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SWEET MORSELS

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HUNGRY SOULS,

IN THE LORD'S WORD, FOR THE LORD'S PEOPLE.

PREFACE.

I HAVE often taken occasion to remark to the Lord's people, in the course of my ministry, what a fulness may be found under the Lord's teaching, from short sentences, and even from single words sometimes, in the scriptures of our God. It is astonishing to observe it, and indeed it becomes decisive of the divine authority. Never surely can there be found such a comprehension as God the Holy Ghost useth in his scriptures of truth. A word will often convey a volume of expression. Here therefore we trace the Almighty Writer: here we recognize a divine hand. Surely none but God could accomplish such a purpose!

And it should seem that our translators had a clear apprehension of the Lord's design in this particular, from the frequency of their marginal notes and references. For when at any time they felt themselves at a loss to convey the full sense of any word or passage in the body of the chapter or verse, they have given another word by way of explanation in the margin. And most sweet and ponderous sometimes these marginal notes are. Our old bibles abound with them. And our old bibles are like old gold on this account, they are true bullion and without alloy. And next to the scriptures themselves, that faithful and correct translation which we have of those divine records as established by law among us, is the greatest blessing the Lord ever bestowed upon our nation. And however it may subject me to the censure of modern writers, who either to support their several systems, or to affect learning, are for ever talking of false renderings, and interpolations and the like, in this translation; yet sure I am, that all the wisdom of the several centuries which have

succeeded that golden age of the church, when the bible was first translated, never hath been or ever will be able to form an equal: the Lord's blessing hath gone before it, and followed it to thousands now in glory: and his blessing will watch over it for good to the thousands yet to follow of the church to the latest posterity. In this little tract I have availed myself of the labours of those men of God, in gathering some few of the sweet morsels for spiritual refreshment to the Lord's people. I send it forth on the knee of prayer, that the Lord's blessing may accompany it.

ROBERT HAWKER.

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