he wished to finish it with joy, and that man finishes his course with joy when he expresses grati tude for any ardour he has discovered in it, and when he has a full view of the crown of glory, and prospect of eternal rest. To finish our course with joy, we must express our gratitude for the assistance grace has offered us in it. [When a Christian can say, through the good hand of my God upon me, the care of his love, and the animation of his grace, I have finished my course.'] Oh! what pleasure it must afford a believer who completes his race on earth, to look back upon the path he has trod, and to remember even the trials he endured, and to bless God that he was enabled to persevere to the end. The Christian race eannot be joyfully completed without a bright prospect of eternal glory and a splendid crown. The man finished this race with joy who could say, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me in that day.' Let others run to obtain a corruptible crown, we do it for an incorruptible. And oh! that when we finish our course it may be with this firm persuasion, that we shall enter into the joy of our Lord, where toil and fatigue will be known no more. For this purpose life is of use, as it conducts us to the end of the Christian race. But the apostle views himself not only as a Christian but as a minister of the New Testament, and therefore he views life as desirable

(2) That he might honourably close his ministevial exertions. That I may finish, says he, my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus. Here you behold the author of the gifts and the graces of ministers the Lord Jesus.' The Lord had said of Paul, he is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name unto the Gentiles.' And he had received his ministry of the Lord Jesus. The subjects of his ministry came from him, for he taught him to preach human

depravity-the atonement of Christ, and the influence of the Spirit, and to be witness unto all, for Jesus, of what he had seen and heard. His call to the ministry was from the Lord Jesus. He told him to publish the gospel, and immediately he conferred not with flesh and blood. He was an apostle not of man, nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father. His qualifications for the ministry came from the Lord Jesus-he gave him a freedom of speech-he made him apt to teachhe furnished him with wisdom and knowledgehe made him a minister that needed not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. His suc

cess in the ministry was from the Lord Jesushe made him fruitful, and he made him useful— he opened the hearts of his hearers--he attended his message with the power of his Spirit--he gave testimony to the word of his grace. Thus he assisted him in his work-owned him as an honoured servant, nor suffered him to labour in vain, or spend his strength for nought. Now, he wishes to close this ministry with joy. He does not want to leave it to quit it for worldly ease; but to go on in it to the end of his life. He does not wish to grow weary in well doing; but to persevere to the last; and thus finishing his work, he would do it with joy, as he would review instances of usefulness, and behold the grace of the Lord of the harvest, in raising up more labourers to enter into his vineyard. A minister closes his work with joy, when he reviews instances of usefulness, when he knows that there are many whom he as his joy and crown of rejoicing-that he shall view may have to say of a goodly number, here am I, Father, and the children which thou hast given me. our Lord rejoiced at the close of his labours, sayThus ing, I have given them thy word-I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.' also does the good minister finish his course with So joy, when he beholds other labourers crowned with

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success in the vineyard--when he dies with the full confidence that Zion's glory increases, and that the work of the Lord is promoted. He rejoices that others shall enter into his labours, and that by their exertions, the Saviour will be honoured, when he is cold in dust. Thus he rejoices, that instead of the fathers, he raises up the children, and that the Saviour's name shall be known to all generations. Happy man; like Simeon, thou shalt depart in peace-like him, thou shalt have the Saviour enclosed in thine arms, and eternal glory full in thy view.

Let those of us who are aged in the ministry imitate the apostle's example.

Students be diligent-honour Christ, and the Holy Spirit-aim sincerely to do good-be not afraid of difficulties let us go on, &c. &c.

In so doing, we shall both save ourselves and those that hear us. Amen.

No. V.

ADDRESS AT LAYING THE FOUNDATION-STONE OF THE NEW CHAPEL.

And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house.' So said the patriarch Jacob on a memorable occasion, and so may we say, assembled as we are to lay the foundation-stone of an edifice to God. We have found out a place for the Lord—an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob: beholding this spot of ground on this interesting morning, a thousand delightful sensations pervade our souls, and we are ready to anticipate the presence of the Great Eternal in this place, for is not this the hill which God hath chosen to dwell in it forever? Let us please ourselves with believing, that here holy incense shall ascend to God-that from this place the voice of prayer and praise shall rise tuneful to the

court of heaven-that here pious men shall enjoy the sublime happiness of devotion-that here the ungodly and the sinner shall be induced to begin their lives anew. How often may many have to say, on the very ground we tread, How dreadful is this place! this is none other than the house of God, and the

gate of heaven.' The master of worshipping as. semblies, Jehovah, by whose call congregations assemble, and by whose blessing their souls are benefitted, may here afford his watchful care, his animating smiles: we have every reason to believe he will do it, entreated by the earnest and fervent supplications of the men he loves; himself inclined to bless the gates of Zion, his eyes and his heart shall be here perpetually; with pleasure will he behold the favoured spot; and in the liberality of his heart afford to his assembled saints an earnest, a foretaste, a lively representation of what those happy spirits know and feel who are ever with the Lord.

We flatter ourselves, that the erection of an edifice like this is the effect of benevolent feeling to mankind, and an ardent love to the Great Lord of all. We unite in endeavouring to maintain the honour of the Saviour's name, and to support the glory of his cross. We feel, and deeply too, the necessity of possessing somewhat more than this earth can afford we regard men as immortals, and we know that there are blessings, without the enjoyment of which, those souls will experience continued disappointment here, and will languish forever in another world. These necessary and holy blessings, the Eternal has chosen to communicate by the instrumentality of a preached gospel. We know that Jehovah, in making up the number of his elect, works by means; therefore it is that we endeavour to bring that gospel, the report of which is indeed a joyful sound, to the ears of mankind, praying that the blessed Spirit would send it to their hearts. The erection of this place is a direct attack against against whom? say my hearers, alarmed at the

idea of hostility-against the Church of England ? No! God forbid; the very reverse of all this. We cheerfully take the present opportunity of informing this numerous auditory, that the doctrines which will be proclaimed on this ground will exactly correspond, will be just the same, with those contained in the doctrinal articles of the Church of England, which are the bulwarks of its faith, and may be read in most of the Books of Common Prayer. Is it, then, you ask again, an attack against any other congregation, or body of professing Christians? My soul revolts and spurns at the idea; for in the cause of Immanuel we wish cordially and constantly to unite with all those who believe in the Lord Jesus, both theirs and ours. But in one word, this is an attack directed against the kingdom of Satan, and the prince of darkness. Its object is the translation of our fellow creatures from his hateful power and dominion, and their transition into the family of the blessed household of their Redeemer. the sword of the Spirit we wish to combat the old serpent the devil. In this large and populous town he has maintained his seat, he has reigned and triumphed we long to see him fall, like lightning from heaven; and hence we preach that glorious gospel, which opposes his works, which rescues from his power, which gives us to expect a final triumph over him and his followers.

With

Here we expect that the preaching of the cross will be heard-that self-righteousness will in no shape meet with encouragement-that man will be represented as nothing, and Christ as all in all. We erect no altar to an unknown God, but are boldly confessing, that we wish every day to approach the Father of spirits, through the mediation of God our Saviour, and all this by the gracious aid of the Holy Spirit. And are any of us so hardened, through the deceitfulness of sin, as not to wish that here many souls may be born to God-may be trained up for heaven; or shall we not, at the last great day, re