Sermons

during a season of comparative retirement, of labouring to withdraw the mind from mournful contemplations by occupying it with useful pursuits. And he hopes to be pardoned for so far intruding the facts of his own history on the attention of others, as to state, that he has never felt his trials so little as when thus striving to minister to the wants of a suffering world--as when, having nothing but a "mite" to offer, he has been endeavouring to cast that mite into the "treasury" of God.

Almost the whole of the Sermons in this volume have been preached within the last two years, in the pulpit of that parish which Divine Providence has committed to his care. The circumstances of so large a proportion of the texts of these Discourses being taken from a few limited portions of the Holy Scriptures, arises from their having been parts of courses of Sermons preached upon those particular portions of the word of God. To this mode of preaching the Author is strongly disposed, as having a tendency to economize the time otherwise consumed in the selection of texts and topics; as presenting to the hearers large and unbroken masses of the Book of God; as securing the preacher from a partial distribution of the word of life, by selecting only those passages which might

chance to suit the peculiarities of his own theological creed.

As to the doctrines contained in this volume, it is the humble hope of the Author that they are not the mere dogmas of any human school or writer, but the faithful transcripts of Scripture, and of those formularies of his own Church, which he believes in his conscience to be the least imperfect of all human documents on religion.

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As to the manner in which these Sermons are executed, he will only say, that, as they have cost him far more labour than he had anticipated, so he has been much disappointed in the success of his endeavours to fit them for the public eye. It is probable that accurate and extensive readers in divinity will discover, not only great deficiencies in this volume, but also that, for the few really important thoughts which it may contain, the Author is chiefly indebted to older and abler writers. Instead, however, of endeavouring to repel this imputation, or to specify these particular thoughts, and restore them to their real proprietors-a task which would probably be fruitless--he begs once for all to state, that, anxious mainly, as he hopes, to do good, he has never hesitated to draw freely upon the resources of others, in order to supply his own great defects. He would therefore beg b

those, who may honour these Discourses with their perusal, to consider, with regard both to the reasonings and expressions, not so much whose they are, as what they are; and that, whilst they freely impute all that is faulty to the Author, they will ascribe all that is really valuable to the wisdom and teaching of Him with whom it is impossible to err.

He has only, in conclusion, to thank his parishioners, and especially that distinguished public Institution which constitutes so prominent a part of them, for the forbearance and kindness with which they have so long listened to his pulpit addresses-to assure them and the public, that they are not likely to be more sensible than himself of the defects of this volume-and to implore that the sacred influences of the Holy Spirit may supply all these deficiencies, and shed an abundant blessing upon every member of the great family of God.-It is the intention of the Author of this volume, should it prove acceptable to the public, so far to confide in their kindness, as to endeavour, before long, to present them with another.

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