PREFACE. THE following Sermons were preached in the Chapel of the College of St. Columba, near Dublin, during the period of the Author's residence there as Tutor. Some of them have been altered for delivery in other places, but are here restored as nearly as possible to their original form. The principal motive for their publication is a desire on the part of the Author to place in the hands of his former pupils a permanent memorial of his teaching. If this little volume should possess any interest for the public, it will be as an illustration-feeble but, it is hoped, faithful without exaggeration or suppressionof what is really meant by "a system of sound religious education in strict conformity with the principles and formularies of the United Church of England and Ireland." It should be added, however, that the Author's opportunities of addressing the boys from the pulpit were so few and of such irregular recurrence, that this is necessarily far from being a complete series of School Sermons. CONTENTS. IV. ESAU AND JUDAS COMPARED. -2 Cor. vii. 10 VII. PRAYER AND ITS IMPEDIMENTS.-St. Luke xi. 1 VIII. IMPEDIMENTS TO PRAYER.-St. Luke xi. 1 36 49 SERMON I. Weakness and Strength. [Sunday next before Advent. November 20, 1859.] OUT OF WEAKNESS WERE MADE STRONG." Heb. xi. 34. THE week on which we have now entered is, to a very large proportion of those now present, the last before their participation in a most solemn ordinance, and their admission to the full privileges of the Christian Church. Let me now address a few plain practical words to those of you, my brethren, whose Confirmationday is so very near at hand. And may God in His mercy grant that the words now spoken may help you to spend the few days that remain, before you are presented to the chief pastor of this diocese that he may invoke God's blessing upon you, in cultivating that spirit which He delights to bless. I have no intention of trying to teach you what the ordinance of Confirmation is. You know that already. Nor shall I try to stir you B |
