REASONS for publishing this BOOK. THO' I may poffibly incur the difpleasure of those whofe fecular views may be fruftrated or difappointed by the publication of this NEW Week's Preparation; yet I have the confolation of being fully affured, that this prefent undertaking will want no apology to those who have religion truely at heart, if they will, with a little attention, compare this performance with the Old Week's Preparation, formerly printed for SAMUEL KEBLE. Nor am I under any apprehenfion of being condemned for adding one more to the number of devotional books, already extant upon the fubject of the holy facrament of the Lord's Supper; because the tempers and talents of men are fo different, that what does not affect one may poffibly touch another; and, provided that fubftantial piety and devotion are improving, too many inftruments cannot be employed for that purpose. I am alfo perfuaded that the prefent Proprietors of KEBLE'S Old Week's Preparation, cannot, as chriftians, be fo deftitute of principle and good-will to the public caufe of the chriftian religion, as to endeavour, or even defire the continuance of a book which has already been found fo injurious to chriftianity, and has brought fo great and many (candals upon the reasonable service of almighty God, as it will ap pear that book has already done and therefore it is certainly moft unfit to be put into the hands of devout and well-meaning, but otherwise undifcerning chriftians. To demonftrate that these complaints are just and fairly grounded, I have tranfcribed a few paffages from the editions of KEBLE's Week's Preparation; the one printed 1738, the other in the year 1742; and aefire the impartial reader, after he has confidered the tendency of those. rapturous and wanton expreffions, to judge whether that book deferves to be blamed and fet afide, or not. The pages before the lines refer to the fmall edition printed 1742, and the pages after the lines to the pompous Edi tion printed 1738.]* A 2 Page. Page. GARA bil of acuтJA SIT яснту Page. 142 129 Art thou afraid of being too much enamoured with this Ny than by Inspiration, and make me prefent with thee, al 67 142sunto 57 Late When fhall I fully please thee? I will not111 3495 67 go till thou haft bleed Defire, my Delight, Othme, my Life, my Love, I may faint in myself, 2015157 67, 114 and depend on thee. Satisfy me with thy Blood. He6W 3574 bowed down his Head to kiss me. He ftretched forth 74, 126 So his Arm to embrace me. From his interior Love burst 8 forth fuch exterior Signs and Demonfirations as were fufLET ficient to mollify a Heart more frozen than Ice itself, 166 and more hard than any. Marble. Such are thy Gifts 96 fweet Saviour, fuch are the and Delights of thy 143 Love. O that I was fo faflened unto thee that I might 142 never depart. Thou wert within me. Thou only pleafee, and thee only I defire, &c. &c. &c 89 184 T06 2159 158 Thefe without difpute, are the wanton exercifes of a warm imagination, and of a luscious fancy; where warmth of conftitution, not reafon, much lefs religion, has the chief and fovereign influence. Undoubtedly writers of this caft, have fhamefully fuffered the fofter Paffions to mix too ftrongly with their Zeal for religion.t By The following is the APOLOGY of no less an Author than Dr. Ifaac Watts bimself: Let it be obferved, that it was much the Fashion, even among fome Divines of Eminence in former Years, to exprefs the Fervors of devout Love to our Saviour "in the Style of the Song of Solomon: And I must confefs, that feveral of my Compofures in Verfe, written in younger Life, were led by thofe Examples unwarily into this Track. But, if I may be permitted to speak the Senfe of ma"turer Age, I can hardly think this the happieft Language in which Chriftians fhould discover their warm Sentiments of Religion, fince the clearer and more fpi"ritual Revelations of the New Teftament." To this Apology ree may add, that in thefe our Meditations and Prayers are no vifionary Scenes of zuild Extravagance; no Affectations of that Style, which spreads a glaring Confufion over the UnderFanding. Here are none of those incomprehenfible Pbrafes which may amife the Ear with founding Vanity, and bold Reafun in fovereign Contempt. In fbert, bere are no fecret Pantings after a mortal Love, in the Language of Devotion and Piety. The AUTHOR to the READER. ierw banm do ang oud 9ned i 111 By what Means true Devotion is deftroyed. Here the true fpirit of devotion, which is in its own nature a liberal and reasonable fervice, is made wholly to evaporate in unnatural beats, and extatic fervours, fuch as are a difgrace and reproach to the dignity of a rational nature. And instead of Speaking the language of a ferious, rational, unaffected piety, they abound wholly with rapturous flights of unhallowed love, and ftrains of myftical diffoluteness; or as an ingenious author terms it, fpiritualized concupifcence, invented by the carnal and wanton appetites and wishes of the unmarried nuns a and friars; and thence either by defign, or by the delufion of the devil, or both, foifted into the devotions of the reformed church, under a pretence of purer flames of divine love and fpiritual rapture, whereas they pollute the foul with luscious images, warm it into irregular ferments, and fire it with a falle paffian; diffipating all due compofure and recollection of mind, and laying open the heart to all the wild extravagancies of fran tic enthufiam: a manner of address much fitter for a diffolute lover, than for an acceptable worfhiper of the all-pure and all-knowing God. the It was against this kind of devotion, that great light of the church of England, the learned and pious bishop STILLINGFLEET thus exclaimed. Is it poffible (faid he) that any man "can imagine, it is no difhonour to the chriftian religion to "make the perfection of the devotion of it to confift in fuch "frange unaccountable unions and raptures, which take away the ufe of all (modefty) reafon, and coinmon fenfe!" Some caufes of the decay of chriftian piety. It is to fuch effufions as thefe que may afcribe, in a great mea fures the decay of chriftian piety: Becaufe, they tend to mislead mens minds from the true fubject both of their duty and happinels, and bring them to acquiefce in their false and mistaken fubftitutes: they give great and fignal Difcouragement to the "neral practice of piety in the world, by exposing it to ridicule, A 3 ge and and the charge of affected fingularity. On the one hand, they throw many honeft and well-meaning, but weak minds into a depair of ever fucceeding in the Bufiness of religion; because, upon examination, they difcover in themselves, little or no acquaintance with thofe tumultuous hreats, and ungoverned fallies of paftion, upon which fo great a stress is laid by thefe pretenders to fuch glorious frenzies and heavenly follies: and on the other, they harden the diffolute and unthinking part of mankind into an obftinate reluctance matian, by confirming towards the very first efforts of refor them in a prejudice, they are of themfelves too willing to entertain against religion: that it is a rigorous impracticable fervice; a ftate of unnatural refinement, altogether incompatible with the common measures of human life. And <6 This is ng more than what the above-mentioned bishop had before afferted against the Romish devotions. This mystical divinity, fays he, is not only unintelligible, but it leads perfons into frange i.fions of fancy; and this I take to be a very << great injury, not only to thofe melancholy fouls, that are led "through this valley of fhades and darkness; but even to the chri"ftian religion itself, as though the way of perfection taught by it were a low, mean, contemptible thing, in comparison of thefe mystical flights. In what the love of GOD confifts... "It is true, we are commanded often to love God with all our heart, but withal we are told, we must not fancy this love to be a mere languifhing paffion; no, the love of Chriftians "towards God is no fond amorous affection, but a due apprehenfion and esteem of the divine excellencies, a hearty fenfe of all his kindness to us, and a conftant readiness of mind to do «his will. And thus the beloved fon of God hath declared what "He means by the love he expects from his difciples: If ye love me, (Jays Chrift,) keep my commandments; and ye are “my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you. And if (Jays St. John) any man fay I love God, and hateth his • brother |