mony and name to it. That it may answer the main end for which it was at first written by the author-whom I always took to be a grave, serious, modest, good man—and for which, I hope, it is now published, to wit, the edification of the Church of Christ in faith, holiness, and comfort, is the hearty desire of one of the meanest servants of our MOST BLESSED LORD JESUS.

WILLIAM Lorimer.

WE, whose names are subscribed, having seen the testimony of our worthy brother, Mr. William Lorimer, after his perusal of this book, doubt not but it may be of use to many, -as the former writings of Mr. Thomas Watson have been; and, with that desire and hope, we recommend it to masters of families and others.

A SHORT ACCOUNT

OF

THE AUTHOR.

IT is sufficiently known to all that have any acquaintance with the histories of the Church, that many valuable and useful ministers were ejected, for non-conformity, by the Act of Uniformity, in the reign of King Charles II. which took place, August 24th, 1662. Among others, the Reverend Mr. THOMAS WATSON was ejected from his charge, at St. Stephen's, Walbrook, London; whose character is given by the Reverend Dr. Edmund Calamy, in his Abridgements, Vol. II. p. 37; and is as follows:

"From St. Stephen's, Walbrook. Mr. Thomas Watson; " he was of Emanuel College in Cambridge, where he was " noted for being a hard student, one so well known in the "city, viz. London, for his piety and usefulness, that though he was singled out by the Friendly Debate, he " yet carried a general respect for all sober persons along “ with him to his grave. A memorable passage, which I "have from good hands, must not be passed by: When "Mr Watson was in the pulpit, on a lecture day, before "the Bartholomew act took place, among other hearers "there came in that Reverend and Learned Prelate, Bishop

Richardson, who was so well pleased with his sermon, " but especially with his prayer after it, that he followed "him home, to give him thanks, and earnestly desired a Alas!' said Mr Watson, that is

of his prayer. copy

"what I cannot give, for I do not use to pen my prayers;

"it was no studied thing, but uttered as God enabled me "from the abundance of my heart and affections,-pro re "nata. Upon which the good Bishop went away, wondering that any man could pray in that manner, ex tem'pore. After his ejectment, he continued in the exercise "of the ministry in the city, as Providence gave opportu"nity, for many years: but his strength wearing away, he "retired into Essex, and there died suddenly, in his closet, " at prayer."

A

PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE

ΤΟ

CATECHISING.

If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, CoL. i. 23.

to the earth." Now, such as are not settled in religion, will, at one time or other, prove wandering stars; they will lose their for

INTENDING the next Lord's day to enter upon the work of catechising, it will not be amiss to give you this preliminary discourse, as preparatory to it; shew-mer strictness, and wander from ing you how needful it is for Christians to be well instructed in the grounds of religion.

"If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled,"-Two propositions :

First, It is the duty of Christians to be settled in the doctrine of faith.

Second, The best way for Christians to be settled is to be well grounded.

one opinion to another. Such as are unsettled are of the tribe Reuben, unstable as water,' Gen. xlix. 4.; like a ship without ballast overturned with every wind of doctrine. Beza writes of one Belfectius, whose religion changed as the moon. The Arians had every year a new faith. These are not pillars' in the temple of God, but reeds' shaken every way. The apostle calls them damnable heresies,' 2 Pet. ii. 1. A man may go to hell as well for heresy as adultery. To be unsettled in religion argues want of judgment; if their heads were not giddy, they would not reel so fast from one opinion to another.

DOCT. I. That it is the duty of Christians to be settled in the doctrine of faith. It is the apostle's prayer, 1 Pet. v. 10." The God of all grace, stablish, strengthen, settle you." That they might not be meteors in the air, but fixed stars. The apostle It argues lightness; feathers will Jude speaks of wandering stars' be blown every way,-so will feav. 13. They are called wander- thery Christians,—Triticum non ing stars, because, as Aristotle rapit ventus, inanes palæ jactantur, saith, "They do leap up and CYPR. Therefore such are comdown, and wander into several pared to children, Eph. iv. 14. parts of the heaven; and being "That we be no more children, but dry exhalations, not made tossed to and fro." Children are of that pure celestial matter-as fickle,-sometimes of one mind, the fixed stars are-they often fall sometimes of another; nothing

B

pleases them long; so unsettled when they think of the joys of

heaven, then they will espouse the gospel,-but when they think of persecution, then they desert it. Unsettled Christians do not consult what is best, but what is safest: "The apostate (saith Tertullian) seems to put God and Satan in balance, and having weighed both their services, prefers the devil's service, and proclaims him to be the best master ; and in this sense may be said to

put Christ to open shame,' Heb. vi. 6. They will never suffer for the truth, but be as a soldier that leaves his colours, and runs over to the enemy's side; he will fight on the devil's side for pay.

Christians are childish; those truths they embrace at one time, they reject at another; sometimes they like the Protestant religion, and soon after they have a good mind to turn Papists. Now, that you may labour to be settled (as Ignatius) in the faith, in unsettled times of settled judgments: 1st. It is the great end of the word preached, to bring us to a settlement in religion. Eph. iv. 11, 13. "And he gave some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the edifying of the body of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children." The word is called 'an hammer,' Jer. xxiii. 29. Every blow of the 4th. Not to be settled in the hammer is to fasten the nails of faith is highly provoking to God. the building; the preacher's words To espouse the truth, and then to are but to fasten you the more to fall away, brings an ill report Christ, they weaken themselves upon the gospel, which will not to strengthen and settle you. go unpunished: Psal. lxxviii. 57, This is the grand design of preach- 59. "They turned back, and ing-not only for the enlightening, dealt unfaithfully; when God but for the establishing of souls-heard this, he was wroth, and not only to guide them in the greatly abhorred Israel" The right way, but to keep them in apostate drops as a wind-fall into it. Now if you be not settled, you the devil's mouth. do not answer God's end in giving you the ministry.

5th. If ye are not settled in religion, ye will never grow. We are commanded to grow up into the head, even Christ,' Eph. iv. 15. But if we are unsettled, no growing: "the plant which

2d. To be settled in religion is both a Christian's excellency and honour. It is his excellency; when the milk is settled it turns to cream; now he will be some- is continually removing never thing zealous for the truth, walk thrives." He can no more grow in close communion with God; in godliness, who is unsettled, and his honour, Prov. xvi. 31. than a bone can grow in the body "The hoary head is a crown of that is out of joint. glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness." It is one of the best sights, to see an old disciple, -to see silver hairs adorned with golden virtues.

6th. What great need is there to be settled; because there are so many things to unsettle us, and make us fall away from the truth. Seducers are abroad, whose 3d. Such as are not settled in work is to draw away people the faith can never suffer for it; from the principles of religion: sceptics in religion will hardly 1 John ii. 26., "These things ever prove martyrs; they that are have I written unto you concernnot settled do hang in suspense,—-ing them that seduce you." Se