THE PENNY SUNDAY READER. EDITED BY THE REV. I. E. N. MOLESWORTH, RECTOR OF ST. MARTIN'S, CANTERBURY, ONE OF THE SIX PREACHERS "If these little sparks of holy fire, which I have heaped together, VOL. IV. CANTERBURY: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED AT THE OFFICE OF TO BE HAD OF MESSES. RIVINGTONS, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD, AND OF ALL BOOKSELLERS. 1836. PREFACE TO VOL. IV. We have endeavoured to present our readers with a view of that connexion and plan, according to which the Proper Lessons were selected. We have also shewn the relation they have, frequently, though not always, to the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, for the day. As a beautiful illustration of this, we may refer our readers to the harmony we have pointed out between the Lessons and the Collect, in our remarks on the eighth Sunday after Trinity, page 55 of this volume. This relation we have marked, however, only incidentally; our principal object being to illustrate that system which, we think, has been overlooked by writers on the subject, and which we have shewn to be perceptible, in the order in which the Lessons may be classed. The present volume completes our notices of the Proper Lessons, as the first two volumes comprehend those on the Collects, Epistles, and Gospels-all, we believe, treating the several subjects in a method at once practical and original. With this fourth volume we were tempted, from considerations referring to the welfare of ourselves and family, to the regulation of our parish, and to our own health and comfort, to have terminated the work. But, on mature deliberation, we have felt it our duty to the Church to continue our weekly numbers, upon the same system. When we say our duty to the Church, let us not be supposed to entertain a high estimation of our ability to treat the subjects of our miscellany. All we imply in the above statement is, that we have the command of a very extensive circulation in weekly numbers, and the truths which we can thus introduce, "bit by bit," in each number, will be seen and attended to by persons of all ranks, when a volume, written with tenfold power, would not be read at all. The subject, too, which we propose to discuss in the first article of each number is important, not only in itself, but in its being desirable, we may almost say necessary, to the completion of our SUNDAY READER as a standard manual of occupation for the Lord's day; which, from the many marks of approbation bestowed upon it, we do flatter ourselves it will become. The subjects, for the first article in each number for 1837, will be, “THE ORDER OF MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER." This, we feel confident, we shall, by God's help, be able to illustrate in a manner both practical and original. We hope to commend it to the veneration and affection of our readers, by exhibiting, in a clear light, the same system, connexion, and harmony, between the other portions of the Liturgy, as we have displayed in the Proper Lessons, Collects, &c. Our method will be the same as before-thinking for ourselves, and, at the same time, thankfully availing ourselves of the learned and skilful labours of others, where they suit our object and plan. We thank our correspondents for their many useful contributions, and beg that they will continue them to the end of our work, and that our friends generally will help us with their hearty prayer "The Lord prosper you: we wish you good luck in the name of the Lord.”—Psalm cxxix. S. Version of the Liturgy. |