TO ALL WEAKE Christians that haue a desire to be saued.

IT is a necessary rule
in pollicie dearely
beloved in our Lord
and Sauiour Iesus
Christ that those cities
shuld be garded
round, which are
besieged round, and it was Cambices
counsell too, that Citizens which
would keepe their Cities in safety; &
flourishing estate, should euer bee
watchfull, as if the enemies were approching.
As this is good pollicie for
Cities or Garrison townes, so also
Christ Iesus in the Gospell, knowing

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that his Church should haue manie
enemies, and foreseeing the danger
that might come vnto it by securitie,
co~mendeth, & co~maundeth watchfulnes
to his Disciples & seruants: for
security hath euer greatly enda~maged
Gods church. Security made Bethel,
Bethauen: the sweet valley, a valley of
salt: Syon, a den for Foxes: & Hierusalem,
Hieruschica: that is, a most homely
& vnpleasant place. And who seeth
not, that the greater number of men
at this day, are so lulled a sleepe in the
chaire of securitie, by the loue of the
world, by the sinfull delights of the
flesh, and by the subtile suggestions
of Sathan, which they suspect not
that they can as hardly be awaked, as
Endymion from his endlesse sleepe?
In the one eare, Security sounding, It
is not yet time: In the other eare, presumption
singing, It will be time still.
And thus with the Dolphin they
swin in delights, when destruction
is nearest: till at the last, Desperation,
the handmaide of Securitie, plaieth
her part, sheweth them the houreglasse,
and wofully telleth them the
time is past.
The consideration hereof moued
me Christian reader according to
my simple art and skill, to frame this
booke, as a Watch-bell, to sounde in
the eares of all men, not one stroke
alone, but twelue, in twelue seuerall
Chapters: which may serue as the
wheeles of a Watch-bell, to inforce it
to yeeld forth the more shrill sound,
thereby to awake the most drowsie
harted sinners, from their security &
carelesse liuing, to enter into a consideratio~
how their case standeth with
God, & finding themselues, by their
forepassed wicked life, not worthy of
the least of Gods mercies, they may
reforme their liues, and seeke speedily
to be reconciled vnto Christ.

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And I doe hartily wish that this labour
of mine, may be vnto all those,
which desire to be heires of the euerlasting
kingdome of Christ, so sweet
a creation in soule, as were the 12.
fountaines of water in Elim, to the
people of Israel: Num. 33. and that
it may yeelde a healing plaster to euery
wounded soule, no lesse effectuall,
then the leaues of the tree of life,
which bare 12. seueral fruites, to heale
the nations. Apoc. 22. Reade it therefore
diligently, and with a single hart,
and I doubt not but in the ende thou
wilt praise God both for the booke
and the Author, as some wel disposed
haue done, who haue confessed, that
it was the first meanes vnder God,
that wrought their conuersion, and
haue bene importunate suters for reprinting
of the same: wherein I haue
done my endeuour, and commend
the successe vnto God, and to him I
will euermore pray, that it may worke
the like effect in many, that the number
of his Church may be daily encreased,
Amen.