13 / 674
DEDICATION
TO
THE
FIRST VOLUME
OF SERMONS.
1,111/111.
TO
THE CHURCH OF CHRIST ASSEMBLING
IN
BERRY
-
STREET,
LONDON.
Christian Friends, dearly beloved
in
our
Lord,
IT
is
in
the
service
of
your
souls
that
I
have spent the best
period
of
my
life
ministering
the
gospel among you.
Two
and
twenty
years
are
now ex-
pired,
since you
first
called
me
to
this deli
ghtfulwork;
and
from
that
timò
nay
cares
and
labours,
my
studies
andprayers,
have been employed
in
your
behalf.
I
trust
they have
been
accepted with God,
and,
through his
al-
mighty blessing, have
obtained
some success.
As
to
their
acceptance
with
you,
I
have too many
and plain
evidences
to
admit
a
doubt
of
it
;
which
I
have
often thankfully acknowledged to God
and
you.
Your
forward
kindness bath always
forbid
my
requests, nor
do
I
remember
that
you ever
gave
me
leave
to
ask
auy thing
for
myself
at
your
hands,
by
your
con-
stant anticipation
of
all that
.1
could reasonably
desire.
While
I
was thus
walking among, you in
the
fellowship
of
the
gospel
with mutual delight,
God was
pleased
to weaken my
strength in
the
way,
and
thereby has
given you
á
fairer
opportunity to
show
the
vigour
of
your
affection
under
my
long weakness
and
confinement.
Your
diligence
and zeal
in maintaining public
worship
in
the church,
under
the
pastoral
care
of
my
dear
brother
and
colleague
*, your special
days
and
hours
of prayer
for
my
recovery,
your
constant
and
fervent
addresses to
the
throne
ofgrace
on my account,
in your
weekly solemn
assemblies,
and your chearful
supply
of
my
necessities
under
so
tedious an affliction,
have
made
me
your debtor
in
a
high degree,
and
have
strengthened
the bands
of
my
duty,
by adding
to
them the
bands
of
your
love.
As
soon
as
I
was capable
of
the smallest
attempt
of
service,
you
re
ceived
me
with
all
joy
in
the
Lord:
And
though
we
Were
rivals
in
this
pleasure,
yet"
you
will
allow
that
my
joy
was,
at
least equal
to
yours;
for
I, think
I
can
pronounce
it
with
great
sincerity, that
"
there
is
no
place,
nor
company,
nor
employment, on
this side
heaven,
that
can
give
me
such
a
relish
of
delight,
as(
when
I
stand ministering
holy
things
in
the
mickt
of
you."
As
fast
as
my
health
increases, you
may
assure
yourselves
it
is devoted
to
your
edification.
It
often
grieves
me
to think
how
poor,
feeble,
and
short,
are
my
present labours
among you
;
and
yet what days
of
faintness
I
generally
feel after
every such attempt
:
So
that
I
am
continually
prevented
in
my
design
of
successive
visits
to
you,
by
the
want
of
active
spirits
while
I
tarry
in
the
city;
and
if I
attempt
to
stay
but
a
week
or
ten days
there,
I
find a
sensible
return
of
weakness;
so
that
I
am
constrained
to
retire
to the
,ebuntry
-air,
in
order
to
recruit
and maintain
this little capacity
of
service.
I
bless God
heartily,
and
you
are
my
witnesses;
that
in
my
better seasons
of
health heretofore,
and
in
the
intervals
of
my
studies,
I
was not
a stranger
to
your
private
families, nor
thoughtless
of
your
souls' improvement.
What
shall
I
do now
to make up
these
defects ? What
can
I
do
more
pleasing and
profitable
to
you, than to
seize the
advantages
of
my
retirement,
*
Mr.
Samuel
Price.
a