A Comprehensive View of the Leading and Most Important Principles of Natural and Revealed Religion

proceeded in his course, intermixing his lectures with much extempore illustration, as far as to the Covenant of Grace. The clear method which he pursued is, on many subjects, particularly the Trinity and the Covenants, in many of its outlines adopted. The author acknowledges with pride, the assistance derived from notes, taken at that time from the mouth of the speaker. Of these lectures the most copious abridgment, which was, or probably could be made by any gentlemen not acquainted with the art of stenography, has been published by the editor of Dr. Witherspoon's works, though with much imperfection, as was naturally to be expected. And, if the venerable man had lived, he would, probably, have been little pleased in seeing this, and several other mutilated productions of his pen, accompanying his more perfect works. It is greatly to be lamented, that many circumstances, after the design was commenced, concurred to prevent its execution. The judicious reader who is best acquainted with Dr. Witherspoon's manner, will probably find little affinity in these discourses, with his writings; yet the author is not conscious that they contain opinions, on any principles of religion, materially varying from those which that great man was known to adopt. Any coincidences of sentiment in the subjects treated by us in common, may easily be traced, if any person have the curiosity, by comparing these discourses with that abridgment. Diversity in the manner of proposing them to the world, ought to be expected, even in a pupil who admires his mas

* During his life a printer in New-Jersey was commencing an edition of his Moral Philosophy in its present imperfect state. He was arrested in its progress, by being threatened with a legal prosecution. This event caused the doctor a year or two before his death, to direct the burning of a very large number of his manuscripts by his late wife, he himself being blind. His Moral Philosophy, and Lectures on Criticism, would probably have shared the same fate if many copies of both had not been preserved by his students. They were used merely as texts.

ter. The principles which they contain have long been the basis of religious instructions communicated first to the students at Hampden-Sidney, in Virginia, and since to a theological class in the college of New-Jersey. And lately, the author has employed many of the leisure moments afforded him, by the goodness of providence, in the course of a tedious disorder, in reviewing, correcting, and arranging them in their present form, for the press.

It is his earnest prayer that the following pages may contribute in any degree to elucidate the doctrines of the holy scriptures, not to the learned only, but to the humblest christian, for which, being freed, as much as possible, from all metaphysical discussion, he hopes they will be found to be usefully adapted.