nifterial neglects, and implore his bleffing on their future labours; particularly in the business of perfonal inftruction and catechifing; in which duties, they had fubfcribed an agreement to be more confcientious and diligent than they had formerly been. On this occafion they defired MR. BAXTER to preach to them. He accordingly drew up the subftance of this difcourfe with that view; but was prevented from meeting his brethren, by the encrease of a disorder from which he was feldom free; upon which, in compliance with their united requeft, he printed what he had prepared, with fome confiderable enlargements. All that are acquainted with MR. BAXTER's uncommon abilities, unwearied diligence, and amazing fuccefs in his work, will readily allow that he was well qualified to treat fuch a fubject as this. What might we not expect from one who had been inftrumental in the converfion of fo many hundred fouls, and who, on reviewing his labours, in the profpect of eternity, could fay, "For these forty four years I have no reafon to think that I ever laboured in vain ?"* What christian minifter would not wish to know the maxims on which this great man acted with an almost unparalleled fuccefs?-HERE they are, in the

Dying Thoughts. Works, Vol. III. p. 859, Abridg ment, p. 16.

most

moft familiar manner, reprefented.-DR. BATES, who was intimately acquainted with him, having fpoken of the REFORMED PASTOR as "an ac

complished model of an evangelical minifter," adds this further encomium: "The idea of a faith"ful minifter delineated in that book, was a copy "taken from the life; from his own zealous example."*

MR. BAXTER himself appears to have entertained confiderable expectations with regard to the fuccefs of this treatife; and he lived to fee them anfwered. Towards the clofe of this work, he ex"For my part, I preffes himself in this manner : apprehend this to be one of the greatest and best works that I ever put my hand to in whole life."

my

And in his life, written by himself, and published by MR. SYLVESTER, (having reviewed his nu merous publications) he fays of the REFORMED PASTOR, "I have great caufe to be thankful to "God for the fuccefs of that book, as hoping many "thousand fouls are the better for it, in that it "prevailed upon many minifters to fet upon that "work which I there exhorted them to. Even "from beyond the feas, I have had letters of re"queft [from my brethren] to direct them how

* Bates's Works, (fun. ferm.) p. 815. 1ft Edition. See p. 229 of this Abridgment.

A 3

cc they

*

they might bring on that work, according as that "book had convinced them it was their duty.' Indeed an author's estimate of his own works is not always to be depended upon, (tho' MR. BAXTER, in fuch a cafe, would be credited as foon as moft men.) But it would be eafy to collect very ample teftimony to the excellence of this work, from other unprejudiced and able judges, if there was occafion for it, which, it is prefumed, there is not. However the Editor cannot forbear adding one recommendation, which will ferve in ftead of a thousand others; it is that of the late excellent DR. DODDRIDGE, than whom, perhaps, no one (except the author himself) ever acted more conformably to the rules laid down in this treatife, which, it appears, he made, the model of his conduct.t The paffage referr'd to, is in his Lectures on preaching, and the paftoral care; which is the rather inferted here, as it is most probable, that work will never be published. "The REFORMED PASTOR

(fays he) is a most extraordinary performance, "and should be read by every young minifter, be- › "fore he takes a people under his ftated care; and, "I think, the practical part of it review'd every

* Sylv. Life of Baxt. Part I. p. 115. § 177.

+. See MR. ORTON'S Life of DR. DODDRIDGE, p. 26, and Chap. v. Paffim.

"three

"three or four years; for nothing would have a

greater tendency to awaken the spirit of a mini❝fter to that zeal in his work, for want of which,

many good men are but fhadows of what (by "the bleffing of God) they might be, if the ❝ maxims and measures laid down in that incom"parable treatise were ftrenuously pursued.”

MR. BAXTER's practical* writings are, doubtlefs, an invaluable treasure: yet his greateft admirers, will readily acknowledge that his prolixity, his fre.. quent digreffions, want of method, and other cir

*

cum

Perhaps his CONTROVERSIAL Works (however exceptionable) have raised greater calumnies against him than he deferved. This certainly has been the cafe with regard to ONE treatife, entitled "Aphorifms of "Juftification." Refpect to the memory of this great man obliges the editor to take this opportunity of wiping off the reproach which many persons (in all respects his inferiours) have caft upon him for having written that piece; by referring them to his own maturer judg• ment of it, in his account of his writings. "the first book (fays, he) that I ever published;

two faults

.

"It was

now find with it, 1. It is defective, and "hath fome propofitions that need correction, being not "cautiously enough expreffed. z. I meddled too forIndeed I was "wardly with Dr. Owen, &c.

"then too raw to be a writer." Many perfons wrote

SYLv. Life of Mr. BAXTER. Part 1. p. 107.

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againft

cumftances, (in which he was unhappy even above many writers of his age) render his works fomewhat difagreeable to readers of the prefent day, and afford an opportunity of abridging them with great advantage. Our author himself was fenfible of his inaccuracies, and freely lamented them. Having drawn out a catalogue of his printed works, he paffes his judgment upon them in the following words: "Concerning almost all my writings, I "must confefs my own judgment is, that fewer, "well ftudied and polifhed, had been better. Ex"cepting THE SAINT'S REST, I wrote them in "the crowd of all my other employments, which "would allow me no great leifure for polifhing and "exactness, or any ornament; fo that I fcarce 66 ever wrote one sheet twice over, or stayed to "make any blots or interlinings, but was fain to "let it go as it was first conceived. When I do "not recollect by what sudden occafions almost all

my writings were extorted from me, and how the "apprehenfion of present usefulness prevailed against "other motives, I am ready to wifh, with fome

against this book, and MR. BAXTER has ingenuity enough to acknowledge "that he received fome light "and improvement from their animadverfions."—It is ungenerous-it is cruel, to reproach a man with what he himself has fo freely condemned.

❝ divines