These spoken words, uttered in how great weakness, no one is more conscious of than the speaker, are now committed to print.
Those who have had experience of it, are well aware how difficult it is to reduce an entirely extemporaneous address to the style of writing demanded in a printed page; this must be remembered as to anything unusual in these addresses, to the deliberate character of that which is conveyed simply by means of writing.
With regard to the subjects treated, no words could possibly exaggerate their importance or their blessedness; in proportion to this, stands out the feebleness of all the servant’s efforts, however helped in grace, to give expression to them.
The object of the preacher, in preaching, was to minister Christ so as to reach conscience and heart; this he desired above all, as he diligently sought to avoid all that would minister to the mere mind and intellect.
May the Lord, in His sovereign goodness, bless these feeble utterances to souls; this is looked for, as it is remembered that He it is who hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise . . . the weak things of the world to confound the mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are despised , . . . and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are; that no flesh should glory in his presence.