Preface to the firft Edition.

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N epiftolary correfpondence commenced between the Rev. Mr. Samuel Davies and myself, in the year 1752, and was continued till the time of his decease.

When I began the intercourfe with him, I could not entertain any very probable hopes that we should ever have an interview in our world, but Mr. Davies's vifit to Great-Britain, in the year 1753, with that venerable man the Rev. Mr. Gilbert Tennent, of Philadelphia, to folicit benefactions for the college of New-Jersey, gave me a pleasure beyond all reasonable expectation; and the friendship which was kindled at the distance of feveral thousand miles from each other, was increased by free and frequent converfes during the time, almoft a year, of Mr. Davies's refidence on this fide the Atlantic.

After his departure from our country to America, I received feveral letters from Mr. Davies, and had the honour of being numbered among his particular friends, to whom he communicated the very fecrets of his bofom.

In a letter, dated September 12, 1757, Mr. Davies (at that juncture fcarce recovered from a violent and dangerous fever) thus writes to me: "I want to live "after I am dead, not in name, but in public useful"nefs: I was therefore about to order in my will that "all my notes, which are tolerably full, might be fent "to you to correct and publish fuch of them as you "might judge conducive to the public good. Pray, "what do you think of the project, if the like occafion "fhould return while you are among mortals ?"

What anfwer I gave to my friend's propofal I cannot exactly recollect, but I am perfuaded that my

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fection to him would not permit me to put a negative upon his request.

On the 4th of February, 1761, this excellent man was by a violent fever removed from our world: and, though he died univerfally lamented, yet, as he had an uncommon intereft in my affection while living, fo his decease opened the fprings of the most afflicting forrow in my breaft, and perhaps I may truly apply, with a little variation, the words of the Poet,

Multis ille flebilis occidit,

Nulli flebilior quàm mibi.

HORAT. Od. Lib. I. Od. 24.

But, though the prophet is afcended, his mantle is left behind. A very confiderable number of his SERMONS has been tranfmitted to me, and thence I have selected what were fufficient to compose the enfuing volumes.

As the Sermons which I now lay before the public were Mr. Davies's ufual popular difcourfes, it may naturally be fuppofed that they required patient and accurate revifal in order to their publication; and that the Editor, if he would discharge his duty as he ought, muft find himself under the neceffity of making fome occafional alterations and amendments as to the language, and efpecially of adjufting the pointing. Thefe liberties I have taken, and have endeavoured to execute my truft in the fame manner which I have reafon to think Mr. Davies, if he had been living, would have approved and commended; and in which I fhould wish my own Sermons, fhould I leave any behind me worthy of the public view, might be corrected and fent into the world.

They who knew and heard Mr. Davies will need no further proof than the perufal of the discourses themfelves that they are the real productions of the author to whom they are afcribed. The fun fhews himself to be the fun by the very beams with which he irradiates and enlivens mankind, and is eafily distinguished from other luminaries by his furpaffing luftre.

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The Sermons I have chofen for publication strictly anfwer the Advertisement in the PROPOSALS for printing them; namely, Sermons on the most USEFUL and IMPORTANT Subjects, adapted to the FAMILY and CLOSET. The reader will meet with no difcourfes in these volumes but what are calculated for general use, or fuch as relate to the common conditions, duties, and interefts of mankind in one form or another; and in how many of them has both the Saint and the Sinner a portion of meat provided for him? May it prove a portion in due feafon! and may both the one and the other rife from the facred feast divinely. ftrengthened and bleffed!

Amidst an attention to the very numerous and important duties of my feveral departments in life, the additional weight of a due preparation of Three Volumes of pofthumous difcourfes for the eye of the public, and of the careful reviews of the proof-fheets as they came from the press, has taken up no fmall portion of my time, and been no inconfiderable acceffion to my conftant labours; but I have moft cheerfully devoted both my hours and my toils to the very valuable purposes of fulfilling the defires of my dear friend Mr. Davies, which I own have a kind of irrefiftible power over me;-of contributing, as I would hope, to the fpiritual benefit of my fellow-heirs of immortality, by putting into their hands a collection of very pious and useful Sermons ;--and, of affifting and comforting the mournful widow and orphans of a friend who was as dear to me as a brother.

I take the liberty of returning thanks, in the name of Mrs. Davies, (for to her only the profits of the publication fhall be applied) to the numerous SUBSCRIBERS to the work; and I hope they will find themselves amply recompenced for their benevolence to the widow and fatherlefs, by the facred advantage and pleasure they and their families will receive in the perufal of thefe difcourfes; in which piety and genius feem to have vied with each other which fhould excel, and triumph in the fuperior glory.

Notwith

Notwithstanding all the time and pains the prefent work has coft me, and the strong fenfe I have that a like proportion of both would be required in the execution of a like undertaking, yet I beg leave to affure the public, that, as I have a large number of Mr. Davies's manufcript Sermons still in my hands, I shall be ready (health being continued to me) to revise and publish the Author's remaining difcourfes, whenever there fhall be an encouraging profpect of benefit to Mrs. Davies, or her orphans, by a fresh publication. As to vifit, or relieve, the fatherless and the widow in their affliction* is an effential branch of christian duty, fo it is a duty I truft will never be wanting, whenever an opportunity offers for exemplifying it, from my first regards and practice.

Mr. Davies annexed to fome of his Sermons HYMN'S of his own compofition. Had this been uniformly the cafe they might have accompanied his Difcourfes to the prefs, but as it is not, I have omitted them; but, if death or incapacity prevent not my defign, I intend hereafter to collect what HYMNS of his have fallen into my hands, and publish them together with fome of my own on the like occafions.

I have prefixed to thefe Volumes a SERMON upon the death of our Author by that excellent man the Rev. Dr. Samual Finley, Mr. Davies's fucceffor to the prefidency of New-Jersey College: I have also re-published the Discourse I preached to my people the next LORD'S day after I received the diftreffing news of Mr. Davies's decease; and have ventured to add an Elegiac Poem to the memory of my dear friend; in which if the reader finds not a vein of poefy worthy of the fubject, yet he will not, I prefume, be difpleased at the efforts, however languid and inadequate, of bereaved mourning friendship to do honour to the character of a perfon fo amiable and deferving.

The idea I have given of our Author in my Sermon, and particularly in my Poem, and above all, the

* James, i. 27.

just

juft and lively, the ftrong and elegant picture which Dr. Finley has exhibited of him in his discourse upon his death, render it unneceffary to enlarge this Preface with an account of Mr. Davies's merit and accomplishments; I fhall therefore only add, that I moft fincerely wish that young minifters more especially would peruse these Volumes with the deepest attention and seriousness, and endeavour, in conjunction with earnest prayer for divine illumination and affiftance, to form their difcourfes according to the model of our Author; in which, if I mistake not, a critical Scrutiny into the facred Texts which he chooses for his subjects, a natural Eduction and clear Reprefentation of their genuine meaning, an elaborate and fatisfactory Proof of the various heads of doctrine, a steady Profecution of his point, together with an easy and plain, but yet strong and pertinent Enlargement, and a free, animated, and powerful Application and Improvement, wonderfully adapted to awaken the confciences, and ftrike the hearts of both faints and finners, mingle the various excellencies of learning, judgment, eloquence, piety, and feraphic zeal, in one uncommon glory; not unlike the beams of the fun collected by a burning glass, that at once shine with a moft dazzling brightness, and fet fire, wherever the blaze is directed, to objects fufceptive of their celeftial influence, and a transformation into their own nature.

THOMAS GIBBONS.

Hoxton-Square, Nov. 14, 1765.