^^««*E1 



his Preface, 27 



peradventure fuch, as men, in this prefent ftate of mind 

 and imploymcnts , can not eafily conceive and compre- 

 hend. And the cafe concerns not contemplative felicity 

 alone, but indeed mens affairs and fortunes, and all the 

 power of Works : For Man, Nature f ijiinijier and inter- 

 preter^ doih^ and underffandsfo much, as he hath by Ope- 

 ration or Contemplation obfer<ved of Natures Order j nor can 

 h^oto or do any more : For neither can any forces unloofe 

 and break afunder the chain of Caufesj nor is nature o- 

 thcrwife, than by obedience unto it, vanquiflit. Where- 

 fore thefe two main Intentions, Humane Sciences, and Hu- 

 mane Potencies, are indeed in the fame point coincident : 

 and the fruftrarion of Works, for moft part, falls out from 

 the ignorance of Canfe^. § But herein the fumm and per- 

 fefiion of all confifts, if a man, never taking off the eye 

 of his mind from the things themfelves , throughly im- 

 print their images to the life. For God defend, that we 

 ihould publiHi the aycry dreams of our own Fancy, for the 

 real Ideas of the U orld ! But rather may he be (o graci- 

 oufly propitious unto us,that we may write the Apocalypfe, 

 and true vifion of the impreffions and fignets of the Crea- 

 tor, upon the Creature ! 



Wherefore thou , Father, rvho hajl conferred vifibh 

 Lights as the Primitise on the Creature ; and breathed into 

 the face of Man IntelleSiual Light, as the accomplifhment of 

 thy Worhj ; proteB and conduB this IVork^, n^hich ijfuing 

 from thy Goodnejs, returns to thy Glory ! ThoUy after thou 

 hadji fur'z/eyedthexporkj thy hands had tvronght, f aw that 

 all tpas exceeding Good, andhajirejied : but Manfurveying 

 the tporkj his hands had wrought, faxv that all was 'vanity 

 and 'vexation of Spirit , and found no Kejl : Wherefore if 

 we labour with diligence , and vigilance in Thy worlds i 

 thou wilt mah^ us Participants of thy Vifion^ and of thy 

 Sabbath. We humbly fupplic ate , that we may be of this 

 re[olution,and infpired with this mind) and that thou wouldjl 

 be pleafed to endow humane Race,wtth new Donattrves by our 

 hands 5 and the hands of others^ in who^ thou /halt implant 

 the fame Spirit. 



[Ha] THE 



