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THE

PREFACE.

A

Ta Time, when all Manner of Immorality and Propbaneness feems to have overfpread thefe Kingdoms like a Deluge; when all Virtue and Public Spirit has been openly ridiculed, and laughed out of Doors; whilft Corruption, that Bane of all Goodnefs, Nurfery of all Vice, and Root of all Evil, bas been as openly practifed and defended; to which bitter Fountain alone, are owing all the Calamities, under which this unhappy and divided Nation has lately laboured, and without great Care, and due Amendment, may yet, we fear, languish much longer. At fuch a Time, we fay, when every Kind of Wickedness reigns triumphant, Treatife, exprefsly calulated, to recommend and inforce the Practice of Virtue, by explaining and pointing out the full Extent of Every One's Duty, and at the fame Inftant fhewing the Danger, and dreadful Confequences, of either neglecting or fwerving from it; at fuch a Time, we repeat it, if ever, fuch a Treatife must be abfolutely neceffary; though, Jorry we are to say it, there is then leaft Reafon to hope for its being well received.

In effect, we do not much flatter our felves with the Thought of feeing it in the Hands of the very Gay, the Fathionable, or Polite; and

much

much less in those of fuch refined Gentry, as glory in diftinguishing themselves, by the modish Name of Free-thinkers, under which they include Atheifts, and Deifts, or fomewhat yet worse: Nevertheless, bad as the Age is, we believe there are yet many, who are not arrived at that Height of Licen toufnefs, to make a Jeft of Damnation, and fcoff at all Religion; and from fuch, we do not defpair of a good Acceptance, even though they should be young, genteelly educated, and of a chearful Difpofition; no Pains having been spared, to render it as agreeable and entertaining, as the Nature of the Thing would admit.

As for thofe, indeed, who are downright Giglers, and love nothing that will not make them laugh, or who are fond of loofe Reading, they muft not expect to find any Thing to their vitiated Tafte here; but, for fuch as have Solidity enough, to be pleafed with a good Piece of Hiftory, or a moral Tale, whereby they may be at once improved, inftructed, and amufed, they will here meet with abundant Matter of Entertainment. And there may be alfo fome Convenience, in this little Treatife, for those who are polite and fashionable; provided they are not fo far in the Height of the Mode, but they can bear to be feen fometimes in the Infide of a Church, and even to behave with Decency when there. To fuch as thefe, it is well known, that Sundays, with all the little Helps of Chit-Chat, Vifiting, and Tea-Tables, are apt to hang very heavy upon their Hands; what then muft they do, fhould they happen to be so much indifpofed, that they can neither go Abroad, nor care to receive Company at Home? They may, perhaps, fcruple to read a Play, or Prior's Poems, on fuch a Day; and to go through the Fatigue of poring over above a Chapter or two, in that Out

of

of-the-way Book the Bible, might increase their Illness, by giving them the Vapours; in fuch a fad Cafe, then, they may find this fhort Treatife, neither quite fo tedious as they think the latter, nor altogether fo improper for the Day, as the former; befides its having the Charms of Novelty to recommend it. We fhall freely own, however, it was not for any of thefe beforementioned it was chiefly compiled; no, it was defigned for the Ufe of fuch, as believe it worth while, now and then to think, of their future State; and to confider, whether they are in the Way to eternal Happiness, or endless Mifery: To all fuch, we are perfwaded, the being inftructed in the full Extent of their Duty, with regard to each of the Commandments, and at the fame Time agreeably entertained, will be deemed no fmall Advantages; and thefe, we doubt not, even in the prefent Times, are fufficiently numerous, to take off a larger Impreffion, than are now printed of thefe Sheets.

THE

THE

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ARON his bafe Compliance with
the idolatrous Jews amazing. Page 97
a Tranfgreffor both of the fecond
and tenth Commandment. p. 97, 305
Abednego, bis Fortitude and Zeal.
for the Honour of God, with its good

Effects.
P. 45

Abel, why hated by his Brother Cain. P. 301

Abelara and Alfonge, the fad Effect of their Cu-

riofity.

Abiram, bis dreadful and uncommon Punishment.

P. 208

Abfalom, the Enormity and Complication of his Sin,
with its bitter Fruits.
Achan, bis Covetoufnefs and Difobedience, how
terribly vifited upon him.
Acontius, bis artful Stratagem, and good Suc-

P 272

P, 214

P. 285

Ahab, his Subornatiom of Perjury, and Murder,
bow dreadfully punished.
Alfonge, Jee Abelara.
Amphinomus and Anapius, their fingular Piety,
with its happy Effects,

P. 206
Amurath, Emperor of the Turks, his powerful

Adjuration, and its immediate Confequences, P. 147

Ananias and Sapphira, the bitter Fruits of their

Collufion and Lye.

Ariobarzanes, King of Cappadocia, bis extraor

dinary Love to his Son; and the uncommon filial Piety.

of the latter.

Belshazzar, his monstrous Wickedness, and imme-

diate Punishment.

P115

riofity.
Buckingham, the avitty Duke, his merry Way of

confuting a Popish Priest.

bis Oppreffion.

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P 276

Cain, his unparallel'd Wickedness, Audacioufness,
and Infolente.

P. 300, &c.
Caligula, bis abominable Wish.
P. 301
Califthenes, the Philofopher, his bold and noble An-
fwer to Alexander's Parafites.

p. 25
Charles VI, of Auftria, late Emperor, chiefly the
Author of his own Misfortunes, by his Breach of
Treaties.
P. 148, &c.
Coftandel, Prince of Georgia, his deferved End.

Daniel, bis Boldness in Defence of Innocence. p. 291
Dathan, fee Abiram.

David, his complicated Sin, how feverely vifited

Dinah, ber Rape, the bitter Fruits if it.

Dudley and Empfon, the hopeful fue

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