422 LIFE AMD CORRESPONDENCE OF THE [180O 



menls and touches which the best of them stand much in need of, and 

 which the author had always designed to bestow upon a few of them, 

 and bequeath them as a legacy to his surviving friends and hearers, if 

 health and opportunity should permit ; and if that should not be the 

 case, he had directed those few, together with the whole remainder in 

 the following list, to be suppressed from public view, as hasty and un- 

 finished compositions. 



But the late change in the author's situation, the resignation of his 

 parochial as well as collegiate charge in the State of Maryland, and his 

 return to his former station in the College of Philadelphia (added ^o the 

 consideration of his advanced age) rendering it probable that he can 

 never again engage in any stated parochial duty; the applications of 

 some of his former friends and hearers have been renewed for the pub- 

 lication of sundry of those sermons which had long since been delivered 

 before them, and of which some of them had been supplied with copies 

 as aforesaid. 



In some late conversations with judicious and worthy persons, both 

 of the clergy and laity, respecting the present state of our churches and 

 people in America, it hath been further suggested that the cause of re- 

 ligion and truth might be much promoted by the publication of a suf- 

 ficient number of sermons or discourses, digested, as nearly as possible, 

 into a system 01 body of divinity; comprehending the most useful and 

 important articles of the Christian doctrine; treated of in a Scriptural 

 and evangelical way; in an easy, affectionate and correct style; suited 

 to the minds and apprehensions of the young and those of mferior 

 capacity, as well as edifying to those of riper years and more miproved 

 understanding; not running out into learned niceties or debates, to 

 disturb common readers or hearers; but avoiding all speculative and 

 controversial subjects, or touching upon them only to improve them, as 

 far as possible, towards the purposes of practical godliness and vital 

 Christianity. 



Although the author hath not the vanity to imagine that the following 

 sermons are wholly sufficient to this good design, yet they may lay the 

 foundation of a more perfect work ; and he finds, upon an arrangement 

 of them under proper heads, that in order to form a tolerably complete 

 system, only a few sermons would be wanting, and those chiefly upon 

 such speculative and controversial points as the author hath ever avoided 

 in the pulpit, but which (if thought necessary in a work of this kind) 

 might be selected from some of the ablest and most orthodox divines 

 of our Church. 



Indeed, it may be said that a complete body of sermons and divinity 

 might be wholly selected or compiled in this way, and attempts of that 

 kind have been made with good effect. But, as every age and country 

 is best pleased with its own forms, compositions and phrases of speech, 

 the author flatters himself that if it should please God to enable him to 



