THE RIGHTEOUSNESS EVANGELICAL

DESCRIBED.

THE CHRISTIAN'S CONQUEST

OVER THE BODY OF SIN.

FIDES FORMATA,

OR

FAITH WORKING BY LOVE.

IN THREE SERMONS

PREACHED AT

CHRIST CHURCH, DUBLIN.

TO THE

MOST NOBLE AND VIRTUOUS PRINCESS,

THE LADY DUCHESS OF ORMOND

HER GRACE.

MADAM,

I PRESENT your grace here with a testimony of my obedience, and of your own zeal for the good of souls. You were in your great charity not only pleased to pardon the weakness of this discourse, but to hope it might serve as a memorial to those that need it, of the great necessity of living virtuously and by the measures of christianity. Madam, you are too great and too good to have any ambition for the things of this world; but I cannot but observe that in your designs for the other world, you by your charity and zeal adopt yourself into the portion of those ecclesiastics, who humbly hope and truly labour for the reward that is promised to those wise persons who convert souls, if our prayers and your desires that every one should be profited in their eternal concerns, cast in a symbol towards this great work, and will give you a title to that great reward. But, madam, when I received your commands for dispersing some copies of this sermon, I perceived it was too little to be presented to your eminence; and if it were accompanied with something else of the like nature, it might with more profit advance that end which your grace so piously designed; and therefore I have. taken this opportunity to satisfy the desire of some very honourable and very reverend personages, who required that the two following sermons should also be made fit for the use of those who hoped to receive profit by them. I humbly lay them all at your grace's feet, begging of God that even as many may receive advantages by the perusing of them, as either your grace will desire, or he that preached them did intend. And if your grace will accept of this first testimony of my concurrence with all the world that know you, in paying those great regards which your piety so highly merits, I will endeavour hereafter in some greater instance to pursue the intentions of your zeal of souls, and by such a service endeavour to do more benefit to others, and by it, as by that which is most acceptable to your grace, endear the obedience and services of,

madam,

your grace's most humble

and obedient servant,

J. D.