PREFACE*. IAM bound to give thanks to God álways, for the acceptance that my seri Mons have found among the more pious and religious part ofmankind. As it bath been the chief design of my ministry to explain the, common and most importantthings of our religiorl, to the understandingof every christian, and to impress the most necessary ditties of it on the spirit and conscience, so when I am solicited to make my labours yet more publie, I would repeat the 'same work ; I would fain givemy readers the clearest conceptions of some of the great articles of christianity, and draw out the plain principles of truth which are in the head, to a powerful and holy influence over the heart And life: These discourses have but little hope to gratify those curious minds, who turn over the leaves superficially to search iftherebe any new discoveries in them, and being disappointed, lay down the book with disdain : My chief intent was to entertain and assist those humble christians, who converse in se- cret with God and their own souls. And since it is the customof many persons to read a sermon inthe even= ing ofthe Lord's-day, as part of their fancily-worship, I was desirous also to suit the sermons which I publishto such a pious service. Now when the dis- courses, which arerehearsed in families have much ofcriticism and spéculation in them, or long anddifficult trains of reasoning, everyone may observe, what a negligent air sits upon the facesof the hearers, what a drowsy attention is given to this religious exercise, and the greatest part of the household find very little improvement. I grant, it is sometimes necessary to preach, and print such discourses which aremore critical and laboriousin exposition of difficult texts, and which by artificial trains of argument, may penetrate deep into the hidden things of God, and brirtrgfirth thugsnew as well as old. But I am content to wave the honour of such performances in the more general course ofmy labours, whe- ther of thepulpit or the press, and chiefly to pursue those methods which More directly tend to the edification of the liùlk of mankind, inthe knowledge of Christ and in practical godliness. Weare too often ready to judge that tobe the best sermon, which has Many strange thoughts in it, many finehints, and sómegrand and politésen- timents. But a christian in his best temper of mindwill say, " That is a good sermon which brings my heart nearer to Goth which makes the grace of Christ sweet to my soul, and the commands of Christ easy and delightful i That is an excellent discourse indeed which enablesrne to mortify someunruly to vanquish a strong temptation, and weans me from all the the entice- mentsof this lower world; that which bears me up above áll the disiiuietudes * In the fifth edition the threevolumes in 12mowere reduced into two is eslavo, and the prefixes:abridged and united by the author.
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