to the facrament: and, while in health, he was diligent in the other parts of his minifte

rial work.

He was no lefs fingularly fitted for the fchools: he spoke elegant Latin promptly, though he had been long in the difufe of it," and was fcarce at any pains to recover it, which was much admired. He was very expert in the Greek; but his fickness broke. his defign to accomplish himfelf in the reft of the oriental languages.

In controverfies, efpecially thofe of the time, he excelled many. It was strange to fee how quickly he would have taken up the state of a controverfy, the ftrength of an adversary, feen through their deceitful fophistry and pretences, and how clofs and nervous his reafoning was ufually.

Now, on the whole, what a lofs, especi ally in this juncture, may we juftly reckon the death of this great little man to the poor wreftling church of Scotland, to the place he lived in, and to his family! Alas! what fhall we say? What great thoughts of heart may it caufe, when fuch a green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit is cut down, when fuch bright ftars fet, yea, even constellations of them in our day! May we not juftly fear, when fuch wrestlers with God are taken off, as he on his death-bed comments on fuch damping providences, That the confumption decreed fhall overflow in righteouf nefs! Ifa. x. 22. THE

xix]

THE

PREFACE.

WE

ERE it not to answer the expectation of readers, and comply with the cuftom of writers, the following book might be ventured out to the world without either preface, introduction, or recommendation, the very title page containing enough to entitle it to a careful and can- ̧ did reading and perufal.

The worth and credit of the author, is fufficiently established among fuch as have any taste of piety or learning.

By the hiftory of his life, which has met with very good acceptance, it appears, that he was a man of God, one whom he had sot 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 be walked with God, in his fecret intercourfe with him, in his domeftic relations, and family devoti ons, 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!

b 2

MayTM

May we not then expect something very well worth our while, in the performance of one of fuch a character? 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 expofed 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 book 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 answer the expecta tions 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, ve 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 mafter 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 appears in it a great deal of folid judgment, diftinct

thought,

thought, and, in fome incident questions, not uncurious, there is fufficient evidence of his penetration, and what may be very agreeable and taking to them who set 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 con dition of thefe we deal with, is no argument of the want, but of the strength 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 profeffor of divinity, as well as the pulpit, while paftor to a Chriftian flock.

But though there had 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 thefe things. Many live unconcerned, and love to do fo; it may be, the very title fhall be with fuch 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

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

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

In the first part, the ftate of nature is reprefented as a state of fin, mifery, and wrath, in the maft pungent, affecting, and convincing terms imaginable; where the guilty finner is clafely 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 glaffes, and with fuch ag gravations, as it is hard to avoid the conviction of it, but where natural hardness is increased, by the malignant influence of Satan, whofe great de-. fign 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 guilty: 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 muft raife the gratitude of these happily delivered from it, and bids very fair, to alarm and awaken thefe yet under it, to efcape" and flee for their lives.

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

grees,