SERMON VIII.

"I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the Saints."-Eph. i. 15.

SERMON IX.

"Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein."-Mark x. 15.»

110

123

SERMON X.

"Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it."-Luke xi. 28.

SERMON XI.

"The very hairs of your head are all numbered.".

Matt. x. 30.

SERMON XII.

"Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as children of light."—Eph.

v. 8.

SERMON XIII.

140

160

179

"And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven. And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it."-Matt. xvi. 16, 17, 18.

SERMON XIV.

"Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.". Matt. v. 20.

192

207

SERMON XV.

"Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray."

James v. 13.

"This mortal must put on immortality."-1 Cor. xv.

53.

SERMON XVII.

224

240

"I would not live alway."-Job vii. 16.

SERMON XVIII.

"Ask now of the days that are past."-Deut. iv. 32.

SERMON XIX.

"This I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; and they that use this world, as not abusing it; for the fashion of this world passeth away."-1 Cor. vii. 29, 30, 31.

SERMON XX.

"When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple. He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock."-Matt. xxvii. 57, 58, 59, 60.

SERMON XXI.

"If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable."-1 Cor. xv. 19.

256

270

284

297

312

SERMON XXII.

The Lord is risen indeed.”—Luke xxiv. 34.

324

MEMOIR.

ANTHONY FORSTER was born in the County of Brunswick, North-Carolina, January 11th, 1785. His father, who was a respectable farmer in that part of the country, died when he was yet a child, and left the guardianship and direction of his youth to the care of a friend. Of his early life little is known. That little, however, is highly honourable to his character in every respect, and clearly evinces that the peculiar traits, which distinguished his mind in maturer years, had begun to develope themselves at that early period. We have the authority of a sensible and judicious man, in whose family he was for some time an inmate in early youth, that he was an extraordinary boy; that he possessed an inquisitiveness of mind, and habits of research and investigation beyond his years. Reasons, as the same person observed, which satisfied other children, were often unsatisfactory to him. Whatever inquiry he commenced, was pursued with unremitting zeal and assiduity, as far as his means of information enabled him. These, however, were but too scanty and limited, at that period, in that part of the country where Providence had assigned him his lot. His early education was of course incomplete. Of that system of steady, vigorous and efficient scholastick discipline, which the experience of ages has sanctioned as best adapted to mature and harmonize the mental powers, his youth was, in a great measure, destitute. It had been the intention of his father to superintend personally the education of his sons; but his death early deprived them of this advantage; and they were sent by their Guardian to the University of

North-Carolina, where they entered the Preparatory School. The subject of this Memoir was then twelve years of age. It is not known to the writer how long he remained in this seminary, before he became a member of the College; nor into what class he entered on his admission; but the period of his residence in both departments of this Institution was five years. Mr. Forster's attainments, when he left the University, were highly respectable. While there he maintained a distinguished rank in his class and his deportment was manly and honourable, and secured him the esteem and respect both of his fellowstudents and of his instructors.

After leaving College, he was induced by the wishes and advice of his friends to commence the study of law; but it was not the study most congenial to his feelings, or his taste, and he seems never to have pursued it with much ardour, or constancy. He was more frequently to be found poring over some old and ponderous volumes of theology, which chance had thrown in his way, than in perusing Blackstone or Coke. His health, too, which seems never to have been robust, became evidently impaired by his too sedentary habits, and it was thought advisable that he should try the effects of a more active course of life. He yielded to the suggestions of friendship-perhaps to his own sense of duty—and accepted an Ensign's Commission in the army of the United States, bearing date March, He immediately joined a body of troops which was stationed at that time on the western frontiers of Georgia, and while there was promoted to a Lieutenancy. Here he remained, with the reputation of a brave, correct and active officer, until October, 1806, when he resigned his commission, and quitted the service. This step, which would seem to have been hastened, at least, by his dissatisfaction with some measures of his commanding officer, left him without employment, far from his friends, and in

1804.