vEi P R E fACE. with all that is here taught, mav, without dan("''er r'ohis eternal int~relt; rem.1in ignoran"t of othe~ thin;s, which · pertain to lhe fcience called divinity. It is therefore earne_H:ly ,recomm~nd_ed .r.o the f~rious ~nd frequent ( pendal of ali, ~ut eiptCI<llly of fuch are in that ftage of life called youth, and are fo ftarioned in the world, as not to be frequently opportuned w hear fermons, and read com1pcntaries on the facred text. It .is doubtlefs incumbent on. maflers of families i:o ' make fome proviiion of fpiritual as well as bodily 'food, for tl.leir children and fervants; this is effectually done by,pl!tdng__pracHcal books i11 their hands: and there– fore thi , book is humbly and eatneftly recommended as a family book, whicb all the· members of it are not only allowed, byt defired to pe~nfe. · As to the d ifference betwixt tj1is and the former edi– tion, wl;ich gtves it preference , 'ir lie• chiefly in the author's not pnly having re vi{ed the ftile, bt.tt the thou.ght!! ih ·man'y p lace: , and corrCC:ted both, fO . .a3 to fc:t {everal importan t rnnhs in a clearer light; and make the fiile of the book now unifonp, whjch for– merl '/ 1Was not f(>, bccaufe of the explications Ot pecu– li .lr words and phrafes in ufe amongtt practical divines, efpeciatly of the chu;:ch of Scotland, wh ich were inter– f1Jerfed throughout the former edition, and. introduced by another hand, for the fake of fucb pedon a~ are not accu tlomeJ ro them. It remains that the pre– facer not only fu bjoin his name, which was concealed I in rhe firfi ed.ition, as a tefti trwny thn 9e e,H.eems the author, ·and values the book, but that he may ther eby recommend ic in a particular manne1 to the perufal of perfons of his O\~n acquaintance . · If in his a:ffiiting towards ·its being publifhe:d, and in prefacing both. e– didons, he has no~ run uu(ent, he has what wil] bear l~ l n up under all cenfures, : The charitable will think no evil, and others wiU do as they pleafe H.oBERT vVIGHTMAN,_ rvt D. G. E. EDINBURGH, 18th · r · · - lVI..4:RCI-I, 1729.
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