6 / 388
X111
AUTHOR'S
PREFACE.
cumstances
do
render necessary to
be
attended to
in a
peculiar
manner, are
the things which
I would
princi-
pally apply
myself
to
in
the
work of
teaching
others.
For
as in
the work of the ministry
in
general, the
whole counsel of
God,
concerning the
salvation
of
the church
by
Jesus
Christ,
is
to
be
declared
-so
in
particular,
we
are not to
fight
uncertainly,
as
men
beating the
air,
nor
shoot our
arrows
at random,
with
-`
out a
certain
scope and design. Knowledge of
the
flock
whereof
we
are
overseers, with à
due considera-
tion
of
their
wants,
their
graces,
their
temptations,
their
light,
their
strength,
and weakness, are
required
herein.
And when,
in pursuance of
that
design,
the
preparation
of
the
word to
be
dispensed proceeds
from
zeal to the
glory
of
God,
and
compassion to
the
souls
of
men;
when it
is
delivered with the
demonstration
of
a due
reverence
to
God;
whose word it
is,
and
of
authority
towards
them
to
whom
it
is
dispensed,
with
a
deep
sense
of
that great
account, which both
they
that
preach,
and
they that hear the
word preached,
must shortly
give
before the
judgment
seat of Christ,
there
may
be
a comfortable
expectation of
a
blessed
issue of
the
whole work. But my
present
design
is,
only
to declare,
in
particular, the reasons
why I
judged
the
preaching
and publishing of
this
small and
plain
dis-
course concerning the
grace
and duty of
being
spiritu-
ally minded
not
to be
altogether
unseasonable
at
this
time,
in
the present circumstances
of most Christians.
And-the
first
thing
which
I
would observe
to
this
end
is,
the present importunity
of
the
world
to impose
itself
on
the
minds of men, and
the
various ways of
in-
sinuation, whereby it
possesseth and
filleth
them.
If
it attain hereto, if
it can
fill
the minds,
the thoughts
and
affections of men
with
itself,
it
will,
to
some, for