By Mr. JOSEPH ALLEINE.
To the READER.
THE letters of Mr. _Samuel Rutherford_, have been generally admired by all the children of God, into whose hands they have fallen, for the vein of piety, trust in God, and holy zeal, which runs through them. The same piety, zeal, and confidence in God, shine through all the letters of Mr. _Alleine_: so that in this respect he may well be stiled, the _English Rutherford_. But yet there is a very discernible difference between them: in piety and fervour of spirit they are the same: but the fervour of the one more resembles that of St. _Paul_, of the other, that of St. _John_. They were both men of the most intrepid courage: but in love Mr. _Alleine_ has the pre-eminence. He seems to excel in bowels of mercies, meekness, gentleness, in tenderness, mildness, and sweetness of spirit, even to his bitterest enemies. I do not therefore scruple to give these letters the preference, even to Mr. _Rutherford’s_: as expressing, in a still higher degree, the love that is _long-suffering and kind_, which _is not provoked_, which _thinketh no evil_, and which _hopeth, believeth, and endureth all things_.