Thefe are the First Fruits of that pious and useful Lecture which your Goodnefs founded, for the more ftrict and religious Observation of the Lent in this your native City of BRISTOL; and I am apt to think that we shall all be well pleased to have you eftimare, by this Handfel, what the Reft of the Clergy here have been doing, in their Turns, upon the fame Subjects.

It is much to be regretted, that the learned and judicious Author li ved not long enough to go through the whole Number of the Fourteen Sermons, and especially to put his laft and finishing Hand to these; (for it seems not to appear that he had made a correct Transcript of any.

onc

one of them from the first Draught) nevertheless, the former Misfortune is, in fome measure, fupply'd by the Three Sermons which he has happily left upon the fame Subject of our Lord's meritorious Paffion; and the Latter will easily be allow'd for, and made up by that Candour which is effential to every good and chriftian Reader.

a

I need fay nothing to fatisfy the World, that they are his Difcourfes whose Name they bear; for they who had the Satisfaction of hearing them, will remember that they are his, which were wont to leave fuch an Impreffion behind them, as would not eafily wear out: And I have let them come Abroad in their firft and

native Simplicity, being fatisfied that I could not have attempted to give them any other Appearance or Turn, without the Perlik of being found out by all difcerning Perfonis, who were any Thing acquainted with his Manner of Speliking and Writing; in which there was al Sort of Peculiarity which fitted and became him fo exactly well, that a moderate Critick might be almost certain, as well of what was not his own, as of what was.id on volt and dhoki

?

rod vol car. Dear

He was a great Admirer and Mafter of the Socratick Way of Arguing; and, in all his Difcourfes, his Senfe is fubftantial, his Reasoning found, his Perfuafion cogent, and his Words (like the Words of the Wife) are

J

as Goads, and as Nails faft'ned by the Mafters of Affemblies, drove home, and clincht close. → But I shall fay no more to anticipate and prepoffefs the Reader, who, after all, will take the Freedom of judging for himselfieaega on il noy yüliw kos

But SIR, I must trespass upon your Patience a little further, in regard I am apprehensive, that my Brethren may expect I should take this Occafion of faying fomething in rel lation to this Lent-Lecture it' felf, which was happily thought on, and founded by you: And tho I may be thought guilty of a great¦ Strain in what I am going to say, yet 1 will venture to speak out, because it is my Belief, (and I am not fin A 4 gular

gular in believing) that you have not, in any of your Benefactions, done more Good among us than in this.

T

They who confider how usefully and wifely you have appropriated all that you have been liberally laying out, in Works of Piety and Charity, for many Years; how various, extensive, and endless your Liberalities have been, and still are, and how small a Proportion this Inftance of them bears to the Whole, will be apt enough to look hard at this Saying: But it is not wholly to be looked out of Countenance, altho' it fhould be thought largely faid, feeing I am in fome Degree, born out by the very Nature of the Good you have

here