IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 7 / {•/ / o Qj:. ^; W- &/ (/a (/. 1.0 Li 1.25 IIIIM I'M IIIM IIP m II 2.0 111= 1.4 11.6 Uii us 7 % >x VI cf^ c^J .^ .<^# ^ O / Photographic Sciences Corporation ^^ V '5?'l rv \^ % V S'l' ,.s <W bivtwfi I wv notice* , Tbeaioet uiiol^f yi,^i\}cj^i^i)f:\\^^i^]\,fjt'.\h^ l^iuy^t j i.JWfiJ gtJitl}itj,,t)CfQoi?iou tho- grsjtefu,!, ppo;f je fl9p)i?4, it^iJ^VW'iPfll^^Hi ^ ej^prji^sa thwr wwnso of tho gpo^i^esst pf jtlfie il^,(])-,(jl %i^,(^9!i,in,,|^(j>iHmi"J^i«pP» tbei^ a boimr tiful yiejd^, ,, .(V,u^ thi*!'?l»ov|rs,,uw J^pw ^ski^f'ully thtsSiiviour couid fciei,ze^upot^ j^.v;erj jjH^irj^l iiiicid«Ut'?iu4. apportuojty,, uud.lujfn it to acc.o.up ti, in tjis E!iititev'.s , scrv^^e. , ,XU^ p^',<(>i?le wlioni! U« addressed liad protajbly j]ii^t 9f)nipU,'tiid , a , y^ry „riqln i liMl'Vieff^i i »Q i rich that they coul4 scarcely tiiid haiidij uyough ,tu housotjit proporly ; and they would fit ()^ice see the poji^t of Hi^ ,^uetaphor^ in bpea,king of tlie spiritual harvest that was lying, ready for the isickle, the har- vest of souls, uoiiig to waste more rapidly Uuui eveyi th^, j-j^p gjcaiu does when it ii* not attended to in it» season. -(ir.ft'.!r,|'> n/ Since Jesus spoke these words, sxs His pitying eye and loving heart couteniplated the inultitude of souls that were collected in Jerusalem at the Feasjit of Tabernacles, much has been done to bring men to God, and y, greatly larger proportion of the human race is in possession of Divine truth. OnoKjuarter of the whole family of man are now at least noniinully in covenant with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is matter of congratula- tion, and something at wliich the blessed Saviour rejoices. But, dear brethren, the condition of the greater part of mankind is such as must still occasion great heaviness of heart to the sympa- thizing Saviour, as He looks aroutid^ not from some eminence near Jerusalem upon the representatives pf a single nation^ but from His throne on high upon all the tribes of the world, the countless millions, of one .blood , which He hath made to people the whole earth. They jiaye no man to care for their souls, and are helplessly astray in error and sin and shame, hopeless wander- ers from God, as sheep without a shepherd. And this is a matter that does not concern the Lord Jesus Christ alone : it concerns us as much as the condition of the weary, fainting multitudes, that ^rew forth the Saviour's com- passion, concerned the disciples. Upwards of 1800 years have passed away since these memorable words were uttered, and still the condition of the larger portion, of the human race remains un- ameliorated. And why ? Just because the later disciples of the Lord have not caught up the d©ep and loving sympathy that moved the Saviour to compassionate perishing souls — they have nWi feeeA'I'thoi'oUjrlily itubtt^d'wtth th^ fbi'llnjjj With Which''ke sow^htlt<^Hwfnife His fiiM iV>lln\V(i4'^. ' Tht^y havb iirtV K:u1"Uie faith rtvifrtit fortll'the '^■fPort« wliibii 'chai'aetcri'/ftd those disciplffs to whbiii'the{?o"wtlhlB Afidro iniincdirttoly'iidclressed. Brethi'cn, we munt be it'pjJriddKiihf^: the" Whole OhtistiaW (,'burch tnust bo niorc intfcwsely ri[>UH§d'16 ii'M<;li*e'of the^'r6.it t^ork'tluit i^emaitii^ to be accolupliwhi^ for' th^ 'dvUni;eli2(«tidn' of 'the'htunarl rjicc'. NoW,' whnt iw WankM ? 'T'Jnq'nt^tiO^hbly the great thin'jj,' is hibourers, hjboArc^rs'in suftrcietit nuiuiber imd of the rijjht sbrt. A praying Church and an <'fficient arid laborious staff of iiussionaries and pastors in-e the sjK^eial means Requited fol* overtaking the spiritual destitution of tiie v^orld. Labourers are wanted, and these are to be supplied from a praying Church. All Christians are to be hibourers. PiVery man born again is bound not 1o hide this gift from Q()d wrapped up in a napkin ; but he is to make diligent use thereof, and let his light shine before men that tiiey s(;eing his good works may be led to glorify his Father in heaven. But whili' all Christians arc co-workers with God', the care of souls is committed specially unto tho.se whom He calls by His word and providence and Spirit to the ministry of His Son ; and it is to such labourers reference is made here, when Jesus taught the first Christian assembly to pray the Jiord of the harvest to send forth labourers into His harvest. Never in the history of the Church was there a greater need for labourers than in the times in which we live, and never was the call more urgent to the people of God to discharge the duty enjoiTiod in the text. The fact is, all branches of the Christian Church, at least of the Reformed Church, are beginning to feel a sad lack of efficient candidates for the Holy Ministry. And it very deeply concerns the interests of Christ's kingdom to find out, if possible, the reasons rtf this, and to discover and apply tlie proper remedy. This is not a ministerial but a popular ([ue.stion — it affects you even more than it affects me. Why is it, brethren, that in these days compared with the time past, there are so few labourers offering themselves for the Lord's harvest ? The answer to be given to this question, it may be assumed, is a complex rather than a simple one. Many lines of causes very probably converge to produce the lamentable lack of students for the Christian ministry of which we complain ; just as many lines of colour 6 nnitcd form a sunboKDi. A fVw nf thoj^e \(& xliuli etnlo!il(*)tir 'ttt inclkitc at thin time ; but the bc'biisidti a(^t^lit'^< of ottr doih*j^ (^ only very briofly. 1. I :iiii ;)lVai(l that the fewnoss c')!' tlio t'nndid'jtti'H lor thu Ministly of our Jjord must be taken tM iriV indication that true piety is' at ii low obi iii the'lOliristiah Ohtii'(iIi .' ' ' Td^iiy h'M this qui'istion doo.s not s^top shoJM \vitl> ec'clbsiaptical politick'; it rutis deeper — it belongs to tiu- foinidations ratliCr t'liati fo'ijirciinistan- ceil Our Saviour wished it'to bifi'fi'cated as a reli}>ious(|uesti6h, as is implied in the very natuVe' of the remedy He I'njoiiied, namely, prayer, the highest relijiious t'xerfcise. And there c.tribi; no doubt that the evil we are deploriii;;' exhibits a })litise Inlf the reliuioii of the a^e. The time was when the best talent of the land, and the sons of aeutle and simple, rich aiid poor alike, deemed the sacred office a phice of honour ami uch, i'or instance, as aeeoinpanied tlu; eouiniissiioning ol' Moses and Klisha. It Ls rather the Htill small yoice of duty, or like the call of Jesus to Matthew and J'eti-r and John, "follow thou Me," or that of Saiuuel, before lu- had yet that vision of tlie nij^ht, dedicated to God by a mother's deyotiop and gratitude. The youth who has undergone the ten years of preparatory study has had abundance of testing, for at the end of that period he has long been familiar with the idea, and often with the practical work of the ministry. If he is not called thereto, the probability is he will be repelled from it, so tliat it may be left to the power of what may be termed natural selection to weed out those that are not litted by taste and inclination for the sacred profession. They will aban- don the work if they are not drawn towards it, generally before they have fairly entered upon it ; as, of all professions, it needs that men shall be imbued with an enthusiastic predilection for it. The conclusion I would bring you to, then, is that in general we may assume that the person who has gone through the prescribed course oi" preparatory studies successfully, and has run the gaunt- let of tl -everal examining bodies which the churches have ap- pointed for securing a r('(|uisite standard of attainments, and asks to be employed in the work ot the Lord, that is, lias been called ontwanUj/, and renders acceptable service to the Church, so as to secure a call to the pastorate of a Congregation, is, so far as we can judge, also called inwardly. What ? do outward training and the satisfying of boards of examiners, and ability to speak to hearers to their interest and edification, necessarily either bestow or indicate the presence of faith and love, and the indwelling of the Holy (JhostV No; )>\it I will tell you what is likely to se- cure these results. The prayers and training of pious parents may be relied upon to do for the young now what they did for Samuel and Timothy of old. The mere fact of a father and mother ardently dt?siring to, see a son of theirs serving the Lord in the ministiy of the word and sacraments, may be taken as pre- sumptive proof of those parents' piety. And tell me, have a father's and mother's prayers and devout aspirations to God on behalf of their child no prevailing power with heaven ? Try it, 8 pjirents, if you have not doiw so in tlic pint. 'I'hc hii(«i'm of lluiinah ami Jjois and Kuiiieo itrid Moiiicii Hpt-tiks out for yitur c'ncoui;ii;ciiioiit iuid pcr.sevi'ranco. And do you think tho (liiniunt thouiihts of Oddly parents do not follow tlioir sou to colK'-^o, even su])|Xi.sin<>' that at tim outsut of his preparation he )ia8 not felt the work of the i^pirit in his own houI ; and their nffeotiial fervent prayei», beinji,- seconded by all the relie of nature which issues in beinu' born aj;aiu. BrethnMi, the suewss that has attended the course wiiieh I have sketelied out, aniont;st our Presbyterian an- cestors, is the best ))roof of the soundness oY iny aruuinents ; for no ehureh has bet-n served on the whole more faithfully and effi- ciently than tlu! branches of the Church in Scotland by men of zeal, piety, devotioti, learning:-, and hearty symp.itliy with their callinfi. T hold. tluMi, that tbe devotinu,- of their sons to the work of the holy ministry by parents, is the best evidence of piety in the bosom of tbe Church. Tbe cream of their relijrion is thus tlirown to the surface. Of course, there are other ways in which the piety of the people may be indicated, apart from separatinu' the youn*:,' earli/ for this office, by the number of camlidates for the gospel njinistry proceeding;; fortii therefrom. Not a few of the best ministers in our own branch of the Churcli, as well as in the past history of all churches, have been men whose minds were turned in this direction comparatively late in life, after they themselves had become the subjects of savintj' <>race. All such ouiiht to be welcomed into the pastorate, even thou<;li the eliances are tint they hav(> lost the aptitude for thi; mitiute points in learniim which belonjis to youth. Uut it is manifest, eonsideriiiir the louii' course of preparation deiminded by most Christian Churches, that it woiild not do to make the continuance of a ministry dependent upon cases of this kind. The work of pre- paration must in i^eneral be beirun «ro7//, even though tlwri' be; no sijins of use your utmto> 0vcvtbouiiHtlio hne^'MSU'vy H|)iiirituui.,|C]^iiiliiiiciitiUuHj Havel fiUtli Uiiiti'tliOyiwii'l tujitiiiouttAtnll im l^i Cf^U' not WU bcroruluiud vrlmtiwil) ibuitht>ir'iti(i)^'tunuiiti uiiyotlicr liuu of'> lifo tlley may oattir, uiiily moieithaiUliiii tbibK^iKJ. ninoK h-ukI iirii'MJ ki. iNiv. in the vineyjird of tlie Lord, tho hiok of.pirty iu tho GUurob, is tlie uyxt topio I must touch upon+--theiw:u>t ofirevc'iiince for sacrod tihinga aud.ot' due respect f'outheoccivpiiuta of the si(ov«d offioo. Thcro,iB"tbp goJdcit mean," that truu luouHure.wldehi belqiigR to uU things, iu this as iu othw, uiiUtcrH, Supcrstitiou MtttipUos too groat impor- taiioe to tlioifo cnllod Mi^acred pcrHoim": ;;'buttlvQ tendency of modern timosi is Huriily /going furtiior still from the truo. standard of right, when it makes light iudiscrimiuat-jiy of those who bear rule in the Church of God, and labour eaniestl)' in word and doctrine. Of course a distinction nhniild be observed between the servants and tiieir m-iHtfr, between the cause and the clutmpious of that cause — the former alv;.aysenUstii!g sympathy and evoking co-operation, while the latter may repel both. B^t the trouble is, that tlie two coijae to be looked, upon as identioal ; tuul if the ministers of religion are dtfspinedi, the danger is that religion itself will be held in con- tempt jjus^t MS,, tb^it which ijffliperils the ousket alao injures the Jewell^, Wtid. the,d(i'if^triu;tion >of t]>e shell endangers thcikernel. In all agQB tU-€j nii Ulster of th^ gospel has .been looked upon as holding j^,, sooiid position e<(|ual tp tliut oi' the bigbest, inthe- land, and has .. stood : before, kingsi'^nd qoblef?, not as their infejrior buttlicjr e4uu\, while ,he wuf*; on on oqMulity on the other hand with the, b^mblest . and Jimuiine^t.initlio-roalni, and so a link binding together tdl ranks and igrudyitions of men ia^the community. Now, it i$ to be foared>that the,,preuclierp pf the word axe, often regarded rr«ther as objepts, of compa^siop .than of manly rqsp^ct ; and if. this sen- timent, prevails, among >the senior mcnibers pf families, the youngpr members will necessarily s heartily to this service, ueed uot fcel abashed in the presence of any fellow creature, however distinguislied, from a worldly point of view, because they have the educatiou .•tod deJicacy and bearing of gentlemen, and above alj are auibas- Siidors of Jesvis Christ, and are entitled to ho)iour in considera- tion of the Master whom they serve, just as earthly plenipoten- tiaries are honoured in proportiou,tQ,tUejgre;i,tu.es^,of the; ,so,veVMigu whom they represent. ;'!,ft;: ! ,■ ■ .' ' . ,,,f • , ,.,.:, ;. ; 3. Auothtii' of the reasons why m few present themselves as candidates for the holy ministry, no doubt, is the inadequacy of the provision usually made for the maintenance and comfort of the incumbents of that office. It will be seen from the order in whicli I have stated these points respectively that /do not attach the importance to this defect in the Christian Church, as it now exists, th;it many do, who look upon it as the radical mischief. I don't think ministers of the gospel ought to expect to be rich, or that their office was designed to contribute to that end ; as I believe wealth in the Church of God would havo a baleful in- fluence. But there is surely a wide gap between the present incomes and possessions of the greater number of ministers and what might be denom'nated wealth, I hold also, as I have already hinted, that a minister's status in the comumnity is to be determined upon other considerations than the splendour ot his furnitue, the richness of his dress, the grandeur of his equipage, or the weight of tlie luxuries under which his table groans. AV^heu the ambassador of Jesus Christ lets go his faith and reliance upon the friw. sources of his importance in the community, and tries to compete with his neighbours in the magnificence of his display, in order tojnaintain a high position, he is sure, in the nature of things, to be distanced and beaten in the worldly race. But, brethreii, we do not desiderate display — all that we issk for the servants of Jesus Christ is what the Lord himself stipulated for them, for He has sent no man a warfare at his own cliarges — that the woikman shall receive his hire — or, as St. Paul puts it, that he who ministers at the altar shall live of 11 the altar — that thoy who minister spiritual thini^H unto others, shall reap of those others' carnal things. Tried by this principle of computation, surely membei"S of congregations estimate at u very low rate the spiritual things thoy receive, when all their benefactions for the maintenance of their minister, combined, do not make up a sum equal to what any one of them pays to his clerk or book-keeper. Surely 1 need say nothing more under this head. '^^ 'JV«ii 'lUisoaJ ■\\d\ 4, But apart from the wrong which congregations do individ- ually to those who labour earnestly amongst them in word and doctrine, in the scanty pittance which thCy dole out to them, the Church in its corporate c.ipacity is too apt to overlook the ijiterests and rights of those who liiive faithfully served her. The fundamen- tal piMiiciple underlying the Church of Christ, as we understand it, is that ministers are the servants not of individual congregations, but of the whole body of Christ, the Church at large, and that it is their duty to labour where the Church may send them, and be most efficiently served by them. Of course, there are some posi- tions therein of more extended uscfulne.ss and influence than others ; and as every man is bound to do the most good io his power, it is not only natural but right that he should aspire to such situar tions as would enable him to exercise his gifts and capacities to the very best advantHge. And as in other matters, so in this, pnmiotion should b(; the rew.ard ol' diligence and success, for that is the principle which (tbtains in the realms of grtice as well as in those of nature — those that have served the Church and served her well, in humble and i^ubordinate spheres, should expect that when opportunities offered they should not be forgotten ; but what is the fact? What is the tetidency in all churches? Is it not rather to trust in the unknown than in the known ? Is it not to look far away when an important vacancy is to be tilled, instead of consider- ing the claims of those at home ? It is s.iid by monarchists that no man has a chance of rising to the head of a republic who is at all well known in the land, because something will be remembered against anyone who has won distinction by some person or other in whose way he has stood ; and hence the only available man is he who has not been sufficiently prominent and active in the com- munity to have procured the enmity or opposition of any body. That is to say, some slight blemish is made to more than counter- balance a whole gallery of brilliant parts and distinguished ser- 12 vic08; aud the oogative mm, he who htis never done any known wrong, is thrust into Hit- highest position in the State, Whether this :tcousation is just or not, us applicable to the controversy between monarchists and republicans, there is no question of its justice as, regards the distribution of distinctions in most Chris- tian Churches; And more particularly is this the case in a church in the circumstances of oup own. Every colonial church, as well as every colonial g-Overnment, must in the first instance, of course, be equipped from the parent church. But the need of this, us well as the policy of this, in due time comes to an end. Every colony ooon trains its own lawyers and doctors and legislators, as well as its own ekrgy ; and these are deemed etitiou afforded has demon- strated the cobnial mind as capable as that of the mother country. Our stBfflents have uniformly won distinction in the It3 'Euro^)eini rnivcrsitiosj^iifid fiot linfi-equently hnvo illstftnced all odttipedtors ; kiid yet our tiOtigregiitioiiK perpetrate tlie unaccount- able folly of rejeclini^j: thoHe very men who have earned for theul- selvea such a relative position and preferred sueli as may have been eclipsed on their own ' A prOphet is not without honour, but in hiR own country.^' Conj/rcig-ations being- familiar with the names and characters and performances of the minit^ters they have been accustomed to see and hear, this familiarity breeds contempt, whatever nuiy be the real merits of isuch .ministers, and the people are shallow enough to forget that the same principle, elsewhere applied, disparages the str.'angers whom they choose, as well as those with whom they are ac(juainted, and that the supposed ad- vantage of being unknown is one that will be speedily lost. It is the old fallacious principle — '' distance lends enciiantment to the view." Whereas, matters of such grave importance as are invol- ved in every influential congregation demand that the most tried capacity and proved success should receive the preference. These are the qualities that sober thought and sound sense would in- dicate as the fitting marks for promotion. Yes, those very men are passed by, when an opening of influence occurs in the church which they have served and in which they are known, who would be as likely as any one else to be selected for such vacancy, were it their lot to live and labour in another country, instead of having the implied misfortune to be sons of the soil, or to have already aided in sup[)orting the credit of the church in compar- atively humble spheres. That this is a monstrous grievance, every one who thinks of it must admit, and that it must speedily tell upon the spirit of the ministers labouring faithfully and efficiently in obscure parts of the land, and so ujton the supply of students, which depends much upon the influence and encourage- ment of the ministers, is beyond (juestion. It was by a diffi'rent policy that the churches of the parent country built themselves up so strong. Ability and diligence and success in a lower sphere always met with their reward, by promotion to a higher. When I argue that those who serve the Lord faithfully and efficiently in subordinate spheres should be rewajded by* tion when openings to higher positions offiir, I do not wish .. tne least to make light of the dignity and lionour'that attach to the 14 ministry Ih the hliiriblost fnjd obscilrc^ donofi'Cir.itif^tt' in'flic'liiW'o/<;c'^io/i to borne tf'l^fl'^; or usfc tlyit it shall have any advantage secured to it; but only thnt both classes shall be placed on a level — that is, tliat strangers shall have to work their way up to houour, distinction and pow(;r, as others have to do, from ordinary positions in the church. I know it is the wish, as it should be, of every minister in the land to give a hearty welconje to those who come from afar to cust in their lot with us. We are under obligation to them for responding to our people's call. And it is gladly acknowledged that in one aspect of the case the church has received u great accesfiou of strength from these quarters. Certain individual congregations may, in- deed, have benelited by the tendency I am deprecating, as we have received ministers in this way who would unquestionably be a credit and source of strength to any church. These gentlemen will not misapprehend me, when, in contending lor u general principle, the truth of which I am sure they themselves will admit, I say that even the credit they individually biing us may be too dearly bor.ght, if the prosperity of a few congregations is procured at the expense of deterring the talented and ambitious young men of the country from becoming candidates for the ministry, thus entailing loss upon the church at large. At all events our frioiuls from abroad are entitled to our kindest atten- tion. But receiving them with kindness is a very different thing from heaping upon them all the honours and dignities in the gift of the church, as soon as they cross our threshold. Now, that has been the tendency, and there is no doubt it h;us had a mis- chievous effect. It has doubled the injustice done to those who have laboured long in the service of the Master here, and whose interests for life are entirely identified with those of the church. First, they have been held to be disqualified for the most elevated positions in the land, and then they have been cheated out of those secondary honours, distinctions and responsibilities which lie in the uift of the Church, because not ministers of influential u congregations'.' ''Tiopeat, the Ministers themselves iir< to blame for peqietuatin^ this minor evil ; and ought to exact the condi- tion that a miin must confer some services upon the GliWroh here before he i* preferred ov'eir others to high places: '*ing promising young men who shall become students of divinity. They have a great deal in their power with regard to this matter. This is evidenced from tht; fact that those pastors who have been alive to the importance rind need of a native ministry, and have encouraged young lads in their congre- gations to prosecute a course of study for the Church, have been successful in obtaining students. It has been the same, I believe, in the sister church. The great majority of the divinity students are furnished by a very few localities and congregations. And if the spirit evinced by a few ministers in this regard becanu! gene- ral, there is no reason why our halls should not be thronged by eager and able students. And these not, as at present, mainly from the humbler classes, but from all the classes in the Church. Then the reproach which at preseitt rests upcm smer.il ol'thelarg-ei and influential congregations in the cities, th.tt tin y liave not; contributed a single minister to the Cliurch, would be wiped out.; After all I have said by way of stating the grievances under which oUr own Church labours, I' can bonseientiously recommend the > office of the Gospel Ministry to every young maj» of talent and, piety who will listen to me. Even in this liie the servant off Jesus Christ reaps probably as much happiness as any class in the community, in Bi)ite of the privations he may be called upon to endure, and the self-denial he must necessarily practise. His income is not large, but it ought to be sure, and in general his wants are but few. I dare say if we, who in times of temporary 17 eiiibairassmeut are apt to contrast our lot with tliat of other men who stunted out in the race of life with us, smd who wery perjiupa our inferiors iu capacity, but have become rich and cnaaent \n their several spheres, and to think it has fared hardly with us in comparison, knew the whole truth, we should find thu^ even in a worldly point of view we are probably as well off as.they-r— tluit is, liavo less anxiety with regard to money matters, apd have less difiieulty in meeting our engagements. I do not therefore, sym- pathize with tho feelings of those ministers who would dissuade young men from the office which I myself hold, tlie office of my own choice^ aud which I would rejoice to think niy son after uic will choose. Let us who are ministers endeavour, to remove as far as possible all hindrances to the success of our own students, and then let us encourage as many of them as wq can influence, to give themselves to God in the ministry of His ^on. Mi8. It will be ob.served that I am far from laying the respon- sibility for tlie fewness of students upon those whom it has become the fashion to fix it upon — tho professors in our colleges. Ijct mi! say just a word about this. They are but shallow iu their perceptions who lay the whole blame or even the principal part of it at the door of our institutions. The evil, as we have seen, is to be traced to the Church — the ministers aud people rather than the colleges. I believe these institutions can afford an ade- (|uate training for our students. I do not know that our pro- fessors of divinity lay claim to any special genius for teaching ; but I believe they are as conscientious, earnest and laborious as can be found in any similar institutions in the world. And they have been successful too, as the subse(|uent record of their students has testified . I do not know that those who have forsaken their prelections and have gone abroad to obtain instruction, haye given evidence of any superiority to those trained under them at home. And the fact is. that all the use, professors in general are of, is to direct the studies of their pupils, and exact from them the requisite amount of work. It is not so much to supply know- ledge to t\te student, as to make liim search for it himself, that colleges exist. Now I believe we have professors who fulfil these offices most effectually. Their business is to educate not to cram students — and this is done by the prOvSsure brought upon pupils to make them work — with the addition of the stimulus which the enthusiasm, every teacher ought to possess, imparts to those sitting 3 IBr at hip foet. If wc had an additional professor in each of our colleges, I believe our appliances sufficient to moot the wants of the Churcli ; and all that is uequired is that pur professors get encouragement, to prosecute thfjir labpuvs with enthusiasm, by the Church furnishing them with the materials to work upon. y„_^, \ If any reflection is tp ba made upon oijr Colonial training in- stitutions, it is of a different kjudt I ^^^ J^ot sure but they have aimed and aspired at bqing universities rat]bei? than colleges for the Church— that ia, at furnishing education to all comers, and have sought students at their literary courses without much re- gard to whether mupy or few of these were intending students of divinity. Nor am I sure that thei influences which might legiti- mately have been brought to bear upon the youth of the church studying; in the literary halls, have been employed to indu,ce them to enter the divinity hall. And that the colleges have am- bitions of their own, apart from the interests of the church, and do not deem themselves bound as their first aim to subserve the gppd of the church, seems shown by the fact that they plume themselves rather upon the students they send into other depart- ments of public life than upon those they send into the ministry, and follow the, former rather than the latter into their subsequent career, as their reports from time to time manifest. This looks like putting a premium, so far as any stimulus they oan imparjt goes, upon those who select other professions than preaching the gospel. It is very well for 9ur colleges to claim to teach all and sundry thfit seek ^dnvssipii to .their classes, vhatever their creed ajad future intentions ; but they certainly fail in the mission expected of them by the church, unless they keep it before the^ as the mm ^n4,|pf,,^hfiif;, f^iste^^qp, .to^^^u^^te ^tji(^e?^t^;fof ,^h#, ministry* ■, .;-f ■ ,.j,, ^_ > ,.,. , .„ .,, r , . .h,-;,,.,,. ... • You see I dp not accjuiesce in the modern cry that il i^ because the pulpit, ha§ lost its .poMf^r tl^^tj so few Jible mep, are, ppming foi;flfard for the ministry. , As ,aa.ips^riim,ent in the. SJf Iv^tiou ' of siooers it occupies an unequalled vantage-ground, and, thus no reason to be jealous of the press or any other modern appliance for enlightening and persuading men. It rather delights to m^ke all other agencies subsidiary sto itself, aqd should rise in it§ ppjver in proportion to the increased influence pf those agencies. In the unchallapgeable position it oCers fpr influencing, th$ views, .feel- ings *^d phar^^ljer c^^p^^.t^pt^ fo5,tinj,§,^n4.ef^ni^y^^the,g08p9|.. 19 irilhi8li'y'l!atfiiyv^'M^^'ioy'^'fcatJtiolf!!r''in'^tgyif, ^filcti'W other obc'upjition has, for th6 't)f6st rtrid ooMes^t niitid^'anil sprits. So that whatever is the rea^^ori why few ftre'diMwh'towardii 'U, ii is not becaUse' th6 jbulpit hus lost'Ui^"i«latiHte lui^tAtifee' Hr»4 power. ■""'^" ''''*'''' 0) alKhaJflffl yrtl dJiw raoriJ ^airlgjmju'l rbiiirfO Brdthrferi,' i; HR4'«^nttea^'tiu^ed tH'd* td'ryii(5h ttife'f6^f«jtt«e^'of' the lack' bf'sttiddfits'\*fiidH \^e de^fyfelre.' TReke'-cah^s fere yjnttlett*: ous, but hone of th^^ri i^ hb'iifelcssly luc^V.-iliWl ''Ydt's^'"! 'l¥#ttf not indul'^- '>> vf-<',fl'\rr«<.T Now I ftliicy jwn^ie one sftylug, granted that all these things are true, What good is there iii drawing attention to tliom? Does not ^uch a t^owrse oniy increase the evila ? That is a strain with which I a'irt qtiite familiar. Those who profit by any abuse are always accustomed to raise this OTy. But, brethren, there is sophistry as Well as si'lKshrtess at the bottom of it. One would fancy to hear them speak that he Who reimih the evil creates it. Whereas evei'y onf knows who is acquainted with such matters, that the only >^ay to cure sueh evils is to expose them, and iet the purifying light of public opinion stream upon themi' >">')'? "Then I can imagine sonte one saying, is that the way to attract students to the sacred profession ? to pariide before them reasons why they should adopt any other calling than this one? Dear brethren, the evil has reached its height, and 1 believe we shall have few studehts until thebe abuses are removed. Let them be done away with, and then no one shall have a chance to call attention to them. The physician has to be impressed with the gravity of the crisis in his patient before he will bestir him- self to check the disease. And so the way to bring health to the ecclesiastical, as well as the physical atmosphere, is to stir it well up .ii» ot sloftJado oldMnuoani/B baa Bldaamu^faa \tQ79 .aiadq Othere will ag?iin hint that these things are to me pci'sonal matters, bthertvise I should not attjich so much importance to them. If it wore not that to many selfish natures it is incon- ceivable that men can be actuated by other than motives of per- sonal interest, and thtit such will therefoi'e admit no disclaimer as of sufficient force to remove the suspicion of selfishness, it might be enough to say that those who venture to impute motives always run a narrow risk, and that they do greater mischief to themselves than to those whom they uncharitably suspect. But, brethren, you know me better than to judge my motives harshly. By your ^partiality I was chosen yonr "minister, when the prospects of this congregation might be regarded as doubtful, and by your zealous co-operation, through the blessing of God upon our joint endea- vours, it has in the course of five years risen to a high position in 9k the ohtirch, and my ooafidenac ;iH thuP :a,grAat.,futiii:q Vi in «ftorc fbr>afi,Mthitt by u coDtiauanoe of, tho iam^kind eput aoidi ;hliy^ n^fhipg t0,fuiy oouuteniuico the Ohiurc^i haa ever given oo^ in my hu^iblp efforts to sel-ve hor. i ' This uiuoU of , a personal nature you will pardpa me for epeukiflg ; but) I felt that It wa« noecssury to i<)re»talL thotie ill-natured remurks that are sure to be luade by tlipi^c wl^o cimpot gainaay th» trtttlw I have advancQdi ,ki,;i oJ b;)UK»l«f/0!)« >ipwlj; i; It may be also objeotod that those wbo are deterred frpm en- tering the ministry of Jesus Christ for such reasons as X have stated, must be fainthearted and withheld by worldly cous^dera* tionB, so that it is no loss to the Church to bo without their ser- vices. The answer to this is that men arOiimpelled by a network of motives, some higher and some lower, which cannot be sepa- rated from euoh other^ but ure all in their place legitimate. Thank God, there are some men of heroic ;and dovoled natures who are attracted towards tho ministry in this land, in spite of adverse circumstances, to whom the thought is invincible that after all, what position is so ennobling as the pulpit, from which a man has a right, unchallenged, to address his fellow sinners, commanding, rebuking, and exhorting them, and shaping their eternal destiny. But as the young are insensibly moulded by the opinions that are found floating, like disease germs in the atmos- phere, every unreasonable and surmountable obstacle to the en- couragement of the ministry that exists, must tell against the prospects of numbers becoming candidates for that ofl&oe. So that the way to increase the chances of the Church securing a large number of students for the ministry is to remove every hindrance to the comfort and incitement of those who are already labouring in the Church* This will react favourably-r-ministers will be able conscientiously to recommend the young among their flocks to devote themselvea to .thia,"worJ6, atn4 y^ili »givj% jiiieii qjfi^ sons thereto. ^_'',^; :-.:,' .--■, ,.,!, .,, . f.,r .^.,,j, .,♦ .,,,j. You may be wondering within yourselves, but what have we as a congregation to do with much that is said ? I answer that these art questions — intimately afieoting every congregation^ and that may any day need to be thought upon by you. It is from the people — from the families of our congregations— that the 22 future ministers of the church muat come. It belongs to con- gregations to make adequate provision for the comfortable main- tenance of ministers. The congregations arc the callers of the ministers. And it is the duty of congregations not only to co- operate with those who are already ministers, and to pray for their success ; but also to prny for an increase in the number and eflBciency of the labourers in the vineyard of the Lord. It is your duty to give of your substance to advance the Re- deemer's Kingdom in the world, according as the Lord has pros- pered you ; but, further than that, it is your duty to encourage your sons to devote themselves to the ministry of Jesus Christ. The best patrimony you can leave them, if you have the means, is the necessary training for this Wurk, and an endowment besides, not rendering them wholly dependnet upon the income they re- ceive from the people amongst whom they labour. Instead of giving your sons a few thousands to begin business with, lay the same amount out in educating them for the christian pulpit and in purchasing an annuity for them in addition, and in no way can you contribute more largely to the comfort and happiness of your children. For, I need not say, perhaps, that after all, taking every- thing into account, no man's position is more favourable to virtue and happiness and ultimate glory, than that of a faithful and able minister of Jesus Christ- So that I hope the effect of all I have said to-day will be to induce some of the young hearing me to make up their minds to enter this very noblC; attractive and in- fluential calling. Let us seek to elevate the piety, especially the domestic piety of congregations. Let our people be impressed more fully with the dignity and importance, and commercial value, if you choose, of the sacred ojffice. But specially let us invoke the help of the great Head of the Church, who can remedy all evils and stimu- late to all good. While we use the means to correct what is amiss, let us never forget that " Paul may plant and Apollos water, but God alone giveth the increase;" and let us never cease to pray to " the Lord of the harvest that He will send forth labourers into His harvest."