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FIFTEEN SERMONS

TOGETHER

WITH AS MANY PRAYERS

FROM

FIFTEEN UNIVERSALIST CLERGYMEN,

OF MAINE.

REV. G. W. QUINBY, EDITOR.

"In the multitude of Counsellors there is Safety."-Solomon.

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life."-Christ.

"Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."-Christ.

PORTLAND AND SACO :

S. H. COLESWORTHY, PUBLISHER.

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PREFACE.

.

UNIVERSALISM is doing a great, and an excellent work in the moral and christian world. It is demolishing the old structures of christian and heathen cruelty and overthrowing the monstrous errors of human creeds. It is reconciling the revealed character of God with itself, and with His dealings towards His intelligent offspring. It is fast stripping the christian religion of those fearful mantles of gloom and terror, which, for centuries, have filled the soul with sorrow and mourning; and imparting a beauty and glory to its lovely form, which is calculated to arrest the attention and secure the affections of every benevolent mind. It is boldly vindicating the universal love and paternity of God, and the common brotherhood of man. Silently, but surely, is it advancing the cause of the slave facilitating the overthrow of intemperance -hastening the day of universal peace demolishing the gallows-opening the door of the prison house-unloosing every yoke and setting the captive free. In short, its foundation principle is LOVE; and this principle lies at the very bases of ALL the great moral and benevolent enterprises of the day. And shall we not work and work constantly for the more universal dissemination of the sentiments which we advocate? Can we do too much for the cause of Christ? Shall we not study for opportunities of bringing the claims of this Religion before

the mind of the community, and recommending its blessed teachings to the affections of the heart?

We have been induced, principally by these considerations, to take measures for the publication of this volume of Sermons and Prayers. Its productions are from the pens of those whom we regard with sentiments of confidence and esteem. Many of whom have long "fought the good fight of faith," and manfully stood up to the contest against the opposing hosts, in our State. And for this reason, if for no other, it must be a source of satisfaction to the real friends of the cause of God's impartial goodness, in this portion of the divine heritage to peruse their writings, and recommend them to the attention of their friends and neighbors. The Sermons which compose this volume, are all on important and interesting doctrinal and practical subjects; and are calculated to strengthen the hope and increase the faith of the reader. Many of them are marked with patient reflection, deep penetration, and an entensive knowledge of the Sacred Word; and we are not without hope that they will be the means of enlightening the darkness of some mind, and causing the soul to rejoice with a joy unspeakable, by embracing "the truth as it is in Jesus," and bowing before the mild sceptre of "the Lord of life."

One consideration more. Many of our societies are so small as to be unable to sustain constant preaching. Under these circumstances, and also when societies are entirely destitute of the preached word, it becomes desirable that this want should be at least, partially supplied by reading a sermon, and uniting in other devotional exercises. This volume is well calculated for use on such occasions -being of large print, and containing profitable sermons, and also Prayers, which may be either read, or committed to memory and repeated.

GEO. W. QUINBY,
S. H. COLESWORTHY.

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