PRINTED AT THE REQUEST OF MANY OF HIS FRIENDS AND

FORMER PARISHIONERS.

YORK, PA.,
TEACHERS' JOURNAL OFFICE,

1885.

882 L512 pr 1805

THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

A desire having been expressed, of having in print some of the sermons, delivered by their pastor during his long ministry among them, I relunctantly yielded to the request. It is but due to myself to state, that they were not written for publication. They were prepared for my regular pulpit services in a plain style and with a practical tendency, not to captivate and please, but to benefit the hearers. They were not all fully written out, nor delivered as they were written, but rather full outlines, filled out as the inspiration of the moment, and the Spirit of God gave me utterance. This will readily be observed by the reader, and he will be able to carry out the idea, though not fully expressed.

It must be borne in mind, that four regular services had to be prepared during the week; two for each Sunday, and two for weekly lectures, and all this with the pressure of the care of a large congregation, the many funerals, and other pastoral work, and due allowance will be made for any imperfections.

The reader need not expect to find any attempt at displayf o learning, or anything to gain applause, but merely plain and simple exhibitions of the doctrines and precepts of our holy religion. Nor has the author followed any particular homiletical rules, as these often rather cramp than give full scope to the powers of the intellect and the feelings of the heart.

I have not hesitated to use the opinions of others, nor even at times, the words in which these opinions were expressed. Sometimes I have used expressions from sermons preached before, when they fell in with the range of thought on another text. To some ministers and others, who may find fault with this course, I would only say, "Let him that is without fault cast the first-stone."

It will be observed, that there is not generally a long and labored application to these sermons. One reason is, you will sometimes find applications of the truths presented, running through the whole sermon; another reason is, that the author often made the application impromptu from the gushings of his own heart, impressed by the truth, These sermons were printed from the original copy, without re-writing.