The Preface to the Reader. In ntte, Eternal Spirit, Life, Lightand Love, molt great andwife and good , the Gad ofNature, Grace, and Glory : ofwhom, and through whom, and to whom are all things: My abfolute Owner, Ruler, and BenefaEtor whofe ,I am, and whom (though imperfeEtly) Iferve, fek, and trial ; to whombe gloryfor ever, Amen. To him I render molt bumble thanks that he bathfiled up myLife withabundance of Mercy, pardoned my Sint by the Merits ofCbrift, and vouebfafed by bis Spirit to Renew andSeal meal bis own; and to moderate and bleed tome my long Sufferings in the Flefh, and at lait tofweeten them by bis own ïnteref andcomforting Approbation, who taketh the Caufe ofLove and Concord as bü own. -- Now let,the Reader judge whether any thing in all this can in the leaft infer his Doubting or Denial of a FutureState i or any Repentance of the Pains he took to eftablifh others in the Belief and Hopes of what the Got-pet tells us of as future. It is ftrange,to fee how Men can trifle in their Soul-affairs , and how eafily they can receive whatever may mortifie the Life and Joy of Chrillian Godlinefs t But we readof fome that have been led Captive by the Devil at his will. But this we may believe, and all (hall find than the Hell which they gave no.credit to the report of, they Bull furely feel and that they fhall never reach that Heaven which they would never believe Exiffent , and worth their ferious looking after. Were it but a meet probability, or poflibility, who will have the better of it ?- When we reach Heaven, we (hall be in "a Capacity of Infulting over Infidels : Butif therebe no Future Stare, they can never live to upbraid us. And it is but folly, madnefs, and a voluntary cheating of themfelves, for Men to think that Honour, Parts, or Learning, or Intereft, or Poffeffions can ever skreen them from the Wrath of a neglected and provoked God. And onewould think that fuch a Spirit that can fo boldly traduce and afperfeMen, is much below what has acted a Pagan Roman; for even one of them,could fay; Compofstum jar fafgue animi, Sanitofgue receffus Monti.,, Ctl' incoltum genorofa peftua boneflo Da, coot, Pelf. How little of this Spirit was in the Author and Promoter of this Afperfion, I leave to his own and others Thoughts tò paufe on ; whohe is I know not: But for the fake of his Honour, Soul, and Faculty, I malt and will requefi ofGod that he may, have chofe foirer Remorfes in his ownSpirit in due feafon, which may pre- vent a fmarter Cenfure from the univerfal, awful Judge; and that he woud'loberly paufeupon what that greatJudge has uttered, and left upon record in Mattb. tu. 36, 37. for it is what thatJudge willabide and try us by. I can eafily forefee that Readers of different forts are likely to receive this Work, with different Sentiments. r. The Interefted Reader, in things related here, will judgge of and relilh what he reads as he finds himfelf concerned therein : He may polisbly look upon himfelf as either commended or eápofed,- blamed or jufiified; whether juffly or unjuftly he mayheft know. But I would hope that his Concernednefs for the Intereft of Equi- ty and Truth, and for the Publick Good, will rather make him candid than lvere. 2. The Impartial Reader is for knowing Truth in itsdue and ufeful Evidence, and for confidering himfelf as liable toImperfeetions if engaged in fuch work as this: and thus he will allow for others Weakneffes, as he would have his -own allowed for. 3. Shouldany Reader be cenforious, and ftretch Expreffions and Reports beyond their determin'd Line and Reach, fober and clear Conviftion in this Cafe may be their Cure. 4., As to theJudicious Reader, he loves, I know, to fee things in their Nature, Order, EvidenceandUfefulnefs: and ifhe find Materials, hecan difpofe themea- lily, and phrafe them to hisown Satisfaftion, and at the fame timepity the injudi- cioufnefsof a Publilher, and the imperfeótions of the Author. 5 As to the weak Reader ( for judicioufnefsis not every fober Perfon's Lot ) it will be harder to convince him beyondhis ability of difcerning things in their di- ftinetnefs, truth and ftrength. 6. As to the byaffedReader, it is hoped that his fecond ferious Thoughts may cure him of his Partiality. d 7. As
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