7 springs of life flow to all that desire to drinke of them. And this is no small favour, if I consider how many poore people perish among the hea then, where they never heare the name of Christ; how many poore Christians spring up in countries enslav'd by Turkish and anticlni stian tirants, whose soulcs and bodies languish under miserable slavery. None knowes what mercy 'tis to live under a good and whol esome Jaw, that have not consider'd the sad condition of being subject to the wi ll of an unlimited man, and surely 'tis too universal! a sin in this nation, that the common mercies of God to the whole land, are so slightly regarded and so unconsiderately past over; certa inly these are circumstances which much magnifie God's lovingkindnesse and his special] f;1vor to all tha t are of English birth, and call for a greater returne of duty from us then from all other p eople of the world. Nor is the place only, but the time of my comming into the world. a COI1Siclerable mercy to me. It was not in the midnight of poperie, nor in the clawne of the gospell 's restored day, when light and shades were blended and almost undistinguisht, but when the Sun of t ruth was exalted in his progresse and has tening towards a meridian glory. It was indeed ea rly in the morning, God being pleased to allow me the privilledge of beholding the admirable g rowth of gospell light in my dayes : and oh! that my soule may never f(Jrgett to bl esse and prayse hi s name for the wonders of power and goodnesse, wisdome and truth, whi ch have bene manifested in this my. time. The next blessing I have to consider in my nativity is my parents, both of them pious and vertuous in their owne conversation, and carefull instructors of my youth, not only by precept but example. Which if I had leizure and al:lillity, I should ha~e transmitted to my posterity, both to give them vhe honor due from me in such _a gratefu l! memoriall, and to encrease my children's em-. proovement of the patterns they sett them;. bnt since I shall detract
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