A fourth volume containing one hundred and fifty sermons on several texts of Scripture…

IT is not from the common Custom and Reasons of Dedications of Books to Persons eminent for Greatness and Piety, viz. to recommend an obscure Author, or to set off a mean Work, that your Lordship's Name is inscribed to these Sermons. The Author of them, the late Reverend Dr. Thomas Manton, was a Star of the first Magnitude in our Horizon, and his Works praise him in the Gate: and though the ensuing Sermons are far short of that Politeness and Exactness that they would have had, if they had passed his own finishing Hand; yet such as they are, they plainly show their Author. He was a Workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth; he was a faithful Labourer in God's Vineyard; and though his Preaching was so constant, yet in all his Sermons may be observed that Solidness of Judgment, Exactness of Method, Fullness of Matter, Strength of Argument, persuasive Elegance, together with such a serious Vein of Piety running through the whole, as few have come near him, but none have excelled him.

IT is not from the common Custom and Reasons of Dedications of Books to Persons eminent for Greatness and Piety, viz. to recommend an obscure Author, or to set off a mean Work, that your Lordship's Name is inscribed to these Sermons. The Author of them, the late Reverend Dr. Thomas Manton, was a Star of the first Magnitude in our Horizon, and his Works praise him in the Gate: and though the ensuing Sermons are far short of that Politeness and Exactness that they would have had, if they had pass'd his own finishing Hand; yet such as they are, they plainly show their Author. He was a Workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth; he was a faithful Labourer in God's Vineyard; and though his Preaching was so constant, yet in all his Sermons may be observed that Solidness of Judgment, Exactness of Method, Fulness of Matter, Strength of Argument, perswasive Elegancy, together with such a serious Vein of Piety running through the whole, as few have come near him, but none have excelled him.

Your Lordship had the Opportunity of an intimate Acquaintance with him, and the Advantage of sitting under his Ministry for many Years, in whose Light you greatly rejoiced, while God continued him with us; and when he was pleased to remove him by Death, the afflictive Sense you had of that great and public, as well as your own private Loss, showed the high Value and Esteem you had of him. But your Respects to him were not buried in his Grave, but have been upon all Occasions ever since shown to his surviving Relations, who desire hereby to make their public Acknowledgements of your Lordship's signal Favours to them. And I beg your Lordship, upon this Occasion, to give me leave to make the like Acknowledgements of that Support, Countenance and Respects I have had from your Lordship for above sixteen Years I have been your Chaplain; since it was by the means of this Author that I had the Honour of being taken into your Lordship's Family.