Excerpt from Practical Sermons: To Be Read in Families and Social Meetings

Several years have elapsed since the author promised to a few friends, that, if life and health should be continued, he would endea vour to prepare a volume Of sermons on practical subjects, to be circulated by the Presbyterian Board of Publication. Incessant occupation in professional duties, occasioned the postponement Of the fulfilment Of this promise from time to time; until recently, when he was informed that the Board Of Publication were desirous to put such a volume into circulation; especially for the benefit of families who were deprived of the opportunity of attending on the preaching of the gospel.

At first it occurred to him, that for the purposes Of the Board, such a volume had better be composed Of a collection 'of sermons contributed by different ministers of our church. But upon reflec tion, he was persuaded that it would be found difficult to get the proper persons to furnish discourses on the topics which might be prescribed. And he has Observed, that when the sermons of several persons are included in the same volume, there is a disposition in many readers to make invidious comparisons between the authors; and while some discourses are highly valued, others are neglected. Upon the whole, it seems best that every author should make his own book; and to Obtain a desirable variety, more volumes of sermons than one should be put into circulation.

The author being aware that books of sermons are not in as much demand as publications of another kind, would not have consented that the Board Of Publication should run the risk of an edition Of this volume; but this objection was obviated by the generous pro posal of the friends referred to above, to bear the whole expense of stereotyping the work.

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