John Kershaw was the faithful and devoted pastor of Hope (Strict Baptist) Chapel, Rochdale for fifty-two years. He was highly esteemed by churchmen and dissenters alike for his gracious consistency of character and for his works' sake.His prayer is that the reading of these 10 sermons may prove to be to many what the preaching of them did - the savour of life unto life to them that are saved, and of death unto death to them that perish: that they may be as God's mouth separating the precious from the vile. "He that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD." (Jer. 23:28)