessings
felt
in
our
owne
consciences
.
And
calleth
vs
by
a
supernaturall
courage
,
sometimes
with
confidence
to
come
vnto
him
,
and
euen
to
hope
against
hope
in
our
most
desperate
necessities
.
He
doth
direct
our
tongues
oftentimes
herein
before
our
mindes
,
and
our
mindes
before
our
hearts
;
being
himself
readier
to
giue
then
we
to
aske
,
and
giuing
with
more
regard
of
our
good
,
then
we
can
craue
or
conceiue
:
for
all
which
he
expecteth
nothing
else
at
our
hands
,
but
continuallie
to
flie
vnto
him
,
&
to
yeeld
him
due
praise
:
to
relie
on
him
onelie
in
the
day
of
triall
,
and
to
incourage
others
thereto
,
for
in
this
sort
alone
he
will
be
honoured
of
vs
.
This
our
earthlie
pilgrimage
being
then
so
dangerous
to
all
flesh
,
and
so
readie
a
way
prescribed
vnto
vs
for
our
safer
passage
therein
,
he
were
verie
vnwise
that
would
not
furnish
himselfe
with
such
prou●sion
(
which
costs
so
litle
as
our
willes
to
haue
it
)
and
more
vncharitable
that
would
not
do
his
best
to
assist
his
companion
in
his
iourny
,
with
both
counsell
and
comfort
of
the
same
.
For
this
cause
(
gentle
Reader
)
I
hauing
(
through
Gods
great
goodnesse
)
fels
in
the
direction
and
protection
of
my
vnstable
youth
,
a
plentifull
portion
of
the
wonderfull
care
he
hath
ouer
vs
,
and
of
the
vnspeakeable
force
of
praier
and
thansgiuing
in
all
extremities
:
the
more
to
stirre
vp
my selfe
to
a
memorie
thereof
,
haue
thought
good
to
set
downe
these
abrupt
passions
of
my
passed
afflictions
,
as
witnesses
of
the
impediments
most
stopping
me
in
my
Christian
pilgrimage
,
and
testimonies
of
the
meanes
of
my
euasion
hitherto
,
which
may
serue
for
presidents
for
my selfe
in
the
like
future
occasions
:
and
not
be
altogither
vnprofitable
for
others
to
imitate
.
In
which
(
as
in
a
glasse
)
may
be
seene
,
the
state
of
a
regenerate
soule
,
sicke
with
sinne
,
sometimes
(
Agus-like
)
shiuering
with
cold
dispaire
,
straight
waies
inflamed
with
seruencie
of
faith
and
hope
.
One
while
yeelding
vnder
the
burthen
of
sinne
to
eternall
death
,
and
presently
incouraged
to
runne
cheerfully
forward
the
appointed
course
of
this
his
pilgrimage
,
and
like
a
practized
traueller
,
vsed
to
the
change
of
companie
,
diet
,
heate
,
cold
,
paine
,
pleasure
,
plentie
,
and
want
,
not
to
amaze
himselfe
long
with
anie
chaunge
:
but
by
a
consideration
of
pleasures
passed
or
rest
expected
,
patientlie
to
passe
ouer
this
world
full
of
incomberances
,
from
a
sence
and
feeling
wherof
in
some
measure
,
no
true
childe
of
God
is
anie
long
time
(
as
I
suppose
)
exempt
.
Now
although
I
doubt
not
but
euen
these
reasons
will
carrie
the
iudgement
of
the
godlie
Christian
Reader
to
a
fauourable
interpretation
of
my
purpose
herein
,
and
to
some
delight
in
the
tast
thereof
,
to
whom
no
person
or
occasion
,
stile
or
phrase
,
will
seeme
vnseasonable
,
being
imployd
to
the
glorifying
of
God
,
&
profit
of
the
Church
,
or
proceeding
from
a
zeale
of
that
effect
:
yet
the
consideration
that
the
greater
number
to
whose
handes
this
Treatise
may
happen
to
come
,
are
either
not
so
well
affected
,
or
so
discreet
and
temperate
as
were
to
be
wished
,
maketh
me
thinke
it
needfull
to
saie
something
in
declaration
of
my
purpose
herein
:
not
in
excuse
of
my
exercising
my self
in
such
theames
which
indeed
ought
to
be
the
common
action
in
some
measure
of
all
men
,
as
oft
as
necessarie
affaires
of
this
life
will
permit
them
,
neither
in
that
I
make
common
with
others
this
my
exercise
which
seemeth
in
secret
onely
to
be
practised
by
my selfe
:
for
that
I
take
it
not
to
be
alwaies
a
token
of
pride
or
vaine
glorie
,
to
make
knowne
for
a
common
good
to
others
,
that
which
may
breed
a
suspect
of
ambition
in
the
Author
among
the
prophane
or
cauelling
multitude
,
though
how
herein
I
am
carried
my selfe
,
I
leaue
to
God
the
searcher
of
hearts
to
iudge
:
onely
I
would
satisfie
them
first
in
the
cause
of
my
writing
them
in
verse
,
then
of
the
confused
placing
of
them
without
speciall
titles
.
To
the
first
I
was
induced
,
for
that
I
find
manie
oftentimes
(
speciallie
such
as
had
most
neede
to
praie
and
meditate
)
to
reade
bookes
rather
for
the
affection
of
words
then
liking
of
matter
,
and
perhaps
more
to
controll
the
compiling
,
then
commend
the
contents
,
such
yet
(
so
as
they
read
)
shall
giue
me
all
that
I
craue
,
and
find
I
hope
that
they
looked
not
for
,
if
not
in
all
,
yet
in
some
among
manie
of
these
Sonnets
.
As
for
the
apt
nature
of
Poetrie
,
to
delight
,
to
contriue
significat●●●ly
in
fewe
words
much
matter
,
to
pearce
and
penetrate
●●●ections
of
men
,
with
the
aptnesse
thereof
,
for
helpe
of
●e●orie
,
I
will
not
saie
much
:
but
for
my
deducing
t●ese
passions
into
Sonnets
,
it
answereth
(
as
I
suppose
)
best
for
the
shortn●sse
,
to
the
nature
of
passions
,
and
common
burner
of
men
,
who
are
either
not
long
touched
with
so
good
motions
,
or
by
their
worldly
affaires
not
permitted
to
continue
much
reading
;
as
for
the
cause
of
my
so
preposterous
placing
of
them
and
deuision
onely
into
two
sorts
,
I
confesse
indeed
I
am
perswaded
their
disorder
doth
best
fit
the
nature
of
mankind
,
who
commonly
is
delighted
with
contraries
,
and
exercised
with
extreames
,
and
also
as
they
were
by
God
ministred
to
my
minde
,
to
set
downe
by
sundry
accidents
in
my
priuate
estate
and
feeling
;
so
I
suppose
my
prouidence
could
not
by
a
formall
placing
of
them
,
so
soone
hit
the
aff●ctions
of
euerie
Reader
as
Gods
direction
(
by
that
which
men
call
chaunce
)
might
this
way
incounter
the
common
inconstant
forme
of
reading
,
which
is
by
starts
to
turne
ouer
bookes
,
and
peruse
only
,
what
by
the
praise
of
others
told
,
is
commended
vnto
them
,
or
not
sought
for
,
falleth
into
their
view
.
As
they
are
therefore
,
I
recommend
them
to
thy
curtesie
in
reading
,
and
thee
to
Gods
holie
spirit
in
the
perusing
of
them
,
if
they
may
haue
the
same
working
in
thee
,
that
I
praise
God
some
of
them
had
in
me
,
they
shall
not
be
vtterly
vnprofitable
.
If
in
matter
they
iumpe
not
to
thy
passions
in
all
points
,
thinke
among
the
great
Arsenall
of
Satans
armour
,
he
hath
choyce
of
weapons
for
sundry
assaults
,
and
disposeth
of
them
diuersly
according
to
the
strength
or
weaknesse
of
the
partie
he
besiegeth
.
Which
(
being
as
indifferent
in
particular
persons
as
Gods
gifts
are
to
them
)
thou
shalt
do
well
to
thy
abilitie
to
reforme
or
supply
my
defect
,
who
hereby
do
onely
inuite
the
better
able
to
imploy
in
so
fit
a
Theame
their
more
fruitfull
spirit
.
If
in
maner
of
the
verse
or
stile
,
they
be
(
as
I
doubt
not
)
to
be
amended
much
:
I
do
not
greatly
seeke
the
praise
of
a
curious
Architect
or
,
neither
(
without
neglect
of
more
necessarie
dutie
)
could
I
attaine
to
the
required
obseruances
that
way
:
and
therefore
craue
that
thy
dis●ression
may
regard
my
intention
.
And
thus
recommending
my selfe
to
●●y
fauourable
acceptance
,
who
herein
haue
rather
folowed
the
force
of
mine
owne
inward
feeling
,
then
outward
ornaments
of
Poeticall
fictions
or
amplifications
,
as
best
beseeming
the
naked
cloathing
of
simple
truth
,
&
true
Analogie
of
the
nature
of
the
Histories
whereto
they
alude
,
and
harmonie
of
scriptures
whence
they
are
borrowed
.
I
heartely
commend
thee
to
the
Almightie
.