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was in comforting the Sick, and performing all other neceffary Offices of a careful Paftor. He was very faithful and zealous, in refpect of his own Congregation and others; his Judgment being always defir'd in Matters of Moment. We cannot fufficiently commend the Services he has render'd to the Church of God by his many Writings he hath publish'd; whether we examine his Books of Devotion or of Controverfy. There is fo much Piety contain'd in the former, and fo manynt Texts of Scripture explain'd in the latter, that many Religi ous Perfons both have, and daily do find feasonable Confolations. That which he hath written against the Church of Rome, hath wonderfully ftrengthen'd the Proteftant Profeffors. For by the Arguments that he brings, the Ignorant and Unlearned have been able to confound the Monks and Priefts, and to maintain the Principles of their Religion against the fubtileft Miffionaries. So that his Writings have caus'd him to be efteem'd the Scourge of the Roman Difputants. Nevertheless, as he was belov'd of the contrary Party, fo he was highly efteem'd by the greatest Lords of the reformed Religion, as the Duke de la Force, the Marefchals of Chatillon, de Gaftion, and Turenne, and by the Lady de la Tremouille, &c. He had alfo great Refpect paid him by the frequent Vifits of Ambaffadors from feveral Foreign Princes and States. He was a Perfon who exprefs'd a particular Efteem and Veneration for the Church of England, as appears by his Letters to Dr. Durel. Hedy'd the 3d of November, 1669, in fuch an excellent and devout Difpofition of Mind, as may be expected in a Perfon who was animated with an holy Zeal, and had with an unwearied Diligence confecrated all his Study and Labours to the Glory of God and the Service of his Church. He was more frequent in Prayer towards the Conclufion of his Life: "And when he was private and alone, he never heard the Clock ftrike, but he fell upon his Knees in Prayer to God.

This is the approved Character publifh'd of our eminent Divine,after a long Experience and Practice among ft departing Souls and in the Houfes of Mourn ing, at the Request of fome of his Congregation,who mightily approv'd of the proper and feasonable Arguments that he made ufe of to fortify dying Perfons against the Apprehenfions of Death; fuitable to their Conditions and Temper, he publish'd this Book of Confolations. About twenty Editions have been printed in France; and one at Avignon in the Pope's Dominions, with a Suppression ofthe Reverend Author's Name. How many Impreffions have been publifh'd in Holland, Germany and elsewhere, I cannot determine. We find it tranflated into feveral Languages,but was not in our Mother Tongue until, at the Request of the Author's Son, now Dean of Armagh in Ireland, I tranflated it into English: What Reception it met with amongst us, let this tenth Impreffion declare. I fhall therefore judge it needlefs, after fo many publick Teftimonies of an univerfal Approbation, among ft. Chriftians of all Profeffions,to speak any thing in Commendation of this Defence against the Fears of Death. How ferviceable it may be to Divines in Funeral Sermons, in vifiting the Sick, the Poor and Afflicted, and how proper to be left as Legacies to furviving Friends at Funerals, I leave to others to judge, who shall fincerely defire to promote the Salvation of Souls.

And now I cannot but take fome notice here of the high Efteem and Commendation that a late Appari tion,too well attefted to be flighted, hath given of this Book. An exact Account of it you have in the printed Relation hereunto prefix'd. To rejectall Nar+

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ratives of this kind as fictitious, argues, in my judgment,as great an Error,Weakness and Prejudice as to believe all that is reported of Apparitions. This comes to us clothed with all the Appearance andCircumftances of Truth,that may reasonably be expected in this cafe.So that none but an unbelieving Sadducee or a prophane Atheist,will offer to question the Reality.To confirm the Poffibility and Truth of fome Apparitions,none can deny,that by this means our good God hath convey'd and confirm'd to us feveral of the Mysteries of our Holy Religion; as the Conception, Birth,Incarnation, Refurrection,and glorious Afcenfion of our great Meffiah, by the Apparitions of Angels. And how often thofe heavenly Spirits were formerly visible in Human Shapes, for the Advantage, Information and Safeguard of the Pious,the Word of God fufficiently declares. Now,as we live in fuch an incredulous Age, that will not believe God, and his Divine Oracles,tho attested by the working of Miracles,concerning the futureState of the Righteous and Wicked,but requires a newTeftimony andEvidence, as the Return of Souls from the Dead,to witness the Happiness of Heaven,the Torments of Hell,and the Immortality of the Soul: Who knows,but to render Men more inexcufable, God may condefcend that a departed Soul, or its Good Angel in its ftead, may appear to declare thefe infallible and undoubted Truths to an unbelieving World? But we find by Experience, as in this cafe, that this kind of Evidence is far more liable to Exceptions, to be contradicted and rejected, as uncertain and fabulous, and Jooner than the facred Methods that our wife God hath taken to perfuade Men to the Divine Do

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trines of our Salvation: As Abraham declares in the Parable of the rich Glutton, condemned to the Flames of Hell; If they will not believe Mofes and the Prophets; we may with more reafon add, If they will not believe Chrift, and his holy Apoftles, and fo many wonderful Miracles attefting God's Omnipotency, and Revelations from above, neither will they be perfuaded, tho' one rofe from the dead.

Imuft here acquaint my Reader. That whereas in the former Impreffions of this Book, fome Errata have escaped, whereby the Author's Senfe and Meaning may not be fo clearly exprefs'd as in the Origi nal: And whereas alfo upon fome Subjects,our reverend Author diftaftes the Reader by two frequent Repetitions in his Prayers,containing Matters and Arguments of the foregoing Chapters: Thefe and fuch trivial Objections have caufed feveral Perfons to find fault not only with the Tranflation, but even the very Book it felf. To remedy therefore any thing of this nature, and to prevent all Complaints of this kind, and that fo excellent and ufeful a Treatife may appear in our own proper and natural Language, not differing in any thing material from the French Copy; but fuited as much as conveniently it may be to the nicer Palates of our present Age; I have in this Edition taken the Pains to compare this Tranflation with a Book printed at Berlin, the Court of the King of Pruffia, 1698. I have been in this more exact, and have alter'd fome Words and Phrafes, expreffing more plainly the Author's Meaning, and in Terms more agreeable with our prefent familiar Way of Speaking. Befides, in this Edition of Berlin, I have met with A 4

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two or three Paragraphs which are not in the former French Impreffions, and which I judg'd not convenient to be omitted. Some of the Prayers that feemed too prolix, I have abbreviated, comprehending only the principal Matters. And that nothing might be wanting in this Edition,that might more contribute to the Reader's Satisfaction, I have bere render'dinEnglish the last remarkable Paffages of this pious and excellent Minister of Christ, never before printed in our own Tongue, as we find them at the End of the aforementioned Book: That you may here at once, as in a Mirrour, fee the Behaviour,religious Speeches, Faith,Patience and Refignation to the Will of God, of our reverend Divine at his Deceafe, reduc'd into Practice, according to the excellent Advices and Confolations that he recommends to us, to arm our felves against the Apprehenfions and Approaches of Death.

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I have no more to add; But I befeech our merciful and heavenly Father to grant us all the Grace, the like Faith, and Chriftian Refolution, that we may not fear Death nor its Confequences; but may be always ready prepared and provided to embrace it with Joy and Submiflion to the Pleasure of God and the Decrees of Heaven, whenever our Almighty Creator and Redeemer fhall think fit to fummon us, and take us to himself. Amen.

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M. D.

His Book in the Original hath been fo well approv'd of by all Perfons, tho of different Judgments in Religion, that it hath been about twenty Times printed in France, befides what hath been done in Holland, and elsewhere, in other Languages: It is of very great afe to Divines for Funeral Sermons; and is very fit to be given away by well-difpofed Perfon's at Funerals, and of excellent use to every "Chriftian Reader.

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