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And one of them, who had fet himfelf zealously to prejudice others against the evidences and contents of the gofpel, became a zealous preacher, and an ornament of the religion he had once denied and defpifed. In 1741, the Doctor published fome Practical Difcourfes on Regeneration. In 1745, he published another practical treatise, entitled, "The Rife and Progrefs of Religion in the Soul, illuftrated in a Course of ferious and practical Addreffes, fuited to Perfons of every Character and Circumftance; with a devout Meditation or Prayer added to each chapter." Dr. Watts had projected such a work himself, but his growing infirmities prevented his execution of it. He recommended it, therefore, to Dr. Doddridge, imagining him the fittest person of his acquaintance to execute it in a manner that would be acceptable and useful to the world. It was with fome reluctance he undertook fuch a

work, amidst his many other weighty concerns. But Dr. Watts's heart was fo much fet upon the defign, and he urged his undertaking it with fo much importunity, that he could not deny his requeft, after having been honored with his friendship for many years, and receiving much affiftance and encouragement from him, in feveral of his undertakings for the good of the church. After this work was finished, Dr. Watts revised as much of it as his health would admit. It is, indeed, a body of practical divinity and chriftian experience, and contains, as it were, the fubftance of all the Author's preaching; and, confidering how comprehenfive it is, there is hardly any fingle treatife which may be more ferviceable to young minifters and ftudents.

Befides thefe, he published "Two Sermons on Salvation by Grace; feveral Single Sermons, fome on particular occafions, and Charges delivered at the Ordination of fome of his Brethren." There were circumftances relating to each, that led him to believe they might be useful to the public, especially to those who defired the publication, or to whom they were first addreffed. "His plain and serious Address to the mafter of a family, on the important fubject of Family Religion," deferves particular notice, as it has paffed through feveral editions, been very serviceable to minifters, who, by putting it into the hands of masters of prayerlefs Families, might excite them to their duty, without being exposed to thofe inconveniences, which a perfonal admonition might, in fome cafes and with fome tempers, be attended: And the Author's reafoning is fo plain and forcible, as to leave thofe inexcufable, who, after reading it, will continue in

this fhameful and pernicious neglect. Since his decease, his leffer pieces have been reprinted, in three fmall volumes But his capital work was, "The Family Expofitor," containing a Verfion and Paraphrafe of the New Teftament, with critical Notes, and a practical Improvement of each Section, in fix volumes 4to. He had been preparing for this work from his entrance on the ministry, and kept it in view in the future courfe of his ftudies.

It has been already obferved, that his works have been much read and esteemed in these kingdoms, and the colonies; I would add, that the most confiderable of them have been tranflated into foreign languages, and published abroad. His fermons on regeneration, falvation by grace, on the power and grace of Chrift, and his letter on family prayer, have been tranflated into Dutch: The memoirs of colonel Gardiner, into the Dutch French, and German languages; The Rife and Progrefs of Religion, into Dutch, German, Danish and French: It is obfervable, that the tranflation of it into French was undertaken by the particular encouragement of the late prince and princefs of Orange, and many of the gentry of Holland. A proteftant prince of the empire wrote to the undertaker of it, promifing to recommend it to thofe about him. Many perfons of quality and rich citizens, in Germany and Switzerland, were fubfcribers to it. A pious minister of Wales tranflated it into the Welch language, that it might be read by those of his congregation who did not underftand English; and it would have been printed, could fufficient encouragement have been procured. Some learned men undertook to tranflate the former volumes of the Family Expofitor into German; but an oppofition was made to its publication by fome of the Lutheran clergy, from an apprehenfion that his interpretation of particular paffages, and his reflections upon them, might not agree with their established principles, or form of church government; therefore, the perfons concerned in the tranflation, first published his fermons on regeneration, in that language; and the moderation and candor, expreffed in them, quieted the oppofition, and the work was completed. Thefe writings, thus tranflated and publifhed, have been well received abroad, particularly in Holland, Germany, and Switzerland. Since the Author's death, a volume of his hymns hath been publifhed, and his theological lectures, of which fome account was given above. He intended, had GOD fpared his life, to have published a new tranflation of the minor prophets with a commentary

commentary on them, a fermon to children, fome facramental meditations, and a differtation on the Jewish profelytes; defending that opinion concerning them, which he mentioned in fome of his notes upon the acts of the apoftles. In this laft tract he had made confiderable progrefs, but it is too imperfect to appear in the world. Befides his works above-mentioned, he published a short account of the life of Mr. Thomas Steffe, one of his pupils, prefixed to fome of his fermons, which were printed by the earnest defire of the congregation where he was fettled, and a dedication, of an abridgement of Mr. David Brainerd's journal of his miffion among the Indians of New Jerfey and Penfilvania, to the honorable fociety for promoting chriftian knowledge in the highlands of Scotland, and in popish and infidel parts of the world, by which fociety Mr. Brainerd was employed in this work, and of which fociety our Author was one of the correfponding members. He alfo publifhed a fmall piece of Mr. Some's concerning inoculation of the fmall-pox, which was written and publifhed principally to remove the common objection, from a religious fcruple. In 1748 he revifed. the expofitory works and other remains of the excellent archbishop Leighton, and tranflated his Latin prelections, which were printed together in two volumes at Edinburgh. The archbishop's commentary upon the first epiftle of St. Peter hath fince been reprinted, under the infpection of the reverend Mr. Fofter, at London.

JONATHAN EDWARDS, D. D.

WE

E are now to fpeak of a Man, of whom it is not eafy to speak with juftice, without feeming to border upon adulation. There is alfo an additional difficulty, which attends the Chriftian Biographer, when he aims to defcribe the characters of extraordinary men, and which the writers of other lives are generally allowed to forget-He muft fo reprefent the motives and actions of the perfons he offers to view, as to remind his Readers, that they, no less than himself, are to confider the uncommon excellencies of fome characters, not as refulting from the mere force or acumen of natural ability, but as flowing entirely from the Divine Bounty for purpofes of his own appointment. Otherwife, inftead of rightly placing them in a

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From an original Picture in the possession of the RevD. Erkine Edinburgh.

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