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gone through: and out of which nothing could have delivered them, but the almoft miraculous Providence of God.

7.

I have still abundance of Letters in my hands, equal to any that have yet been publifhed. Indeed there is a peculiar energy of thought and language in of those which many were wrote in the year 1758, and a few of the following years, fuitable to that unusual outpouring of the Spirit, with which both London and many parts of England and Ireland were favoured, during that happy period. Happy I cannot but call it; notwithstanding the tares which Satan found means of fowing among the wheat. And I cannot but adopt the prayer of a pious man in Scotland upon a fimilar occafion, "Lord, if it please thee, work the same work again, without the blemishes. But if that may not be, though it be with all the blemishes, work the fame work."

8. I have likewife ftill in my hands abundance of Verses, many of them Original. And moft of those which have been printed before, are fuch as very few perfons have either feen or heard of. Such are thofe in particular, which are extracted from the works of Dr.

Byronm

Byrom. It cannot be denied, that he was an uncommon Genius, a man of the fineft and ftrongest understanding. And yet very few, even of his Countrymen and Cotemporaries have fo much as heard his name.

9. I have again maturely confidered the objection fo frequently made from want of Variety. And in order to obviate this objection, I will fubmit to the advice of my Friends, and occasionally insert feveral little pieces, that are not immediately connected with my main defign. Only let me beg, that the variation itfelf, may not be improved into an objection: let it be remembered, that if I wander a little from my fubject, it is in compliance with the judgment of my friends. It has been my manner, for nearly fifty years, when I speak or write to keep close to one point. But fo far as it can be done with innocence, I defire to become all things to all men.

10. But fome perhaps will ask, Is it not time to have done? How many more Magazines will you publish? This is a question which I am not able to answer. Humanly fpeaking, I have already one foot in the Grave: I ftand on the verge of Eternity.

Who

1.

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REA DE R.

WHEN I was firft defired to add ano

ther to the large number of Magazines which travel through Great Britain, I confented upon the fuppofition that a few months would probably conclude my Labour. herein I find myself mistaken: I do not fee land yet. I am come now to the end of a fecond year; and yet not to the end of my work.

But

2. In the two last years I have published some of the beft tracts which I ever met with upon the Arminian Controverfy: fuch as I am fully perfuaded, never were and never will be fairly answered. I have given you the Lives of some of the most eminent persons who have lived at or fince the Reformation. To thefe has been added a fhort account of many of those young men, (fuch most of them were when they first set out) who have given up their little all, and have not counted their lives dear unto themselves,

fo they might teflify the gospel of the grace of God. And I have the fatisfaction to observe, That the Engravings this year are far better executed than they were the last. Many of the Likenesses are really ftriking; as all must acknowledge who know the perfons.

3. Of the Letters likewife which follow thofe Accounts, I have no reason to be afhamed. Most of them are closely practical and experimental; and the experience contained in feveral is both found and deep. Even those which may feem to border upon Controversy, have a near relation to Christian Practice, and may serve to remove feveral fcruples, which have difquieted the minds of pious men.

4. With regard to the Poetry, fome have objected to a poem published in the September Magazine. And it is granted, it is not ftrictly religious. But it must be granted on the other fide, 1. That there is nothing in it contrary to Religion, nothing that can offend the chafteft ears. 2. That many truly religious men and women, have both read it and profited thereby and 3. That it is one of the finest Poems in the English Tongue, both for Sentiment and Language: and whoever can read