never to be misled by any. But what I have here briefly hinted, is purfued at large, and to much greater Advantage, in the following Difcourfes, from which I shall no longer detain the Reader.

WINDSOR. Decemb. 24. 1739.

Daniel Waterland.

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ΤΟ

To the Right Reverend Father in GOD,

JOHN.

Lord Bishop of London.

My LORD,

H

AVING had the Honour for above these Thirty Years to bear a Commiffion under your Lordship, and your Worthy Predeceffor; and the Happinefs likewise to have been as long fupported by your just and generous Protection and Encouragement; I do moft gladly lay hold on this publick Opportunity of acknowledging to the World, the many Obligations of Gratitude I lie under to fuch truly Good and Noble Patrons. But this is but One of the Many Reasons that induce me to prefix your Lordship's Name to thefe Difcourfes, and to fubmit them to your Judgment, and to pray your Acceptance and Encouragement of them. Being entrusted under your Lordship with a Cure of Souls in a far diftant Country, where both Clergy and Laity are deprived of the Benefit your Diocese in England enjoys under your more immediate Epifcopal Infpection, I thought nothing could be more proper than to present your Lordship with a Specimen of our

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remote

remote Ministerial Labours. To pafs by other Reafons for my Choice of this noble Subject; it is a particular Felicity of that Country, not to be infefted with the Enemies of the Chriftian Faith; fo that we have little or no Occafion in our Sermons to enter the Lifts with Atheists, Deifts, Arians or Socinians; nor are we much troubled with either Popish or Proteftant Recufants; or any of thofe unhappy Diftinctions, by which the Church of England is most unfortunately fubdivided in this our Mother Country. Yet we find Work enough (and more than our few Labourers can accomplish) to encounter the ufual Corruptions of Mankind, Ignorance, Inconfideration, practical Unbelief, Impenitence, Impiety, Worldly-mindednefs, and other common Immoralities. For which Reason, the Practical Part of Religion being the chief Part of our Pastoral Care, I was easily inclined to fix my Meditations on Our Saviours Divine Sermon on the Mount; as knowing that Christian Duties were there both very plainly taught, and yet carried to a Degree of Perfection beyond what the World ever knew before, or is perhaps as yet duly fenfible of. It pleafed God to favour my Study on this noble Subject with fome very useful Discoveries, which caft a better Light. both into the Scope of the whole Sermon; and the Meaning and Order of the great Duties it treats of. And I made it my Bufinefs to apply all with as 'great a Degree of Zeal and Concern for the good of Souls as I was capable of. I hope the Doctrine will be found Sound and Orthodox, and the Style plain for the Ufe of the meanest Hearers. I wish I could add likewife, and fo Grave and Serious,

Serious, fo Roufing and awakening, fo Weighty and Divine, and fo becoming the Noble Argument it handles; that Perfons of the beft Capacities and Difpofitions may find a fuitable Entertainment: But fuch as it is, I hope it will do good to Perfons of all Capacities, if they bring any Degree of good Temper of Mind along with them.

There is one Thing more I have aimed at, with an Eye to the Clergy, as well as the Laity under my Care; but am confcious to myself of having fallen far fhort of it; it is fomething relating to the Manner of handling Divine Subjects. I cannot forbear mentioning it, though there is but a weak Attempt made here towards it; but if duly cultivated and improved, I will venture to fay it will be a great Beauty and Ornament of our Pulpit Performances. What I mean is, that I have endeavoured not only to avoid the running out into general Topicks, to fpend the Time; but to confine the Discourses to the main Subjects of the feveral Texts; and fo to cloath every Difcourse with the true Notion of its Text, that nothing may be faid upon it but what is in fomeSense peculiar to it; and would not fall in fo properly from any other. I have always looked upon it as a Thing of mighty Importance, that our People should be fatisfied, we do not preach up our own Notions, but thofe of the Holy Scriptures; which carry their Light and Authority along with them. This Method, it's true, makes Sermons very fhort, by cutting off long Prefaces, useless Digreffions, Common-Place Cafes and Questions, remote Repetitions ab Ovo; and fome other Pulpit Excurfions, where, perhaps, though the

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Matter