The Most Excellent Glorious God, and our most Merciful and Bountiful Father, hath (out of his great Love unto, and Fatherly Care of us, from Eternity) set Nature before our Eyes, that he might signifie to us his Will; which said Nature, is no other thing but the proper, eternal, and only Will of God. To this Nature, God hath (as to his obedient and faithful Instrument) absolutely delivered, and committed his Will and Command to be by her faithfully and diligently performed; she accomplisheth the Task imposed on her, without intermission, nor resteth she one moment of time from doing the Divine Will with her utmost study and endeavour.
Therefore, deservedly ought we to learn to know, worship, and love the Creator above all things else whatsoever, seeing the Creator is known by the Creatures.
If his Creatures be great, and unperceivable to our sight, and so wonderful; certainly it of necessity follows, that the Creator is far greater, and far beyond all Human Understanding; and this, everyone may easily understand: ’Tis therefore clearly and evidently manifest, that God Created all things for the service of man, that he might thereby acknowledge the Divine Bounty, and Honour, and fear the Creator, and bestower of all good things, and yield him due Thanks for his Gifts.
But seeing that it may so be, that the most just God will sometime or other, at last (being provoked by the perfidious malice of men, avenge himself on the most Impious living of this perverse World, by bringing scarcity of Food, (War, and the Plague); and seeing that it may so be, as that the small Company of the Pious, lying hid amongst the Impious Crew of the wicked, may partake of the same punishment: Therefore I thought it very expedient, with a cheerful mind to publish (to the Honour of God, and my Country, and for the comfort and solacing of its Pious Inhabitants,) the Talent that God hath vouchsafed unto me, by the help of which, very many such Calamities as may come, viz. Famine, War, and the Plague, may be prevented.
But the way I have pitched on to serve my Country in, doth chiefly consist in the manifestation and Revelation of those most great Treasures that lie hidden in Germany, being such as by the regardlessness of Men have been hitherto unknown, unsought, and not gotten forth. I have therefore endeavoured, faithfully to manifest in this present Treatise, by what means those Treasures are to be sought for, and rightly ordered for the profit of my Country; and withal, to open the Treasures of the Noble State of Germany, wherewith it is most abundantly enriched, beyond all the other Countries of Europe, and hath hitherto enjoyed, and used (but not so well as it should have done) viz. Wine, Corn, Wood, Minerals, and Metals. For Ungrateful Men have extreamly wasted unprofitably, the most wealthy, and rich Benediction of God, who hath bestowed Wine and Corn on them, in abundance, and the Relicks (which they spent not) have they suffered to corrupt and perish with lying. Nor is there any body that doth in the least entertain any thoughts, by what means such an abundance of so great Gifts, might be kept and preserved for future years, which may be accompany’d with extream scarcity and Dearth. Every one shifts for himself and his, with that plenty of Goods he enjoys; and leaves another to take care for himself, and to see for time to come, that he provide himself for things necessary whereon to live. And it is come to such a pass, that the overplus which remains of the abundance of the Blessing of God, is meerly cast away through a careless disregard, and so nothing is preserved for after times. And yet our Lord Jesus Christ himself when he fed many thousands of Men with Bread, commanded his Disciples carefully to preserve the remaining Crumbs, that nothing might be lost; the which without all doubt he did for no other end, but that we might have the Gifts of God in high esteem. But where shall we find such as will imitate, and do the same; certainly no where, which is inexcusable with God and good Men. Certainly such a largess of Divine Gifts, is not bestowed on us, that they should miserably perish, or be cast away; but we should rather labour and take care of diligent laying up and preserving (like so many Laborious Ants) all that overabundantness which we cannot make use of. Let it be but considered, I pray, in what great heaps Corn lies heaped hoarded up, and is spoiled. And is it not the same with Wine, which being gathered in such over-great quantities, is become vile and abject, or cast away?
What, cannot there be store laid up out of this very plenty (which now is grutched at, as ’twere) as so many great Treasures for future Calamitous Years?
Well however, though as yet this hath been left undone, yet I am confident, that some good Housholders will be found, that will not despise this Instruction and Admonition of mine, but will condense the so much superfluity of Wine, and Corn, and preserve it against future Years scarcity. Nor do I at all doubt, but that others, after they have by this Book well learned the manner, will turn the superfluous, and cast away Wood (which lies and rots, and is reduced to nothing) into Salt-petre in great quantities; that by its help the Enemies may be resisted, and the Inhabitants defended. But in the three following Parts, which treat of the Concentration of Metals, and Minerals, wherein all kinds of Medicaments resisting natural Diseases, shall be taught, I know that every one will find refreshment, and help, against the future Plague, and Contagious Diseases. So then, when we have Food and Drink necessary for a Livelyhood, and Salt-Nitre to defend us against our Enemies, and Medicines serving for the preservation of us in Health, there remains nothing else we can desire, save a little Gold and Silver, by which we may exercise Trade, or Merchandise, and furnish our selves with Outlandish Wares. The which, that we also may get out of those Mountains, we every where meet withal, and out of those abject, and given-over Mine-pits, I question not, but (God permitting) to effect it, and clearly to shew it in the three following Books of the Concentration of Minerals and Metals. Upon this account I would no longer keep by me this small Book of the Concentration of things, but publish it to the Honour of God and my Country, (it being a Talent vouchsafed me by God.)
I do therefore Dedicate it to all Pious, Faithful, and Good Housholders, hoping that my sincere Admonition, and Instruction, will find some place, and not be rejected.
The three Parts I promised, shall shortly follow: Furthermore, I offer my most faithful help to every one in the opening and revealing the said Concentration of Wine, Corn, Wood, Minerals, and Metals; for all things being in a readiness, I can easily shew the manner of Concentration. And seeing I am ignorant, how long a time the most Merciful God will vouchsafe unto me, the use of life and light; I would not willingly bury with me a Science so eminent, so Noble, and so profitable to my Country. But if now it should so fall out, that few or none should at all mind it, yet have I done my part, and satisfied my Conscience. Though indeed I do not in the least doubt, but that there will be some good and faithful Housholders, by whom these Profitable Inventions of mine, will be regarded, and be made use of for God’s Honour, and for the Conservation of the Country, and its Inhabitants.
This I certainly know, that if this Counsel, or Direction of mine, concerning the Concentration of Wine, Corn, Wood, and Minerals (which proceeds from the simplicity and sincerity of my mind) shall find any place of entertainment, that our most praiseworthy Country of Germany, will in a few Years space become most exceeding happy, and be so enriched, that both high and low will be much joyed, and praise God, and give him thanks.
But I easily conjecture with what various and different Judgments this Off-spring of my Brain, will be expounded. One will haply give credit to the things I have said; but another will condemn and disdain them, as mere Impossibilities, and Dreams. But however, the truth will at length break forth, and the work it self will purchase to its Master due Praise, and herein I content my self. The most Blessed, most Merciful God, and our Father, that great Housholder, bestow on us his Divine Benediction, that so we may institute in most places of this our most dear Country this Concentration of Wine, Corn, Wood, and Minerals; and may by the help thereof obtain such Treasures, as may serve for the sustaining of our life, in time to come, and for the resisting of our enemies, and for the Glory of God, and the help and succour of very many needy ones in Distress.