I defire not (if fo may be the will of God) to live any longer in this world, than I may be fome way ufeful in it; and especially to you, to the fervice of whofe fouls I have wholly devoted myself, my life and time; nor have I yet feen reason to repent of my having done fo. I have a very grateful fenfe of your friendship and kindness to me, and your acceptance of my labours (fuch as they have been) amongst you, for now almoft twelve years. Above all, I blefs and adore the God of grace, for what good fuccefs he has been pleased to give them, either in the converfion or edification of your fouls; and that I have reafon to think, that I have not wholly run in vain, and labour'd in vain. The fuccefs of the fermons which I have preached to young people, on new years days, demands a particular thankful knowledgment to God: and his having been pleafed to fmile upon them, and bless them in the preaching, has inclined me to yield, that fome of them should be made thus pub publick, in hopes, that the fame bleffing may fill attend them from the prefs; might it be but to one foul! how little should I regard the cenfures, which I may probably expect from fome perfons, for publishing thefe plain difcourfes; in which the prefent fashionable ftrain of preaching is not fo much as aim'd at; neither are they at all fuited to humour the zealots of any party. So long as I can reckon myself fure, of your favourable acceptance and approbation of them, I feek no other patron: and if God will be pleafed to make use of them, for the good of any fouls, I covet no other applaufe. You will obferve, that in difpofing these fermons in this volume, I have had no regard to the order in which they were preached; but have fo placed them, as, I conceiv'd, the fubjects on which they treat, would moft naturally follow one another. To what I have here attempted, let me beg, that you would also add the help of your earnest prayers, for the rifing generation; that God would pour his Spirit upon upon our feed, and his bleffing upon our offspring; and that Chrift, our dear Saviour, may have a numerous feed to ferve him, in the next, and in all fucceeding ages, 'till time shall be no more. So prays Your affectionate Friend, and Servant, March 10, 1729-30. In the Gospel of Jefus Chrift, D. JENNINGS. THE The young finner convinc'd; or, the evil JOB Xiii. 26. Thou writeft bitter things against JOSHUA XXIV. 15. If it seem evil unto you to ferve the Lord, chufe you this day whom you will ferve; whether the gods which your fa- thers ferved, that were on the other fide of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites in Early piety, peculiarly acceptable. JEREMIAH ii. 2. Thus faith the Lord, I re- member thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine efpoufals, when thou wenteft af- Religious friendship; or, young perfons di- rected in the choice of their companions. PSALM CXIX. 63. I am a companion of all them SER- |