most fine gold changed!" It is well known to you, my brethren, that the church in this country, for nearly half a century, has been in a depressed and desolate state. God, in his righteous providence, has seen fit to visit her with sore judgments. Many and great have been the calamities she has passed through. Like her divine Savour, she has been despised and reject ed of men. Her holy ordinances have been neglected, and her government and worship have been traduced. Many circumstances have conspired to reduce her low, and even to threaten her existence. But, though her afflic tion has been severe, and the opposition she has had to encounter, great and formidable; yet, blessed be God, she has not been wholly overcome. Even in the most gloomy period there has been a righteous remnant, who have perseveringly espoused her cause, and defended her against all the attacks of her enemies. Still, the church in this country may be truly said, even now to be clad in mourning. "Zion stretcheth forth her hands, and there are but few to comfort her. Her adversaries compass her round on every side. The ways of Zion mourn because so few come to her solemn feasts. Her gates are desolate, her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness." We have been taking a view of her desolations, and our eyes have affected our hearts. We find many of the sanctuaries where our fathers worshipped, now desolate and mouldering to dust. In many consecrated places, where once the voice of praise and thanksgiving ascended to heaven from a thousand tongues, now, no voice of praise is heard. Desolation breathes around. No voice is heard but the hoarse wind, howling over our fathers' sepulchres. But amidst this gloom and desolation, a gleam of light and hope appears. We see, or we seem to see the shadows passing away. The clouds appear to be broken; the day is advancing; the rays of the morning sun begin to gild the mountain tops. The trees of Lebanon lift up their weeping heads. From the holy hill of Zion, a voice is heard from the King of saints, saying to his afflicted spouse, the church, "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising " "The sons of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the Lord, The Zion of the holy One of Israel.” My brethren and friends, we are assembled in this holy place to call upon God; to invoke the presence and blessing of the great Head of the church; to hear his holy word, and to consult on the best means of advancing the prosperity of that portion of the church committed to our care. With what profound reverence and deep humility, should we enter these holy courts! With what self-abasement, and prostration of soul, should we confess our sins and implore the divine mercy! Permit me, then, on this occasion, to suggest a few thoughts, which I hope, through the divine blessing, may be serviceable to us all. And first I would invite the attention of my reverend fathers and brethren in the ministry. Dear fellow labourers! Would we be instrumental in building up the Redeemer's kingdom, and in promoting true practical piety in the hearts of our fellow men? Then, first of all, it becomes us at all times to feel, and acknowledge, our entire dependence on God, to aid, and bless our feeble efforts. Paul may plant, and Apollos 1 that real saving faith is nothing less, than a cordial and unreserved submission of heart, to the whole gospel of Christ: that it works by love, produces good works, purifies the heart, and overcomes the world. With affection and tender sensibility, we shall declare the awful denunciations of di vine wrath against the workers of iniquity; and the dreadful doom that awaits the impenitent and unholy in the world to come. water; but God alone must give the increase. Without Christ we can do nothing. Are we desirous to build up the walls of Zion, to repair the old waste places, and to restore the paths to walk in; then we must build on that foundation which is laid in Zion; for other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we can be saved. More particularly, would we build up our languishing churches, en- These are the great, fundamental, large the borders of the Redeemer's and distinguishing doctrines of the kingdom, and promote the salvation of bible. And they are the doctrines of the people committed to our charge, then we must faithfully, and affectionately preach the gospel of Christ. We must, with enlightened zeal, and persevering fidelity declare the whole counsel of God, whether men will hear, or whether, they will forbear. We must, by all prudent means, lead our hearers into an influential and practical belief of the humbling doc. trines of the cross. To this end, we shall lead them to form correct and scriptural views of the character of God and themselves. First of all, we shall inculcate the scriptural doctrine of the trinity in unity; the supreme divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the divinity and personality of the Holy Spirit. Then we shall teach the doctrine of human depravity, and the natural alienation of the heart from God. From this, we shall show the necessity of the atonement of Christ to expiate human guilt, and the influences of the Holy Spirit to renew and sanctify the heart. We shall daily impress upon our hearers the necessity of repentance towards God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and a life of holy obedience to his commands. We shall show our people, from the word of truth, that true repentance is the turning of the heart, from the love and practice of of sin, to love and serve God. And our church. For the first six hundred years after our Saviour's ascension, these doctrines were cordially receiv ed throughout the Christian world.Although Arius and other hereticks attempted to counteract their influence; yet they were firmly embraced, as the doctrines of the gospel, by all the followers of Christ. Many, with their dying breath, have confessed their be lief in these doctrines, and sealed with their heart's blood, their attachment to them. But for wise reasons, unknown to us, the great Head of the church permitted tares to spring up among the wheat. Through the instrumentality of popery, and by other means, the church became gradually corrupted. The pure doctrines of the gospel were obscured, and a darkness that might be felt, overspread the moral and intellectual world. But though cast down, the church has not been destroyed. There never was a time, in the most gloomy season, when there were not seven thousand that did not bow the knee to Baal. Like the flaming bush which Moses saw, though continually burning, the church has not been consumed. It is now nearly three hundred years since she emerged from the dark regions of popery and superstition, and assumed her present primitive and scriptural form. Let us, then, with pious zeal and undaunted courage defend her noble bulwarks, and repair all her waste places. Secondly. But if we would effectually build up the walls of Zion, enlarge her borders, and strengthen her stakes, we must be aware of the opposition we have to encounter. Mysterious are the dispensations of divine providence. God can, and often does, bring good out of evil. He can cause even the wrath of man to praise him, and restrain the remainder thereof. We are assured that all things shall work together for good to those who love God. need God Therefore, my brethren, we not fear. The church is safe. lives, and Zion must prosper. The gates of hell shall never prevail against it. Let us then take courage and stand up to our work. Relying for aid, on the great captain of our salvation, let us gird on the whole armour of God, and fight manfully under his banner. We live in an interesting day. The prince of darkness is mustering all his forces. He is putting into motion every machine, and every instrument that he can command, to support his tottering throne. In such a day as this, it highly becomes those, who are set as watchmen on the walls of Zion to be awake and engaged; to lift up their voice like a trumpet; to cry aloud, and spare not, to show the people their sins and their transgressions, to warn them of their danger, and excite them to flee from the wrath to come. Motives, solemn as eternity, impel us to make every possible exertion to alarm the thoughtless, to awaken the stupid, to reform the vicious, to comfort the feeble minded, and promote pure and undefiled religion through the world. Our eternal destiny and the destinies of those committed to our care, are in a great degree suspended on the fidelity with which we perform the all-important duties of the sacred office. We are set as watchmen on the walls of Zion, Therefore we must never sleep upon our post; but with faithful vigilance be always ready to give warning of approaching danger. The faithful watchman will deliver his own soul. He will never daub with untempered mortar. He will never cry peace, peace, when there is no peace to the wicked. We are ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. Let us, then, with hearts glowing with the love of Christ, and with an abiding impression of the worth of souls, be instant in season, and out of season; and with wisdom, prudence, meekness, and tenderness, reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine. We Thirdly. But while we faithfully preach the gospel, and inculcate the doctrines of the church, let us by no means lose sight of any of her distinguishing beauties, and characteristick excellences. It is our happiness to belong to a church, founded by Christ and his apostles; and by the agency of the Holy Spirit continued to the present day. It is our bounden duty to defend her sacred formularies, and to transmit them unimpaired to the latest generation. Let us live near to God, and by prayer and supplication make known our desires to him. can neither study, nor preach, nor perform any ministerial duty with propri ety and effect, without constantly seeking divine assistance. While with one hand we wield the pen in defence of truth, let the other be raised to heaven with fervent aspirations, that we may be led into all truth. Above all, let us preach by a holy example. Let us show by our life and conversation, that the doctrines we preach have an abiding influence upon our own hearts. The ministers of Christ are not to resemble sign-posts, that merely show passengers the right way, while they walk not in it themselves. Nor are they to resemble the scribes and pharisees who bound heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne, and laid them on men's shoulders, but would not move them with one of their fingers. But "in all things, approving ourselves as the ministers of God; by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost; by love unfeigned; by the word of truth; by the power of God; by an armour of righteousness, on the right hand and on the left; by honour and dishonour; by evil report and good report; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and possessing all things." In the second place, I would invite the attention of my brethren the laity. And first, If the ministers of the gospel are to take the lead in this glorious work, they are not to stand alone. They need, and I trust will have, your co-operation, your prayers, and your efforts. Nehemiah would never have succeeded in repairing the walls of Jerusalem, without the united and persevering efforts of all his friends. Then I told them," he says, " of the hand of my God, which was good upon me; and also the words of the king which he had spoken unto me. Then they said, let us rise and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work." Undoubtedly, you are aware, that many of our churches in this diocese, and especially in this commonwealth are in a depressed and languishing condition. They demand our immediate attention. The people in our destitute parishes manifest a strong desire to enjoy the means of grace, and are willing to do all in their power to support a clergyman; but they are destitute of adequate means. Could they for a short time be supplied by missionary efforts; they would probably, in a few years, be able to support the gospel by their own exertions. Could you, my respected hearers, take a perspective view of the destitute and de plorable condition of many of our churches in this country; could you hear the earnest request of thousands and tens of thousands for missionary aid; your hearts would be pained within you: you could never rest until you had made every effort to the extent of your ability, to impart to them the word of life. From Maine to Missouri, the cry echoes and re-echoes, "come over and help us." The fields are white already to the harvest; but the labourers are few. We need at this moment, in addition to what we now have, three hundred pious, able clergymen, and fifty thousand prayer books, in order to supply our vacant churches, and form new societies that might be immediately collected. Never, since the settlement of this country, has the call for missionary exertions in our church been so loud and pressing as it is now. And shall this call be heard by us in vain? Can we turn away our ears, and harden our hearts against the intreaties and tears of our friends-of our brethren? Can we, while other denominations of Christians are contributing very largely to send their missionaries to every part of the globe, "fold our arms, and close our eyes, and cry a little more sleep, a little more slumber, a little more folding of the hands to sleep?" Secondly. I would further observe, that we have every encouragement to exert ourselves in behalf of our destitute brethren. The pious zeal they exhibit, to do all in their power to help themselves, and the earnest solicitude they manifest for aid and assistance, certainly entitles them to our respect and liberality. My brethren, the Episcopal church in this country is awaking from her slumbers, and arising from the long night of depression and adversity. The old prejudices, that have so long fettered the minds of the American people, are fast vanishing away. Men are beginning to read and examine for themselves; and the result is favourable to the church. The rapid increase of the church evinces, that the publick sentiment is in her favour. More has been done within three years past, to advance her in. terests and extend her influence, than has been done for many years before. The united and simultaneous voice of the friends of our communion, through the country, appears to be, "let us rise up and build, that we be no more a reproach." Although much has been done, by many pious individuals of our church, yet much more remains to be done. We have done enough to show us the importance and practicability of making greater efforts. At such a time as this, let it be impressed on the mind of every member of our church, that we are called to humble, diligent, and persevering exertions. Missionaries must be sent, and they must be supported. Large sums are immediately wanted to carry on this pious and benevolent work. Let all the members of our church consider themselves called upon, in their several stations, to do something for Christ. More than six hundred millions of our fellow men are sunk in heathenish darkness, depravity, and wretchedness. They have no well grounded hope; they are without God in the world. They are perishing for lack of knowledge. They are constantly depart ing this life, and taking up their abode with all the nations that forget God. The heathen need the gospel; there is no other remedy for them. If the gospel is worth any thing to us, it is equally valuable to them. They can no more be saved without it, than we can. It is an impious dream of infidelity, that ought to be chased from the earth, down to the place from whence it sprung, that God has designed different religions for different nations. If this be true; what mean the solemn denunciations of his holy word, SO numerous, so tremendous, against all idolatry, and all idolaters? What means the great commission of our ADVOCATE, VOL. II. 32 Lord Jesus Christ, " go ye into all the world, and disciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost?" What means the momentous declaration, "there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we can be saved," but that of Jesus Christ of Nazareth? In a word, what means the whole gospel of Christ-the entire word of God? If mankind can be saved without the gospel, why has a divine revelation been given? But while we commiserate the deplorable condition of heathen nations, and contribute of our abundance to send them the gospel, let us ever bear in mind that charity begins first at home. In many whole counties and large districts within the United States, there are no sabbaths; no sanctuaries; none to show them the way of salvation. Can a single heart be unimpressed, or a single hand idle, while such calls for compassion abound? No, my friends, these obligations, I trust, are too strong not to be felt; these calls too solemn not to be heard. Be intreated, then, with one consent to come forward to the help of the Lord; to unite heart and hand in building up the walls of Zion, and promoting the prosperity of that church, for which Christ shed his precious blood. Embrace every opportunity, to the extent of your ability, to increase the funds of the missionary society, and to send bibles, prayerbooks, and religious tracts to the poor and destitute. In these labours of love let none refuse to join. We hail it, as the prelude to the glorious millennium, that pious females are more extensively engaged, and actively useful in building up the church, than at any former period of the world. Let them go forward with increasing activity and zeal, in this delightful work; so worthy of women professing godliness, and so beneficial to the church of God. And let them, by precept, as well as by example, train up their daughters in |