X AUTHOR'S PREFA.CED at this season, proceeding from the prevalent abhor- rence of our affections to things spiritual and heaven- ly, without a watchful endeavor to keep and preserve our minds in the constant contemplation of them, as will appear in the ensuing discourse. Again, there are so great and pregnant evidences of the prevalency of an earthly, worldly frame of spirit, in manywho make profession of religion, that it is high time they were called to a due consideration, how unanswerablethey are therein, to the power and spirituality of that religion which they do profess. There is no way whereby such a frame may be evin- ced to prevail in many, yea, in the generality of such professors, that is not manifest to all. In their hab- its, attires, and vestments, in their usual converse and misspence of time, in their over liberal entertainment of themselves and others, to the borders of excess, and sundry other things ofa like nature ; there is in many such a conformity to the world, (a thing severely for- bidden,) that it is"hard to make a distinction between. them. And these thingsdo manifest such a predomi- nancy of carnal affections in the minds of men, as, whatever may be pretended to the contrary, it is in- consistent with spiritual peace. To call men off from this evil frame of heart andmind, to discover the sin and danger of it, to direct them to the ways and means whereby it may be effected, to supply their thoughts and affectionswith better objects, to discover and press that exercise of them which is indispensably required of all believers, if they desire life and peace, is some part ofthe work of the ensuing discourse. It maybe, it will be judged but a weak attempt as to the attaining of that end : but it cannot be denied to have these two advantagesfirst, that it is seasonable and
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