The Works of the Reverend and Pious Andrew Gray

“As to this little piece, whatever ye shall find

in it, it hath this to say for itself, that whereas many writings in the world

do intrude themselves upon the press, yet this the press hath violently thrust

into the world; for some young student, from his good affection to the

edification of the Lord’s people, and, no doubt, from his high esteem of the

precious author’s memory, having given into the press a copy of some of these

Sermons, being only Notes taken from his mouth when he preached them; no sooner

were they seen abroad, but all the presses in the nation fell a labouring about

them; so that, if we mistake not, in less than two or three months time, three

or four impressions were cast off, yet all of them so imperfect and maimed,

that howbeit the excellency of the matter, and the fresh remembrance of the

worthy author’s name, made them very sweet to many, especially those who heard

him preach; yet the unsuitable dress wherein they appeared, and the mistakes of

the first writers (they being hardly able to take up every thing as it was

spoken) occasioned diverse material failings in the sense, besides lesser

faults, which could not but be a trouble to those who were acquainted not only

with the singular graces, but parts, also, of the eminent youth. This gave

occasion to some friends to speak a little what way these prejudices which both

the truth and the author’s name might lie under, by these incorrect

impressions, might be taken off. And finding that the copy, which by

Providence, the worthy young gentlewoman who was his wife, had lying by her,

though it was but notes taken from his mouth, yet was the most correct that

could be found; and that also it did contain the whole purposes that he had

preached upon these texts, yea, the whole purposes concerning faith that he had

preached, according to that method proposed in the first of the Sermons

formerly published, this was undertaken to be revised by some, who, albeit none

of the fittest for these employments, yet rather than nothing should be done in

the business, were content to bestow some hours upon it, according as other

necessary employments would permit. And now having sought out all the notes of

these Sermons which we could find from other hands, and compared them with the

copy above-mentioned, we do again present them to the people, not with any

confidence that our pains have put any effect upon them: only we have some

hopes, the whole subject being now before them, and those things in the way of

expression helped, which either might seem to be somewhat unpleasant, or liable

to mistakes, they shall not now be less edifying, nor less acceptable, than

formerly they were. We did not think fit to make any considerable alterations

as to the method, or other things of that kind, lest haply by straining his

excellent purposes too much, to shape them to the ordinary rules, or to reduce

them to that order which might have pleased ourselves, we should have wronged

the matter itself, or at least have put them to a loss who did hear him

preach.”