Short Sermons on Important Subjects
By J. M. PendletonTO MY MOTHER,
Now advanced in life, from whose lips I first heard of Christ crucified; who, in the days of my boyhood, watched over me with maternal tenderness, and offered to God her daily prayers for my salvation; who rejoiced over my conversion, and encouraged me to devote myself to the Gospel ministry; who has been devoutly thankful for whatever success has attended my labors, and has sympathized with me in all my trials; whose constant prayers for me I prize more "than gold - yea, than much fine gold;" and whose death, if I survive her, will make me feel that earth is impoverished and heaven enriched; I, wishing her name revered by all who read what I write, affectionately inscribe
THIS VOLUME.
THE AUTHOR.
[p. v]
PREFACE.
My Prefatory words shall be few. This volume is sent forth with the hope that its perusal will do good. Nothing else is worth writing for - nothing else is worth living for.The reader will perceive that the "Sermons" are short. To have made them longer would have been comparatively easy. A dozen of them might be made to occupy as much space as is occupied by them all. It was thought better, however, to have a large number of "short sermons." In their preparation I have indulged the hope that they will be specially useful to one class of readers - YOUNG PREACHERS. I have aimed to discuss important subjects, and to treat the texts I have chosen in an easy and a natural way. If the sermons have not grown out of the texts, I have unfortunately failed to carry my intention into effect. One of the chief excellences of sermonizing cousists in developing and maintaining the proper relation between
[p. vi]
the text and the discourse. When this relation is shown, it originates trains of thought which may be followed out by the hearer or reader. And it is very questionable whether those sermons do much good which produce only transient emotion, and are not so constructed as to supply materials for reflection when the hour of delivery is past.Some of these "Short Sermons" were prepared aa early as the year 1855, and others as recently as the present year; but the most of them were written during the three intervening years. Their preparation having extended through a period so long, it will not be strange if the reader sometimes finds the same forms of expression used more than once. Still it is believed no offensive sameness will be found.
I send the volume forth, commending it to the blessing of God who can give it favor with the people, and make it the means of doing some good.
J. M. P.
Union University,
Murfreesboro', Tenn., July, 1859
=========[From J. M. Pendleton, Short Sermons on Important Subjects, 1859. This book is from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Library, Wake Forest, NC via ILL through Boone County Public Library, Burlington, KY. - Jim Duvall]
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