49 TO THE READER. T. HE following Book has fo 1tmch _bf fubftantial. Worth! together 'With fo many true Beam~es, as not to need Recommendation: The Defign therefore of this Addrefs io Thee, Good Reader, Mpartly to a!fure thee the Wor~ u ge~ nuine, partly to give thee fome light into the gener'tll Nature of it; or what tbou art here to expeCt. ' · 1twas my Happinefs, many Tears ago, to coniratl avery intil1tate Acquaintance, 1migbt eaU it Friendlhip, with that great Perfon the Author, wbile we lived Neighbours in that Flourifhing, Reli~ g,ioM, tmd Liberal* City, wbere thefe Dffcourfes had their Birth~ • E~m,. and becdme jirft VocaUy fublick. Atzd 1 dquqt not, bu? that the Memoi:ie~ of l!tany of tbe CitizeiJS there, are a' fufficient Record, by the confulting of which, a11y wbofhould fcrupie my Teflimony; its lefs competent, may receive plenary fatisfaetion. 1being conjlantly employed my /elf, at the bours when tbu Expofition was delivereel, could not be an Auditor of it. But as 1 then underflood wbat Subje5i 111y Frj,nd.w.(M tr,eatingon, fo now reading the TraEI, I rannot bitt ac~fwwledge the t~tie Spirit andStile of the Author. . , . All, 1tbink_, t!w can be doubted, M, Whether He defigned this Work. for the Prefs, and put thereto hM Laft Hand. As to tbe former point, I am apt to think_, when he firfi undertook, tbe Argument, he defigned Nothi11g more Publick. than are our ufual Sermons. But baving finifh'd what he propofed, hu Labours, werejudgedfo exceedi11g Vfeful, and bad befides fo higbly pleafed his Audience, that he was refllejly lmportun'd to mak_e tbem more PUblick,- Aiidl!ioug} through excefs of MoC!ejly/;e wou!Jiioicoii.~ fent bereto, for tbat time, yet be tranfcribed them himfelf, (for no one elfe could, be having written them at firft in a peculiar Sborthand) arzd bavi11g tranfcribed thent, left them as a Depofitum in the hands of one of his Parifhioners, witb who111 be had fome time fojournecl, (a Perfon of Integrity, a?td well k..now to me, though now deceafed) to be difpofedof after his Death. r-: /. p Frotli
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