SERMONS

J. 1829.

ON

VARIOUS IMPORTANT SUBJECTS.

BY THE LATE

REV. ARCHIBALD GRACIE.

EDINBURGH:

PUBLISHED BY

ADAM BLACK, T. IRELAND, JUNIOR, & T. M. SHIELLS

AND

LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN & GREEN,

LONDON.

M.DCCC.XXIX.

PREFACE

BY THE EDITOR.

THESE Sermons were left by my Brother in the state, in which they were originally composed, without any view to publication. It was suggested by some of his friends and the suggestion was eagerly laid hold of by his nearer connections that a volume of them might be useful to the public. Feeling that, at any rate, it would be gratifying to those, who knew him, I perused all that were left by him; and I have selected, though probably not the best, such as, according to my judgment, might form a volume having some

connection with each other, as well as displaying the general talents of the author.

In thus consenting to edit these discourses, I am aware of the responsibility, which I have incurred, both as regards the

memory of my brother, and as regards the religious public. I shrink not from this responsibility; for, though my affection for their author, and my very different professional habits, may make me a partial, and rather incompetent judge of their merit, and probable usefulness, still I cannot help stating, that, to my mind, they give proof of sound religious views, and superior intelligence.

It is true that had he revised them himself, and prepared them for the press, they might have appeared in a way more worthy of his talents, and their effect upon the public might have been greater. But having undertaken the task, I have deemed it to be my duty, to print the discourses nearly as I found them, and to make hardly even a verbal alteration.

I make this statement, not with any view

to deprecate fair criticism; but merely in palliation of any inaccuracies, or repetitions, which may occur in the volume.

Should these discourses be in no other way instrumental for good, they will, at any rate, be a gratifying memorial to the author's aged mother, and to his widow, and personal friends. And, I hope, that by the blessing of God, they may yet be the means, if not of forming, at least of strengthening the religious faith of his fatherless child, who has never known, and can never know, the value of paternal example and paternal instruction.

JOHN B. GRACIE.

57, George Square, Edinburgh,

1st January, 1829.