UCH was the true character of the pious and learned Author of the enfuing Sermons, as that the lovers of pure religion, and unaffected learning, who were intimately acquainted with him, and free from prejudice, need nothing further to invite their attentive perufal of the following sheets, than only to be informed that they were written by the late Prefident Edwards.

Thefe Sermons indeed appear under confiderable difadvantage: the Author compofed them only to be preached to a congregation in a country-town, where he ftatedly laboured in the work of the gofpel miniftry, for a courfe of years, probably without the leaft defign, or fo much as even any diftant view of their ever making an appearance, by way of the prefs, before the world. For this the candid will make a generous allowance.

If the Author had published them himself, or had revised them near the clofe of his life, with a view to their public appearance, it is not at all likely they would have appeared as they do at prefent; but the difference, in fome refpects at least, must have been confiderable. In feveral places, enlargements would have been made; various parts would have been brightened with new illuftrations; the ftile in a number of inftances would have been altered, and the drefs made more agreeable. And, in a word, the whole taken together, would have appeared in a much more advantageous light, more inftructive, and entertaining.

This might have been reafonabley expected, from the Author's mafterly and diftinguished genius, which prompted him eagerly to purfue truth, even in her moft fecret receffes. Efpecially if it be confidered, that the greater part of thofe fermons were penned more than twenty years before his death; in which space of time, he made swift and amazing advances in divine knowledge, in branches almost numberlefs. The fame thing may be inferred from the Author's manner. Some fermons, that he formerly published, received great enlargements under his last and finishing hand; and however engaging and entertaining they were in the delivery, they appeared much ampler from the prefs than the pulpit.

Befides, it is fome unhappiness, through a mistake, the subjects are not placed in that natural and advantageous order, which was

defigned.

Nevertheless. under all their difadvantages, the fermors, it is apprehended, will be well received by the candid, intelligent, Chriftian reader; and that every perfon that is poffeffed of a happy degree of found judgement, and good tafte, who fhall feriously perufe them, will find that juftnefs and clearness of thought; that natural and lively reprefentation of divine things; that vein of piety and folid religion running through the whole; that extenfive knowledge, that commanding pungency, and fpiritual favour, which may ferve, in a measure, to point out the Author, and at the fame time, to inftruct, entertain, and quicken the reader.

The

The public may be affured that the fermons are faithfully copied from the original manufcripts. And where fentences, or paragraphs were found unfinished, as there were various such inftances in most of the fermons, marked with a ftroke of the pen, thus- -which the Author ufed to fupply in the delivery,-the editor has not taken the liberty to complete them except an inftance or two in the fermons upon the wifdom of God -where the words added, are carefully included in crochets. Wherever, therefore, the reader finds fuch a ftroke- -he is hereby notified, that fomething is left unexpreffed, which his own mind is to fupply. The date, at the begining of the fermons, marks the time when they were compofed and preached.

These fermons being fome of the remains of an eminent man of God, and friend to men, are heartily recommended to the candid acceptance, and faithful improvement of all into whofe hands they may fall; and to the bleffing of Him who is all in all, the great difpofer of all events, who was pleafed fignally to diftinguifh his fervant,, when living, with gifts and graces, and to crown his labours with unufual fuccefs.

April 25, 1765.

The EDITOR.

SER

SERMON I.

JOSEPH's great Temptation and gracious Deliverance.

1738.

GENESIS Xxxix. 12.

And he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

W

E have an account here, and in the context, of that remarkable behaviour of Jofeph in the houfe of Potiphar, that was the occafion both of his. great affliction, and also afterwards of his high advancement and great profperity in the land of Egypt. The behaviour that I fpeak of, is that which was on occa fion of the temptation that his miftrefs laid before him to commit uncleannefs with her.

We read in the beginning of the chapter how Jo.. feph, after he had been fo cruelly treated by his brethren, and fold into Egypt for a flave, was advanced in the houfe of Potiphar, who had bought him. Jofeph was one that feared God, and therefore God was with him; and wonderfully ordered things for him, and fo influenced the heart of Potiphar his mafter, that inftead of keeping him as a mere flave, to which purpose he was fold, he made him his steward and overfeer over his houfe, and all that he had was put into his hands in fo much that we are told, verfe 6. That he left all that he had in his hand; and that he knew not ought that he had, fave the bread which he did eat.

While Jofeph was in thefe profperous circumftances, he met with a great temptation in his mafter's houfe; fo we are told that he being a goodly perfon, and well favoured, his mistress caft her eyes upon and lufted after him, and used all her art to tempt him to commit uncleannefs with her. O Concerning

Concerning this temptation, and his behaviour under it, many things are worthy to be noted.

We may obferve, how great the temptation was that he was under. It is to be confidered, Jofeph was now in his youth, a feafon of life when perfons are moft liable to be overcome by temptations of this nature. And he was in a state of unexpected profperity in Potiphar's house, which has a tendency to lift perfons up, efpecially young ones, whereby commonly they more cafily fall before temptations.

And, then, the fuperiority of the person that laid the temptation before him, rendered it much the greater. She was his mistress, and he a fervant under her. And the manner of her tempting him. She did not only -carry herself fo to Jofeph, as to give him cause to sufpect that he might be admitted to fuch criminal converfe with her, that yet might be accompanied with fome apprehenfion, that poffibly he might be mistaken, and fo deter him from adventuring on fuch a propofal; but the directly propofed it to him; plainly manifefting her difpofition to it. So that here was no fuch thing as a fufpicion of her unwillingness to deter him, but a manifeftation of her defire to entice him to it. Yea, fhe appeared greatly engaged in the matter. And there was not only her defire manifested to entice him, but her authority over him to enforce the temptation. She was his mistress, and he might well imagine, that if he utterly refufed a compliance, he fhould incur her displeasure; and fhe, being his master's wife, had power to do much to his difadvantage, and to render his circumftances more uncomfortable in the family.

And the temptation was the greater, in that he did not only tempt him once, but frequently, day by day, verse 10. And at laft became more violent with him. She caught him by his garment, faying, Lie with me: as in the verfe of the text.

His behaviour was very remarkable under thefe temptations. He abfolutely refused any compliance with them: He made no reply that manifefted as though the

temptation

temptation had gained at all upon him; fo much as to hefitate about it, or at all to deliberate upon it. He complied in no degree, either to the grofs act fhe propofed, or any thing tending towards it, or that fhould in a leffer degree be gratifying to her wicked inclination. And he perfifted refolute and unfhaken under her continual foIrcitations, verfe 10. And it came to pass as fhe fpake to Jofeph,day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. He, to his utmost, a voided fo much as being where he was. And the motives and principles from which he acted, manifefted by his reply to her folicitations, are remarkable.

He first fets before her how injuriously he should a&« against his master, if he should comply with her propofal: Behold my mafter-hath committed all that he hath to my hand; there is none greater in this houfe than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, becaufe thou art his wife. But he then proceeded to inform her of that, which above all things, deterred him from a compliance, viz. that it would be great wickedness, and fin againft God.-How fhall I do this, and fin against God! He would not do any fuch thing, as he would not injure his mafter; but that which influenced more than all on this occafion, was the fear of finning against God. On this account he perfifted in his refolution to the laft.

In the text we have an account of his behaviour under the last and greateft temptation that he had from her. This temptation was great, as we are told it was at a time when there was no body in the houfe, but he and his mistress, verfe 11. there was an opportunity to commit the fact with the greatest fecrecy. And at this time it feems that she was more violent than ever before. "She caught "him by the garment," &c. She laid hold on him, as though fhe was refolute to attain her purpose of him.

Under these circumftances he not only refufed her, but fled from her, as he would have done from one that was going to affaffinate, or murder him; he escaped, as for his life. He not only would not be guilty of fuch a

fact,