ISAAC

NEWTON-Mr.

LOCKE

Mr. ADDISON-and fome very eminent lawyers-Sir MATTHEW HALE in particular-and I am proud to mention the late excellent Sir JOSEPH YATES; whofe friends knew him to be as pious, and informed a christian, as the public acknowledged him to be an able, and upright judge.

In this view, a Solicitor-General may stand as properly at the head of a volume of fermons, as a Bishop -if he be fuch a Solicitor-General, as I have every reason to believe him to be, whom I addrefs-with whofe character I have had the happiness of being acquainted through a period of more than thirty years.

I wish, my dear Sir, the gift were more worthy of your acceptance. But I am perfuaded you have candour enough to rate the value of it by the motive which accompanies Whatever you think of the book, you will receive it as a testimony of the very fincere efteem and respect, with which I am, dear Sir,

it.

PREFACE.

ERY few of the following Sermons are more

VERY

than common parish-discourses; which are perhaps more generally useful, than fermons of a higher clafs. None of them are on deep fubjects; tho moft of them on fubjects of great importance, which are impreffed with what perfpicuity and force the author was able to give them.

They are in general, fhort-certainly too fhort for pulpit discourses. But there feemed no great neceffity for amplification, repetition, or recapitulation in printed difcourfes, where preceding pages may be examined. They may be useful, when a fermon is delivered from the pulpit; but here they are cut off.