THE PREFACE TO ' HOLINESS OF TIMES, PLACES, AND PEOPLE," Sirr WHEN I tell the world thevarious occasion ofwriting these papers which are here collected, my designis rather to gratify the curiosity of my readers, than to add any particular illustrations to the subjects here treated of. The first of these essays, viz. " On the Perpetuity of the Sabbath, and the Observation of the Lord's-day,"owes its rise to a practical discourse on that subject, which is printed among the sermons preachedat Berry-street, in the year 1733. While I was composing it, my thoughts were drawn out too largely in the argumentativepart, which I thereforecut off and laid aside, reserving it for some other opportunity of publication. Sintx that time I had occasion to review this discourse, and though I think the scheme there proposed to be just and right, yet if there be any weakness in any of the distinct parts of it, 1 pointed them out in the second appendix ; and if they should upon the strictest examinat`m prove insufficient to support my con- clusions, I there takethe freedom to inform the world, what would be my succedaneous sentiments onthis theme. But still I cannot but conclude that the great expediencyof a Sabbath through all the ages of mankind, comes Very near toa necessity : And ifthe observation of aLord's-day benot direct- ly an institutionof Christ, yet it comes as near as possible, that is, the direc- tion and example of the apostles. " The Second Essay on the Hour of the Day for the Administration of the Lord's-supper," arose from the scruples of a pious soul nowwith God, Who found some uneasiness of conscience aboutreceiving theholy communion at noon, according to the custom of many churches. This was written about the year 1710. The third discourse was a sermon preached on Thursday the 20th of October, 1737, at the opening of,a new meeting- house, built near Wapping, by the congregation under the pastoral care of Myworthy and esteemed friend Mr. David Jennings ;" and whenI trans. cribed it in order to be published atthe earnest request of many of my friends, it receiveda considerable enlargement both in the doctrinal and the practical part. The fourth arose from my own meditations and anxious enquiries, " Why the forms and rites of all the Jewish worship were much more exactly prescribed by Moses to the Jews, than the forms of worshipping in christian assembliesseem to be prescribed by Christ, or his apostles ? This has lain by menear thirty years, according tb my best remembrance. The last dissertation, viz, " On the Difference between the Visible and Invisible Church, and the distinct Holiness of theJewish Church and the christian, Written in the year 1732," '.00k its rise from a growing opinion which I found in the world, viz. that the language of the prophets, both in divine threatenings and promises, addressed to Israel and Sion, must be extended no further than the Jewish chítrcb ; and that the discourses of the apostles to the converted gentile churches concerning their former state, refer only to the idolatrous heathens ; and that some of the duties prescribed to them with such earnestness, particularly that of faith in Christ, must almost entirely be constructed to the use of those primitive converts from superstition
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