ments are but flightly, if at all touched upon, particularly that of prophecy *.

In thefe difcourfes I have ftudiously avoided the pomp of larding the margin with references; becaufe I apprehended that to the learned fuch references would be unneceffary, and to others useless.

I have in fome places fubjoined a few notes, either to clear up fome difficulty, or to illuftrate and confirm fome particular fentiment or opinion in the difcourfes.

In a word, the chief defign of thefe difcourfes is not fo much to beget and perfect a full conviction of the truth of Chriflianity, and to answer every cavilling objection which a fubtle fophift might urge against revealed religion, as to confirm believers in their moft holy faith, to guard youth against the fnares and temptations of infidelity, and, if poffible, fo far to awaken perfons of loofe and Sceptical principles, as that they might be engaged feriously to attend to the nature and confequences of their opinions, and candidly to study the argument, as it is handled more largely and circumstantially by other

writers.

Whoever would defire to enter into the merits of -the caufe, and to see what the friends of ChriStianity have to fay in favour of their religion, may (paffing over Origen against Celfus and other ancient Chriftian apologists) find ample fatisfaction from a legion of late and modern writers. If we go a century backwards we may confult Hugo Grotius's excellent tract on the

* I am glad I am able to recommend to the curious reader, an excellent discourse lately published on this argument by the Rev. Gregory Sharpe, LL.D. Fellow of the Royal and Antiquarian Societies.

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truth

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truth of the Chriftian religion; Huetius's de monftratio Evangelica; Lord Dupleffis on the fame fubject; Mr. Halliburton against Lord Herbert; Mr. Locke's reafonablenefs of the Chriftian religion; Mr. Richard Baxter on the fame fubject, and Bp. Stillingfleet's Origina Sacræ; to which may be added, many things in the writings of the immortal Sir Ifaac Newton, and of that indefatigable fearcher into the works of nature Sir Robert Boyle, in favour of Chriftianity.

Of fomewhat later date are the ingenious Addifon, the profound Weft, and the judicious Lyttleton, three fhining ornaments of the Chriftian religion, and excellent advocates of the Chriftian caufe.

But as the latest writings are, generally speaking, the beft, I would earnestly recommend it to thofe who are infected with the plague of infidelity, to perufe and digeft the reverend Mr. John Leland's view of the principal deistical writers; the learned and judicious Dr. Lardner's credibility of the gofpel hiftory; the late worthy Bishop of London's paftoral letters and difcourfes; Jackson's, Sykes's, Fofter's, Jortin's and Stebbings's difcourfes on the truth of the Chriftian religion. There are alfo a number of other authors, who have wrote excellently in favour of the Chriftian religion, and against its adverfaries, and which an honest enquirer after truth will not fail to be in formed of, and to confult upon occafion. I have only particularized, these few that none of my readers may be left ignorant of thofe authors from whom they may expect to meet with full fatisfaction in this important argument, and in whom all the de ficiencies of thefe difcourfes are abundantly supplied.

Į had almost forgot to leave a confeffion with

my

my reader, which may be deemed no less prudent and convenient, than it is honeft and ingenuous; and that is, that I have been indebted to other writers for many thoughts, and fome entire fentences and paragraphs, especially in the firft, third and fourth of these difcourfes; but as these have been promifcuously extracted by fhort notes, from a variety of authors many years ago, when I firft Studied the argument, I am not at prefent able to make my particular acknowledgments.

As the contempt of the Chriftian clergy may be confidered in different refpects, both as a caufe and an effect of infidelity, I have endeavoured to make it appear in the eighth difcourfe, that the preachers of Christianity are not that defpicable and ufeless order of men which fome of the Deifts reprefent them; but that, on the contrary, fo far as they act agreeable to their facred office, they are friends to mankind, valuable and useful members of fociety, and are, therefore, intitled to a fuitable degree of respect and efteem for their work's fake.

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And as the neglect of public worship, or a forfaking of the affembling ourselves together, may be confidered much in the fame light with the contempt of the Chriftian clergy, I have taken fome pains in the ninth difcourfe to fhew the advantages of public worship, and the obligations we lie under to frequent it.

The three following difcourfes on family religion are plain and practical. They attempt the elucidation and enforcement of one of the greatest and most important duties of a Chriftian parent or master of a family. And as the timely and proper religious education of youth, and a conftant course of ferious exemplary devotion maintained in families, tend greatly to preferve the rifing generation from liber

tinifm

tinifm and infidelity, and as the neglect of these cannot but have a pernicious influence on the interefts of religion and morality in the world; fo far thefe difcourfes may be reasonably prefumed to fubferve the caufe of Chriftianity, and promote its interefts in the world. Towards the conclufion of the second thefe difcourfes, I have infifted pretty largely upon a duty exceedingly neglected among these islands, namely, hearty and diligent endeavours to inftruct and chriftianize our heathen flaves. The fubftance of this difcourfe was delivered to the people of my charge, Shortly after my arrival in the Weft Indies, and the experience and obfervation of near nine years elapfed fince that time, confirm me in the fame fentiments, and make this humane and charitable duty. appear to me equally obligatory, equally practicable, and equally ufful and important at this day, as it did then. I am daily more and more convinced, that that remarkable corruption of manners which prevails in thefe iflands, has its fource among our heathen flaves, who vitiate the tafte, debauch the principles, and corrupt the manners of our youth of both fexes, from their very infancy; and that a general reformation of manners must begin, by throwing the falt of Chriftian knowledge and principl s into this polluted fountain; though I am deeply fenfible, at the fame time, that this is never like to be don without a greater degree of zeal for the interests of religion and morality in the mafters and owners of fives, than appears any where among us at prefent, and hat, all things confidered, fuch a general refe mation of manners is a thing rather to be dfi ed than expected.

As for the few plain difcourfes which follow, I can give little other reason for alding them to the prefent collection than that they appeared to me to

be

be on fubjects of fome importance, and that being chiefly of a plain and practical nature, they might fuit the tafle, understanding and circumstances of a certain class of readers, and might prove fome compenfation to them for the toil of perufing the fore ging fpeculative difcourfes, which are, perhaps, not very level to their capacities.

I have nothing farther to add, but my most earnest and hearty prayers to the father of lights and the fource of all divine influences, that he would be pleafed to accompany thefe difcourfes with a divine and effectual bleffing, and render them, in Some degree, fubfervient to the honour of his great name, and to the confirmation and establishment of mankind in he belief and obedience of bis fon's everlasting gofpel; and if but one of the meanest of GOD's human creatures fhould receive an advantage of this kind from the perufal of them, I shall efteem all my labour abundantly recompenced.