Mn Mmorhm. Rev. William Taylor, D.D. smmmtmrn vrnmnmrnHrmmim wi'iiiiiiwiw '^tiwiwwawapiwiaiiwaaai^^ !l |n UUmoriam. REV. WILLIAM TAYLOR, D.D. E R SKINE CH UR CH, MONTREAL. rUliMSIIED r,Y THE SESSION AND THE COiMAHTTEE OF MANAtiERS OF ERSKINE CHURCH, MONTREAL. I S76. PRINTED liV JOHN C. liECKET, lUJOK AND J0I3 PRINTER, 65S CRAIG STREET, MONTR EAT,. CONTENTS. PAGE. Frontispiece — PJioto^^^raph of Dr. Taylor, . • J Funeral Sermon, by AW./. S. Black, of Erskinc Church, . 9 Sermon, by Rev. / J/. Gibson, of Chicago, . . ^'3 Address at Funeral, by Rev. Dr. Wilkes, . . ' 33 Obituary iVotice, from ^'Montreal Gazette,'' . . 37 « " ''Montreal Witness;' . . 39 Biographical Memoranda, .... 4^ Sermon, by Rev. Wm. Taylor, D.D., . - • 43 (Inwai; the last preached hy him in ErJanc Chutch on 2,Qih July, 1S76.; FUNERAL SERMON REV. J. S. BLACK, PREACHED IN Ei^s:K:ii:srE ouxji^oh:, ON SABBATH, loth SEPTEMBER, 1876. " Precious in the sight of the Lord ts the DEATH OK His saints." Psalm cxvi, 15. The firstpart of this Psahii is a son;^ of salvation. Thecontemplation of the unfailing treasury of the wonderful love, by a natural transition changes the song of salvation into a hynin of thanksgiving. But in the thanksgiving, as in the salvation, there is a strain of tender sadness. The words are jubilant, but they are uttered in tremulous tones. The song is triumphant, but there are tears in the eyes of the singer. Our holiest joys are often associated with our keenest sorrows. Tears and laughter are not far apart. Tears and exulta- tion are nearer still. We join trembling with our mirth. This, Psalm is the song of the ransomed, the redeemed ; but the marks of their chains are on:them, and the memories of the Captivity are engraved on their souls. In the seventy-second psalm, of another authorship, and an earlier date, we have a very similar expression. Enlarging on the goodness and glory of the kingdom of Christ the sweet singer exclaims " He shall redeem thrir soul from deceit and violence, and precious siiall their blood be in liis sight." Our life, is dear to God, our death is precious in His eyes. A blessed truth, lO and yet in the position we occupy to-night we approach it with the mingled feelings of the old Hebrew singer who had returned from Babylon, whose harp was but newly taken from the willows, whose hand even in triumph would linger mid sorrow's chords. Precious. Among intelligent beings a true affection and apprecia- tion cannot be other than reciprocal. Christ is precious to us ; we are precious to Him — the jewels in His crown of rejoicing. Our death is precious to God and must of necessity be a gain to us, a blessed and profitable change. Precious to the living God ; therefore it is not a sinking into " dull, oblivious, barren void ;" it is not our enfolding into the night of non-existence. It is the gate of life. It shuts out every ill and every carping care, and every form of wrong. It opens to our adoring gaze the dawn of glory, it gives us the twin heritage of everlasting days and boundless space — con- ditions of existence which though immeasurable must be commens- urate, and above and beyond all other considerations it lets us go nearer to God, and it makes us like unto Him whose image even now, though sadly marred, we bear. The earthly parent anxiously watches the unfolding intellectual and spiritual life entrusted to his upbringing. He longs for the time when he shall be able to confer the greatest good, without danger of evil consequences. May not we in like manner have all with which the Heavenly Father can safely entrust us now, and may not our death be precious to Him as the time when of His fulness He can give us more, and thus gratify His ow'n love and our longing? W'e cannot enter upon our earthly estates and pos- sessions until we attain our majority, and there is rejoicing among us when the heir comes of age. We are heirs of all things, and death is but the attainment of our majority, by virtue of which we enter into possession of the " House not made with ha.nds" and " the unseen things above." P;rr/w/^, because man's extremity is God's opportunity. The child that suffers most lies closest to the mother's heart. Is it not to be ex- pected that the supreme moment of our dissolution should be of exceeding interest, and therefore precious to Him who carcth for us ? He marks the sparrow's fall, and shall his right hand not be under our heads when, in the loneliness of death, we tremble at the valley of the shadow. Our love for our fellows is never realized more II keenly than when, in utter impotence, we stand by the death-bed, and watch them drifting away from us. How eagerly, and yet how softly, the gentle offices of love are done, ^\'e. too, try to stand upon the narrowest edge of time and jjeer into the misty land beyond, and by grief made all self-sacriiice. we may wish to die with or to die for that parting soul. The heart of man in its purest and holiest moods helps us to get a glimpse of the heart of God. All that we fain would do, He can do. Dear in His sight is the saint's death, because then the saint needs Him most, and then most can the heart of divine love, puur itself upon the heart of a man. Precious in yet another sense. When wc look at our Incarnate Lord so often moved with compassion at sight of the sufferings of His fellows, and weeping at the grave of a friend ; when we, with adoring gratitude, remember that He is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever, we are justified in coming to the conclusion that the death of the saint is precious to God, not only because of him who dies, but also because of those who are left to mourn. The divine benevolence does not pass them by. To them He is the very God of consolation, and the ministering spirit also, for the grave becomes a pulpit out of which comes the voice of those who, though dead, yet speak. Precious, because then, but not till then, the Heavenly Father can reveal the mystery of life to him who has walked by faith and not by sight. The discijjline of sorrow will be under- stood. The fiiilure of what wc regard our holiest most unsel- fish efforts will be made plain to us as for the highest good. The dark problem of the existence of evil in the universe of the omnipo- tent and supremely good will then be solved. The lingering doubts and fears which nnst-like obscure the vision of the clearest, strongest faith, shall be scattered by the lights of glory, as the happy child rejoicing shall behold his Fathers face, liut in very truth, beloved, words are but poor crutches, and imagination's wings grow weary when we try to tell tlie things which (iod has laid up for the redeemed. One of tlie saintliest men who ever trod this earth has tried to tell us of the saint's everlasting rest, but when human powers have done their best in unfolding this precious, we feel that we are only on the borders of an undiscovered country. We stand on this border land to-night, and our own heritage among the saints !n light is brought nearer to us, because one whom 12 we dearly loved has entered into his rest and his reward. We cannot sorrow save for our own loss. His race is run and it was well run. His conflict is over and the hard battle of a long and anxious and busy life has been well fought. Servant of Ood, well done. Even as the marble by his last resting place shall tell his story, in like manner we know that there is a tablet sacred to his memory in many a heart here, and we too in living speech, the gift he used so well, would erect a frail memorial to his worth, not only for the love we bore him, but also because we are persuaded that one of the most precious treasures of family or church or nation is the fragrant legacy of departed worth, the lessons of the lives that deserve a chronicle. Our desire is to pay a tribute to the memory of Dr. Taylor, not to write his biography. It is not necessary at this time to do the latter. The public press has done it in part. His venerable fellow-worker, Dr. Wilkes, in his address at the burial service, gave the facts as only an eye- witness could, while this morning Dr. Gibson gave us the pleasing reminiscences of intimate personal association. Half a century seems a long period of active work, and yet had our venerable tathcr in the ministry lived until next March the fiftieth anniversary of his licensure would have come round. As some of you already Know this interesting jubilee of his life work was looked forward to by some of his friends as a fitting occasion on which to signify their respect and good will, and it was intended to request him to sit for his portrait in the course of the coming winter, in order that it might be presented to him in March of next year. Death has forestalled our intention. Our pious task can never be accomplish- ed, but this is one of those good resoKuions which it is well to remember even though the divine decree has come between us and our end. Fifty years ago — half a century of change — in his later years, our venerable friend stood very much alone like some stately tree on Lebanon, where once a forest was. Most of his college compeers and most of the fellow-laborers of his earlier ministry had passed away. We have a vivid recollection of the pathetic manner in which he alluded to the loss of his friend. Dr. Eadie, of Glasgow, and indeed, as one after another of his aged accpaintances departed, he frequently expressed himself not as being anxious to go, but as waiting patiently and cheerfully for the summons, at the sound of which he would take up his pilgrim's staff and gu hence. '3 One of the pleasantest experiences of the last year of Dr. Taylor's life was connected with one of his earliest ministerial friendships. It is a simple story worth the telling. Very soon after coming to Montreal we heard him allude to his brief ministry from 1831 to 1833, in Peebles. It then occurred to us that the father of a much esteemed friend of our own also rninisfered either in the Relief or Secession church of that quaint old Scotch town at the same time. When Dr. Taylor heard the na'ne of Thomas Adam his handsome face beamed all over with delight. "Is he living yet?" was the question which led to man> others. Well he might ask the question, for the Rev. !Mr. Adam was four years his senior in date of licensure, and somewhat more than that in point of years We were able to give him a volume of the works of his aged contemporary. In correspondence with our friend, this unexpected coincidence was referred to, and he in turn wrote across the water to his father, and a correspondence was opened betv.-een the venerable brethren, who for so long had each one been ignorant as to whether the other were alive. Their ways ha . parted in ^;^;^, when Dr. Taylor sailed for Montreal. They never uiet again on earth. One already is and the other must be very near where the ocean does not roll between. On the 3rd of June, 1833, a little more than forty-three years ago. Dr. Taylor landed in his city. Thirty years of age, in the full vigour of his young manhood, he commenced the lifelong work which he laid down the other day, just forty-three years and three months intervening. In the earl)- morning the angel came to lead his soul away. There is to be no semi-centennial for him on earth, but his jubilee shall be kept in glory. In his earnest labors he was aided and encouraged by his peojile, the honored fathers of this congregation, a little band, but zealous. Just seventeen days after landing, the congregation was duly formed in accordance with the rules of the church, with seventy-five names. One month later, on the 2rst day of July, the ordinance of the Supper was dispensed for the first time. One hundred and five sat down at the table. Up to this time Dr. Taylor had been officiating as the delegate of the parent Church, but on the day following this first communion a fornial call was presented. 'J'his call was duly accepted, and his regular labors as pastor began on the 2()\h of July, 1S33. This was scarcely two months from the date of his landing, and a very busy two months they must have been. We have a few much respected M members of this church who heard his first sermon, and three who sat down at the first communion table to which he ministered, but how very few they are. The number of those who were identified with him in his earlier ministry and work, if not with him at the very first, is larger, but this too, is a rapidly diminishing roll of honor. We venture to say that one-hall of this present congregation were born auer '^he commencement of his labors in Montreal. Ill the time allotted to a discourse it is impossible to give even the outlines of this long life of active ministry, and we shall content ourselves by making brief allusions to the salient points of his work and character, as developed in his life work. Kis stately carriage and precision of manner may be regarded as the outward shadow of the inward man. His scholarship was exact. He shrank from committing himself in pulpit, on platform, or through the public press, on any subject concerning which he was not accurately informed. Like most men who reach their mental attitude slowly he was extremely tenacious of his opinion, and proved no mean opi)onent in debate. This trait in his character never degenerated into overbearing or obstinacy, for his courtesy was as prominent as his firmness, and in ihc/oj-titer in re lie never forgot the suaviter in viodo. When his opinion and convictions did undergo a change, he did not, like too many, try to assume his new position in a furtive manner, as if unwnlling to acknowledge the fact of the previous error in judgment, but with a manly frankness he took his new ground. 'J'here was no duplicity in the man. Nay, he was even lacking in the policy which is not duplicity. He heartily detested double dealing. In familiar conversation with him con- cerning the men and the measures that he had been associated with in his long career, we were much struck with the general good nature, and pleasantry unmixed with sarcasm, with which he referred to the past. His special, and we might almost say, his only aversion was the man who pursued a tortuous policy. He had no respect for the man whom he found it necessary to watch. His uniform cheerfulness and geniality were remarkable, for, as we all know, his lot was not exempt from sorrow, but he bore ^the ills of life with Christian fortitude, and alone, and when he went among his people he took sunshine with him. His loyalty to this congregation is beyond all praise. We were but a feeble folk, and few when he came amongst us. It was a struggling congregation, and, with limited means, the minister had to bear his share of the common load. As Dr. Taylor used to say, there was some little time during which he had but one man in his church who was ma:iter of his own time, all th.; otlurs being in tlie position of employees. I'hen refcrung to the material and substantial prosperity of so many of his early associates in the church, he truly remarked that '' Godliness had been [)rofitable even in temporal things.'* , In those early years, the energy and elocjuence of our late pastor secured for him mure than a local leputation, as witness the degree of D.l). with M'hich he was honored, and wliich he has so worthily worn. In his earlier ministry lie had three invitations to accv.pl ministe- rial charges in the United States. These calls had many pecuniary and (jtlier attractions, at a time when there was not much, in some res[)ects, to induce a mini^ter to stay in this city. But the Doctor was true to tiie congregation, and the congregation was true to him. It grew with the growth of the city. (">ther congregations have been in a great measure formed by swarins from the parent hive. Some of these brethren left because of flifferences of opinion, at a time when discussion ran high, and men magnified tlieir difference.s. Others left, filled with the unselfish desire to do missionary work in the planting of new. or in the supporting of feeble churches. The parent church hail meanwhile a steady growth in membership and in mea.is. Twelve years ago the congregation called a colleague, whose voice we had the pleasure of hearing this day, to lighten the labors of their senior pastor, and ever since, this has been a collegiate charge. During the last two years, as you all know. Dr. Taylor has seldom appeared in the pul[)it. but at our communion seasons, we always heard his voice, and his matured wisdom has always heljied ihe session in its wo''k. Tie had the j)leasant assurance that his peo]>le t ared for him, and that in ministering to his old age, even though il. were to liecome a time of utter .iclplessness, they were but recognizing the self-denying services of his youth. But our defjarted friend had not to e\[)erience the helj:)lessnces of old age. He preached every Sabbath during the month of July, and on the T,5th of .'\ugust he [)reached at the j)lace of temporary sojourn, in room of the minister in charge who was sick. He died at his post. r6 Dr. Taylor's loyalty to the denomitiation was not less conspicuous than his loyalty to his own conc,Tccration. ' With unfailing regularity he attended the courts of the ('hurch, and as the years went by he was looked up to as an authority in Presbyterian usage and polity. Although not of a retiring disposition, he felt that he could afford to wait, and he was not as frerjuently on the floor as some members of the superior c;ourts of the Church ; but no one was listened to with more respect, no one could better command the attention of the General Assembly than he. This is the more noteworthy, because, in the course of his career, Dr. Taylor was never known as the leader of a clic[ue, or coterie, or section or party. His power lay, not in the length of his following, nor in the skilfulncss of his leadership, but in his own personality. The union of the various Presbyterian Churches was warmly advocated by Dr. I'aylor. He was untiring in his efforts. In private and in public, in committee and on the platform, he was ever ready to speak a good word for union, for he firml}^ believed that the road to the oneness for \\hich the Saviour ])rayed for His own. was by way of an honest, true-hearted union. His services were recognized by his being elected to fill the Modera- tor's chair in the first General Assembly of our late Canada Presby- terian Church. With the same untiring zeal he worked for the last union. The weight of his growing years and the slight deafness which accompanied them prevented his being as prominent in this as in the first union, but as he had strength he laboured earnestly in the good cause, and it was no small gratification to him to have the first meeting ot our present General Assembly held within these walls. He was Moderator of the new Synod, and also of the first Presby- tery. At the close of his INIoderatorship of the Synod, he preached his now famous discourse on "The Pope, the Man of Sin." This sermon drew upon him the criticism of a leading journal and of a high dignitary in the Roman Catholic Church. In the discussion, or rather news-paper correspondence, which followed, Dr. Taylor evinced that clearness and energy which in his youth had made him famous as a debater. It is worthy of note that before any report of the above discourse had appeared in the public prints, the Synod had unanimously requested its publication, and by the kindness of a few friends, a copy of it was sent to each of our ministers. While speaking of the jmblication ol this discourse, we may remark that Dr. Taylor did not piiljlish much. His extremely busy life and his modesty alike prevented his experiencing either the plea.^ures or the vexations of authorship. Occasional discourses were published at the urgent solicitation of his people, but as these sermons had re- ference to bereavements, public or private, their interest has departed in a large measure with the passing years. In the winter of 1837-38, he preached a series of eight sermons on "The proper employment of a huinan life," which were in 183S published by request in shape of a volume. This was, comparatively speaking, a youthlul effort, and we feel sure that from his later writings a memorial volume could be collected that would in every way do more justice to its author. But Dr. Taylor's interest in the Presbyterian Church at large was not by any means confined to a general interest in the procedure of its courts. He was zealous for the upbuilding of the weaker churches. Within his own parish, his constant endeavour was to stir up a spirit of cheerful benevolence. His desire was to be at the head of a praying church, a working church, a giving church. He fully realized that churches, that is, congregations as such could be as e:einsh as individuals, and in our hearing, he has deplored the wickedness and the folly of wealthy congregations spending too much upon themselves and too little among the poor who were hungering for the bread of life. Notwithstanding his denoininational zeal, he was a man of a most Catholic .spirit. In the exchange of pulpits, in union work of every kind, he took a Ijading part. Perhaps in no city on this Continent does a more delightful harmony exist between min- isters of different Protestant denominations than we have in Montreal. Doubtless, there are several causes which have united in producing this happy state of tilings, and certainly not the least of these is that fine Christian courtesy, that true love of the brethren, that manly sincerity for which our deceased father in the ministry, and some of his yet surviving brethrc;!, were and are so justly noted. The French Canadian Missionary Society had its origin in this spirit of co-operalion among the various Protestant communions of this city. Dr. Taylor was closely associated with its rise and pro- gress. For many years he was its President, and has ever had a lively interest in its welfare. The tune came wlien most of the re- Hgous bodies found it advisable to undertake the work of French evangeii'zatioji in connection with their separate organizations, but iS this in no way interfered with his love for and material aid to the honoured and increasingly useful parent society. As a public- spirited citizen, Dr. Taylor's ener<,nes were ever found in the support of every good cause. When the slavery (]uestion was imported into our midst from across the lines from the fact of hunted furgitives finding an asylum on our free Canadian soil, and when some timid spirits were inclined to tempori/e/he proved a stalwart defender of the inalienable right of every man to be a free man. 'I'he temperance cause is that in which Dr. Taylor has been most prominently before the community in his long career as a public man, and his labors in this connection claim for him the enduring gratitude of this city. He es])Oused this great moral and social reform at a time when it cost any man, more esjjecially a minister no little sacrifice to come to the front antl take a determined stand. Now-a-days we live in happier times. The ])ublic conscience has been awakened, our moral sense has been ([uickened on the merits and claims of this great reform, and the progress of i)ublic opinion in the right direction is in no way l)etler intlicated tlian by the fac:t, that at present it is not good for any one wlio aspires to be a religi- ous teacher to be uncertain and unsound on this issue. In those days, however, men had but begun to tliink that there might be something wrong in the use of strong ^hink as an every-day bever- age. To advocate total abstinence from the pulijit, and to frown down the baneful social glass was an interference with vested interests which were much more respectable then than hap[)ily they are now. It was a sudden inroad upon life long and inlierited customs which nowhere had obtained more firm foothold than amongst those of Scottish birth, to whom, in great i)art, it was his lot to minister. Their literature was llavored with tlie aroma of its more genial aspects ; their songs were full of it, not as bacchanalian lays, but as exponents of the brotherhood of socialit)-. To advocate tem])erance in those davs meant to alienate bad men, and some very good nun too. An empty pew here and there does not follow the temperance sermon of to-day, except in rare instances, but then it was not such a very uncommon thing. £!ut he took up the pure white banner of temperance and bravely he held it aloft until he died. In this connection he had trouble from another (piarter. Earnest men inspired with all the zeal of a new and glorious cause, wished to '9 push it to an extreme by making total abstinence a test for church membership. Dr. Taylor's judicial mind at once perceived that this good cause, like every other, was in danger of suffering from its injudicious friends as well as from its avowed foes, and by his prudence and forethought and calm forbearance he did much to foster that true growth of temperance sentiment in which we now rejoice. With )ut entering into the vexed cjuestion as to what is the wisest course now, there can he little doubt, after these years, that his was the better course then. And now he is dead, and we are here as members of his flock, as fellow-belicvers and as fellow-citi/ens, to testify our respect for all that is left to us, his work and his memory. The long life came to a sudden close at last. Only twelve davs ago came the first intelligence of his illness. Last Sabbath evening we prayed for him as one for whose recovery we had much hcjpe, but on the early morning of the following day he passed away, and his funeral, at which the city, represented by its worthiest sons, mourned, is an event of the past. Four Sabbaths ago he preached his last sermon, with his usual ready and cheerful kindness, taking the place of a ministerial brother who was sick. The sunset of his ministerial work was in a blaze of glory. One who heard him on that occasion says that never did he seem so truly eloquent — never did beseem to enjoy his Master's wor): more. As neither the sufferer himself nor his medical advisers seemed to have api)rehended a fatal issue to this sickness we cannot give any sayings of his which could strictly be called an utterance in prospect of speedy departure ; but we know his life, his simple faith, his consistent Christian character, and we sorrow as those who rejoice in the sure and certain hope. Our lamented father and friend had been often face to face with death, not only in his pasto- ral labors, but also in his own severe sickness. But we are not without expressions of his spirit's state in these last days of his life. To a clergyman who visited him, he said : " I am resigned ; I am in the ].ord's hands." In a letter to his son, Dr. Wm. Taylor, of Peter- boro, written exactly a fortnight before his death, the last letter, in all probability, that he wrote, speaking of the place of his summer rest, he says : " This island is as beautiful as ever ; many of its scenes remind me of times passed away never to return ; but ' I 20 would not live always in this vain, deceitful world.'" Alluding in the same letter to one who was very dear to him, he says, " Tell her to read Psalm xxvii. 14 : 'Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart ; wait, I say, on the Lord." Also Psalm Ixii. 5-8, *' My soul, wait thou only upon God ; for my expectation is from Him ; He only is my rock and my salvation ; he is my defence ; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory ; the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times ; ye people, pour out your heart before Him ; God is a refuge for us." He has gone to join the innumerable company ; he trusted and he has found his refuge. On that other shore he has a larger congregation than he had here, for we are persuaded that the stars in the crown of his rejoicing are many, and he will be greeted by many whose hearts the spirit of God made him the means of quick- ening with impulses towards holy living. He beholds his Saviour, and many are there whose eyes he first directed toward the Lamb of God. He is near the Father, and many are there who were by him persuaded that God is in very truth the loving Father. I dare not close this discourse without beseeching you, especially you who are young, to read the lesson of this honourable, well-spent, Christian life. The time is coming when every one here, like him, must die. Less known it may be, less spoken of it may be, but, my brother, your death is as much to you as his was to him. Compared with such a blessed falling asleep, what are all the pleasure of sin, or even those loftier triumphs which are nevertheless of the earth earthy. (3h ! young men just beginning life in real earnest, are you to live for God ? In this life voyage of yours keep the goal in view. There are many intermediate points, business, pleasure, wealth, fame, domestic happiness, but the end of all is death — the gate of life, or the gate of the death of deaths. Return we to our text. It is the keynote of the life we have been looking at. " Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints." And what of those who are not His Saints? What of those here who are not only conscious of possessing not the faintest title to saintship, but who are also making no effort towards that union with Christ which is fellowship and saint-ship in one ? Let me hold up to you the Saviour in whom he trusted and whom he so faithfully preached, waiting to be your 21 Saviour, and let me plead with you to trust him just now. Are there any here who for years have listened to the voice that now is hushed in death, and are yet living in sin ? Oh, friends, flee to the Saviour. That voice must not be compelled to testify against you on the Judgment day. Aged believers, you who loved him well, you who have seen storms and sunshine in his company, you who ministered to him o( your loving kindness as he ministered to you of his, take comfort. "Gloiy, glory dwelleth in Emmanuers land." It is com- ing nearer and nearer ; one tie less on earth ; one loved one more in Heaven. The silver cords are loosening, and every day it is becoming a little easier to go. SERMON BY REV. J. M. GIBSON D. D. PREACHED IN E:RSK:iiNrEi chuircxi:, ON SABBATH, loth SEPTEMBER. 1S76, " LO, I AM WITH VOL? .ALWAY." Matt. XXVUI. 20, rroiiabK none of us know how much our friends are to us, until we are separ.nied from them, or they rejnoved from us. Especially is this tnie of those who ha\c been a lon,:,^ time with us, and whose life b}' consequence has come to be a part of our own. We have been so long accustomed to their [uesence. with only short intervals of absence from time to time, that it is difficult for us to imagine their being away trom us altogether, and impossible to realize the cliange which it will make to us when they are gone. But however long any of our friends may be with us, the end will come at last, and when it comes after long acquainiance, it must bring with it a surprise of sorrow. And if this be true in lIh' mailer of snn])le friendshi]), how much more must it be in the case of such a relationship as that which subsisted between our dear old ])astorand the people of this church, attached to him l)y so many and so tender ties. Jn a certain sense every one knov/s how dear Dr. Taylor was to the people in whose joys and sorrows he had so largely shared. In a decider and truer sense no one knew how dear he was. Set aside as he had been for 24 so many years from the more active duties of the ministry, it might have been sui)posed that it would make comparatively little change when he was taken away; but, could the hearts of the people, and especially of the older memljers of the church, be unveiled, now that the sudden sur])rise has come, now that our veneral^le and beloved father has been called away home, now that the church stands face to face with the unrealizable fact that he wlio has been with it so long, can be with it no longer, — it would be seen that large spaces have been left, which never can be filled again. On the pastor of the church (no longer the junior pastor) will devolve the sad, yet pleasant duty, of paying a memorial tribute to his departed colleague, and therefore it would be out of place for me to anticipate what may then be spoken. And yet I cannot speak to you on this the first Sabbath after his death and burial, without saying something of one with whom for nearly ten years 1 was associated in the work of this church — ten years so fruitful in tender and sacred memories of you, and of him, and of others who before him have gone in Jesus' name to the better land. 1 have referred to the solemnities of the funeral. Perhaps I may be permitted to take this, the only opportunity I have of ])ublicly express- ing my regret that I was not able to be witii you on that mournful occasion. The news of the death did not reach me, until it was no longer possible to arrive in the city in tine for the funeral. But my heart was with you there, as it is and always will be with you in your joys and sorrows. And 1 am thankful for the compensation which I have in being permitted to join with you in the solemn services of to-day. I was speaking of the many deliiihtful memories of the ten years of our co-pastorate. But nor only are there many delightful memo- ries; there are absolutely none that are otherwise. I cannot remember anything that ever passed between us that had in it aught that called for regret. It is well known that the relations of a collegiate charge are exceedingly delicate, and often unhappy, and in the case of Dr. Taylor, there was this additional difficulty that, when his first colleague was called and settled, it was very generally thought that he would never be able to do stated work again, and yet in a few months he had so fully recovered that he could have discharged the whole duty almost as well as before his illness ; yet he '' ^'er showed any impaiience of the new arrangement, never see d to wisli anything recalled or altered, and did everything in his power to make his colleague at home and happy among the peoy)le. And so it continued all through the years of our associate work. The high respect I had for him from the beginning deej)ened into affection, as J had more and more experience of his considerate kindness and constant thoughtfulness. And when it seemed to me that it was right to transfer my labors to another field, J tound the sorrow of parting frou) him, as I lound the sorrow of parting from you, much greater than I could imagine before. And now that he is called away to his rest and reward, the old sorrow is renewed, and I mourn with you tlie loss of one so honoured and so dear. I shall not anticipate my brother and successor in this interest- ing relation, by attempting to characterize Dr. Taylor or his work. But it would seem appropriate that I should advert to some of the special opportunities which f had from time to time of becoming better acquainted witli his inner life and ex])erience. Chief among these J would reckon his long and se\ere illness in i nati\-e land, not knowing whither he Went. assured oni\ ih.u Uie Lord was with him. It was this same r.ssuniixe \\hi( h < .-tKe !o \a( ob. as he lay down weary in tlie waste. with not rung l)etiei rluui a stone for his pillow : " Behold 1 am with thcf, and will keep thcc in all places whither thou goest for I will not leave thee." ^Vllo^ Joseph was sold as a slave into Kgypt and had surh a wonderful experience there, the explanation whirh is given of it again and again is this : "the Lord was with Joseph." When Moses is called to the herculean and ajiparently hopeless task of delivering the peoi)le from bondage in Kgypt, and his courage fails hirn in the prospect, it is thus that his heart is re -assured : "the Lord said, 'certainly 1 will be with thee." To Joshua the same word of courage and comfort couks : "as I was with Moses so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee; nor forsake thee.... be not afraid neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy (lod is with thee whither soever thou goest." And so it is all the way through. Time would fail to multiply examples. Only notice this, that as the time goes on the assurances become still fuller and tenderer and more comforting, meeting the eye on almost every j)age of the later prophets in words like these: " Fear thou not, for I am with thee: be not dismayed for 1 am thy God : I will strengthen thee : yea, I will help thee yea. I will ui)hold thee with the right hand of My righteousness. When thou passest through the waters. I will be with thee." And so on. Now look at Matthew's Gospel and see how these precious promises are all gathered up as " yea and amen in Christ Jesus," and handed down as a rich inheritance to us. In the beginning of his Gospel, after briefly relating the birth of Jesus, he calls special attention to the name Emmanuel, "God with us." And then at the close of his history, in the course of which he shows that this same Jesus was in very deed "God with us," the very last thing he leaves us is a ]M'omise which carries the blessed name "Lmmanuel," with all the comfort it contains, to the end of the ages : " Lo 1 am with you alway even to the end of the world." Some people wonder that Matthew says nothing about the .Ascen sion. We can see now, perha].)s, why he does not. He does indeed say things which imply it. But he avoids the s])ecial mention of it ; because he wishes to leave the great promise of the old Testament as the final word of comfort for his readers. 'I'he .Ascension was not indeed a leaving of the world so far as the spiritual presenc e of Christ was concerned ; but inasmtich as it had the appearance of a leaving of the world, and to many must base suggested the idea that the Lord had gone altogether nwav, this first Evangelist prefers 1(1 I lose In Mich ,1 way :i> lo lca\r on the minds Jind in the hearts oi" his readers thai precious assurance which had been so often repeated anil reiterated from the earhest times, and is now stereotyped as an imi han<;ini; tact ; •• !..) I am wiiii you alway.' The fait tlial the man t'hrisi Jesus ascended into heaven, and i> now at the right hand of (lod to inteneJe for us there., is a blessed thought indeed ; l»nt still more blessed is it to know that the Divine Jesus, who died Kir us and rose again, is not far away, but close beside us all the while- not at the right iiand romises. save only the emphati* word : Amen. "l.o. I atii with you <'/?ri'omise stand, when brouglit down to days, and to such days as th.ese? Mven here it is found to be indeed '"yea and Amen in Christ Jesus." In the case of the true rh.ristian. the very darkest days are frei]uently the days when the assurance of the .Saviotir's presence and His love are the strongest. I have seen it mvself many a time. 1 confess tliat sometimes, when the agony has mereascd. 1 have been half afraid to ask tlie testing (juestion. Ihit the fear has proved groimdless. The Saviour never forsakes His own. He alwavs fulfils the promise : "^Vhen thou passest through liie waters. I will be with thee'' : " i am witii you a// tJie days." It is true indeed that there are good christians, true discijiles, who lose U)\ a lime the assurance of His presence and His love. Hut it is only for a time that they lose it, and generally, if not always, t'or some fault of their own. IJut thougli they may lose the comfort of it, the blessed fact remains. I'he Saviour .said : " 1 will never leave 30 thee, nor forsake thee'' ; and He never docs. As Matthew Henry has beautifully said : "He sometimes hideth Himself, but never absenteth Himself. He is sometimes in the dark, but never at a distance." And the proof of it lies in the fact that, when the glad » onsciousness of His presence returns, the christian knows and acknowledges that the trouble was all with himself, that the Lord has hec-n with him all the time though he knew it not. And then he i^ able to enter into the feelings of David, when after such a season o\' darkness, he gives as the conviction to which his \\hole exjjerience has led him, this: " If 1 say, 'Surely the darkness shall cover me.' even the night shall be light about me. Vea, the dark- ness hideth not from thee : but the night shineth as the day ; the darkness and the light are both alike to thee." '■ I.o I am with you alway, even unto //le end of the world" And then, "• every eye shall see Him" ; and, while they that pierced Him — they that pierced His loving heart by their rejection of His mercy, shall mourn, all those who trusted in His word shall meet Him with joy,and dwell for e\er with Him. .\ou the great blessing is: the Lord with us alway. 'i'hen ii shall bo : ^' forever ivith the Lord.'' Now it is: He with us in our sorrow. Then it shall be : \\'e with Him in His joy. Shall we all meet together there ? Shall we greet each other there? Shall we meet our loved ones there? '"Shall we gather at the river, where bright angel feet have trod ?"' There is no reason why all should not, seeing that our Lord and Saviour is with us alway, as He was wiih those who have gone before us to the better land, to defend us trom evil, to deliver us from sin, to shield us from danger, to make us " meet for the inheritance of the saints in light," and to bring us at last safely and happily home. Let us all look to Him. Let us make less of man, and more of Emmanuel, I-et us look away from the human minister to the Divine Master, from dying men to the living Lord. Let us all earnestly seek, and we shall cer- tainly fmd the comfort of His loving, helpful, saving presence. Let us henceforth make this precious promise our strength, our comfort, and our joy : " Lo 1 am with you alway. even unto the end of the world.'' There may be those here who cannot claim the Saviour as a present friend. U how often has that voice which is now silent .;• called you to re])entan(:e, called you to the leel of Christ ! And yet you have refu;.ed. O that the voice from the grave may do for you what the voice trom the pulpit has failed to do. Delay no longer, 1 beseech you. Soon the voice of your present pastor, and all human voices will be silent to you ; friend after friend will de|)art ; and bye and by you will find yoursdi a/one. Then what will you do if Chri.st be not your friend? O then, ''to-day after so long a tune," while yet these signs of mournmg remind you of the solemn past, and point you to a still more solemn future, will you not hear the Saviour's voice, will you not listen to His call, will you not accept Him as your friend, will you not seek his face, until you learn to love Him so much that your most ardent desire will be to have this promise fulfilled to you, to have Him with )0U all the days of your life here, and then to be with Him where He is through all the ages of Eternity. ADDRESS AT FFNERAL \A REV. HENRY WILKES. D.I). Tho prophci Isaiah uses the comparison, •• as when a stamlanl boaier fainteth, " to indicate events discouraginu; in their nature. When he faints the standard falls, and its followers are dismayed. lUit ///(i^ standard-bearer has not fainted : on the contrary, he has held it up to the last. The standard of truth and righteousness, of Christian Catholicity, and of zeal for the advancement of Christ's kingdom, he has borne aloft in our city for 43 years. In doing so he has instructed the ignorant, comforted the sorrowful, helped the distressed, and given strength and encouragement to his tellow soldiers of the Cross. Now he has fallen, for the noble tabernacle lies there in the embrace of death, and _\et it is not so much a fall as a triumph tor the man has gone to receive the victor's crown. Only the decaying body of William Taylor is there ; he himself has been called up higher by his Divine Master, the captain of his sal vation. As his companion in labor and his personal friend for over forty years, though not connected with him by denominational ties. I have been asked to say a few words to the many asseml)led here on this occasion. When such a standard-bearer is called away the voice of the Lord is to the city in which he has lived and toiled and maintained a christian testimony so manv yenrs. That voice calls us to reflection, and to in(iuire concermtii; tht; past that we may derive profit for the future. Dr. Taylor began his mmistry here umnediately after the city had been nearly decimated by the ravages of cholera, commonly known amongst us as " the first cholera," leaving behind a population of about 30,000. He began, as my pn leccssor in the Congregational Church began, his ministry in Mr. Bruce's schoolroom, AIcGill 34 Street, and thence removed, after a struggle in the efi'ort to build, to the new and plain church building in Lagauchetiere street. 1 have to remind our oldest residents that Mr. Taylor became quite early very active and energetic in what has been named the Temjierance Reformation. He was a strenuous advocate for abstinence based on the importance of that course to the tempted and endangered, and on the duty of others to help them by their example. He spoke on the subject in lectures and platform addresses, and likewise used the press with etiiciency and ability, not shrinking from controversy thereupon. His catholic spirit was early displayed in joining with myself and two or three other ministers of different denominations in form- ing a ministerial association which has continued to this day, the design of which has been mutual improvement and combined coun- sel and action in regard to matters of public interest affecting the city, which might legitimately engage the attention and call forth the interposition of the pastors of the city. He was also forward in the organization and maintenance of an Evangelical Alliance more than 25 years ago, which, however, did not long survive. Thirty- seven years ago, Dr. Taylor, with others, united in forming the f'rench Canadian Missionary Society, and he with one of the then elders of his church, proceeded to England for pecuniary aid, and to France and Switzerland for laborers, that the important work of enlightenment and evangelization, then opened to the Protestants of Lower Canada, having respect to their French-Canadian fellow subjects, might be entered upon and prosecuted. He felt a deep interest in this mission work to the end, and many will remember his very logical, able and earnest sijeeches on the platform in St. James Street, at the anniversary meetings of the Society. He was its President for several years, and only retired when diminished physical vigour admonished him Im .-^eek more repose. There was a period in the history of our noble University of McGill at which Dr. Taylor united with a number of us in a public agitation which was successful in its issue, securing an amended charter, based on which its proceedings and course have been steadily and increasingly successful, I have adverted thus to the beginnings of things in which Dr. Taylor took a very active and leading part, 1)ut in estimating his 35 usefulness to our coininuiiily, we must retneuiber that he c ontitmed in them and persevered to the end ; and not only so, but when any other matter naturally came to the front amongst us, calling for the attention and efforts of thoughtful and benevolent men, our friend was ever amongst the foremost in urging on that which was good. Of noble presence, calm and dignified demeanor, and of benevolent disposition, all were glad to meet him in our assemblies whether called for counsel or for action, and to listen to his well chosen words of wisdom. He will be missed in many places, and by various sections of our community, but in no ['lace in a more marked degree than at the January Anniversary meetings. At them he was wont to give forth his matured thoughts and able reasonings on all the great questions that came up in their succession to stir the minds of Christian people, -and those thoughts and reasonings were always on the side of breadth and largeness of Christian sentiment and affection ; of civil and religious freedom ; of Chris tian manliness and decision ; of the honor and glory of God, and the true rights and interests of man. We honor his memory. V\'e bless God for having given him to u^. ( ) J ] ITU AR Y NOTICE S. From the ''Montreal Gazette' The s.ul news rearhcd the cii}- vcsterda\' ot'the death of the Rev. Dr. Taylor, which took place in I'orlland, after a short illness, ves terday morning. For over forty years the Rev. Dr. Taylor has filled one of the most prominent pulpits in this city, and though for the last twelve years he had retired to a large extent from the actual work of the ministry, he nevertheless took an active interest in the business of the Church Courts of the denomination to which he belonged, and also in all the moral, social and educational enteri)rises with which the welfare of our city is identified. In him two generations were united, for, while taking such interest in the present, he also had borne his i)art in a period of our history as a city in Mhich his energy and zeal were felt on the side of truth and right. Ikit few of his contem[)oraries of these early days survive him, for although there are not a few older men amongst us. there are comparatively few who at such an early age were actively engaged in pubhc and l>rofessionaI pursuits. Having due regard to the claims of his sacred oHice, he took but little active part in politics, but on temperance and other moral ami social reforms he was ever a willing and effective speaker. There were many stormy times in the earlier part of his ministry, and his strength of convicti()n and general force and firmness of character secured him op])onenis. but his transparent integrity and earnest simplicity won the respect of all. lie had many opponents, but no enemies in his public ( areer. ( )n the I'latform he has alv/ays been a power, for. of late years, respec l for the man and the wisdom of his utterance Mi;ule up for the abated fire anil force of 38 his youth. There was much in Dr. Taylor's personal appearance to arrest and command attention. J-Ie was over the middle height, of singularly graceful figure, with a military ease and preciseness of movement. His face, like his figure, was fit study for an artist. We shall miss this well-known and murh-respected gentlemen, as t)ut few men could be missed. Dr. Taylor came to Canada with the pioneers of the Church, but unlike the late Dr Thornton, of Oshawa,andthe majority of the notable men of that time, he did not go West, but found his work here, and he makes his grave in his harvest field. .'\nd a rich harvest it has been, for no man has been more identified with the upbuilding of Presbyterianism in Lower Canada than he has been. He always was accorded a leading position in the Church Courts, and at the Union of 1^. P. and Free Churches he was by unanimous choice made Moderator of the first assembly of the united body. While ever loyal to his own denomination, he was ol a most catholic spirit, and rejoiced in fraternal intercourse with brethren of other churches. As a preacher, he was earnest and clear, and perhaps the best proof of his qualifications as a teacher and a pastor is the strength of that ( ongregation with tlit upbuilding of which he has been so long and so much identified. It is not generally known that our unassuming fellow'-citizen was one of the best Hebraists of the l")on)inion. During his long minis- try he eveiy day read a few chapters in his Hebrew Bible. He was known to md in occasional correspondence with European Oriental scholars. .As a controversialist, he hapjjily combined keenness and courtesy. In his old age, he did not forget his cuiming, as his re- cent e])istolatory encounter with the Globe and Archbishop Lynch abundantly testifies. His last public apy^earanc e of note was the preaching of tlie sermon before the Synod of Montreal, which gave rise to the controversy above referred to, and his last official act was his conducting the religious service at the fiineral of Mrs. Tupper. Dr. Taylor was the son of a Scotch farmer of Dumfrieshire. Next March would have been the fiftieth anniversary of his ordmation. He was settled in Peebles before couung to Canada, where he had a successful ministr\. For about twenty years Dr. Taylors health has been i)recari()us. and for the last twelve years, bv Erskine diurch beiny ..lade a 39 Collegiate charge, he has been to a great extent released from the more arduous duties of his profession. Mrs. Taylor died about Vao years and a half ago, and three sons survive him, one following the medical profession in Peterborough, and two being resident in this city. From the ''Montreal Witness'/ Well nigh fifty years ago the late Dr. Taylor was licensed to preach the Gospel, and four years thereafter, in 1831, he was ordained at Peebles. This ministry was of brief duration, for he heard the call of duty and came to this city only two years after his ordination. For a minister to leave a pleasant field of labor in Scotland and come to Canada forty-three years ago partook a little more of the nature of foreign missionary work than such a step does now. The settlement and induction followed immediately after his arrival, so that for forty-three years Dr. Taylor has lal)ored in one long pastorate. Of commanding presence, of more than ordinary abilities, especially as a Greek and Hebrew scholar, of much energy and zeal in the pulpit, he overcame the disadvantages of a naturally weak voice, and of feeble health, and established a strong congrega- tion in the old Lagauchetiere street church. This church became the mother of churches, some being born of difference of opinion, and some being the result of mission work, but the Uiother church continued to grow until it had to move to its present edifice. Dr. Taylor was esteemed an authority in r-hurch courts in points of Presbyterian procedure and polity, and the high esteem in which he was held by his brethren was manifested when he was chosen Moderator of the first (knernl Assembly of the United Free and United Presbyterian Churches. In the recent negotiations which resulted in the still more important union consummated in this cuy in 1875, he took an active interest. But Dr. Taylor's sympathies were very catholic. He took an earnest interest in the formation of some of our praiseworthy Protestant chanties, and was especially earnest in the work of the French Canadian Missionary Society. 40 Along with Mr. Jas. Court, he went to Europe in the interest of this Society, and for many years was its President, A few of his fellow- laborers m those early days still remain, and are yet active in the Lord's work, but most of them, like him, have passed away. In the temperance cause, Dr. Taylor was n life-long and consistent worker, and in the simplicity of his living, in rigid adherence to his principles as an abstainer, we may see the cause of one whose lite was despaired of more than twenty years ago, and who has been to a certain extent an invalid ever since, thus living to a hale old ago of usefulness. During his colleague's absence this summer, he filled the pulpit in Erskine Church. His last public effort of importance was his sermon on "The Pope, the Man of Sin," preached before the Synod in May last. This discourse was published by request, and as our readers may remember gave rise to an animated discussion in the Globe, in which the venerable Doctor tbund himself opposed, not only to the editor rial strength of our Canadian TimesM^ also to a xigorous onsiiught by Archbishop Lynch. These giants of Toronto found no mean opponent, for Dr. Taylor retained his mental vigour and activity to the last. lUOC.RAPIIICAL MIiMORANDA 'I'lie following- lacts and ligurcs concerning Dr. 'ra)lor will he interesting to the members of his (•(mgrci'.ation and to other aciiuaintances and friends : Horn, in the parish of Dennie, Manli i >S, . 1803 Licensed to preach the Clospcl, . .1827 Ordained at Peebles, cotland, . . '8j' Came to Montreal, 3rd June. • i^33 Called on 22nd July, . '^33 Ijegan pastoral la'jours 2()th Ju' ■, • 1833 Moderator of First Assembly of Canada I'resby terian Church, .... i860 Died 4th September, . . . 1876 During his nv ^stry m Montreal Dr. Taylor was the olliciating clergyman at Jiaptisms, . • '^i^'^o ATarriages. . • '-475 I'.urials. . ■ 7 '9 S E R M ( ) N I'.Y REV. WILLIAM TAYLOR, D. 1) ( Bciiii^ Ihc last pn-ixJicd [y hint ill Er.skiiif Cluiy< li on y^th Jin'y, \$yi<. ) "Thou siiAi/r i.ovk the Lord thy (ion with am. -i tiv imaki, AN'D WITH ALL THY SOUL, AM) WITH ALL THY MIND. INIall 22, :,]. These arc great and solemn words. Never were words of so much truth and majesty spoken in describing the nature of true holiness, or in laying down the standard of christian morality. ^\ hat the philosophers of Clreece had been long disputing about, but nc\ cr been able to settle on satisfactory grounds, the great teacher here decides in a few well chosen words : so appropriate as to commend themselves to every man's judgment and conscience, and so com- prehensive as to contain the whole (luestion ; and lay down tlie rule of human duty for all nations and all times. 'I'hey were spoken in answer to a ([uestion, put by one whose motives were not of an honorable kind : " Then one of them who was a lawyer, asked Him a question, tempting Him and saying, "Master which is the greatest commandment in the law?" Notwith- standing the unworthy motives which prompted him, it was well for us that the lawyer put such a (]uestion, since it elicited this marvel- lous reply. It was much disputed amongst the scribes and pharisees which of the commandments of the law was the greatest,— some thought the law of circumcision ; others the law of the Sabbath ; others the law of sacrifices ; occupying themselves with what was external and superficial, rather than with what entered into the essence of the service which a holy and spiritual God reciuircs. But rising above their narrow views andtrifiing disputes and distinctions, our Lord gives an answer which settles the ((uestion not only for the Jews l»ut for the (Icntilcs also, wWuh is so admirable that every one who hears it, at once submits to it as an end of all farther strife on this point, and which is so c lear yet so full that the progress of human knowledge in subsequent times has been unable to suggest any amendment. Looking at it, we ran only admire it, and the more we think of it we arc the more impressed with its beauty and grandeur. Let me bridl)' call your attention to these words at this time, they are the sum of all morality; the length and breadth, and depth and height of christian excellence, of christian holiness are to be found here. F-et me endeavour to explain and inculcate this law ; or rather to illustrate, for who can explain it. It is exceeding broatl. There is si)irit in these words besides the letter ; and while the letter is very brief, the s])irit is deej) and unsearchable. Tlie first and great commandment has respect, as is most meet, to the duty which we OAve to God most high. ''Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind," to which is added in several parallel passages, " with all thy strength.'' Some think that these various terms, heart, soul, mind and strength, are mere re-duplications, signifying the same thing and emi)loyed only to describe the suj>remacy and intensity of that affection. But we cannot wholly assent to this. Every word has here its meaning. And while the whole may be regarded as enjoining supreme love to the ever blessed God, yet the different terms em})loyed refer, we think to the constituent parts or elements of that love, and to different powers of the human mind which are to be exercised in rendering it. The heart may be understood as descriptive of the affections, the emotional powers of our mind. U'e are so formed that we are capable of appreciating what is excellent, of admiring and loving it, and the Creator retjuircs that these powers shall be exercised upon Himself; that we shall love Him because of what He is, that we shall take delight in meditating upon Him, and in con- temi)lating whatever resembles Him, or reminds us of his glorious ])crfections. The mind may be regarded as representing our intellectual and moral powers : we have powers of reason, of judgment, of will, of 45 ( umprchcnsion. of imagination, and these i)t)\vtrs must do lunn.im to Him, tiic supreme intclli^'cncc, in whom \vc will liiid c\Lryihini; that (.in i;ivc them emi)U)yment in their widest niL;hl ;iiid ihi ii intensest exercise. Man is naturally desirous of knowledi^e, there is something in him \vhi( h i)romi)ts him to aspire after knowledge, and the more he knows, the .greater is his desire to know something still beyond. It is a god-like faculty, and one that brings us into near relationshij) with the angels in heaven. Now this command menl recpiires that Clod himself shall be the great object on wIik h our intellectual jjowers are exercised, that in studying His attributes. and His works as a manifestation of His attributes, these jjowers sludl fmd tlieir widest sco])e and their favorite, their most delightful employment. l'"or, while all knowledge is \aluable, yet, what knowledge can be comi)ared to the knowledge of Clod ? The soul may be understood as signifying the life, --the \ita| princi[)le, a sense which it freciuently bears in the ins])ired writings. and in tliis sense the command recjuires that we shall hne (lotl as long as life or our conscious being shall remain. It is not only at certain times or in certain circumstances that this law c(jmes upon us in its divine authority saying, "Thou shalt love the Lord tin- Clod;" but at all times, throughout our whole life, from the begin- ning of our moral agency, up to that solenm hour when our eyes shall be closed in death, and not only so, but, in that et-.-rnal state into which death shall introduce us, the demand of this lav. shall still be the same and our obligation to fulfil it. It is the resolution of the psalmist, ••while I live 1 will praise the I.c'.l; I will sing I^raises unto my (lod while I have any l)eing :" and it is only in the spirit which such a resolution l)reathes, that we can meet llie demands of this law, which follows us with its authority from .age to age and from world to world, while the reason and consc iouh being of man shall remain. Strength is tlic last term which remains to be considereil, and this may be understood to describe the ability which each individual possesses to know and to love the Lord our (lod. 'Lhis differs in different persons and at different periods of the same [jcrson's life. There are some who possess naturally and constitutionally greater l)Ower of affection than others, and it is well known tliat in respect of mental endowments and intellei iiial powers there is greater 46 (liflcrctK c still. Some 1i;im' iIil- powers of a Nrwton oi ;i Milton, while others iirc Hkc ( hiUhvn in ( ouiprclicnsiori. And sotnc have better opportunities of cultivating ami enlar-ing their powers than (jthcrs. Now, this law requires that eat h imlivitiual shall love the Lord our (lod according to the measure of strength or ability which he or she may a( tiially possess. A l)onighted he;itlien is not imdcr the same measure of responsibility with tlie jew who has been instructed out of the law, or the duistian who lias been brought up from his infancy under the light of the gospel. An uneducated person is not bound to render the same, with one whose mind has been cultivated and exiunded by educa- tion. A child is not etiually bound with the mature man ; nor is a man himself under the same measure of responsibility with those superior intelligences the angels. JUit every man, according to the ability which he actually possesses, in the various stations and conditions of life, and the various circumstances favorable and unfavorable for his mental and moral development, is bound to love the l^ord our (iod with all his strength or ability. And it ought to be remembered in connexion with this, that we are justly accountable to (lod, not only for the measure of strength to kee]) that iaw which we really j)()ssess ; but also for that which we might have pjossessed if we had improved, as we ought to have done, the means of moral and spirit- ual education under which Ood has placed us. We may l^e justly to blame because our strength is at this day not greater than it is, Without referring to the fall of man, or taking into account its effects uj)on our moral powers and spiritual c:ondilion, yet, every one of us must be conscious, that if we had im])roved our advantages, as we ought to have done : we would have had greater strength, at this day, to love (lod, than we actually ha\e. We would have attained to a belter knowledge of (lod ; and before we can love him, it is indis- ])ensil)ly necessary that we know him truly and correctly. We would ha\e jusler thoughts of the wonderl'ul l()\e of his, which he Itath manifested in the mission and death of his son ; the efficient means of awakening divine lo\e in the hearts of man. And we would have jjartaken more largely of that grace of Chi'ist, which is the believer's strength, and is made perfect in his weakness. The law does not re([uire from us a duly which is above our strengih, bnl a duty which is according lo (nir strength. And, lesl 47 it should l)c llioui^lit thai iL;norancc does away with rcsiionsibiHty, it oiiifht to be remembered, that ignorance which is wilful and inexcus- able, as well as the moral weakness or imiioicncy whi( h that ignorance may entail, is itself sinful. Such is a brief explanation of the terms of this law. It re quires us to lo\e the Lord our (lod, with all the jjowers of afiectioii which he has given us now, and with all our intellectual and moral jiowers, according to the degree of maturity or cultivation they ma\ ha\e reached, or might have reached, and to continue thus to lo\e Him as long as our conscious rational being shall exist. Let mc now offer a few general remarks on this law in further illustration of it. (i) It re(]uircs supreme love to Clod. It demand.- that (iod shall occupy a place in our thoughts, in our hearts, am. in our con- sciences, which is granted to ncjne besides. He is to be enshrined in the inner sanctuary of the soul, where no rival shall be permitted to intrude. Solomon speaks of the peculiar treasure of Kings ; what he means by it is not very plain , but. here is llic pec uliar treasure of the King of Kings, a revenue that no hand may collect but His own, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy Ciod, with all thy heart. and with all thy mind, and with .'ill thy soul, and with all thy strength." This does not mean, however, that w „■ are not to lo\e any other being than (Iod. It is a tiiatter of express duty, that we are to love those with whom wc are connected 1 \ the ties of kindred, or the bond of christian faith. In verses almost immediately following the text, we are taught tliat it is our dut\ 'o love our neighbour, and even ourselves. But, while we are to love Hither and mother, and wife and c hildren. and brothers and sisters; yet our I/nd teaches us, that there are times when it may be our duty to hate t': .m. that is to love them less than Christ. It may be a person's duty in certain circumstances to hate even his own life, that is when the honor of Christ or the interests of His Kingdom re(|uire it. .\nd while all this renders it evident, that there are otlier ])ersons wli 'm we ought to love besides Cod, yet the love witii which we regard ihem, is to be held subordi- nate to that which we render unto Him ; and whenever they come 48 nlo com])etiti()n with one anoi.'ier, (jr would ii"ni)cl us to act in oi)])ositc dircciions, the lo\e of the creature is to be renounced and denied, and the love of (lod clicerfully followed. Asaph has aptly expressed it, " Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none U])on earth that I ilcsirc i)eside Thee." Our Lord Himself has mo?e fully described it. "He tliat lovcth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he that loveth son or dauL^hter more than me, is not worthy of me, and he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me." Vet, while the affection with which we regard (lod, and that with which we regard our fellow-men receives the same name of love in the text, and in many other ])assages of scripture, it is not to be for- gotten that there are many points of difference between them. 'Inhere are elements in the love which God re(]uires which do not enter at all, or which enter but very fcel)Iy into that we render to our fellow men. \\hen we think of (lod's awful greatness and majesty, the feelings which ought to take ])Ossession of our minds, are those of adoring reverence and liol\- awe. When we think of His Divine attributes, His unsullied purity, His unchanging righteousness, faithfulness and truth, the awe which inspires us is mingled with humility and contrition. When we think of His goodness in provi- dence, or the riches of His grace in Christ Jesus our Lord, our souls are filled with gratitude, and our leelings ready to burst forth in songs of i)raise. When we think of Him as our Creator, Preserver, (lovernor and Judge, whose name alone is Jehovah, the most High overall the earth, we worship reverently before Him, and ascribe unto Him, the kingdom, power and glory for ever. '• Who shall not fear Thee, () Lord, and glorify Thy name, for Thou only art hol\.'' The duty which we owe to Cod is in one aspect of it worship or adoration ; in another fear, rexerci^xe, faith, trust, gratitude, thanks- giving, in all love, a golden thicau. (z) The homage which (iod recjuii.^ of us, i^ worthy of himself, reasonable and just. He himself is lu\e, infinite, unchanging, yet holy love, and it is fit, that the obedience which he recjuires of his rational creatures, should be like himself in its character. The revenue which the Ca'.s-arsofthis world recei\e of their subjects, bears their image and suj)erscription : aiui it is fit that ihe revenue whi( h 49 is paid to the Supreme governor of heaven and earth by his obedient children, should bear His image and superscription also; that it should be spiritual, for he is a spirit : they love, for He Himself is love. This is also the highest tribute that men can render. The highest forn\ in which we can express our admiration or esteem for any person^ is to love him. This is the dearest exercise of the human licarl ; the pouring forth of its most precious treasure. Now if there be one exercise of the human faculties that can be considered more [)recious than another ; expressive of greater esteem, or deeper devotedness than another : it is right and just, that that blessed One should be the object of it, by whom these faculties have been all conferred, and to whose grace we are indebted for every blessing and every hope. C/od can demand nothing more from man than the supreme love of his heart, and he will accept of nothing less. He seeks the homage of an intelligent mind and a sincere heart. He seeks not loud and lofty praises, nor expensive sacrifices, nor costly oblations : he seeks the warm, humble, confiding, grateful love of the renewed heart ; he delights in it, he receives it with holy couiplacency ; but he will re- ceive nothing else in its stead. Though a man should give all t'.ie substance of his house for \o\e, it would be utterly contemned. And he is worthy, infinitely worthy of it. He possevse-. in hinneif. and He has displayed in His dealings with us. every tiling that i-. fitted to awaken our love, and ever to call it Wn'.h with all the inten- sity described in the text. Nor let it be thought a hard thing, tiiat (lod should re'juire this tribute at our hands. For while it is the dearest tribute tliat He can demand of us, to render it is the highest happiness which we can enjoy. This command is therefore an evidence of His goodness and grace. He hath constituted that our highest duty which is at tlie same time our highest bliss. There is no exercise the human faculties or feelings, that yields so mucii delight to men a-. : iiat wlrich is spoken of in the text, love ; a,nd there is no being in the universe, whose love will imjiart so much hai)i)iness : will prove a fountain of purer and more exhaustless enjoyment, than His \v':;o is spoken of in the text, " The Lord thy God." (3) P.ut once more let me remark, that nothing can awiiken t'lU I', 50 love in our hearts to Clod effectively, but the knowledge and belief of His love to us, as manifested and confirmed in the cross of His Son Jesus Christ. U any man truly loves Clod, the reason which the Apostle John assigns, will ever be found the cause of it; "we love Him because He first loved us." And if you ask me on what evidence we are to believe that Clod loves us, the same apostle furnishes me with an answer ; " herein is love, not that we loved Clod, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." The state of our hearts by nature is widely different from that which is described in the text. We are alienated from the life of God, and from the love of Clod, through the ignorance that is in us, because of the blindness of our minds. A sense of guilt renders us distrustful. We look upon Clod with aversion, with fear and dread, because we are conscious of having offended Him so grievously, and given Him such good cause to be our enemy. Now, nothing can dispel these thoughts and chase away the hard feelings of God which they engender, but the belief and convi( tion on good grounds, that notwithstanding all that we have done to provoke Him, He still loves us and is ready to receive us into His favor, and to bless and save us. Now, the only ground on which such a belief can be entertained, or such a conviction can enter the mind, is the contemplation of His redeeming love in the cross of His Son Jesus Christ. But here we have all the evidence which we could desire, nay, more than we can com})rehend, evidence which satisfies, nay wliich surprises and overpowers us ; which constrains us to lay aside our former hard and unjust thoughts of God, and to yield up our whole souls to the delightful persuasion that He still loves us. hath so loved us, as to give His only begotten Son to die for our salvatii^n. This produces a revolution in the soul, a complete thange of feeling resi)ecting Clod and our Saviour Jesus Christ ; respecting heaven and hell, respecting holiness and sin. In other words we become new creatures, the love of Clod is shed abroad in our hearts; the enmit) is slain and love divine springs up in its stead. If tlien, tlicre is any person desirous of being able to render that tribute to God which he so earnestly seeks, and so pre-eminently deserves, let him repair to the cross of Calvary. In the scheme of human redemption founded on the sacrifice of Christ, you have the clearest and ib.e fullt->t re\elation of Clod's true character, and of 5' the feelings with which He looks upon sinful man, and ihat peculiar manifestation of His character which is best fitted to dispel our fears to subdue our hardness, to win and captivate our hearts. - 1 Ic that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. lu.w shall He not with Him also freely give us all things." In conclusion, we may learn from the text, what is the highesi virtue, and what is the greatest >in. 'Hie tormer does not (onsist in the practice of austerities ; as some industriously teach ; it is the will of C.od, that we should love ourselves, for it is part ol His la\v. that we are to love our neighbour as ourselves. To love Cod wUh all our heart, and with all our mind, and with all our soul, and with all our strength ; and to love our neighbour as ourselves, is the highest summit, the perfection of Christian hohncss. And, tin- greatest sin does not consist in murder, in robbery, or cruel acts ut that kind ; as many seem to imagine, but in enmity ol heart against Cod ; in ill-will, anger, envy, malice against our brodier man. I b.w precious, then is the promise; let us all pray that it may be accomphsh- ed in ourselves and others - the Lord thy Cod will circumc.se th.no heart, and the heart of thy seed,, to love the Lord thy Cod with all thine heart, and with all thine soul, that th