William Garden Cowie was born on 8 January 1831 at St John's Wood, London, England. Selected by G. A. Selwyn, formerly bishop of New Zealand, to become the first bishop of Auckland, he was consecrated at Westminster Abbey on 29 June 1869. On 20 July he married Eliza Jane Webber at Spring Grove, Middlesex. They arrived at Auckland in February 1870. Their six children were born within the decade. Elected as Anglican primate of New Zealand in 1895, Cowie announced his intention to resign as bishop shortly before his death at Parnell, Auckland, on 26 June 1902. Our last year in New Zealand was written in anticipation of a visit to England in 1888, to provide information 'concerning the Church and the State of New Zealand'. It gives a significant personal insight into the work of a colonial bishop.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This sermon grew out of John 20:15: “Supposing him to be the gardener.” Spurgeon used an extensive well-tended garden as a setting for this discourse, probably Dr. Bennet’s large garden in Mentone, which Spurgeon frequently visited. When Jesus Christ is the gardener of creation it leads to many inferences: it spurs people to their duties, it relieves people from responsibilities they should never assume, it delivers people from fears, it is a warning for the careless, it is a calming influence to those who complain and lastly it is an outlook full of hope. Spurgeon said he is “hoping that I may open many roads of meditation for your hearts . . . to indicate in which direction you may look for a vein of precious ore.” This sermon has been updated to modern language.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Faith is the simplest thing in the world. Yet, it is widely misunderstood. From where does it come? What does faith include? What does it exclude? What are the results of faith? You can find the answers here.

Annotated Bibliography of over 1000 Old and New Testament Commentaries--and ranking in three categories: Detailed Exegetical; Expositional; Devotional.

Complete, authoritative, and easy-to-understand Bible reference books for laymen, pastors, and church leaders. F. B. Meyer Devotional Commentary. A commentary on the entire Bible in daily portions, with devotional comments that challenge and inspire. This book goes beyond dry commentary to suggest the exciting implications of Scripture for daily needs. Arranged in bite-sized portions, this devotional makes an ideal quiet-time companion for every day.