PREFACE. BEFORE rendering the following work more public than it was originally designed to be, the Author considers a few words, rather of explanation, than of apology, may be necessary. Some years since, his ministerial duties lay in a neighbourhood remarkable for the prevalence of various errors. In the desire to avoid the evils attendant on controversy, while labouring to remove these errors, he was led to invite the attention of his flock to the principle that "every subject in the Word of God is prominent in proportion to its importance." The success that attended the application of this principle exceeded his most sanguine hopes; and, finally, induced him to collect and arrange the substance of his pastoral instructions into the present form, which was at first intended for circulation among the arks on the in the New gument in ding to the s pure and ie dispensa- economy, gnificancy; ary in order nd in order, 7, at the dis A glorious d upon the ably corres nful man." n between and Cere le, when jects are, sanction ites and |