THE

PREF A CE.

W

ERE it not to answer the expectation of readers, and comply with the custom of writers, the fallowing book might be ven tured out to the world without either preface, introduction, or recommendation, the very title-page containing enough to entitle it to a careful and candid reading and perusal.

The worth and credit of the author, is fuffici-, ently established among such as have any taste of piety or learning.

By the biftory of his life, which has met with very good acceptance, it appears, that he was a man of God, one whom he had fet apart for himfelf: how diftinct and pointed was he in obferving the Lord's way and work, in bringing him to himfelf! And where can we fee a brighter example, in thefe later days of the world, of the humbling exercifes, and comfortable enjoyments of Chriftians, than in the author!.

How exciting and edifying is it, to fee how clofe he walked with God, in his fecret intercourse with him, in his domestic relations, and family devotions, in his public and minifterial work, and his converfation before the world, fetting the Lord always before him, and acknowleging him in all his ways!

May we not then expect fomething very well worth our while, in the performance of one of fuch a charàcter? One that had the contents of the book written upon his own heart before he preached them to his people, and was a living and lively witness and example of the great and grave truths now expof ed to the public view.

However little this part of his character may take with the multitude, yet thefe truly ferious, who valued him while living, and have an honour for his memory when dead, will, no doubt, take pleasure to fee how the great purposes in the back were managed by fuch an excellent hand; and the brethren that were concerned in the publishing of it, can, with a good deal of affurance, fay, That the experience, upon perufing, will anfwer the expectations raifed, of meeting with a spirit of seriousness and piety breathing in it.

The author was of bright parts, as well as eminent for piety; an ample teftimony whereof, we have in that excellent book of his, Of the infufficiency of natural, and the neceffity of revealed religion, to man's happiness in his prefent ftate; a book that fhews its author a master of reafon and folid learning, and that but wants to be known to be valued a thousand pities that fo excellent a piece fhould be fo little known, when Deifm is fo much upon the increafe, while it fo well deferves a room in the beft chofen libraries. Such as have a value for that will not readily undervalue any other performance of his, though upon a quite different fubject, done by fo able an hand.

It is very true, the things treated in this book" now in hand, give not fo much occafion for fhewing learning and reading, as that; yet there ap pears in it a great deal of folid judgment, diftinct

thought,

thought, and, in fome incident questions, not uns curious, there is fufficient evidence of his penetration, and what may be very agreeable and taking to them who fet up for fomething above what is vulgar, There is nothing in it mean, or unworthy of a grave, judicious, and learned author: if any thing look that way, it is where the neceffity of the matter, and capacity of thofe he dealt with, required it, becoming all things to all men; particularly, when dealing with children, it was fit to do it as near their own terms as poffible: for, to fuit matter to the defigns we have, and to the condition of thefe we deal with, is no argument of the want, but of the ftrength of judgment.

He was excellently fitted and enriched with talents, for every poft providence called him to, having filled and adorned the doctor's chair, as profellor of divinity, as well as the pulpit, while paftor to a Chriftian flock.

But though there bad been lefs to fay for the author, the contents of the book deferve a fair hearing, and a ferious perufal; why? it is the Great Concern; it is not a trifle, it is not an amufement; no, it is of the laft confequence to us to know these things. Many live unconcerned, and love to do fo; it may be, the very title shall be with Juch an argument against reading; there is little hope of fixing fuch fo long as to read the book, or fo deep as to do it feriously, and with due concern: and no wonder, when thofe fo indifferent about the great concerns of eternity, and their precious fouls; fuffer the fcripture-oracles to ly by them, without due, frequent, and ferious enquiry into them.

Here is prefented to the view of Chriftians, and thofe who would indeed be fuch, what, by the blef

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fing

fing of God, may be very entertaining, edifying, and ufeful.

The first fruits of his labours, in the fermon next after his ordination, printed as an introduction to the book, fheus how much his work was at heart, and under what concern he was, to prepare the people for entertaining and improving his ministry and meffage, and to approve himself to Gad, in the dif charge and delivery thereof,

In the first part, the state of nature is reprefented as a state of fin, mifery, and wrath, in the most pungent, affecting, and convincing terms imaginable; where the guilty finner is clofely purfued into all the turns and ftages of life, and convicted of fin: in each and all of them, fin is reprefented as odious and abominable, as exceeding finful.

It is laid open in fuch glasses, and with fuch aggravations, as it is hard to avoid the conviction of it, but where natural hardness is increafed, by the malignant influence of Satan, whose great defign and ftrength lies in keeping all in peace.

The divine refentments against fin, wrath, and judgment, upon finners, are likewife fet forth in fuch a manner, as cannot easily mifs to raise terror in the confciences of the guiltys prefent wrath in the direful effects of it; wrath to come, in the extent and extremity of it, are held forth in fuch a lively manner, as must raise the gratitude of these hap pily delivered from it, and bids very fair, to alarm and awaken these yet under it, to escape and flee for their lives.

Then, upon fuppofition of conviction of fin and guilt, in the fecond part, the exercises of the con vinced finner are opened up moft diftinctly and judiciously, in their nature, rife, workings, and de

grees

grees, and in fuch a feeling manner as may easily perfuade one that he has, in this matter, copied over his own experience :-and it is fome degree of fatisfaction to one in this condition, to have one going before them, and to think that their guide has troden the fame path.

With what tenderness and compaffion doth he touch the cafes of the diftreft? while yet, with faithfulness and freedom, he opens up the mistakes and deceits, both in the workings and issue of convictions, approving himself an interpreter, one among a thoufand. And thofe who, by the Spirit, are convinced of fin, will know how to put a value upon a piece fo fuitable to their cafe.

And thefe awakened and convinced, are led by a fkilful hand, to the centre of reft for wearied fouls, by the way of faith, and believing in the Lord Jefus Chrift, which gives occafion for opening up the mystery of faith, in its nature, acts, and properties, concomitants, and confequences, which will be found very useful for informing the lefs knowing, confirming the weak, and comforting the ftrong believer.

And what can be of greater importance for us to know, than the only way of efcaping wrath to come, and being delivered from the curfe and condemnation of the law, of being united to Chrift, and being found in him, upon which he becomes our righteousness and ftrength, whereby we are intitled to the great falvation?

Of which falvation the author treats as the great encouragement of believing; and this is the one thing neceffary: for, What is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own foul? This falvation is fet forth in feripture-light, accounted for in its parts and properties, at a good

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length,