them whom he hath so chosen out of all the world, and made his jewels and his treasure.

2. It is improbable rashness to say, heaven is but for few: all this earth is no more to the glorious world above us (even so far as we see) than one inch is to all the earth, and what if God forsake one inch or molehill. (Heb. xii. 23, 24.)

Again I say, I take hell to be as the gallows, and this earth to be as Newgate gaol, where some prisoners are that shall die, and some shall live; and the superior world to be like the city and kingdom. Who will say that the king is unmerciful, because malefactors have a prison and a gallows, if all else in the kingdom live in peace?

And though this world seems almost forsaken as the prisonway to hell, yet, while the elect are saved, and the superior, lucid, glorious world is many thousand, and thousand, and thousand times greater than all this earth, I doubt not but experience will quickly tell us, that the glory of God's love is so unmeasurably manifested in heaven, as that the blindness, wickednesss, confusions, and miseries of this earth and hell shall be no eclipse or dishonour to it for ever.

THE

POOR MAN'S FAMILY BOOK.

IN

PLAIN FAMILIAR CONFERENCE

BETWEEN

A TEACHER AND A LEARNER.

WITH

A FORM OF EXHORTATION TO THE SICK; TWO CATECHISMS; A PROFESSION OF CHRISTIANITY; FORMS OF PRAYER FOR VARIOUS USES,

AND

SOME PSALMS AND HYMNS FOR THE LORD'S DAY.

A REQUEST TO THE RICH.

THIS book was intended for the use of poor families, which have neither money to buy many, nor time to read them: I much desired therefore to have made it shorter; but I could not do it, without leaving out that which I think they cannot well spare. That which is spoken accurately, and in few words, the ignorant understand not: and that which is large, they have neither money, leisure, nor memory to make their own. Being unavoidably in this strait, the first remedy lieth in your hands; I humbly propose it to you for the souls of men, and the comfort of your own, and the common good, on the behalf of Christ, the Saviour of your souls and theirs, that you will bestow one book (either this or some fitter) upon as many poor families as you well can. If every landlord would give one to every poor tenant that he hath, once in his life, out of one year's rent, it would be no great charge in comparison of the benefit which may be hoped for, and in comparison of what prodigality consumeth. The price of one ordinary dish of meat will buy a book and to abate, for every tenant, but one dish in your lives, is no great self-denial. If you, indeed, lay out all that you have better, I have done. If not, grudge not this little to the poor, and to yourselves: it will be more comfortable to your review, when the reckoning cometh, than that which is spent on pomp and ceremony, and superfluities, and fleshly pleasures. And if landlords (whose power with their tenants is usually great) would also require them seriously to read it (at least on the Lord's days) it may further the success. And I hope rich citizens, and ladies, and rich women, who cannot themselves go talk to poor families, will send them such a messenger as this, or some fitter book to instruct them, seeing no preacher can be got at so cheap a rate. The Father of Spirits, and the Redeemer of souls, persuade and assist us all to work while it is day, and serve his love and grace for our own and other men's salvation. Amen.

Your humble Monitor,

Aug. 26, 1672.

RICHARD BAXTER.

TO THE READER.

MR. ARTHUR DENT's book, called "The Plain Man's Pathway to Heaven," was so well accepted, because it was a plain, familiar dialogue, that about forty years ago, I had one, said to be of the thirtieth impression. While I was thinking to endeavour the re-printing of it, those reasons that hindered me, did persuade me to do somewhat like it to the same ends. Accordingly I began in the three or four first days' conference, to speak as much as I could in the language of the vulgar, though L thought it not best so to hold on to the end; 1. Because it would have made the book too big, or else have necessitated me to leave out much that cannot (in order to practice) be well spared. 2. Because I may suppose, that riper Christians need not so loose a style, or method, as the ignorant or vulgar do : and the latter part of the book supposeth the reader to be got above the lowest form, though not to be a learned, accurate man. The title of the book is rough, according to the design. In the conference with the malignant, I have brought in only such objections as are now most commonly used, and therefore which the ignorant most need our help against.

I have two things which some readers will think need an excuse. I. That I have put in the sixth day's conference two sheets of instructions published heretofore; which I did because such small things alone are cast away, and lost; and because I would neither write oftener than is needful the same things, nor yet omit so necessary a part.

II. That I have published forms of prayer and catechising: but I have not now so little to do as to confute their conceits, who think such forms to be unlawful or unuseful. But that they are not better done, I confess doth need more excuse than I can give you. I expect that the catechism should satisfy but few; for neither it, nor any that I ever saw, doth fully satisfy myself. It is harder than most think, to suit the words both to the matter and to the learners. Had I used fewer words, I must have left out some of the necessary matter. Had I used more, I had