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'■ -f. •- ^ ' IV «i TO THE CI^EROY WHO REQUESTED THE PUBLICATION OF THIS DISCOURSE, IT M DBBIOATBD BY TH£IR AFFECTIONATE FRIEND AND BISHOP, loljn iTrebericton. JITarcA S6, 1847. ii a ►i i - • ... rr.. A SERMON. ZECHARIAH XI. 7. And I will fe«d thejioek of slaughter, even you, O poor of thefloek. And J took unto me two staves : the one I called Beauty f and the other I called Bands : and I fed thefloek. The €OD8Coratioii of « separate place to the everlasting worship of Almighty God, is founded on the simplest principles of natural religion, as well as on the customs of the Jewish and the Christian Church in Apostolic, PriuMtiv^^ and subsequent times. That the Divine B«»ing is not eompreliended within any one place we know x but we know also that man, his creature, is necessarily so limited ; and can form no ideas or associations of ideas, which are not connected with space, and limited by it. The consecration of a particular place is not therefore for the sake of Him who is worshipped, but for the sake of man, his wor- shipper : that man, while he worships, may be incited to a duti- ful reverence, and that his wandering and unsettled affections, by being enshrined in a local habitation, may gain reality and force by the fixedness of their abode, and the ever-recurring memory of former holy emotions. The act which natural reason teaches has grown into a habit by universal custom : .all mankind in all ages, and under aU religions, whether true or false, having combined to sanction it. These common feelings of mankind have also received the sanction of Divine precept and example : Afoses in the wilderness, David on the restoration of the ark to Mount Zioa, and Solomon at the building of the temple, having solemnly.dedicated special places and things to God by express Divine direction, and our Lord liaving himself observed the feast of the dedication on the an- niversary of the building of the temple, having twice purged it from those who infested it with ungodly merchandizing, and ( 6 having significantly commanded that no man should carry any ordinary vessel through it ; that is, I suppose, that no man should make use of the house of God as a place through which he might pass to his ordinary business, with his ordinary tools or wares in his hands. The germ of these principles planted by our Lord, began to expand in the times of Primitive Christianity. In the first celebration of the Holy Eucharist the disciples met in a large upper room, furnished and prepared afler the Oriental manner. In the same, or in a similar upper room, the dis- ciples mot after our Lord's resurrection (" the number of 'names together being a hundred and twenty") to pray for the descent of the Holy Ghost. In St. PauPs Epistles the word Church id applied by the Apostle to a separate place, as well as to the Congregation who met in it. lieproving the disorders' of the Corinthians, he says, *' Have ye not houses" (that is private dwellings) " to eat or to drink in ? or despise ye the Church of God ?"• In the Epistle of St. James, that Apostle uses the word Synagogue to denote a Christian Church. " If there come into your assembly (or synagogue) a man with a gold ring, and goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment : if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors."t The expression Synagogue is applied to a Church by Theophilus of Antioch, in the second century ; who says, that " in Syna- gogues, or Holy Churches, the truth is diligently taught."^; And Ignatius, " let there be one altar in every Church." In th« writings of Tertulliati and Cyprian, we have ample evidence that " the Lord's house," and " the Church," and '* Gud's house," was a separate place, marked out by special dedication. In the fourth century, Eusebius, the father of Ecclesiastical History, gives us a full account of the building of a Church at Tyre, in terms almost applicable (with allowance for dififerent circnrnsiances) to our own age. Our own Church has not, by • 1 Cor. xi. 22. ' f St. Jamoa ii. 2. 9. i Mede on Churches in first &m\ second Ceaiation.— fVorh$, vol. 1, p. 410. ,'» any formal act, sanctioned a particular form of coniecration : but that which we have used this day has come dorirn to us re- commended by three memorable names in the English Church. It seems to have been originally compiled by Bishop Andrews : an additional prayer occurs in the service used by Bishop Patrick, and another prayer in the works of the saintly Bishop Wilson, of Sodor and Man. To these I have not (he pre- sumption to add any thing of my own. Having thus spoken generally on the nature of the peculiar service of the day, I proceed without further preface to the examination of the text. And I will feed the flock ofilanghtert even yoUy Opoor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands : and I fed the flock. This text is found in the book of a prophet who has been called the sun among the minor prophets, because he foretold with singular clearness the glory oi the Messiah. And (in truth) the whole prophecy is full of Christ, every part of it. His sufferings, his glory, his rejection, his betrayal, his wounds, his pierced side, his bleeding hands, his master-building of the mighty temple of the Gospel, his awful comiYig to judge rebellious Jerusalem, the living streams that flow from his side, the holiness inscribed on the very vessels of his temple and altar ; — here it is all, for faithful believers to love ; for faithless unbelievers to deride. Whoso objects to symbolic characters, must object to Zecliarinh himself, and to him who made Ze- chariah His instrument to enlighten mankind. Symbolical characters are inscribed on the pages of Holy Scripture from one end to the other : from the emblematic sword in Paradise, to the tree of life, the fountain of living waters, the golden city, and '-' the twelve foundations," in the book of Revelations. The cardinal truth of Chiisiianity, the atonement of Christ, is itself symbolically revealed. •* Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the vvorld."* '• I beheld and lo a Lamb as it had been slain.^t V/ hat marvellous infatuation is it that men should print symbolism in the pages of books, and see nothing but beauty, and when the same truths are engraven on St. John i. 29 t Revel. V. 6. walls, or windowM, should see nothing but deformity. Bo little discernment i^ there even of the loUer of Holy Scripture, when it is as plain as tho sun at noon day. The text then speaks of Christ in the character of a Shepherd, ennployed in his holy occupation of attending to those who are less cared for, the poor of the flock, " the flock of slaughter ;" those whom tho enemy of souls thirsts to devour, those whom ungodly men would persuade to lead the same hard and ungodly lives with themselves : those who are in any oppression, or trouble : those in short who are poor, needy, and sin-wounded, and who have hearts capable of salvation: " these are thy trophies, all-re- deeming Lord !" That the words apply to Christ is evident from the verse which follows. " They weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver" — which we know relates to the price our Saviour's betrnyal. But if the words were once spoken of Chi'st, they go on to the end of time, ever frlfllling, ever still fulfilled. The Loid Jesus is here represented speaking in his own person, us feeding the flock, and supplying thr;ir wants with spiritual sustenance by means of the Staff of Beauty and the Staff of Bands ; and tlie only question is^ what may we nndersttmd by these expressions. Here then we are not lefl to our own private interpretation : but the prophet has inter- preted them for us. He says, that the Staft' of Beauty was bMiken, '' that I might break my covenant which 1 had made with all tho people :" and that the Staff of Bands was broken, •' that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel." The first Stufl', while it was whole, signified the means by which the Jewish religion was made conducive to the promotion of inward holiness: and the second Stafl^, called Bands, signified the various means by which God intended to continue in one united hody the twelve tribes who inherited the land of promise. The breaking of the StaflTof Beauty was the dissolution of that covenant, the ceasing of the temple worship, the abolition of bloody sacrifices, the change of the whole Jewish system. It had served its purpose, and there- fore came to an end. The breaking of the Staft* of Bands was the dis^-oUuion of the union between the twelve tribes, and finiitly between the two tribea. Tiiit kind of incorporation, thin pticuliRr tlieocracy, this iiingle, compact, and separate body, hud uUo served itH piirpONo, and came to an end. Christ made them both, nnd Christ brake thciTi both. ■ /i ■, But we must not iniuginethut, because the pRculiar cerenao- nies of Judaism are no longer in use, that theretlre the new and better covenant is destitute o( all those outward' aids to religion, which belong to man as a creature consisting of body and of soul. As long us man is capable of being acted on by outward impressions either for ^ood or evil, so long what is ex- ternal is valuable, provided it does not take the place of whut is internal. Judaism was only germinant Christianity. There was the tud, enciosed and scaled. But when the spring time of the promise drew nigh, and the breath of the Lord, like the south wind, blew upon it, it expanded into Christianity. Christianity is Judaism developed and purified, divested of all that was narrow and imperfect, and suited to the state of the Jewit*^ people, divested of ceremonies intended only for that state, diverted of all that made it a separate religion for one nation only, but retaining all that was moral, spiritual, and good, nnd adapting il to the use of aM mankind.* Thus the bloody sacrifices of the law are no more, being fulfilled in Christ, but have we no (lucrifices under the Gospel r* Hour the Apostle, •' By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually." The Jewish temple was destroyed. * Some tilings therefore wc •ce there were, wherein the Gentiles were for- hichien to be like tinto the Jews; «iiinu things wherein they were commanded not to bo unlike. Again, momo 'Hings also there were, whersin no law ofGod did Ibt, but that they might be ellher like or unlike, as occasion should require.— ffoo/cer, lib. iv. ^81. And again, p. 582, They which honor the law as an image of the wisdom of God himself, are notwithstanding to know that the same had an end in Christ. But what? Was the law so abolished with Christ, that aAer his ascension (be ofl7cu of Priest became immediafeiy wicked, nnd the very name hateful, aa importing'ihe exercise of au ungodly function? That vary law therefore which o >\ ji il Have we no temples in which God dwells f Hear the Prophet. ' Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer."^ The Jewish sacrifices no longer exist. Have we no priesthood ? It is " changed," says the Apostle: changed, but not abolished. The aposiolic Clement t^l us, that the Jewish orders of priesthood were typical of our own. The altar of burnt offering is taken down. Is there no christian aftar, or table, for we use the words indifferently of the same t hin,^. Hear the great Sacrifice Himself, " If thou bring thy gift to the altar."t And St. Paul tjxpressiy, " We have an altar."| Why then should we say we have not f ' Here is the sacrifice commemorative, or the repre^ •entation and remembrance of our Lord's adorable passion ; here is the sacrifice of our praises arid thanksgivings in which all the faithful join : here is also the sacrifice of each man's heart unto the Lord. These sacrifices ere spiritual : yet are they not the less real, because they are not chrnal. Thus in the worship of God the principles of religion given to Moses in the legal covenant, and stamped by God's approbation, must be the principles of religion in the new dispensation, provided we take care to distinguish between that which is strictly Jewish, and that which is of everlasting benefit to the human race. Nor is such separation a matter of great difiiculty. The actual repetition of the Jewish rites is not only forbidden, but by the sacrifice of Christ is become impious. Rut the conse- cration of the creatures which God has made to the worship and service of their Maker, the ofFeritig to God the best of those creatures with an inscription of praise to the great and bountiful Giver, and the use of objects of natural beauty to remind us of the inward beauty of holiness, and the future glories of Heaven, is no more Jewish than it is Christian. It is, in short, the religious principle divinely given to the Jews, embodied in the New Testament, enforced by our Lord and his Apostles, and confirmed by the practice of the Church of God. And this is what 7 unders; iiid to be meai Lord.'s taking into his hands the S^tafFcf Beauty. by ! !Jff,l!siW Ita. ivi. r; t St. Math. V. 23. Heb. xiii. 10. 11 I shall now for tlie convenience of your memories reduce what 1 have to say to three propositions : First, that external ol>jects, when properly used, are conducive to inward and spi- ritual religion. Secondly, that they are means only, and sub- ordinate means ; and that spiritual and inward religion is their end. These two constitute the Staff of Beauty. And thirdly, that they are must effectually promoted by an union of Chri»- tiatis in a well ordered form of public worship and polity; which is the Staff of Bands. H' Now first, that external objects may be properly applied to the ends of spiritual religion, seems to . 14 I ■ 1 1 1- cannot objectors be found ? And as such objections are often repeated, it may nut be amiss to give " a reason of the hope that is in iis." It is said, that external objects have no neces- sary connexion with spiritual religion ; and that by laying so much stress on outward things we are in danger of forgetting inward piety. Now that things external do not of themselves produce religion we cannot doubt. No man is so foolish as to imagine that every Jew who worshipped iki Solomon's temple was himself a Solomon, or that every one who chants thu Psalms of David feels the full force of those inspired songs. But if there be no necessary connexion between external beauty and spiritual religion, is there any closer connexion between spiritual religion and external deformity ^ The one has at least as little to do with religion as the other. This however is not ihe real question. The point for consideration is, whether the giving to holy things and to holy places the honour that belongs to them is not more likely to promote a reHgious frame of mind than the with-holding such honour. That there is danger in external forms there is no doubt ; there is danger in every act of a christian's life : danger in alms, lest we give them ostentatiously : danger in worship, lest we pray pharisaically, or lest we slumber over the prayers, and go to sleep over the sermon. In all we say, or do, or think, there 'm danger, for our adversary the devil ever seeks to turn our food into poison. Holiness is not ensured by the observance of external rites, but is it ensured by their neglect f Are they who despise the Church of God, and lay out all their substance in the decoration of their own houses, of necessity the most holy.^ So that this argument, as far as it is sound, is a mere truism. We all admit that we are in continual danger of sub- stituting outward acts for inward piety, and of neglecting the interior holiness of our souls. But this may be done every where, and no more belongs to a Church adorned and comely, than to one which is unworthy the name. The evil lies not in the building, but in the heart of man. : . The objection is sometimes repeated in other words. God it is said looks to the heart, at the heart only. Cannot God be lA worshipped in a plain simple edifice with four plain walU, seeing " the Most High dwolleth not in temples mide with hands ?" To which we reply, undoubtedly He may. The Apostles worshipped in an upper room, because they were poor, and had no other place of worship. St. Paul knelt down on the sea 8hore, and prayed. Nay, we limit not the Most High to four plain walls: we say he may be worshipped without walls, under the open canopy of heaven, in the wild woods, on desert sands, on the melting snow, if it so please us ; th^re is no place where God will not hear faithful humble worshippers. But why speak we of plain walls, plain Churches 9 Is not the meaning of such expressions that, though plain, they are to be perfectly comfortable to ourselves f And that if our own comfort be provided foy, the rest may take care of itself f God can be worshipped, and acceptably worshipped, without a house of prayer, if we have none to offer ; in a plain house, if we cannot provide a better; but let us be well assured, that God is not the more spiritually worshipped, when our meanness refuses to offer him the best of what we have, thoirgh iho very best is unworthy of His majesty. For when the Most High directed men to build Him an house, he gave direetions to build it in so costly a manner, that the most gorgeous of our edifices is perfect simplicity in comparison.* There is one other * Let the state of the people of God when thr- were in the house of bondage, and their manner of serving God in a strange land, be compared with that which Canaan and Jeiusalem did afford, and who seeth not that huge difference there was between them ? In Egypt itmaj be they were right gTad to take some corner of a poor cottage, and there to serve God upon their knees, peradventure covered in dust and straw sometimes. Neither were they therefore the less accepted of God, but he was with them in all their afflictions, and at the length by worKing of their admirable deliverance did testify, that they served him not in vain. Notwith- standing in the very desert they are no sooner possest of some little thing of their own, but a tabernacle is required at their hands. Being planted in the land of Canaan, and having David to be their king, when the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies, it grieved his reli|;ious mind to consider the growth of his own estate and dignity, die affairs of religion continuing still in their former liianner : " Behold now I dwell in an house of cedar-trees, and the ark of God remaineth still within curtains." What he did purpose it was the pleasure ofGod that Solomon his son should perform, and perform it in manner suitable unto their present, not their ancient estate and condition. For which cause Solomon writeth unto the kins of Tyrus, " The house which I build is great and wonderful, for ^reat is our God above all gods." Whereby it clearly appeareth that the orders of the Chureh of God may be acceptable unto him, as well as being framed suitable to the greatness and dignity of later, as when they keep the reverend simplicity of en- cient(«r times.— IrooMr, lib. iv., p.536. Id l| objection frequently urged which, ftg it profesaei to be fovnded on Scripture, is worth Gousktiering. It \» said that to introduce graven characters or carving into a Church is a violatidn of the second commandmont. Here let us observe that, if we take the first part of the second commandment by itself, irres- pective of what follows, the |)rohibition extends to making a likeness of any thing out of the Church as well aa in it. AU tmlplvfCi all painting, the veryliheneu of a living friendf it, according to that view, forbidden. But if such an interpreta- tion be too absurd to need refuting, then, if we take the two parts of the commandment together, the prohibition will be against our ntoking " a likenegs of any thing in heaven, or in earth, or under the earth, to how doum to it or to wor^p it." We are not to make a reverence, or obeisance, as an act of worthy, to any human or other form : but when there is no in- tention nor practice of wprshippii^ any but the one true God, then the eommandnrient contains no other prohibition. Now is not Divine example the best interpreter of Divine precept ? The second commandment was given by tiod to Moses. Clearly then, what the Most High commanded this lam^ Moses to do at the same time, is the best evidence of the meaning of the commandment. Now €rod commanded Moses as follows : *' And thou shalt make a mercy teat of pure gold .- and thou shall make two cheruhi .s of gold, of beaten work shall thou make them in the two ends of the mercy seat. And the che- ruUms shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy teat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another ; and there I wiU meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two eherubims which are upon the ark of the tesUmawy."* Here are carved symbolie fi- gures ordered by God to be erected -in the place " wheie be would commune with tbem." And again, *' moreover thou thalt make the tabernacle mth ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and teariM : wiih eherubims of cunning wtrk thaUthou make ihem."i Mere is embroidery with sym- bolical figures. And again, ** thou shalt make a veil of bluv. • Exodut uv. 17, 18, 90, S3. Ezodtia Rvi. t. IT and purple, and sc&rlet, in fine twined linen of cunning work, with cherubims shall it be made."* Here are painting and embroidery with symbolic figures. In the temple of Solomon, also biiiu by divine commandment, we find the following: " And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved ^gures of cherubims, and palm trees, and opejn flowers within and withoul."f St. Paul ^emind8 us, that what waj done by Moses was done according to a pattern given by God himself; and the sacred author of the first Book of Chronicles tells us that, " David gave to Solomon his son, the ffattern of all that he had by the spirit for all the work of the service of the House of the Lord, and gold for the pattern of the cherj^bims that spread out their toings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord : all this, said David, the Lord made me under- stand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.^^X •':•' t Now we do n'ot say that we, as Christians, are bound to follow the same patltern, or to work in the same manner : but this nl{\ist be admitted, that if such kind of work were contrary to the intention of the second commandment, the Almighty never would have introduced it, once and again, into his own temple, framed expressly according to his directions : and that if we do not look to God as the interpreter of His own laws, we can have no real respect for His authority. AH we have to guard against is this, that no object, symbolical or commemorative, be set up as an object of worship ; and th.it neither the cross, nor the likeness of our Saviour, nor any othe.' " likeness of any thing in heaven above, or on the earth beneath," be exhibited, to be worshipped, adored, or bowed down unto. This undoubtedly is idolatrous, but to adorn God's house as God himself adorned it, is not i^platrous.*^ " Exodus xxvi. 31. t 1 Kings vi. 29. % 1 Chron. xxviii. 11 to 20. $ The ceremonies in use amongst us being in no other respect retained, saving only for that to retain them is to our seeming good and profitable, yea, so profitable ana so good that if we had either simply taken them clean away, or t.lse removed them so as to place in their stead others, we had done worse : the plain aftd direct way against us herein had been only to prove, that all such ceremonies as they re- quire to b» abolished are retained by us to the hurt of the Church, or with less be- nefit than the abolishment of them would bring. But forasmuch as thay saw how hardly they should be able to perform this, they took a more compondious . - B I I' f ! »3 18 i r i I! ! But it is time tbat we proceeded to shew that these external aids to devotion are not devotion itself. They are means, not end*: subordinate meuns, and only to be used as means. Holiness, that is good works springing out of a lively faith, is an essential part of the " Staff of Beauty;" for what says the Psalmist, " Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who shall rise up in his holy place ? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart."* And again, " The King's daughter is all glorious within."! And in another psalm, " Thy people shall offer thee free-will oflerings, in the beauties of holiness." What is the language of the Prophet ? " Wherewith shall I eowe before the Lord, and bow myself before the Most High God f What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to wai!v humbly with thy God ?"j: And what says another Prophet ? " When ye make many prayers, I will not hear ; your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean : cease to do evil, learn to do well."'^ way, traducing the ceremonies of our Church under the name of being popish. The cause why this way seemed better unto them was, for that the name oflftope/y is more odious than very paganism amongst divers of the more simple sort, so as whatuMver they hear named popish they presently conceive deep hatred against it, imagining there can be nothing contained in that name but needs it must be ex- ceeding destestable. The ears of the people they have therefore filled with strong clamour: '' The Church of England is fraught with popish ceremonies :^ they that favour the cause of Reformation maintain nothing but the sincerity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ ; all such as withstand them, fight for the laws of his sworn enemy, uphold the filthy relics of Antichrist, and are the defenders of that which is popish." "niese are the notes wherewith are drawn from the hearts' of the multitude so many sighs ; with these tuues their minds are exasperated against the lawful guides and governors of their souls ; these are the voices that fill them with g&neral discontent- ment, as though the bosom of that famous Church wherein they live were more noisome than any dungeon. — Hooker, lib. iv. p. 543. And again, p. 588, The common conceit of the vulgar sort is, whensoever t'aey see any thing which they dislike and are angry at, to think that every such thing is scandalous, and that them- selves in this case are the men concerning whom our Saviour spake in so fearful raamer, saying, " Whosoevershall scandalize or offend any one of these little ones which believe on me," (that is, as they construe it, whosoever shall anger the meanest and simplest artizan which carrieth a good mind, by not removing out of the Church such rites and ceremonies as displease him,) " better he were drowned in the bottom of the sea." But hard were the case of the Church of Christ, if this were to scandalize. Men are scandalized, when they are movfed, led, and provoked unto sin. At good things evil men may take occasion to do evil ; and so Christ htflMelf wa» a rock of offence in Israel, they taking occasion at his poor estate and at the ignominy of his cross, to think him unworthy the name of that great and glorious M essits, whom the Prophets describe in such ample and stately terms. But that which we therefore term offensive, because it in-iteth men to offend, and by a dttRib kind of provocation encourageth, moveth, or any way leadethuoto sis, must of QeeMsity be acknowledged actively eoandalous. * Psblm %v. 1, 2. . t Psalm xlv. 13; Psalm ex. 3. r- Mioah vi. e, 8. j^ Isawb i- 15, 16. of lies 19 >» And St. James in a like passage, '< Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners ; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."* What are the words of our Saviour to the buyers and sellers in the temple, " My house is the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves." With what stern severity does our Lord rept'Ove the hypocritical worshipper, '' Woe unto you, scribes and pha- risees, hypocrites ; for ye pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cumm'n, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, mercy, judgment, and faith. Cleanse fii'st that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also."f What says the great Apostle of the Gentiles? " L' any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy."| What is the awful language of the Book of Rev ;Iation ? *' And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that de- fileth, neither whatsoever worketh any abomination, or maketh a lie."^ And without this practical faith not all the beauty, nor all the gold of the temple will avail us, nay the very pavement of the sanctuary would cry out against us. But if, while we employ God's creatures in the service of his sanctuary, we build on right principles ; if we worship him with devout re- verence, and live always as in His presence ; if we employ right means, and never neglect the continual refreshment of our souls by reading His most holy Word, offering to Him the tribute of continual Prayer and Praise, and by feeding upon Christ in our hearts in His most holy Sacrament ; and if these issue in right actions, in a humble, pure and holy life, then the " Staff of Beauty" will be whole and unbroken, then will our Lord's words be fulfilled to the very letter, " these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." It only remains that I say a few words on the " Staff of Bands ;" in other words, that outward and inward holi- ness are promoted by an union of Christians in a rightly- VI • St. Jam«s iv. 8. t 1 Cor. iii. 17. t St. Matthew xxi. 13 ; xxiii. 23, 26. $ Revel, xxi. 27. , . ao • •\ ''yyt y. constituted and well-ordoied form of government and worship. And I trust in God that ours is such a form as we have now mentioned. f /iM'rt I.7 r - A staff impWes authority ; which is given us in God's word * hy the ordination of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, continued , in the practice of the Church to this day. A staff implies direction; which we find in the Holy Scrip- '' tures, pubHcly read, publicly preached, and openly given to all our people, without exception. A staff implies support ; which we find in those two great means of grace, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, continually repeated, and exhibitedaccording to the direction of our Master for the benefit of the faithful. A staff implies comfort; which we find in our sound form of words in the Book of Common Prayer : a book so scripturalt that it is full of scripture from one end to the other, and built altogether upon it: so catholic^ that nothing therein is found contrary to the decrees and practice of the Apostolic, nay the universal Church, men's private fancies only being excluded : so comprehensive^ that every man finds his wants represented and his petitions anticipated : so varied^ that we may reap fresh pleasure from it, every time we use it : so full and frequent in its offices of prayer, that, let a man be as devout as he will, he will find his devotion cannot soar to a higher pitsh, if it be sober, rational, and christian; and withal so elevated, that it leads us above the narrow views and petty prejudices of party into the calm and holy atmosphere' of heaven. These are bands of which no Churchman ought to be ashamed. Like the Collects of ihe Church, it may be said colligunt et coUigant. They gather together in one body men of every age, and every clime, and every station, and every diversity of feeling; and they bind them all in high and holy offices of love. And while others turn aside to drink of other waters on the right hand or on !he left, I desire no higher honour, blessing, or happiness, for myself or my children, than to drink of this well of English undefiled, and to uphold in my us 21 poor measure the ** Staff of Beauty and the Staff of Bandi," as set forth in the Book of Common Prayer. ^Mi-^t^tti Of the building in which we are now assembled for the first time, it becomes me to say no more than this, that it is a very simple, humble, and unworthy effort to glorify God, and to give access to His worship to all who choose to avail them- selves of his ordinances, especially to the poor. And as in building it, it is my duty not to look fur human praise, so is it equally incumbent on me to give no heed to the rash and groundless censures of those, who say " Our lips are ourowHf who are they that ought to speaks who is lord over ««?"• To the erection of this building scarcely any one has been asked to contribute : for I consider that your contributions of a larger kind are reserved for a larger edifice, in the erection of which a great number of the inhabitants of this place pledged them- selves solemnly to support aie. From you particularly I claim that nupport: as your Bishop, as your friend, as one who has no interest at heart but yours, as one who, whatever may be his personal failings and defects, desires to benefit you, your city, and the people of this Province. And I shall have your • support. You gave it to me publicly, and on certain princi- ples, as publicly declared, (the question of site being, by unani- mous consent, left, at your request, entirely to myself.) My principles are unchanged: and you will never,! should imagine, . suffer me to build on, and say, " We went down with him to lay the stone, now let him go and finish it by himself." As regards the collection for this day, it will be appro- priated to the providing a durable stone fence around this chapel: But oh that God may have better things in store for us ! May He grant, not the erection of walls of stone, but the taking away of " hearts of stone," and give us " hcartf offleflh." • In this place may many a sluggish soul be quickened to a sense of duty, many a wanderer be recalled, many a consistent Christian be edified, many a mourner wipe away his tears. Here may the "Sun of Righteousness arise with healing on his * Numbers vi. 24, 25, 26. V, wing!,** and grec«, and love, and peace be multiplied. And may the blessing of Moses, the man of God, rest upon us all. f The Lord bless us, and keep us : the Lord make his ft^ce to •hine upon us, and je gracious unto us : the Lord lid up the light of His countenance upon us, and give us peace."* — Amen. Paalm xii. 4. i.^.^ 1 f>-.f -i :':'m V-i ■-'. <.-, '.S ''.*'■..'>■ ut •J i t^»' «>i?.^-;'y *^t' ^■*\'V ;-*i'»: t c:if:' in: iM'» f -. i, k'tl, :)■?•.^a 'm 1^.'''.iiV ■^'-■,. ii vW\J I i- <•>> - ^' iii-^ ^%i /"<■.' ■itx< •I'lV » •:«<(• ■%K MA:' ., -.(•, '«vj '.i'<-: iiV' jv.^ tv ;'..,• ,"1, !.•;()!• it(^7 V^V ■•.'.il ■''ffSi -'■..••; ■.-■''4 .'? M« ■.i/'.'ISi •».-<■ i-\>-- And all. us H^ce to up the e."*— i^y-li' .ii'^i 'k.K'r . i< '■ »»„»,/ .