TOTH EV

READER.

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OUL and Body conftitute the whole of Man, and therefore are the primary Things, and most neceffary Subjects

we can employ our Thoughts and Care •upon."

Now fuch Books as tend to Party, and the fetting us together by the Ears, are directly Diabolical.

And fuch as teach Languages, natural Philofophy, Oratory, Poetry, Hiftory, Mathematicks, and all the Arts and Sciences, are only for the bringing in and preferving of Credit, Profit and Pleafure, which are but Secondary external Things, fubfervient to the Firft.

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But

But those that are written for the enriching the Head with needful Notions, furnishing the Understanding with practical Rules, and rectifying the Affections:

As alfo thofe that are defigned for the Prefervation of Health; curing of Difeafes, and prolonging of Life: That is, thofe that aim at fecuring to us a found Mind in a found Body: Thefe of a certain are the Ufefulness of all Writings, and beft deferve our most ferious Study and Obfervance.

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Accordingly I have fixed upon these Subjects, and have caft my two Mites, namely my Moral Collections, and my Pharmacopoeias into the Corban, as believing I was born a Citizen of the World, and not for myself only, and not knowing how I could ferve the Publick better.

As to the Matter of Commendation and Cenfure, I endeavour to neither, exalted nor dejected, nor any way concerned about either of them.

And that partly upon Confideration, that they are in the Hands of the Vulgar, who taking nothing right, difpenfe

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both thefe not according to Merit, but Caprichio, and generally to the wrong Perfons.

But chiefly because Praife and Dif praife are Things that belong to this World only, which I am every Day more and more fenfible, I must shortly leave; and therefore am pluming and preparing myself to take Wing into the World of Spirits, where there is no more Regard had to the Foolings, the Flatteries, and Flouts of the little humane Infects creeping upon the Earth, than to the Acti ons of filly Emmits crawling upon their Hillock.

For in that State, they that are miserable ball feel, and can think of nothing but Mifery; but the happy will be filled up to the Utmost of their Capacity, with beatifick Vision, Wonder, Joy, Rapture, Ecftafy, Ineffable, Inconceivable, and Inceffant for ever and ever.

Good Reader,

I fufpect I may have written fome Things twice; if not the fame in Words, yet in Senfe, which I defire you to pass by favourably; forafmuch as you may

well

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well think, it was as difficult and dull a Thing for me, in fo great a Number of independent Sentences, to find out the Repetitions, as it would be in a vast Heap of different Coins and Medals, confufedly thrown together, to pick out here and there one that bore the fame and like Infcription, with fome other among them.

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Befides the Pains, fuch a Search would coft me more Time, than I can afford it; for my Glafs of Life running now low, I must not fuffer one Sand to fall in waft, nor spend one Minute in picking of Straws.

And moreover, my aged Eyes being grown weak and dim, I fear they will become quite dark, by much perusing and poring; or at least fo far, so as to render me unable to perfect Jeveral Papers now lying by me, which I would willingly make a Prefent of to you.

But to conclude this, fince in Matters of Advice Precept must be upon Precept, and Line upon Line, I apologife in the Words of St. Paul, To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is fafe.

1762 BEGIN