mighty God has commissioned it to move, even the whole written word. Within this, faith freely ranges, looking in and through all things, to Him who is the way, and the truth, and the life; who is the substance of the word, and of the sacraments, the portion of his saints, and the very image of God! 3. In those discourses which, from visible and local effects, infer the spiritual fulness of our Lord and Saviour, I have adopted a mystical interpretation of Holy Writ! In so doing, I have only followed that train of thought which, by a law of our nature, irresistibly suggests itself to every full and meditative mind, and which runs, in many a vein of gold, unjustly undervalued in our time by many good men, through the comments of the greatest of the ancient Fathers. As evidence, or argument with an infidel, or for the establishment of doctrine, this system is indeed illogical and dangerous; and its application, both in ancient and modern times, not unseldom puerile. But still, truth being admitted, and doctrine established, it is, when under due control, fertile in manifold beauty of illustration, and the soundest edification. 4. As will be obvious at first sight to any one versed in the services of our Church, I have attempted to combine the epistle, gospel, and collect of the day, wherever it has been practicable, into the illustration of a single topic, and to subordinate them to a single leading thought. It is to be regretted that so few, out of the whole of our epistles and gospels, have been modelled upon this plan. It is usually impossible to trace any such predominant idea! Would that it were otherwise! 5. I have always taken the authority of the common version of the Scriptures, even in texts which admitted of critical discussion and refinement, as best for practical purposes. Finally, in treating of the same subject, though in many aspects, an occasional repetition both of topic and expression, has been unavoidable. CONTENTS OF VOL. I. MINISTERS THE MESSENGERS OF CHRIST. 1 COR. iv. 1.- "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the myste- ROM. XV. 4.-"Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning; that we, CHRIST THE NOURISHER OF THE WORLD. LUKE ix. 16.-" Then he took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed JER. V. 22-24.-"Fear ye not me? saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass it; and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass "But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. "Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former |