our youth, were in fellowship with them, believed as they believed, and were partakers of their joys and their sorrows. Let us love and respect them no less because we have found a better way, and discovered riches which would rejoice them, could they find the treasure. Have they, in many instances, frowned on us? Have they often denied us, not only their meeting-houses, but also schoolhouses? Should we love them the less for all such things? No. Should we do this, what should we do more than others? Do not our limitarian brethren do so? The divine Master commands us to love our enemies.

Another large amount of our denominational liabilities is due to future generations. Let us consider, not only our own young sons and daughters, and what they demand of us, but also the children of others, and even of those who are hereafter to make their appearance in the places we are soon to leave. All these we may contemplate as now looking to us, as to a growing Christian denomination, and anxiously pleading with us to be faithful in their interests, and to do all we can to expel doctrinal errors from the church, and to establish divine truth, and the knowledge thereof in the minds and understandings of all now on the stage of life. Why should we, as a denomination, be remiss in the labors of the garden, in which we are appointed to work. Why let the briers, the thorns, the thistles, and every poisonous weed infest the soil? Are we told, that some pious people planted these vile nuisances here, and watered them with great care, and even now have for them a most fond regard, notwithstanding they are more than half convinced that they are poison? On this account, and for fear of giving offence, shall we let them stand and grow? Will not those who come after us, impute them to us?

As a denomination, let us not forget what we owe to ourselves. The eyes of many are upon us; they watch us, we may fear, more closely than we watch ourselves. Sometimes they frown upon us; sometimes they smile upon us. Both the frown and the smile are intended for some end. The one may be designed to discourage us with a sense of our weakness; the other, which comes from a certain quarter, may be designed to beguile, as the serpent beguiled Eve. By this guile, some of our breth

ren have been induced to eat of forbidden fruit, and are now out of the garden! Let such as think they stand, take heed lest they fall.

Who can be so whimsically jealous as not to believe those are our friends, who tell us that our doctrine and theirs are so near alike, that we should even be gainers if we would repudiate our name, assume theirs, and join them? And if we have some brethren who manifest a desire to comply with such a gainful proposal, can we doubt their devotion to the upbuilding of our denomination? Brethren, "have we suffered so many things in vain, if it be yet in vain ?" What name can we take more appropriate to what we profess to believe, than the one by which our denomination has been called and known for many years? But we owe to ourselves, as a denomination, that which is of far greater value than is the name by which we are called. This all-important demand consists in our living our doctrine, by practising constantly the divine precepts enjoined by the Saviour. Can we, my brethren, carefully compare the manner of our lives, and our practices, with the humility and the simplicity of Christ, and discover nothing for which we deserve reproof? Should we not be more likely to escape blame by comparing our own, with the habits of those proud worldlings whom we endeavor to imitate? Should all our denominational move. ments be impartially examined by a discerning eye, would nothing be found which would look like emulating the pride of older and more wealthy denominations? These queries are by no means to be construed into a censure. No; far be this from one who claims no right to judge others. But do we not know, that it has been the practice of all denominations, as they have prospered in wealth greatly to diminish in imitating the meekness of Christ? It can do us no harm seriously to consider these things, and carefully avoid whatever leads away from that strait and narrow way which leads unto life.

As a denomination, we owe it to ourselves to use great care, that we do not induct into our ministry young men who are not suitably qualified for discharging its duties. Moral character in the candidate should be unquestionable; and this should be accompanied with an habitual piety and a love of religious duties. He should be well

read in the Scriptures, a sincere believer in their divine authority, and familiar with the prominent and cardinal points of doctrine which they teach. As to literary acquirements, nothing less than a good knowledge of our language, and the grammatical construction of it, should be required. As much more as circumstances may permit, may be recommended. In times which are past, our doctrine has been successfully promulgated and ably defended by laborers, who never had either means or opportunity to prepare themselves for public speaking, as have all our young men in our times.

Attention may now be given to the consideration of what we owe to the holy Scriptures. Our denominational liabilities to the revealed word of God, which lies on our cushions in our pulpits, and which we, as a denomination, present to all whom we induct into our ministry, has claims on us, the amount of which we are unable to compute. What should we have been without this? Not Christians, of course. Pagans we might have been, if any thing. But it is evident that we owe to it our existence, under God, who is its author. Why do we present this holy book to those whom we induct into our ministry? And why do they receive it? We present it, and it is solemnly received, as the source and fountain of all that knowledge with which our ministry is appointed to feed the people of God. With these facts before our eyes, let us indulge our imagination, and suppose that Moses, all the prophets, Christ and his apostles are over us, and are looking down upon us, when we stand in our pulpits and open our bibles to read their words, and to discourse from them. What would they have a right to expect? Surely something like, and agreeable to, what the two brethren were blessed with, when the risen Saviour said to them: "O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?" To which he added a discourse, expounding to the two brethren, what Moses and the prophets had said, in all the Scriptures, concerning himself. But what must be the feelings of these heavenly spectators and hearers, when the preacher opens the blessed book, reads a short verse, turns to his notes and delivers to his audience a beautiful, flowry discourse, thirty

minutes long, accompanied with graceful gestures, all on some chosen subject, not at all relative to the passage read, nor anywhere spoken of in the whole Bible? If such a scene was ever displayed, it is unreasonable to contend that it can be allowed as something claimed as due to the Scriptures.

We owe to the Bible, as a denomination, a careful and prayerful study of those oracles of God, which we find in it. And we are solemnly obligated to endeavor, to the utmost of our abilities, to bring forth its treasures of divine knowledge, with which to feed our increasing congregations.

In conclusion, let us, with profound reverence, consider our denominational liabilities due to the God and Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. These comprise all those, we have before named, and more. "The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad." To the eyes of one who knew our denomination, when it numbered but a few, and its means were extremely limited, its present appearance is truly wonderful. The conflicts through which it has, by the hand of God, been conducted, are innumerable; though awful, in appearance, seemed the powers, which were combined to crush it in its infancy. The weight of every thing in community, which was held in esteem by a proud and haughty priesthood, pressed on the tender plant to keep it in the dust. But, contrary to all human calculations, the mustard grew; and the more the plant was abused, the higher it extended itself, put forth its many branches and unfolded its leaves. Now, what does all this goodness of our Heavenly Father demand of us, as a denomination? It demands of us, not only our overflowing gratitude, but also our utmost endeavors to keep all the ground, we have been put in possession of, and to extend our borders as God may direct, all to his own glory.

H. B.

ART. XIX.

Adaptation of the Pulpit to the Times.

ONE of the longest apostolic discourses recorded in the New Testament, is that of Peter, delivered to the multitude on the day of Pentecost. The discourse was adapted to the audience. It was eminently doctrinal and practical; not too old, nor too new; neither above nor below the comprehension of those who heard; but every way fitted to the hour and the people. "Christ, and him crucified," is the theme, the living Christ, now risen and ascended, and calling man to repentance and to the true worship and service of the Father of all. It was from conviction of the importance of this theme, that the apostle called upon the vast congregation around him, saying, Repent, and be baptized every one of you, in the name of the Lord Jesus, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation." It is to the topic suggested by this last appeal, that we would direct attention, viz: the Adaptation of the Pulpit to the Times.

1

That Christianity is intended for man universally,—that its great and unchanging truths are for promulgation and acceptance and practice in all ages, is too plainly true to require any labored pleading. What of its substance was made known to Adam, to Noah, to Abraham, or David, has not lessened in vital importance since their days, and will in no wise change while men shall continue to exist here. Its greater revelations, as given by Jesus and by his apostles, have not diminished in actual interest, have not lost their applicability to our nature, since Judea, and Greece, and Rome first heard the new and wonderful anouncements of the gospel. Still, is this

1 Acts ii. 38-40.