Background Image
Table of Contents Table of Contents
Previous Page  9 / 674 Next Page
Basic version Information
Show Menu
Previous Page 9 / 674 Next Page
Page Background

PREFACE

TO

THIS EDITION.

IT

is

truly

remarked

by

Dr.

JOHNSON',

(speaking

of

our

author), that " few

men

have

left

behind

such

purity

of

character, or

such monuments

of

la-

borious

piety.

He

has

provided

instruction

for

all

ages,

from

those

who

are

lisping

their

first

lessons,

to

the

enlightened readers

of

Malebranche and Locke;

he has

left neither

corporeal

nor

spiritual nature

unexamined;

he

has

taught

the

art

of

reasoning,

and

the

science

of

the

stars." Many

of

these

pieces,

however,

are

not

of

general

interest,

especially

among

those

pious persons

who

are

the

chief admirers

of

Dr.

WATTS.

His

school

books,

and

books

of

science,

are

in

great

measure superseded

by

more modern

publications,

and

later

discoveries.

His

Logic and Improvement

of

the

Mind are

indeed

invaluable;

but

these,

as well

as

several other

of

his

works,

are

already

printed

in

every

form

and

size.

His

Controversial Pieces

are

the least

admired,

and

may

be

suffered

to sleep

in

peace,

unless

sought

for

by

a fezo

curious

minds, who

delight

in

what

the

Doctor

himself

did

not

polemical

divinity.

His

SERMONS,

and

PRACTICAL PIECES, however,

are unri-

valled.

It

may

be

said

of

them, in.

the

language

of

a

great

author, "

The

critic ought

to

read

them

for

their

G