SERM. To conclude; if we would have God to accept us in a dying hour, and our bleffed SAVIOUR "to "remember us now he is in his kingdom," let us think of him betimes, and "acquaint ourselves with "him that we may be at peace: Now before the evil "days come, and the years draw nigh when we "fhall fay we have no pleasure in them." "O that men were wife, that they understood "this, that they would confider their latter end.” Which God of his infinite goodness grant that we may all feriously lay to heart, in this our day; and may learn betimes "fo to number our days, that 66 we may apply our hearts to wifdom:" for his mercies fake in JESUS CHRIST, to whom with the FATHER and the HOLY GHOST, be all honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen. THE To my honoured and learned FRIEND Dr. STILLINGFLEET. I SIR, Have, with a great deal of pleasure and fatisfaction, read over your book, which I I find in every part anfwerable to its title, viz. A rational account of the grounds of the proteftant religion. And now I thank you for it, not only as a private favour, but a publick benefit. No fooner had I perused it, but I met with a difcourfe entitled, Sure-footing in chriftianity. And although I have no small prejudice againft books with conceited titles, yet I was tempted to look into this, because it pretended to contain animadverfions on fome paffages in your book, which I had fo lately read over. Upon perufal of which animadverfions, I found that the author of them had attacked: (and in his own opinion confuted) a page or two in your book. This drew me on to take a view of his main difcourfes: which, because they are in great vogue among fome of his own party, and do with an unusual kind of confiVOL. IV. 6 L dence 549 550 dence and oftentation pretend to the newest and most exact fashion of writing controverfy, as being all along demonftrative and built upon felf-evident principles; therefore I refolved throughly to examine them, that I might dif cover (if I could) upon what fo firm and folid foundations this high and mighty confidence was built. But before I had entered upon this undertaking, I met with a letter from the author of fure-footing to his answerer, directing him how he ought to demean himself in his answer. In which letter, though there be many things liable to great exception, yet because I am unwilling to be diverted from the main queftion, I shall not argue with him about any of those matters; only take leave to use the fame liberty. in managing my answer, which he hath affumed to himself in prescribing laws to me about it: therefore, without taking any farther notice of his letter, I addrefs myself to his book. THE |