we shall love our brother alfo; and every man, as a man, is OUR BROTHER.

You have received the doctrines and truths of the Lord's New Church ---in them you rejoice---but you look not down upon those who have not received them, with pride, contempt, or difaffection. No, you are taught to be humble, to efteem others better than yourselves, to be good, to be ufeful, and to devote your lives, your abilities, and all that you are and have, to the benefit of your fellow-men. LIVE, and YOU CAN BUT BE HAPPY!

So

In the difcourfes now fubmitted to your perusal, I trust you will find some additional edification and pleafure. What you heard from the pulpit, with an approbation fo grateful to the author, you will, I hope, read in the closet with peculiar pleasure and fatisfaction to your own minds. And fo far as these humble endeavors

are

are made useful to yourselves, and to others, you will unite with me in giving the praise to the LORD JESUS alone, who is YOUR only God and MINE. To his divine protection and peculiar bleffing I commend you--to him MY PRAYERS are directed for YOUR HAPPINESS in time and eternity ---and to your fervice fhall my time, and any talents I poffefs from the Lord, be willingly and cheerfully devoted.

Your affection and efteem will always be highly grateful to me; and your continuance in love, in ufe, and pure religion, will be the most pleafing proof that мy poor labors are bleffed. With the most cordial affection and esteem, I subscribe myself,

Your minifter, your brother, and fellow fervant to my power,

BIRMINGHAM, Sept. 3, 1792-36.

J. P.

TO THE READER.

F the doctrines, fentiments, and obfervations, contained in the following difcourfes, were fuch as bave frequently been difcuffed, and often laid before the public, I fhould not think myself justified in prefenting them again to the view of mankind; well knowing, what is generally called the christian fyftem, both as to faith and practice, has been published by much abler hands, in this and other kingdoms. But I am free to acknowledge, that these Sermons now offered to the notice of the public, materially and effentially differ from any that have been printed for many ages past, except a few published by a minister or two of the New Church.

They are not founded upon the systems of divinity, which have been formed by councils, or fynods, or bishops of eminence, in a proteftant land; but, it is humbly hoped, upon the pure genuine truths

1

of the holy word: That word being now opened, in its internal fpiritual fenfe, for the benefit of mankind in these last days.

An addrefs to my readers, upon the truth and reality of the doctrines maintained by myself, and the members of the New Jerufalem, may for two reafons be unneceffary-in the first place, it is prefumed this volume will chiefly be read by fuch perfons as have already inveftigated thofe doctrines, and profeffed them; as very few more are printed than what are fubscribed for, and the fubfcribers are principally of that description. And, fecondly, addreffes have already been offered to the public, and our doctrines vindicated by fome very judicious and refpectable perfons of the New Church; as well as two or three publications have lately appeared in defence of them, occafioned by fome letters addreffed to us by Dr. Priestley. It is now well known in this kingdom, that we receive and esteem the Hon. E. SWEDENBORG as the fcribe of the Lord-that we confider him as a peculiarly illuminated feer, fent by the Lord to prepare the way for his fecond advent-and we are willing to

embrace

embrace every opportunity of recommending his writings to the serious and unprejudiced perufal of mankind; being convinced that every fatisfaction a rational unprejudiced mind can require, as to the truth of the doctrines we efpoufe, will there be given.

In the choice of the fermons now offered to the public, I have chiefly confidered usefulness: therefore I have selected fuch as peculiarly direct the mind to a found faith, and a good life. The congregations to which they were delivered, were compofed of various defcriptions of men; and therefore they are adapted to the different states of those persons who heard them, as far as the author's understanding and ability would admit. The leading fundamental doctrines of the New Church, are freely difcuffed-the spiritual sense of the holy word attended to and the fcience of correfpondences frequently noticed; therefore it is expected that the doctrines themselves, the fenfe given to the holy word, and the manner in which the correspondences are opened, will be objected to by fuch perfons as have not read the writ