W. J. CONYBEARE, M. A.,

PRINCIPAL OF THE COLLEGIATE INSTITUTION, LIVERPOOL;

LATE FELLOW OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE,

AND ONE OF HER MAJESTY'S PREACHERS AT WHITEHALL.

LONDON:

JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE-STREET.

WAREING WEBB, LIVERPOOL.

MDCCCXLIV.

7-16-1924

PREFACE.

THE following Sermons are a portion of those preached by the Author at Whitehall, during the years 1841, 1842, and 1843. The only exception is the last sermon in the volume, which was preached at an Ordination held by the late Bishop of Lichfield. The Candidates then admitted into Holy Orders requested the Author to publish this; and though he excused himself from doing so at the time, (feeling that single sermons, published separately, are not often likely to be useful,) he takes the present opportunity of complying with their

wishes.

SERMON I.

CHRISTIANITY THE CAUSE OF DIVISION.

ST. LUKE XII. 51.

SUPPOSE YE THAT I AM COME TO GIVE PEACE ON EARTH?

I TELL YOU NAY, BUT RATHER DIVISION.

THERE are few attentive readers of the New Testament but must have been, at one time or other, startled at these words. We first heard them, most of us, long after we had known the prophetic character of the speaker to be the Prince of Peace. We were familiar with the angelic song which proclaimed his advent as the reign of "peace on earth"-we knew that he came to preach the gospel of peacein our hearts were fixed the touching words of his dying legacy to his disciples, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." We knew, too, that peace was his command, as well as his promise, to his subjects; for they were bidden to "follow

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