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To the fincere Seeker after Fellowship with GOD, and feriously Heaven-ward-tending Chriftian.

Dear and well-beloved Friend,

S thou art in thy felf a rare Jewel, amoft precious Stone, one of a thou

A fand, yea, of ten thousand, being compared with the many thousands

of common Stones, I mean, external Profeffors in the visible Church, who reft on a bare Name, and of whom that is verified in every Nation, which our Saviour faith, Mat. xx. 16. Many are called but few chofen; and of many of which that is alfo too true in every Generation (and ob! that it were not too manifeft in this alfo) which Paul obferved in his Time, Phil. iii. 18, 19. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you, even weeping, that they are the Enemies of the Crofs of Chrift. "Whofe End is Deftruction, whose god is their Belly, and whofe Glory is in their Shame, who mind earthly Things. And as to Chrift thy Lord, moft comely as a Lilie among Thorns, being his Love among the Daughters, Cant. ii. 2. So alfo, thou in a Special Way art the dearly beloved and longed for, the Joy and Crown, of every fincere Servant of Chrift in the Gospel, Phil. iv. 1. Thou art, if not the only, yet the chief Object of their Labours, their Work being either to confirm and ftrengthen thee in thy Way, that thou may so stand fast in the Lord, or remove Impediments, make crooked Things ftraight, and fo prepare the Way of the Lord before thee, or to guide thee by the Light of God's Word in the dark Night of Temptations and Defertion: Now, as we are confident thefe Sermons were preached at firft by that bleed ferious Labourer in the Work of the Miniflry, Mr. Hew Binning, with a Special Eye to the Advancement of fincere Seekers after Fellowship with God, and Seriously Heaven-ward-tending Chriftians amongst bis Hearers: So to whom fball we direct this pofthumous, and alas, unperfected Work, but to thee (O Jerious Chriftian) who makes it thy Work not only to feek after the Knowledge of God in Chrift, in a meer fpeculative Way, that thou may know, and therein reft, as if thy Work were done, but also to follow after the Enjoyment of that known God, and believed on Saviour, and all the promised Privileges of Grace in this Life, and of eternal Glory in the Life to come; To thee efpecially belong these precious Soulravisbing Truths delivered in these Sermons. Two Things, we know, thou haft determined thy Soul unto, and fixed bine Eye on, as thy Aim and Mark in thy Generation, viz. the Light of Knowledge, and the Life of Practice: As to Knowledge, we are confident that with the Apostle Paul, 1 Cor. ii. 2. Thou haft determined to know nothing but Chrift, and him crucified; and as to Practice, with the faid Apoftle thou prays, That thou may be fincere and without Offence till the Day of Christ, being filled with the Fruits of Righteoufnefs, which are by Jefus Z z

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Chrift unto the Glory of God, Phil. i. 10, 11. And that thou may be blamelefs and harmless, the Son of God without Rebuke in the midft of a crooked and perverfe Nation, shining as a Light in the World, Phil. i. 15. Now in reading these Sermons thou shall perceive, that to help thee in both thefe, hath been the very Scope and Defign of this Serious Preacher. Defireft thou to know Jefus Chrift the Lord of Life, either according to his eternal Subfiftence in the infinite Understanding of the Father, as God, or as to his Appearance in the Flefb, as Man, or Fitness as Mediator, to reconcile thee to God his Father, both in respect of Willingness and Ability to fave? Then here thou shall behold him delineate to the Life. Would thou be clearly informed anent the only true and fure Foundation of Fellowship with God, the Way of entertaining it, the Honour or Happiness of it, and fweet Fruits of it, that Fulness of Joy that accompanies it? Here fball thou find fo clear a Light as feall rejoyce thy Soul. Would thou be fortified against the Incurfions and Recurfions of Sin and Satan? Then come to this Magazine, and be furnifbed abundantly. Defireft thou to bave thy Soul increafed in the Love of God, and to fee manifeft Demonftrations of his Love in Chrift to thee? Ob then turn in hither, and get Satisfaction to thy Soul's Defires. If thou defireft with David, to hate Sin with a perfect Hatred, bere, if any where, thou shalt obtain thy Defire. Yet let none think that we limit the Benefit and Usefulness of these Sermons to ferious Chriftians only, and fo by Confequence exculde all others from any Hope of Soul-advantage in reading them. Nay, we declare that though it be undenyable that John did write this Epifle with a special Respect to the Spiritual Advantage of ferious Chriftians, and that this boly Preacher alfo, bad this fame Defign, yet we dare be bold to invite all of what Degree foever, to the Serious perufing of them, affuring them that in so doing, they shall not find their Labour in vain in the Lord; for here are fuch pregnant Demonftrations of a Deity, Infinite, Eternal, Omnipotent, Incomprebenfible, Governing all Things by the Word of bis Power, as may dafb the Boldness of the moft metaphyfical noti onal, or propbanely practical Atheist, and with Conviction of Spirit make bim ery out, as Pfal. xxiii. 22. So foolish was I and ignorant, I was as a Beaft before thee! Here are fuch clear. Discoveries of the Vilenefs of Sin, of its direct Oppofition to a boly God, and his moft boly Will, of its woful Soul dam ning Effects, as may convince the most prophane and flout-bearted Carnalit, and awake bim out of his Soul-deftroying Sleep of Security and Prefumption: Here are fo glorious Evidences of God's free and inconceivable Love to the World, in Chrift Jefus the Son of his Love, as are able to inlighten with the Light of Con folation the fadlieft dejected andcaften down Soul,under the Apprehenfion of the Curfe and Wrath of God due to it for Sin, and raise it up to the Hope of Mercy in and through fo clearly a revealed Saviour: In a Word, bere are to be found Convictions for Atheists, piercing Rebukes to the prophane, clear Inftructions to the Ignorant, Milk to Babes in Chrift, ftrong Meat for the frong, Strength to the Weak, Quickning and Reviving for fuch as faint in the Way, Reftoratives for fuch as are in a Decay, Reclamations and loud Oyelles after Backfliders to recal

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them, Breafts of Confolations for Zion's Mourners, whether under the firft Con. victions of the Law, and Pangs of the new Birth, or under the Challenges and Compunctions of Heart for Recidivations and Relapfes after Converfion, even while they are groaning under the Power and Burden of the Body of Death, Rom. vii. And to add no more, here are most excellent Counfels and Directi ons to ferious Seekers of Fellowship with God, to guide them in their Way, and help them forward to the Attainment of that Fulness of Foy which is to be had in Fellowship with the Father and the Son. That the Lord may bless all fucb to whose Hands thefe Sermons fball come, with Bleffing's fuitable to their Souls Condition, especially (the Serious Chriftian,) for whofe Souls-furtherance and Advancement thefe Sermons were firft penn'd, and now printed, is the most affectionate Defire of

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