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SERM. Soul, in the beginning of your Diftemper, I. ere your Spirits fail you, or your Senfes are difordered; whilft you are capable of converfing and hearkening to his Exhortations, and of joining in thofe Prayers which he offers for you; rather than stay till your bodily Phyfician gives you over, and defpairs of your recovery; when the whole Office often dwindles almoft into Formality, and there can little elfe be done, but to pray for fuch as are no longer in condition of praying for themselves.

Next to this be free and impartial in the opening of your cafe, that he may see the better how to apply fit Remedies to your fpiritual Diseases, and impart to you the benefit of his fpiritual Advice and Comfort. Confider him as one whofe Office binds him to Fidelity and Secrecy. Remember of what moment it may be to your own welfare, that your cafe be fairly stated; and beware left by your backwardness in this affair, you prove falfe to yourselves and to your real intereft.

Finally, brethren, pray for us, as I in return fhall think it my Duty to pray for you, that the word of the Lord may have free courfe, and be glorified among us* that both I may have courage to speak

*2 Theff. iii. I.

;

boldly,

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boldly, as I ought to speak*, the words of SERM. truth and foberness; and you in like manner attending without prejudice or partiality, and laying apart all filthiness and fuperfluity of naughtiness, may receive with meeknefs the engrafted word, which is able to fave your fouls, through Jefus Chrift our Lord, to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all Honour and Glory now and henceforth for evermore. Amen.

* Eph. vi. 20. † Acts xxvi. 25. James i. 21.

ADVERTISEMENT.

IN

N the former Edition of this Sermon, printed by the Author immediately after it was preached; (chiefly for the Ufe, and at the particular Requeft, of his Parishioners ;) there was added an Appendix containing,

I. A Collection of fome Rubricks relating to Infant Baptism; together with the xxixth Canon; which forbids the admiffion of the Parent to answer for the Child in the place of a Surety; (for that would weaken the Security, required by the Church, for the Christian Education of the Child:) and directs that none fhould be Godfathers and Godmothers, but thofe only who have received the Lord's-Supper. And,

II. A long quotation out of Dr. WALL'S Hiftory of Infant-Baptifm*, and the Defence of it; arguing against the too common Practice of using the Public Form of Baptifm in private Houses; and fuggefting feveral Particulars upon that Subject, war. thy of ferious Confideration. But, as thefe Paffages may eafily be confulted, in the feveral Places from whence they are taken : It has been judged proper, to omit, and not reprint them here.

I am further to advertise the Reader, that in the following Sermon upon Family Religion, as firft printed, only fome Copies had the Author's name at the end of the Dedication; and St. Andrew's Undershaft, was mentioned in the Title Page: whereas, the largest part of the impreffion (which was published to the world) had no mention of the Author's name or place where it was preached; but only the Sermon was faid, in the Title, to be preached to a Parochial Congregation; and the Dedication concluded without a name.

I have been advised alfo to reprint the Dedication as it flood in the Copies which the author gave to his Parishioners and other Friends, which accordingly fol lows in this Place.

* See Part 1. Chap. 15, Sect. 7. §. 3. and Defence, P. 407.

то

TO THE

INHABITANTS

OF THE

Parish of St. ANDREW UNDERshaft.

BRETHREN,

MY bearts defire and prayer to God for you is, that ye

may be faved*. And though I have reason to be fatisfied with my prefent fituation upon many accounts: yet I fhall efteem it the greatest happiness of my ministry among you, and the crown of all my labours, if I may be any way instrumental in leading you to Heaven, and directing you to obtain the end of your faith, even the falvation of your fouls †. In order whereunto, as it is highly neceffary that those of a maturer age should be

Rom, x. I.

VOL. III.

E

+ 1 Pet. i. 9.

excited

49

excited to the duties of a chriftian practice, fo that they be particularly careful to inftruct the growing generation in fuch a sense and knowledge of their duty, that our religion may be faithfully handed down to our pofterity, and the people that shall be born may praise the Lord *.

I am satisfied, nothing could be more useful to cure the degeneracy of the times, and the prefent lamentable defection from the faith and practice of the gofpel. Nothing could more effectually defeat the attempts of deceivers of all kinds, who take the advantage of undifciplin❜d and uninftructed minds, and easily infinuate the belief of error, where the knowledge of the truth is wanting.

What a furprising growth have a few years produced of Deifm and Scepticism, a latitude of principles,

* Pfalm cii. 18.

and

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