TO THE BOOKSELLER. SIR, Y OU needed not any Interceffion to recommend this Task to me, which brought its Invitations and Reward with it. I very willingly read over all the Sheets, both of the Difcourfe and the Devotions annex'd, and find great Cause to blefs God for both, not difcerning what is wanting in any Part of either, to render it, with God's Bleffing, moft fufficient and proper to the great End defigned, the fpiritual Supplies and Advantages of all thofe that fhall be exercifed therein. The Subject Matter of it is indeed, what the Title undertakes, The Whole Duty of Man, fet down in all the Branches, with thofe Advantages of Brevity and Partitions, to invite, and fupport, and engage the Reader; That Condefcenfion to the meaneft Capacities; but withal, that Weight of Spiritual Arguments, wherein the beft Proficients will be glad to be affifted; that it feems to me A 2 equally equally fitted for both Sorts of Readers, which fhall bring with them a fincere Defire of their own, either prefent or future Advantages. The Devotion Part, in the Conclufion, is no way inferior, being a feasonable Aid to every Man's Infirmities; and hath extended itself very particularly to all our principal Concernments. The Introduction hath fupplied the Place of a Preface, which you feem to desire from me, and leaves me no more to add, but my Prayers to God, "That the AUTHOR, who hath "taken Care to convey fo liberal an Alms to the "Corban fo fecretly, may not mifs to be rewarded "openly, in the vifible Power and Benefit of this "Work, on the Hearts of the whole Nation, which cc was never in more need of fuch Supplies, as are "here afforded. That His All-fufficient Grace will "blefs the Seed fown, and give an Abundant Increafe, is the humble Requeft of Your affured Friend, H. HAMMOND, PRE i PREFACE To the Enfuing TREATISE; SHEWING The Neceflity of Caring for the SOUL. S.1. HE only Intent of this ensuing T R E ATISE, is, To be a Short and Plain TDirection to the very meaneft Readers, to behave themfelves fo in this World, that they may be happy for ever in the next. But becaufe 'tis in vain to tell Men their Duty, till they be perSwaded of the Neceffity of performing it, I fhall, before I proceed to the Particulars required of every Chriftian, endeavour to win them to the Practice of one general Duty preparatory to all the reft; and that is, The Confideration and Care of their own SOULS; without which, they will never think themfelves much concerned in the other. 2. MAN, we know, is made up of Two Parts, a BODY and a SOUL: The Body only the Husk or Shell of the Soul, a Lump of Flesh, fubject to many Difeafes and Pains while it lives, and at laft to Death itself; and then, 'tis fo far from being va lued, that 'tis not to be endured above Ground, but laid to rot in the Earth. Yet to this viler Part of us, we perform a great deal of Care; all the Labour and Toil we are at, is to maintain that. But the more precious Part, the Soul, is little thought of; no Care taken how it fares, but, as if it were a Thing that nothing concern'd us, is left quite neglected, never confider'd by us. 3. This Carelefnefs of the Soul, is the Root of all the Sin we commit; and therefore whofoever intends to fet upon a Chriftian A 3 Courfe Courfe, muft, in the first place, amend that. To the doing whereof there needs no deep Learning, or extraordinary Parts; the fimpleft Man living (that is not a natural Fool) bath understanding enough for it, if he will but alt in this by the fame Rules of common Reafon whereby he proceeds in his worldly Bufinefs. I will therefore now briefly fet down fome of thofe Motives, which use to ftir up our Care of any outward Thing, and then apply them to the Soul. 4. There be FOUR Things efpecially, which use to awake our Care, The First is, The Worth of the Thing; The Second, The Ufefulness of it to us, when we cannot part with it without great Damage and Mifchief; The Third, The great Danger of it; And the Fourth, The Likelihood that our Care will not be in vain, but that it will preferve the Thing cared for. The Worth 5. For the First, We know our Care of any worldly of the Soul. Thing is answerable to the Worth of it; what is of greatest Price, we are most watchful to preferve, and moft fearful to lofe; no Man locks up Dung in his Cheft, but his Money, or what he counts precious, he doth. Now in this refpe&t, the Soul deferves more Care, than all the Things in the World befides, for 'tis infinitely more worth, Firft, in that it is made after the Image of God; it was God that breathed into Man this Breath of Life, Gen. 2.7. Now God being of the greateft Excellency and Worth, the more any thing is like him, the more it is to be valued. But 'tis fure, that no Creature upon the Earth is at all like God, but the Soul of Man; and therefore nothing ought to have fo much of our Care. Secondly, The Soul never dies. We ufe to prize Things according to their Durablenefs: What is moft Lafting, is moft Worth. Now the Soul is a Thing that will laft for ever: When Wealth, Beauty, Strength, nay, our very Bodies themselves, fade away, the Soul fill continues. Therefore, in that refpect alfo, the Soul is of the greatest Worth; and then, what frange Madness is it for us to neglect them as we do? We can Spend Days, and Weeks, and Months, and Years, nay, our whole Lives, in hunting after a little Wealth of this World, which is of no Durance or Continuance; and, in the mean time, let this great durable Treafure, our Souls, be ftollen from us by the Devil. |