Page images
PDF
EPUB

то

THE RIGHT REVEREND

GEORGE

LORD BISHOP OF LINCOLN,

AND

DEAN OF ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL CHURCH,

LONDON.

MY LORD,

IN publishing these Discourses

I am prompted by a powerful motive to the liberty now taken of inscribing them to your Lordship. It was by a former Work of a kindred nature that I had first the happiness of engaging your notice: And I am anxious. to embrace the opportunity thus afforded, of making my public acknowledgement for the creditable station in which you have lately placed me. The value of your Patronage is to me much enhanced by the confideration, that

(RECAP)

5010

143

1803

a 3

[blocks in formation]

in

[vi]

in the field of Chriftian Theology your Lordship holds a diftinguished and venerable name. The Benefit conferred by fo refpectable a Patron reflects an honour on the Receiver himfelf, and also stamps a credit on his Profeffional Exercifes.

I remain,

My Lord,

With profound respect and gratitude,
Your Lordship's most obliged

and most obedient Servant,

JOHN FARRER.

ST. CLEMENT'S, LONDON,

1804.

!

PREFACE.

THE Subject of this Volume comprehends an extenfive range in Divinity, as, when confidered in its different views, it embraces both the Teftimonies of Chriftian Faith and the Elements of Chriftian Doctrine. On this account the Author trusts that it may be regarded as no unfuitable Thefis for that Course of Lecture Sermons, which he has been appointed to preach before the Univerfity of Oxford.

Without attempting a more fyftematic form, the method here pursued is to take for the grounds of the feveral Discourses certain Texts or Portions of the Prophecies of Isaiah and of the Gofpels, which appear to be most replete with argument on the fubject propofed. This plan may be thought more favourable to unity of defign in detached or fingle Sermons, than in a Courfe of Sermons confidered as a Whole. Yet in this point of view he prefumes his work is not materially deficient, as from the order here adopted fome appearance may be traced of regular progreffion,

[ocr errors]

progreffion, from the Evidences to the Principles, from the Principles to the Duties, from the Duties to the Motives, of the Chriftian Religion.

It may readily be conceived, that a fubject of this nature cannot always without difadvantage be exactly apportioned to a prefcribed number of Lectures or a limited measure of Difcourfe. This he hopes will be accepted as his apology to the University for taking a larger compafs in his work, when prefented to the Public, than he had opportunity of doing, when delivered from the Pulpit. It may be proper to state, that two additional Sermons are inferted, namely, the Second and the Fifth, adapted to the two great Solemnities of the Chriftian Year, the Nativity and the Paffion of our Lord. And the Portion of discourse on the Beatitudes, which was delivered in two Parts, is amplified into a series of Sermons corresponding to the subjects of the several Beatitudes.

At the fame time he hopes, that this Enlargement of his Plan will be admitted as some excuse for the unavoidable delay of the publication.

« PreviousContinue »