AND THE IMPORTANCE AND ADVANTAGES LONDON: Printed for the Religious Tract Society; AND SOLD AT THE DEPOSITORY, 56, PATER TO THE READER. THE following Discourses on a most weighty and interesting subject are recommended to your serious perusal. If you are not prone to forget Eternity, amidst the cares and amusements of life, and do not want to have your mind more deeply impressed with its momentous concerns, you are a Christian of distinguished eminence, and I congratulate your happiness. But such a character being as uncommon as it is glorious, you are probably conscious, that you need to have your mind stirred up, by way of remembrance, concerning the things that belong to your everlasting peace. If you are a stranger to the Author, it signifies little to you, of what party or persuasion he is. Candidly believe him to be honest and well-meaning. Consider, that eternity is no party subject, but the common concern of all ages, ranks, and denominations. It is very likely that some of his reasoning and arguments upon a subject which hath its difficulties, may not be clear and satisfactory to you; but you may perhaps meet with something, at least in the Reflections, which may do you good. You will not find these Discourses so judicious, correct, and elegant, as many others which you may have read. The Author's design was to come home to men's business and bosoms. For this end, he hath waved rather than studied oruaments: being sensible that a sermon, like a tool, may be polished till it has no edge. He has endeavoured to use such plain and familiar language, that even readers of the lowest understanding may at once see and feel his meaning. Defective as these Discourses are, an hour or two devoted to the perusal of them may afford you more satisfaction than the same time spent in mere amusement, or in reading a better book on a subject of less importance. In publishing them, the Author hath obliged many of his friends who desired it endea voured to do a little good to his fellow-christians in his own way: he hath commended them to the blessing of God, which hath already, in some degree, atended them; and he cheerfully leaves the issue with him, without being very solicitous about the reception they may meet with in the world. If you desire to profit by the perusal of these Discourses, he entreats and hopes, that you will first lift up your heart to God in such language as this: “O God, the fountain of wisdom, truth, and goodness; the high and lofty One that inhabitest eternity, whose name is holy; graciously assist thy servant to read these Discourses with a serious, attentive mind; that I may not rest in the language or the sentiment, in commending or condemning them; but may cosider my own concern in them. May I read them as addressed to my conscience; and as far as what they contain appears agreeable to thine unerring word, may I receive and submit to it, as an oracle of God, and judge myself by it. Teach me, O God of all grace, to profit by them; that the time I spend in reading and meditating upon them may not be lost. May they afford me present instruction and lasting benefit; and thus tend to increase my glory and felicity through eternity. By thy grace may I be made to partake of the joys of thine eternal kingdom, through Jesus Christ, aur Mediator and Redeemer. Amen." DISCOURSE I. But the things which are not seen are eternal.-2 Cor. iv. 18. "While we look not at the. things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal: but the things which are not seen, are eternal." WHEN Archbishop Leighton was mi nister of a parish in Scotland, this question was asked of the ministers at their provincial meetings, If they preached the duties of the times?' When it was found that Mr. Leighton did not, and he was blamed for the omission, he answered, "If all the brethren have preached to the times, may not one poor brother be suffered to preach on Eternity?"* In most ages of the church, there has been too much reason to complain, that christian ministers have dwelt more * Select Works of Archbishop Leighton. Preface, p. 11. |