14. The L FE of the Lis. I. 9. And my Reply to Mr. John Warren's Animadverfions ( which being firft done is leaft digefted). Io. And the beginning of a Reply to Dr. Wallis's Animadverfions. XI. Anda Difeourfe of the Power of Magiftrates in Religion, againft thofe that would not have them to meddle infuch Matters, being an Mize Sermon preach- ed at Shrewsbury when Coll. Thomas Hunt was Sheriff since rz. And tome Fragments of Poetry. Printed. 13, And a Multitudeof Theological Letters. 14. And an imperfe& Treatife of Chrift's Dominion, being many popular Ser- mons preached twentyi Years ago ; and very rude and undigefied ; with divers others. § ctz. And concerning almoft all my Writings I mutt confefs, that my own Judgment is, that fewer well ftudied and polifhed had been better : but the Read- er who can fafely cenfuse the Books is not fit to cenStre the Author, unlefs'he had been upon the Place, and acquainted with all the Occafions and Circumftances : Indeed for the Sants Zefl I had Four Months Vacancy to write is ( bat inthe midit of continual Languilhing and Medicine): But for the reft I wrote them in theCrowd ofall my other 1 mployments,which would allowme no great Leifurefor Polifhing and Exasnefs, or any Ornament ; fo that l Icarce ever wrote one Sheet twice over, nor flayed to make anyBlots or Interlinings, but was fain ro let it go as is was firft conceived : And when my own Defire was rather to flay upon one thing long, than run over many, fome fudden Occafions or other extortedalmoft all my Writings from me : and the Apprehenfions of Prefect Ufefulnefs or Necefry' prevailed againft all other Motives. So that theDivines which were at hand with me Rill put me on and approvedof what I did, becaulè they were movedby pre- fent Necefties as well as I : But thofe that were far off, and felt not thofe nearer Motives, did rather with that I had taken the other way, and publithed a fewela- borate Writings; and I am ready my felf to be of their Mind, when I forgot the Cafe that then I flood in, and have loft the Senfe of former Motives. The oppo- fing of the Anabaptifts, Separatifts, Quakers, Antinomians, Seekers, &c. were Works which then feemed neceffary ; and fo did the Debates about Church Go- vernment and Comn. union which touched our prefent Pra&ice ; but now all thofe Reafons areputt and gone,I could with I had rather been doing fume work ofmore durable Ufefulnefs. But evento a forefeeing Man, who knoweth what will be of long- eft ufè, it is hard to dffcem how far that which is prefently needful may be omitted, for the fake of a greater future Good. There are force other works, wherein my Heart hath more been feethan anyof thofe forementioned ; in which I have met with great Obftru&ions. For I muff declare that in this as in many other Mat- ters1 have found that we are not the Choofers of our own Imployments, no more than of our own Succeffes. g al3. Becaufe it is Soul-Experiments which thofe that urge me to this kind of Writing, do expe& that I Ihould efpecially communicate to others, and I have faid little ofGod's dealing with my Soul lince the time of my younger Years, 1 (hall only give the Reader fo much Satisfa&ion, as to acquaint him truly what Change God hash made uponmy Mind and Heart lince thofe unriper times, and where- in I now differ inJudgment andDifpotition from my felt: And for any more par. titular Account of Heatt-Occurrences, and God's Operations on me, I think it fomewhat unfavory to recite them ; feting God's Dealings are much what the fame with all his Servants in the main, and the Points wherein he varieth are ufu- allyfo fmall, that Ì thinknot Inch fittobe repeated : Nor have I any thing extra- ordinary to glory in, which is not common to the reti of my Brethren, who have the fame Spirit, and are Servants of the fame Lord. And the true Reafon whyI do adventure fo far upon the, Cenfure of the World, as to tell them wherein the Cafe is altered with me, is that I may take off young unexperienced Chriftians from being over confident in their firft Apprehenfions, or overvaluing their firft degrees of Grace, or too much applauding and following unfurnilhed unexperi- enced Men ; but may fomewhat bedirehedwhat Mind andCourfeof Life to pre- fer, by the Judgment of one that hath tryed both before them. 1.The Temper of my Mind bath fomewhataltered with the Temper ofmyBody. When was young, I was more vigorous, affefl'ionate,and fervent in Preaching, Cow pence and Pryer, than (ordinarily) I can be now ; my Stile was more extem- porate and laxe, but by the Advantage of Affection, and a very familiar moving Voice and Utterance, my preaching then-did more affes the Auditory, than manyof thelaft Years before I gave over Preaching; but yet what I delivered was much
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