By EDWARD MAYNARD, D. D.

Formerly Preacber to that HONOURABLE
SOCIETY: Now Rector of Boddington in
Northamptonshire.

LONDON:
Printed for Jonah Bowyer at the Rose

in St. Paul's Church-Yard. 1722.

:D

THE

PREFACE

TO THB

READER

T

He following Sermons and
Discourses were all of them

Preachd, (long fince,) be-
fore very Learned Anditories; as the
Reader has been told in the Title-
page; But there are some of them
which he may very reasonably expect
à Particular Account of ; especially
the Two Last Discourses, which,
tho' now Printed the Last in this
Collection, were, (in Substance, the
two First Sermons I ever preachd.

When I was to begin the Study of Divinity, I thought, (and do still think,) that I could not lay a better Foundation for such Studies, than by Examining and Considering distinctly, in the first place, How far the Light of Nature is able to carry Men in Matters of Divine Knowledge; Then, what Advances were made therein by the Mofaical Revelation; And finally, what New Lights were given the World by the New Revelation of the Gospel of Christ; and how All was Improv'd and brought to Perfection by That Revelation. Afterwards my First Preaching happening to be before the University, I thought the same Subject (the Subject of Natural and Reveald Religion) not Improper to be treated on before such an Audience, and accordingly made it the Subject of my two First Sermons.

But some Tears after, when the Storm; (which threatned the whole

Nation,

mon;

Nation,) fell so terribly upon Magdalene College, (in King James's Reign, 1687.) and we were all instantly scatter'd from the Beloved Place of our Education, as I chanc'dy in that Unhappy Tear of Leisure, to entertain my self mostly, during that Retirement, with the Ancient Moralifts, That Sort of Reading naturally put me in mind of my First Sera

and

gave me occasion to make a Review of it; Upon which I saw Sufficient Canse to make some Alterations in it, with many Additional Quotations to it; and some Additions to the Second also. This therefore being the Cafe, I hope the Reader will easily pardon me, that I now present them to bim, not according to the First Draught, as they were drawn up for short Discourses from the Pulpit, but as it were in a Second Edition, with all their Enlargements, tho' in this Dress, the First Part especially, looks more like a Tract than a Sermon.

But