PREFACE.

THE MISSION OF THE HOMILIST IS NOT TO SUPPLY SERMONS FOR INDOLENT OR INCOMPETENT PREACHERS, BUT STIMULUS AND TONIC FOR THE TRUE-HEARTED, HARD-WORKING, AND GENUINE TEACHER. IT DOES NOT DEAL IN THE "READYMADE," BUT IN THE RAW MATERIAL. IT ONLY ADMITS CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE MOST CONDENSED AND SUGGESTIVE CHARACTER. IT REQUIRES THINGS, NOT WORDS-HEALTHY SAPLINGS, JUST RISING INTO SIGHT AND STRUGGLING INTO SHAPE, NOT LIFELESS TIMBER, HOWEVER EXQUISITELY CARVED OR BRILLIANTLY POLISHED. THE FORMER MAY GROW, THE LATTER MUST ROT. IT PREFERS ONE LIFE-GERM TO A CART-LOAD OF MANUFACTURED SERMONS. IT DOES NOT TREAT SACRED TEXTS AS PEGS ON WHICH TO HANG ARTISTIC DISCOURSES, BUT AS BREAD-CORN FOR HUNGRY SOULs.

Although THE HOMILIST has passed through six Serial forms, numbering in all forty-three volumes, of which about ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND have been sold, another Series has been called for, and that by clergymen of all denominations, not only in this country and the colonies, but throughout Europe and America. The larger portion of the volumes that have appeared are out of print, and but few remain unsold, still the circulation continues as great as ever.

Hence the proprietors have determined on starting a SEVENTH issue, to be called the "EXCELSIOR SERIES," in January. This will be larger than any of the preceding ones, printed in a better style, with a much greater variety of pulpit matter, and with additional numbers of contributors, taken from the very best men in Biblical Scholarship and Homiletical Literature, such as Dr. GEIKIE, author of the "Life of Christ"; SAMUEL DAVIDSON, D.D., LL.D., Author of "Sacred Hermeneutics," etc.; Rev. R. YOUNG, M.A., Vicar of Calton; Dr. ENOCH MELLOR; Rev. J. KIRKMAN, M.A., Vicar of St. Stephens, Hampstead; Dr. PERCIVAL, Prebendary of Exeter, and President of Christ's College, Oxford, etc., etc. Contributions from equally eminent sources are promised. But the contributors will not be confined to this high scholarly class. There are ministers in all Churches who have far higher power of reaching the meaning of Holy Scripture, and bringing it out in philosophical and moral aspects than many of those scholarly men whose names appear as contributors to most of the theological publications of the day. No amount of learning can supersede the necessity of natural genius for Homilistic work.