OF The Life, RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCES, AND LABOURS IN THE GOSPEL, OF JAMES GOUGH, Late of the City of Dublin, deceased. Compiled from his original Manufcripts, by his brother A NEW EDITION. HIGH WYCOMBE: Printed by T. Orger, and fold by DARTON and HARVEY, Gracechurch- PREFACE. By the Editor. IN reviewing the reviewing the papers my late brother left behind him, I met with the manuscripts from whence the following compilation is extracted, but rather in a loose and undigested state; being only a rough copy of what he seemed to have a design to digest, and, probably, to continue further, if his life had been prolonged: yet even in this unfinished state, finding them to contain much useful matter, many pertinent, judicious, and inftructive reflections, worthy of, and, as I imagined, defigned for, a more general service than to lie locked up in in a scrutoire, or be confined to his own private family; I willingly devoted a portion of my leisure time, to the revifing, collating, and digesting thereof. And I find no reason to repent of my labour, or think this portion of my time mispent, having received much fatisfaction and profitable impreffion therefrom, as I hope the candid reader will also, in the ferious and unprejudiced perufal thereof. Of literary fubjects, history hath been ranked amongst the most improving and interesting: and, I think, it may be allowed this rank of precedence, fo far as it leads by illuftrious or pious examples, to virtue or good conduct in life; or by a detection of vicious characters, expofeth the deformity of vice, and the ill confequences thereof, as lessons of caution, against the evils we are to avoid. Yet the general scope of history, being moftly relative to the actions of the great and powerful, unfolding the violent, or the crafty measures, whereby worldly power hath been acquired; and the policy whereby it is fupported and maintained; doth not in general abound with patterns for the private man to form himself by; and too feldom exhibits fuch, as the good man could copy after, without departing from his character. Every man cannot rife to confpicuous stations in life, or attain the abilities requifite to fill them with reputation to himself, and advantage to the community: but every man may attain to (that which is infinitely beyond them) the favour of his creator, by yielding obedience to his revealed will, and his divine commands. It is not every man's business to copy the Statesman, the Hero, or the Philofopher; but it is every man's most interesting concern, to live fo in this world, as to obtain everlafting happiness in the next. That history therefore or biography, which defcribes the lives of fuch, as have steadily directed their course thro' this world to a better, in the right line of piety towards God, and goodness of heart and life among men, seems in an especial manner to claim our ferious, and attentive perufal; particularly where tbefe good men themselves, from a view of being still helpful, and serviceable to mankind, when they shall be no more among them in. this state of mutability, leave behind them lively monuments of their experience of the work of fanctification, and faving grace in them: reciting not only the actions and occurrences of their lives; but the internal motives of those actions, and the effect of thofe occurrences on the ftate of their minds: unfolding the gradual operation of the grace of God, for their redemption from evil, and fhewing forth the fruits of the spirit, out of a good conversation: herein leaving the evident prints of their footsteps to lafting felicity, for their furvivors to trace the path to the like glorious inheritance. Of this kind of Biography we have had several tracts published in our fociety, divers of which having perufed with much fatisfaction and advantage, |
