here made Provifion for, to wit, the Obfervance of a most folemn

Ordinance of our Church, the Service of our most Holy Religion, the Worship of Almighty God, and the Edification of Souls. A zinut

And it is, SIR, with Pleasure, that I can affure you, the Church continues still to be enliven'd, and adorn'd with a full Congregation, every Lecture-day, now, twelve Years after the Novelty of the Thing and of the Subjects has been overpaft: And you will eafily perceive, by the Length of these Discourses; that as the Clergy have not thought much of their Pains, in fitting themselves for an Hour's Exercife, fo neither have the People been weary of lending

them

them an Hour's Attention : And such a Face of Serioufnels and Devotion is beheld in thefe holy Affemblies, as fhews, that the Multitude is of one Heart and of one SoulA in the Ser vice; nor is Religion any where seen to make a goodlier Figure, or to. appear, with a diviner Grace, or exert it felf with greater Earr

to

Earnestness

and Sincerity, which we eleem as esteem the principal Recompence of our Labours: For, as it must chear the Breaft of every Votary with an ho10 o ly Complacency and Satisfaction, fo it is a peculiar Joy and Comfort to those whose Business it is to bear their Parts and Turns in the Service, and to roll in this religious Duty.o

2011

And as the Subjects were of your own chufing, fo the Publick will readily obferve, that, in the Choice of them, you were not ignorant of what you were doing: They are lelect, important, and copious, fingularly well adapted and aranged; they fucceed each other in a Connection and Dependance, which is not difficult to be noted; they run upon the weightiest Points and Inftitutions of Primitive Chriftianity, and are perfectly well calculated to make the Comers thereunto well-grounded Chriftians, and well-affected Churchmen: And they are, for the most Part, capable of being fo endlessly fub-divided, and branched out, thar there is scarce any Part or Theme of Divinity, hardly any Grace or Ver

tue

tue of our Religion, but what may be infifted on under fome one or other of them: Nor need the Prea cher never want a fresh Topick of Difcourfe, as often as they shall come about to his Turn; unless he be covetous of comprehending all that can be faid of each in a fingle Sermon, which unavoidably leads him to be too long and tedious upon the Whole, while he must be too hafty and fuperficial upon every Part; which is therefore the more unneceffary and imprudent, as these Subjects are like to be Unalterable and Perpetual. In a Word, it was not without the matureft Deliberation and Advice that you fashioned and digested this good Work, till you had finifhed it to your Mind; as

your

your many judicious and excellent Letters on the Occafion can testify; which might, perhaps, as well deferve Perufal, as any of thofe Dif courfes they have laid the Foundation of. And must it not, SIR, administer a pleafing Reflection to your pious Soul, to think how gerally Useful, and Beneficial it proves, and how Successfully it anfwers your godly Defigns and Ends.

Hereby you have furnished your Fellow-Citizens with an Occafion and Method for distinguishing this folemn Seafon of the Lent from the Reft of their Time, and for obferving it in fuch a religious Manner, as ferves, we hope, to cast a kindly Influence and Bleffing upon the