PREFACE.

W

HILE fully conscious of the many defects of this book, the contents of which were originally delivered in the form of extempore addresses, I send it forth, humbly trusting that the Holy Spirit may use it to enable some who now 'mind earthly things,' to 'seek those things which are above.' I fully recognise that human illustrations and anecdotes must of necessity fall very short in the attempt to explain Divine truths. At the same time I must confess to having been considerably helped to a right understanding of spiritual things through their instrumentality. In the hope that others may reap a similar benefit, I have availed myself very largely of many of the current anecdotes and illustrations used by eminent preachers and writers. While I have had very little trouble in tracing the origin of thoughts and illustrations gathered from books, I have found great difficulty in ascertaining the sources of those taken from newspapers, magazines, reports of addresses, and publications of a less permanent nature. Many were borrowed merely for the purpose of an extempore address without the slightest intention of publication, and without any note being taken at the time whence they came. If I have omitted to acknowledge my indebtedness to any, I trust they will attribute it to unconsciousness on my part rather than to any desire to ignore them. The following men, many of whom differ very widely from each other, have been largely borrowed from, viz. :

Bishops of Winchester, Ripon, Liverpool, and Meath; Bishop Oxenden, Dean Goulburn, Dean Alford, Canon Farrar, Canon Kingsley, E. H. Bickersteth, Charles Simeon, J. B. Mozley, Faber, Robertson, Faussett, Charles Spurgeon, George Bowen, D. Whitton, Dr. Bonar, Gall, D. L. Moody, C. H. Macintosh, S. M. Haughton, and W. P. Mackay.

If I have failed to state the truth clearly, I trust readers will bear in mind that truth is independent of its poor advocates. Though my views may be faulty, and even if correct may be badly stated, yet I shall feel that I have not written in vain if this book leads any to a further study of the Scriptures for an answer to the question propounded by one of old, ‹ What is truth? May the Spirit of truth guide both reader and writer onwards and upwards into all truth !