JOHN GADSBY, GEORGE YARD, BOUVERIE ST., E.C. 1866. Price 5s. Cloth; or 4s. in Parts, Stitched in Printed Wrappers. The Gift of the cAuthor, Rev. Charles Gerdelier, London. Recd. 23 April 1868. ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL. PREFACE. THESE Sermons were preached, during the course of seven years of my ministry in the City and the East of London, and are arranged chronologically. Their publication was commenced in the hope that, with the Lord's help and blessing, they might prove useful to some of Zion's children, "the living in Jerusalem;" and now being favoured with seeing the volume completed, I desire to dedicate it to those who love the truth as it is in Jesus, and know by heart-felt experience its life, light, and power. As a literary production, I am sensible it contains many defects, but I shall hope not to be made an offender for a word by those who read for spiritual profit. I cannot but express my devout gratitude and unfeigned thanks for the Lord's condescension in owning this feeble effort; for, judging from the numerous intimations which I have received from all parts of the country, during the issue of the work in Parts, the word thus sent forth has been much blessed in edifying, refreshing, and comforting many of his "hidden ones," particularly in congregations destitute of the ministry, and also to invalids, the aged, and others unable to reach. the public sanctuary. The reader will perceive that most of these sermons possess a decided doctrinal tone, as well as that they are experimentally treated. Modern taste, it is true, is quite averse to this old-fashioned mode of preaching; but doctrinal truth is essentially important to the believer in Jesus; it is the food of living souls, and forms the basis of genuine experience; indeed the lack of it may be considered as the cause of so much of the ignorance, instability, and flimsiness we see in religious professors. I have, therefore, without attempting complete statements of theological topics, unreservedly declared those distinguishing truths which, in our day, are so little mentioned and so much despised. I have not shrunk from avowing my firm belief in the true and proper doctrine of our Lord's Eternal Sonship. I have also strenuously asserted the spiritual nature of real religion, and the necessity of a divine revelation for a true knowledge of Jesus Christ. And, believing that experience is the criterion of truth, I have aimed to set it forth as derived from my own exercises of thought and feeling; being convinced that if a minister of truth wishes to benefit the minds and hearts of others, he must be guided chiefly by that which he finds most beneficial to himself; and if in any measure I have been made useful in the church by means of these sermons, to God be all the praise. To extol the riches of his grace, to exalt Christ, to crown him Lord of all, and to build up believers in the faith, is my one aim and all my desire in attempting to serve the cause of Truth. CHARLES GORDELIER. LONDON, 13, STEPNEY GREEN, October, 1866. |
