This WORLD to that which is to COME.
Delivered under the SIMILITUDE of a
DREA M:
I. The MANNER of his SETTING OUT. II. His dangerous JOURNEY; and III. His fafe ARRIVAL at the Defired Country.
HOSEA xii. 10. I have used Similitudes.
GLASGOW:
Printed by JOHN ROBERTSON
"The Author's Apology for his Book. WHEN at the first I took my pen in hand,
Thus for to write, & did not understand. That I at all should make a little book In fuch a mode: Nay, I had undertook To make another; which, when almost done, `. Before I was aware, I this begun. ·
And thus it was: I writing of the way And race of faints in this cur gospel-day, Fell fuddenly into an allegory
About their journey, and the way to glory, In more than twenty things, which I fet down: This done, I twenty more had in my crown ; And they again began to mul iply,
Like Sparks that from the coals of fire do fly, Nay, then, thought 1, if that you breed fo faft, I'll put you by yourselves, left you at last Should prove ad infinitum, and eat out The book that I already am about. Well, fo I did; but yet I did not think To fhew to all the World my pen and ink In fuch a mode; I only thought to make I knew not what : nor do I undertake Thereby to please my neighbour; no, not I, I did it mine own felf to gratify..
Neither did I but vacant feafons Spend In this my fcribble; nor did I intend But to divert myself in doing this,
From worfer thoughts which make me do amifs.
Thus I fet pen to paper with delight, And quickly had my thoughts in black and white. For having now my method by the end, Still as I pull'd, it came; and fo I pen'd It down; until it came at last to be, (The. For length and breadth, the bigness which you. Well, when I had thus put my ends together, Ifbew'd them others, that I might fee whether They would condemn them, or them justify? And fome faid, Let them live; fome, Let them die. Some faid, John, print it; others faid, Not fo Some faid, it might do good; others faid, No. Now I was in a strait, and did not fee Which was the best thing 10 be done by me? At laft I thought, fince ye are thus divided, I print it will; and fo the cafe decided.
For thought I, fome I fee would have it done, Though others in that channel do not run To prove then who advised for the best, Thus I thought fit to put it to the teft.
I farther thought, if now I did deny · Thofe that would have it, thus to gratify, I did not know, but hinder them I might Of that which would to them be great delight.. For those which were not for its coming forth, I faid to them, Offend you, I am loth; Yet fince your brethren pleased with it be, Forbear to judge, till you do farther fee. If that thou wilt not read, let it alone: Some love the meat, some to pick a bone. Yea, that I might them better moderate, too with them thus expoftulate:
May I not write in such a style as this? In fuch a method too, and yet not miss My end, thy good? Why may it not be done? Dark clouds bring waters, when the bright
Yea, dark or bright, if they their filver drops Caufe to defcend, the earth, by yielding crops, Gives praise to both, and carpeth not at either, But treasures up the fruit they yield togethers Yea, fo commixes both, that in their fruit Nowe can diftinguish this from that; they fuit Her well when hungry: but if she be full, She fpews out both, and makes their bleffing null. Fou fee the ways the fifherman doth take To catch the fish; what engines doth he make! Behold! how he engageth all his wits,
Alfo his fnares, lines, angles, hooks and nets! Yet fish there be that neither book nor line, Nor fare, nor net, nor engine can make thine :- They must be groped for, and be tickled too, Or they will not be catch'd, whate'er you do.
How does the fowler feek to catch his game By divers means? All which one cannot name : His gun, his nets, his lime-twigs, light, and bell: He creeps, he goes, he ftands; yea, who can tell. Of all his poftures? Yet there's none of thefe Will make him mafter of what fowls he pleafe. Yea, he must pipe and whistle to catch this Yet if he does fo, that bird he will mifs. if that a pearl may in a toad's head dwell, And may be found too in an offer-fbell,
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