Trade and Manufactures can never render your Town fo famous, as the Name and Writings of Mr. Baxter have already made it, both in this lfland, and in many remote Parts of the Proteftant World. His intimate and important Relation to Kidderminster, and the Years he abode in it, afforded him the most delightful Reflection as long as he lived. LONG Experience has enabled me to teflify for you, that, notwithstanding your Share in those common Diftinctions which fo unhappily divide Fellow-Proteftants, you poffels a moft unufual Degree of Candor and Friendship for each other. Thus Thus you fhew, that Kidderminster has not totally loft the amiable Spirit which it imbibed more than a Century ago. 2 THERE are no Excellencies perfonal or relative, no Species of domeftick or publick Happiness, no Beauties of civil or religious Life, but what will be naturally promoted by a Care to fecure to ourselves an Intereft in the Rest which remaineth to the People of God. They are the People for whom alone that Reft is defigned, both by the Promifes of God, and by the Purchase of the Son of God. A Care to fe cure cure that Reft to ourfelves, is the one Thing needful. But neither this People, nor this Care, you well know, are the Peculiarities of any Age, or of any Party. If the Inhabitants of Kidderminster formerly excelled in this Care, you must allow, it was their greateft Glory. And this, more than any Improvements of Trade, or increafing Elegancies of Life, will be the greatest Glory of their Succeffors. To excite this Care, is the nobleft Defign of all religious Inftruction. This, and nothing elfe, animates the following Pages. Here, God and Chrift, Heaven and Holinefs, invite your moft attentive and affectionate Regards. Here, you may peruse, what Multitudes in the fame Town have heard and read before" to their everlasting Joy, till your Bleffings prevail above the Blefings of your Progenitors. Here, by the Help of divine Grace, you may learn the heavenly Art of walking with God below, of living in a conftant View and Foretafte of the Glories of the new ferufalem, and of making all you fay or do, fuffer or enjoy, fubfervient to the brightening your immortal Crown.Nothing has the Compiler of this Abridgment to wish like fuch Confequences a 3 fequences as thefe; even, to fee the fame holy and heavenly Converfation in himfelf, and in thofe around him, now, as Mr. Baxter faw in his Day. This would be the greatest Joy, and fhall be the conftant and fervent Prayer, of no int Your affectionate Friend, Kidderminster, And obedient Servant, B. FAWCETT. THE PREFACE, By the COMPILER of this ABRIDGMENT. "R. Richard Baxter, the Author of the Saints Reft, fo well known to the World by this, and many other excellent and ufeful Writings, was a learned, laborious, and eminently holy Divine of the laft Age. He was born near Shrewsbury in 1615, and died at London in 1691. HIS Miniftry, in an unfettled State, was for many. Years employed with great and extenfive Success, both in London, and in feveral Parts of the Country; but he was no where fixed fo long, or with fuch entire Satisfaction to himself, and apparent Advantage to others, as at Kidderminster. His Abode there was indeed interrupted, partly by his bad Health, but chiefly by the Calamities of a civil War, yet in the whole it amounted to fixteen Years; nor was it by any Means the Refult of his own Choice, or that of the Inhabitants of Kidderminster, that he never fettled there again, after his going from thence in 1660. Before his coming thither, the Flace was overrun a.4 with with Ignorance and Profanenefs; but, by a divine Bleffing on his wife and faithful Cultivation, the Fruits of Righteoufnefs fprung up in a rich Abundance. He at first found but a fingle Inftance or two of daily Family Prayer in a whole Street, and at his going away, but one Family or two could be found in fome Streets that continued to neglect it. And on Lord's Days, inftead of the open Profanation to which they had been fo long accufiomed, a Perfon, in paffing thro’ the Town, in the Intervals of publick Worship, might overhear hundreds of Families engaged in finging Pfalms, reading the Scriptures, and other good Books, or fuch Sermons as they had wrote down, while they heard them from the Pulpit. His Care of the Souls committed to his Charge, and the Succefs of his Labours among them, were truly remarkable; for the Number of his flated Communicants rofe to fix hundred, of whom, he himself declared, there were not twelve concerning whofe fincere Piety he had not Reafon to entertain good Hopes. Bleffed be God, the religious Spirit which was thus happily introduced, is yet to be traced in the Town and. Neighbourhood in fome Degree; (O that it were in a greater!) and in Proportion as that Spirit remains, the Name of Mr. Baxter continues in the most honourable and affectionate Remembrance. As a Writer, he has the Approbation of fome of his greatest Cotemporaries, who beft knew him, and were under no Temptations to be partial in his Favour.Dr. Barrow faid, " His practical Writings "were never mended, and his controverfial ones fel"dom confuted." With a View to his cafuistical Writings, the Honourable Robert Boyle, Efq; declared, "He was the fittest Man of the Age for a Cafuist, because he feared no Man's Difpleafure, nor hoped << for any Man's Preferment."- -Bifhop Wilkins ob ferved |