Sermons

of perfons; and the thought began to arife in my mind, that by employing my present leisure, as long as health allowed, in preparing fome of those Discourses for the prefs, it might be in my power to be ftill of fome ufe in the world. Encouraged by this idea, I went on to revife and correct one. Sermon after another, often making alterations and additions, till the prefent Volume arose.

THOUGH the fubjects of thefe Sermons be different from thofe which I formerly published, some of the fame fentiments and expreffions may occafionally be found to be repeated in them. This is apt to

happen partly from that fimilarity of thought and ftyle which will run through all the compofitions of an Author who is not copying others, but writing from his own reflections; and partly, from the coincidence of fome general topicks and allufions which recur frequently in ferious difcourses of the practical kind. Where any instances of this nature prefented themfelves to my memory, I found, that with

out

;

out altering the ftrain of the Sermon, I could not altogether fupprefs and omit them and as it is not often they occur, I did not think it requifite that they fhould be omitted. If the fentiment where first introduced, was in any degree useful or important, the renewal of it, when brought forth under fome different form, enlarged perhaps, or abridged, or placed in connection with some other to pick, may be thought to ftrengthen and confirm the impreffion of it.————With regard to errors or inaccuracies of any other kind, the Author must trust to the indulgence of the candid Reader.

HUGH BLAIR.

4

THE

CONTENT S.

SERMON I.

On Hopes and Disappointments.

PROVERBS, X. 28. The Hope of the Righte ous fhall be gladness; but the expectation of the Wicked fhall perish.

SERMON II.

Page 1.

On the proper Difpofition of the Heart towards God.

ACTS, xvii. 28. In Him we live, and

and have our being.