PREFACE. EBENEZER! Hitherto the Lord hath helped me. Truly may the writer say this. In fact he is compelled, before he proceeds to write a few words of preface, to express his hearty thanks that he is able to write at all. Great and sore troubles have rolled over his head; he has been exceedingly cast down. His mournful song was, for a time, "Turn, turn thee to my soul, Bring thy salvation near; When will thy hand release my feet The tumult of my thoughts Doth but enlarge my woe: But now, by merciful restoration, he can again sing of the loving-kindness cf the Lord, and make known his faithful ness unto all generations. Renewed health and vigor de mand new exertion and fresh gratitude. May divine grace .constrain us to the one, and divine love impel us to the other. 243602 Reader, it is no egotism on our part when we say, "C magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name to. gether." It is a source of great thankfulness that the Lord has spared us to see another year, and has allowed us to com plete a second volume. To his upholding grace be glory world without end. How shall the lips of unworthy men be able to show forth the wondrous grace of the Lord Jesus in preserving his people from year to year, and especially when they are exposed to perils from friends and foes, from without and within, from success and from sadness? To him be all glory given, that his servants are kept in his right hand, and are not given over to the will of their enemies. Let feeble saints take courage. He who has helped us hitherto, will not desert us in our future times of need. The same doctrines which we taught last year are repeated in these sermons. We have met with nothing which has shaken our faith in the "good old paths," but with many things which have constrained us to cleave unto the Word of the Lord with fixed heart and determined spirit. Would that the time were come, when the pure truth of the Gospel would be more fully received among us. Our ministry is a testimony that no new theology is needed to sti the masses and save souls; we defy all the negative theolo gians in England to give such proof of their ministry as we can. If we must be fools in glorying, we do; we must boast that the old doctrines are victorious, and that the Lord the Spirit has most signally honored them. We do not cite the overwhelming and ever-increasing multitudes who listen to us as a proof in this matter, but we do and will glory in the power of the Gospel, in that it has brought so many to the arms of Christ, and raised so many from the dunghill. In every place where the old Gospel has been proclaimed, it has had its trophies from the worst of men, and we are no ex ception to the rule. The slain of the Lord have been many. His arrows have found out the hearts of his enemies; many have been overthrown by his Spirit, and have been ultimately brought to find life and healing in the blood of Jesus. The best evidences of the truth of our holy religion are to be found in the marvellous effects it produces. Drunkards, harlots, sweaters, thieves, liars, and such like, when re claimed and regenerated, are the jewels in the crown of the truth; of such we must say in confidence, "What hath God wrought ?" If these truths were only found united with a learned and eloquent ministry, they would be imputed to the man, and not to the truth, but in this case our enemies themselves are willing witnesses that they can not be so accounted for. God hath put his treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power might be ascribed wholly to himself. We would confess the truth of all that is uttered to our disparagement, for therein we do but magnify the grace of God, who worketh by the least of instruments the greatest acts of his love. O for the days of pure doctrine, preached with emphasis of earnestness, and demonstra tion of the Spirit; for these we look and wait. May the Lord send them in his own time. The sermons of last year have enjoyed a very wide circulation in America. A volume having been reprinted in the United States, it has reached the number of 15,000 in short time. With the divine blessing how much may be accomplished, but without it how terrible the waste of effort and opportunity. And now, reader, if thou art a renewed soul, may ou: covenant God feed thee, keep thee, and perfect thee; and may the words of thy brother in Christ be the means of some little comfort and edification to thee. It is the same Lord whe hath loved us both, and we hope that he will unite us all in in the unity of the Spirit and in the bonds of love. |