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THE

ENGLISH PULPIT;

COLLECTION OF SERMONS

BY THE

MOST EMINENT LIVING DIVINES

OF

ENGLAND.

"I wish the majesty of the pulpit were more looked to; and that no sermons were offered
from thence, but such as should make the hearers both the better and wiser; the more
knowing, and the more serious."-Bishop Burnet.

"I love a serious preacher, who speaks for my sake, and not for his own; who seeks my
salvation, and not his own vain-glory. He best deserves to be heard who uses speech only
to clothe his thoughts, and his thoughts only to promote truth and virtue."

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INTRODUCTION.

THE fact that the public are already in possession of many valuable collections of sermons, cannot be deemed a sufficient reason for not increasing the number of such publications. On the contrary, new accessions to the existing stock are constantly needed to supply the places of those that are yearly passing into disuse. There is a freshness in a work directly from the press - especially if it contain a choice variety of matwhich gives to it a peculiar charm. Perhaps

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that will lead many to read with interest a new book, who would never advance beyond the title page of an old one of equal merit.

That this inert love of novelty may be turned to the best account, no pains should be spared to furnish an ample supply of healthy aliment, that thus the reluctant mind may be allured to the reception of useful instruction. Besides, it is a fact-scarcely less interesting to the patriot than to the Christian that the alarming demand for a large class of publications, pregnant with the most deadly poison, under which the press for years has "groaned, being burdened," is gradually diminishing, while good, truthful, and religious books are finding a correspondingly greater sale. To answer this increasing demand, and as an antidote to the poison, every Christian press in the land should be kept busy, scattering its "healing leaves" with an unsparing hand, until useful and religious books, like Aaron's rod, shall have swallowed up the serpents of the magicians.

*

In offering to the public this collection of sermons, it is proper to state that, with the exception of a single discourse, no portion of the present volume has before been published in this country. It will be found to contain sermons by several ministers whose productions are comparatively little known to the American public. Among these might be mentioned that of Daniel Moore, the worthy successor of Melvill, at Camden Chapel. Mr. Moore is justly celebrated both as a preacher and a writer. In the

The sermon by Dr. Burns was preached and published in another form during his recent visit to this country.

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