Most sincerely, and with deep interest and prayers, I have written these Lectures, and commend them to the providence of God.

I have long been urgently requested by m prepare my works for the press, with a concis tory of my life and times. It has been for years my desire to do this, and for urgent r I am sensible that the fifty years of my acti have been years of unparalleled interest, a rapid, terrible and glorious results,—the com ment of the punishment of the antichristian p with reference to the predicted victories church in the evangelization of the world.

It was in the view of such predictions and idential indications that I early consecrat powers and time to Christ, with reference t opening scenes, relying entirely on his promis of myself and mine; and though these engag have been imperfectly fulfilled on my part, his ises to me have been most faithfully performe

As the consequence of these resolutions, never laid out far-reaching plans of my ov awaited and observed the apparent fulfilm prophecy and the developments of providenc

Of course, from the beginning of my pul the church of God, and my country and th as given to Christ, have been the field of m vation, interest, motives, prayers, and efforts this early providential chart of my labors t extended them beyond the common sphere

pastoral labor; for speedily I found myself harnessed to the chariot of Christ,—whose wheels of fire have rolled onward, high and dreadful to his foes and glorious to his friends,-giving to every demand, as I was able, its portion in due season. And hence, within the sphere above indicated, all my published and unpublished works and labors are comprehended.

In respect to their conception and execution, I may truly say that they are my own; for, though I have not neglected or despised creeds, or the writings of great and good men, I have always commenced my investigations of Christian doctrine, and Christian duties, and Christian experience, with the teachings and implications of the Bible, never expounding it by human creeds, but all creeds and theologians by the Bible, considered as a system of moral government, legal and evangelical, in the hand of a Mediator, administered by his Word and Spirit over a world of rebel, free, and accountable subjects.

I am the more desirous of publishing my doctrinal expositions of the Bible, inasmuch as they have generally obviated the more common misapprehensions and misrepresentations which often attend the exposition of the Calvinistic system; and have been, in the hand of the Spirit, the means of whatever success it has pleased God to give to my labors in revivals of religion; and have extensively united the suffrage, I believe, of evan

gelical pastors and churches, who supposed themselves more widely to differ from one another.

It

is this consideration which inspires the hope, that if misunderstood in parts, as sometimes they have been, their comprehensive and relative exhibition may contribute to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

I perceive, also, that the comprehensive field over which my vision, and prayers, and efforts, have travelled, has connected me with a large portion of the great events of the government of God: and yet, such a history, seen from a single point of observation, and running through fifty years, may include facts and instructions, as part of the government of God, which might not otherwise be noted on the page of secular or ecclesiastical history; and which, great and significant as they may now appear, will, in coming ages, when their antiquity shall have magnified them, be eminently worthy of preservation, as exhibiting the image and body of the times; and stand forth the testimonials of a glorious progress in all the elements of the political and evangelical civilization of the world,—so great already, that should God in one night blot out the results of the last fifty years, we should think we had opened our eyes upon the desolation that Goths and Vandals had swept over our land and world.

I do, therefore, exult and give thanks to God, that instead of the Gospel having made the experiment

reforming the world and failed, and leaving the

E

task to a godless, licentious philosophy, the retrospect will show that my labors, with those of the evangelical pastors and churches of my day, have not been in vain in the Lord, but have successfully advanced, and will, with accumulating progress and shock of battle, terminate in the glorious victories of the latter day.

These writings of my life, which may occupy some five or six volumes, will appear chiefly in chronological order, indicating the exigencies which occasioned them, and their adaptation to the providential state of things at the time; and for the same purpose short explanatory notes may attend them.

It is impossible for me to state the specific contents of each volume: I can only say generally, that they will contain my occasional published works, the theological system which I have preached and taught, a large selection of the sermons written and delivered amid revivals of religion, and found most efficacious,-lectures on education, and to young men, -with a large amount of miscellaneous, and, I suppose, important and interesting matter, to conclude with a history of my life and times.

The materials of these volumes, though not yet fitted exactly for the press, are thoroughly digested and well considered, as the result of frequent revisions, and in their order, plan, and definitions and expositions, are such as accord with my best judgment; and may easily and rapidly be fitted for the press, and given to the public.*

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