P REFACE. rt:>ffered to him, for no other reafon than the want cf palatabie fauce, or order and fplendor in ferving it up. The facred book called the Bible, has a pecuLar fub· limity in it, vailed \vith unu(ual diale[t and feerning I jnconneCl:ion: but it is not therefore to be rejeCted by men who bear. the name of Chrifiians, as uncouth or unintelliuible; true wifdom diftates quite another thing, it counfcls us, by frequent reading, to acqu'aint our– felves well with it, beco.me accuftomed to its peculiar phrales, anel fearch inro its fublimities: upon this ground, that the matters contained in i~, are of the utmoft confeqnence to us, and when nghtly under– Hood, yield a refined delight, much fupcrior to what is to be found in ·reading the belt written books on the moft entertaining fubjeels. What pleads for the pa• rent is a plea for the progeny; praa:ical difcoud~s .upon divine fubjefts are the genuine oftspring of rhe facred text, and ought therefore to be rea · carefully and with attlmtion, by perfons of all ranks and de– grees, though they a.re indeed calculated for, and pecu– liarly adapted to i~ch as move in .ow fpheres of life • . Let it, howeyer,~ b~ a prevailing argument with }'er– fans o£ all denommations, carefully ro read book ' of practical divinity, That many of them are not writ•.en on the fame motives and principles as other books me; the authors have often a peculiar divine call to publiili I th~m, and well founded hope of their being ufeful to advance Chriftianity in the world. In confequence '\vhereof jt is, that great n dm1bers have reaped ben~fit by reading them, d£>eciaJly in childhood and youth : many have been converted by them; and it may be· queftioned, if -ever there was a true Chrifiian, fince the art of printing made thefe books.conunon, \:vho has not in fome ftage of life reaped confiderable advantage from them. This book recommends itfelf in a parti· cular manner, by its being a iliort fubftantial fyfiem of praCl:ica.l divinity, in fo much, that it may with tr~th . be afferted, That a perfon who i~ tluo'ugl}Jy acquainted · with
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