he rejoiced to witness, more than once, during his ministry in St. Stephen's. He preached the Gospel there amidst the effusions of the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. The blessing came in fulfilment of the promise, "ask and ye shall receive." Often was the heart of the preacher cheered, before commencing the service, by the entrance of his friend Warner, who had come from the prayer meeting to the vestry-room-and, with a countenance beaming with joy, exclaimed, “my dear pastor, I am persuaded that your labours will be attended with a blessing to-day, for we have had great freedom in praying for you this morning !"

Never, perhaps, did he administer the Lord's Supper in that Church without having some new communicants; but there were times when many were at once" added unto the Lord." The great blessing of God which so often accompanied the labours of Dr. Moore, rendering them instrumental in the conversion of multitudes, necessarily made him the friend and advocate of "revivals of religion," in the sober and rational meaning of that phrase. He was, however, no friend to any religious excitement inconsistent with the decent order and staid character of the Church. He looked with suspicion and displeasure upon those "new measures" which certain travelling evangelists of other denominations have represented to be indispensably necessary to the "getting up of a revival." He viewed the "anxious benches," the calling upon those who were willing to go to heaven to rise-the putting it to vote whether a congregation were desirous to be saved-and all parts of the modern machinery of Pelagianism, so extensively employed in some places to subserve the ends of fanaticism, as not only dishonourable to religion, and delusive in their tendency, but also chargeable with impiety, in preferring human inventions to the divinely instituted

means of grace. It will be gratifying to the reader to peruse the Bishop's sentiments on these interesting topics, as expressed in the following extracts from his correspondence.

As a suitable introduction to the extracts, we give the following brief paragraph from Dr. Hawks' history of the Church in Virginia.

"It is not wonderful that in the retrospect of the facts we have here related, the Bishop should entertain an opinion, best expressed in his own words, that, although we have the promise of heaven to be always present with the Church, still there are particular seasons in which the Almighty displays his power in a manner so overwhelming as to command the attention of his rational creatures; to dispel that coldness which makes them indifferent to the calls of duty; to excite their gratitude to God for his mercies; to melt obdurate offenders into contrition, and to oblige them to sue for forgiveness at the throne of grace.' Nor is it matter of surprise that the good Bishop should be led by this incident in his own religious experience, often to impress, as he does, especially upon the younger clergy, the duty, at seasons in which the Almighty manifests his presence in a more than ordinary way, gladly to avail themselves of such propitious times to put forth redoubled efforts in their Master's cause."

The following letter to Dr. (afterwards Bishop) Meade, was probably occasioned by a fear that some of the clergy of Virginia, misled by the reports of the success attendant upon the use of the "new measures" among other denominations, might be induced to resort to them. But between

The remarkable scene attending the three consecutive sermons on Staten Island.

the writer of the letter and him to whom it was addressed there was a perfect agreement of opinion on the points of which it treats.

to dr. Meade, (AFTERWARDS BISHOP.)

Nov. 20th, 1828.

Rev. and Dear Sir,-I am confident that your mind would revolt at every thing like management in the con'cerns of religion. I have been acquainted for many years, with what I have seen in some other societies, and what I have been obliged to call by that name; and I confess my heart has been pained at the picture which at times has been presented to my view. If Christianity is a system founded on truth, the work of grace must be God's work ; and I cannot believe that the Almighty stands in need of the cunning craftiness of man to promote his designs. I once told a presiding elder, that I observed in their exercises what I considered unlawful. He replied that the effect was visible; to which I rejoined, that the end could not justify improper means. Upon which he left me in a pet. I cannot think that the Spirit of God can be brought into operation by human management. In striving for the mastery, we must strive lawfully; we must use the means God has appointed; prayer, reading the Scriptures, and the faithful preaching of the Gospel, constitute the ordinances of heaven for the conversion of sinners; and where this is done in sincerity of heart, that effect will be produced, which in the wisdom of God he may think proper. If we wish to see the work of grace prosper in our hands, and a lasting and permanent effect produced, we must observe order and decency in our worship. A momentary influence may be effected, by measures pursued by some

other societies; but how often do we see those whose passions have been excited, and who have attempted to build without counting the cost, relapse into former indiscretions, and show that the work was that of man and not of God. We have to do with people whose minds have been informed by reading, and who would fly from us with disgust, were we to permit feeling to take place of reason, or to use any means other than those prescribed by Scripture. A morbid appetite is by no means an uncommon thing in religious concerns. As judicious physicians, we cannot consistently with duty apply such things as would increase it, but, on the contrary, should administer the wholesome and rational remedies presented by the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, I have thought that there is great impropriety in attempting to invite the Spirit of God to descend upon the people in any other way than Scripture has authorized. That we are too cold is a solemn truth. To remedy this evil is in our power, provided we will seek the aid of God's Holy Spirit, in sincere and fervent prayer; and I am persuaded that if we HONESTLY call upon God to assist us with his grace, and honestly preach his own word, he will make that word quick and powerful to the conversion of those who hear it. Can we suppose that the Almighty stands in need of the arts of man to further his designs? "He will work, and who shall let it." Let us, then, be faithful and industrious, and we will see the work of the Lord prosper in our hands. Call into exercise your own experience, and that experience will tell you that when in private prayer, you would not think of invoking God's blessing in any other way than in sincere and fervent supplication. You would make use of no art; on the contrary, you would fly from it with abhorrence, lest your devotions should excite the displeasure of that Being whom you addressed. Why, then, should we attempt in public what we should shrink from

doing in private? Direct your attention to the state of things in this diocese when you first entered the ministry. Could you, at that dreary hour, have promised yourself the success with which a merciful God has blessed us? Did you expect to see, in fifteen or sixteen years, upwards of fifty churches built and repaired? Did you expect to see, instead of three or four men to help you, fifty clergymen disposed to do their duty? Would you not, at the moment of your ordination, have been willing to have compromised for such an enlargement of our Zion as you now witness? Had the Almighty promised you that we should have a Seminary for the instruction of our youth, of so flattering a description as that with which we are now favoured, would you not have called on all the powers of your soul to bless his Holy Name? God has hitherto blessed us: let us redouble our diligence, and not be led to choose some other way, lest he should withdraw from us in displeasure, and leave us in our own hands. I love the spirit of zeal which you manifest; old as I am, I feel some of it myself, and will cordially unite with you in prayer to God to warm our hearts, to strengthen our hands, and to direct us by his counsel. I remember when you first invited me to remove to Virginia, and when Wilmer and Norris wished me to visit the diocese, that good old George Warner, of New York, entreated me not to stir a single step; if the Lord wishes you to settle there, (he observed,) he will make the way clear before you; if you attempt to take the measure in your own hands, he will be displeased. I have written a long letter, because the subject called for it; should you consider me wrong in my views, I am open to conviction, and will thank you for a full expression of your heart. Love to Mrs.

Your sincere friend,

R. C. M.