To the Reader.

THe exuberant spawns of illiterate
Books proceeding
from the polluted wombs
of the overloaded, and bejaded
adulterate presses, which are all
painted with fair titles, I can compare
to nothing so fitly as a cheating Lottery;
which when the greedy invader
comes with hopes for a little money
laid down, to carry away a great deal
of wit with him, 'tis nineteen at least
to one when he opens it, but he finds
to his shame, that he hath drawn a
blank, perhaps a blasphemy; and
yet couched under the title of glorious
truth, heavenly discoveries, beams
of light, new Jerusalem, Gods minde
clearly revealed, with multitudes of
such paints upon their strumpets faces.
The sacred Bible which indeed is
an Alablaster-box full of sweet perfumes

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and precious ointments, is made
alas! like Pandora's boxe in the
humane story which Epimetheus
presumptuously opening filled the
world with evils, diseases and calamities
of all kindes. The sacred Bible is
made now the patron of Prophane
mens practises; never were grosse sins
at such an impudent height as now
they are; what horrid impudence is
that of hel to take heaven by the hand?
Sins that were wont to hide themselves
in the holes and clefts of obscurity,
not daring to behold the light, but
Serpent-like, to creep under the low
shrubs of deceitfull shifts, how do they
Eagle-like sit pearching on the goodly
Cedars I mean Pulpits and Thrones
the Cedars of God, and dare to cast
up their eyes towards the Sun? who
would think it! yet what this day
more common then to meet the devill
with his eyes towards heaven, and a
Bible under his arme, cloathing all his
words and actions cap a pea in Scripture
phrases; Murderers, traitors, rebels,
blasphemers, soothsayers, adulterers,
sabbath-breakers, perjurers, oppressours,
and almost all notorious villains
have marshalled themselves like
the Roman Clergy into so many severall
Sects of religion, all impudently
assuming to themselves the usurped
title of eminent Saints, and quoting
Scripture for their actions, and scotfree
passe the presse into the world to
make more proselytes: so that he that
in his Soul-frozen age shall go to gather
Books to warm his Soul, as Paul
did sticks to warm his fingers will be
sure, if he be not wary, to gather vipers
into his bosome: And how am I stung
with pain and horrour, whiles I meditate
on the thousands of poor souls
that are gnawed to death by these
speckled vipers! Sure it cannot but sit
sad one day upon the spirits of those
licentious Licencers, that are as the
midwives of such monsters.
For thy comfort therefore and incouragement
Reader I do assure thee
this Book is free from all such venomous
beasts, no toad of malice, nor
serpent of deceit lurks either in the

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matter or the phrase hereof. In plain
English, it is a pleasant, heavenly, self-searching,
soul-convincing, sin-condemning,
heart-humbling, spirit-raising,
grace-quickning, Christ-exalting
book. I need say no more, they are the
Sermons of Mr. Christopher Love,
Master of Arts, and Minister of the
Gospell of Christ, whose actions, life
and death, will eternize his name; I
may truly say of his elegant style, and
pleasant way of expressing himself, as
he of Gregory Nazianzen,
Viribus eloquit valuit, linguaq3 diserta:
Mellifluos dulci protulit ore sonos.
The subject of these Sermons is of
generall use to all sorts of people, much
like in that, to that text of Chrysostomes
in Psal.4.2. which as he saith if hee
had a voice like thunder, and a mighty
mountain for his pulpit, and all the
men and women in the world for his
auditory, he would choose this text to
preach on: O yee sons of men, how
long will ye turn my glory into shame?
how ling will ye love vanity, and seek
after leasing? Had this been really effected,
and I been there in Mr. Loves
spirit, would Chrysostome have lent me
his voice, and allowed me the use of his
monarchical pulpit, when he had done
in the morning with his text, I would
have come up in the evening with this
text, Eph.2.12 That at that time ye were
without Christ, being aliens from the
Commonwealth of Israel, and strangers
from the Covenant of Promise, having
no hope, and without God in the World:
but this need not, for it is in a manner
effected already: this worthy Minister
hath ascended that pulpit from
whence hee hath thundred into the
world, he is now one of those blessed
ones, tht dyed in and for the Lord,
he is at rest from all his labours, and
now behold his works do follow him;
some are already gone before, and
these do follow after. These Sermons
were preached at St. Anne's Aldersgate,
where this holy young man was
Pastor: I pray God they may prove
as the great trumpet of God, to cause
a spirituall resurrection amongst those
people before they go down to the
house of rottennesse; it cannot but
much rejoyce those people to hear
their Pastors voice again, those sheep
cannot but know their shepherds
voice; which that they may doe, the
Lord of heaven blesse these his worthy
labours to their, and thy spirituall
advantage; so as that the distressed
Churches losse in his sad and unexpected
absence, may be made up in
the blessing of God, upon these and the
rest of his pious and painfull labours.
So prayeth,

Thine,

E.C.