'^ ▼To.

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

1.1

11.25

lii|2A 125

>» lii 122

IS U& |2.0

WMu

Photographic

Sciences

CorpOTalion

23 WIST MAIN STRICT

WCBSTH.N.Y. US80

(716)I72-4S03

CIHM/ICMH

Microfiche

Series.

CIHIVI/ICMH
Collection de
microfiches.

Canadian Institute for Historicai IVIicroreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques

Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techmiques et bibliographiques

Tha Inatitute haa attampted to obtain the beat
original copy available for filming. Featurea of thia
copy which may be bibliographically unique,
which may alter any of the imagaa in the
reproduction, or which may significantly change
the usual method of filming, are checlced below.

Coloured covers/
Couverture de couleur

I I Covers damaged/

Couverture endommng^e

Covers restored and/or laminated/
Couvarture restaurie et/ou pellicul6e

I I Cover title missing/

Le titre de couverture manque

□ Coloured maps/
Cartes gAographiques en couleur

Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/
Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire)

I I Coloured plates f^nd/or illustrations/

D
\2

Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur

Bound with other material/
Relii avec d'autres documents

Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion
along interior margin/

La reliure serrde peut causer de I'ombre ou de la
distortion le long de la marge int6rieure

Blank leaves added during restoration may
appear within the text. Whenever possible, these
have been omitted from filming/
II S9 peut que certaines pages blanches ajout6es
lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte,
mais. lorsque cela Atait possible, ces pages n'ont
pas txh fiimies.

Additional comments:/
Commentaires suppi^mentaires:

L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire
qu'il lui a hxh possible de se procurer. Les details
de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du
point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier
une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger una
modification dans la mithode normale de filmage
sont indiquAs ci-dessous.

The(
tothi

I I Coloured pages/

D
D
D
D

Pages de couleur

Pages damaged/
Pages endommagdes

Pages restored and/or laminated/
Pages restaur6es et/ou pelliculdes

P^r^s discoloured, stained or foxed/
Pages ddcolor^es, tachetdes ou piqudes

Pages detached/
Pages ddtach^es

The!
possi
ofth
filmii

Origi
begii
the I)
sion,
othei
first
sion,
or nil

V~pi Showthrough/

Transparence

Quality of prir

Qualiti in^gale de {'impression

Includes supplementary materii
Comprend du matdriel supplementaire

r~^ Quality of print varies/

r~~1 Includes supplementary material/

Only edition available/
Seule Edition disponibie

Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata
slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to
ensure the best possible image/
Les pages totalement ou partiellement
obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure.
etc., ont M fiimdes d nouveau de fapon d
obtenir la meilleure image possible.

Thai
shall
TINL
whic

Map:
diffe
entir
begii
right
requ
metl

This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/

Ce document eat film6 au taux de reduction indiquA ci-dessous

10X 14X 18X 22X

26X

30X

12X

16X

20X

24X

28X

32X

The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks
to the generosity of:

IMetropolitan Toronto Library
Social Sciences Department

L'exemplaire filmA f ut reproduit grAce A la
gAnirositA de:

IMetropoiitan Toronto Library

Social Sciences Department

The images appearing here are the best quality
possible considering the condition and legibility
of the original copy and in keeping with the
filming contract specifications.

Original copies In printed paper covers are filmed
beginning with the front cover and ending on
the last page with a printed or illustrated impres-
sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All
other original copies are filmed beginning on the
first page with a printed or Illustrated Impres-
sion, and ending on the last page with a printed
or illustrated impression.

The last recorded frame on each microfiche
shall contain the symbol --'»> (meaning "CON-
TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"),
whichever applies.

Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le
plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition at
de la nettetA de l'exemplaire fiimA, et «n
conformity avec les conditions du contrat de
filmage.

Les exemplalres originaux dont la couverture en
papier est imprimte sont film6s en commenpant
par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la
dernlAre page qui comporte une empreinte
d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second
plat, salon le cas. Tous les autres exemplalres
originaux sont filmte en commen^ant par la
premiere page qui comporte une empreinte
d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par
la dernidre page qui comporte une telle
empreinte.

Un des symboies suivants apparaltra sur la
dernidre Image de cheque microfiche, seion le
cas: le symbols — ► signifle "A SUIVRE", le
symbole V signifle "FIN".

Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at
different reduction ratios. Those too large to be
entirely included in one exposure are filmed
beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to
right and top to bottom, as many frames as
required. The following diagrams illustrate the
method:

Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre
f ilm6s A des taux de reduction diffdrents.
Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre
reproduit en un seul ciich6, ii est fiimA d partir
de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d drolte,
et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre
d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants
lllustrent la mAthode.

32X

TROPOLITAN
iRONTO

NTRAL

IBRARY THE WORK OF THE

A^^.2.
/^//3

,b Closed
^ Btacki

) -- '^

:ial SQl^i

UHURCH at HOWIE.

AN ADDRESS

DELIVERED TO THE

^t\ic|eKtA* MI,s^loKary Society of Kt\ox College

Kkox College, Toronto,

November 13th, I896.

1»Y

REV. D. D. McLEOD,

BAHHIE

Printed ai Thk Examiner Offlco 139 Dunlop Street.

18!>7.

V ■■■

METROPOLITAN:
lORONTO

-r

s
5

nrr.r]"n 'i I

oocidl Sciences

2S5'^

^^.13

t 1375

THE WORK OF THE CHURCH AT HOME.

YOUR ('Ollege has always a warm place in my regard. My
acquaintance with it elates back further than that of any
of you. It began in the year 1857. The college then car-
ried on its work in the house which had been occupied as
a residence by Lord Elgin. Some who are now venerable minis-
ters were then students. Professors Burns and Willis were then
its prominent teachers. I had then a student of Knox for my
tutor; and I had the honor of acMng as a sort of "diaconos" to
these eminent professors occasionally, when they visited the lo-
cal 'ty in which I lived, on missionary expeditions. In recent
years I have known the college only through its students. In the
mission work of our Presbytery, which is i^uite extensive, the
students of Knox have done excellent service. More than one
half f»f the congregations in our Presbytery have pastors who
have studied at Knox. Of these, twelve have been received since
mv connection with ic. Not only then, in the examination of the
students, and in the duty of reading your discourses, but in the
administration of the mission work in the field I have had op-
portunities of being acquainted with you. Nevertheless it was
with sonu^ surprise I leceived the invitation to address you to-
night. I may not meet your expectations in doing so. but I think
you are wise in asking one from the outside of college circles to
address you, as often as you can. It is wise both for your
society's i:ake and for the sake of the church. It prevents the
idea beinj,- cherished that there are only a few men about tht? city,
or that only those connected with the college, are interested in
your work. I am glad to learn from your last report which I
have seen, that your operations are beiu^,- carried on with with an
encouraging measure of success. For one cannot but recognize
that these operations are carried on under many difficiuties
That you have been able to do so much for the church, and for
the cause of religion in outlying fields, is creditable to you. I am
pleased to learn of your mission work in the city among the poor
and criminal. This is not only a held in which you may do
much good, bat one which cannot but be of great use to you in
your training for the ministry. In this is brought home to you
what the gospel has to do for men, and that tohat has to be done for
sinful men, can only be done by the gospel. The best antidote
for scepticism in to engage in the work of saving men from sin.

-4-

It is not necessary to occupy your time vvith the common
appeals which aie made to as on ()ehalt' of missi.>n work. Ap-
peals, which soiuebimcs are not very intelligent, antl which
sometimes are not altogether scriptural Every intelligent person
knows, that our religion is, in its nature, aggressive and nnssion-
ary. Where it is not so, it is either dying or dead. The theoretical
part of the subject then is settled, so tar as we are concerned.
The questions which occupy our minds chiefly are : How the
work may best be done, and ho.«^ may the means be procured
with which it is to be done ?

It would be unfortunate for the church if these questions
should be regarded as settled and solved. I do not think they
aif . There is room for advance both in respect to, How this
mission work should be carried on by the church, and Uow the
means for carrying it on are to be obtained.

iiut regaraing these questions as settled in the mearitime,
both the theory and the practice, taking for granted that you
have the missionary spirit devei'»ped among you, 1 will proceed
to speak on the subject of the work of the church at home.

And first, I would refer to the subject of oar Home Mission
work as that is commonly un''.-i»i,v;oa. The term 'Home Missions"
is a ht)Usehold word. It means one of the schemes of our church.
That is all ! It is a work done in outlying fields, by some unknown
agents, imder the orders of an omnipotent committee So it is
thought of by many. And did Home Mission work mean no
more than that which is done through our conunittee. it is yet a
gi-eat ana necessary work. The records of it are full of interest
to every friend of the gospel, and to every lover of his race. The
records of it are full of sell-sacrificing devotion to duty, of patient
continuance in the well-doing, of hard toil, of severe privation,
of Christian faith and love in those Who have gone out into the
new and remote parts of the land to seek the souU that are un-
cared for, and to lead them to the Saviour. The story of it has
pages also that are sorrowful. On its fields the missionaries have
laid down their lives. And on its fields are found those scenes
which so touch our sympathies. Homes without the knowledge
of God, souls that have not heard the gospel, conuimnities lapsing
into moral decay. Some points iti the work claim attention.

First, the extent of the work forces itself upon our notice. The
church by this time should have some idea of the geographical
Extent of her field. But this is a subject that only some one from
the west, gifted in geography and descriptive power, is couipetent.
to speak on The vast extent of the field should be no discour-
agement to the church. Rather it is a fact in which we should
rejoice. It should be not a disadvantage but a stimulus to the

— o —

religions life of the chiirtn. It should prevent us sitting down ibo
the selrish enjoyment of the gospel fvir ours^elves. It should
awakf-h and keep alive oui* sympathy for our fellow men. It
keeps ever before our minds the necessity of religious ordinances
in order to the growth of religion even in a Christian land, It
gives us fill interest in every part of our country which we would
not otherwise have. It furnishes ujj with new fields in which to
carry out the work of our Master. It is ever affording us new
and powerful illustrations of the influence of the gospel upon
human hearts. There are souls in these new fields for the church
to seek out. Souls more precious than the earth's treabares. Hia
jewels whom it is ours to reclaim for His crown. It were a
waste of time to dwell on the claims of the Home Mission field.
It is that field which has the first claim upon the church. We
cannot change the divine order. He has put it first

It would be absurd to leave our own land inadequately pro-
vided with the gospel while we were sending it to other lands.

We hear much of the ** Cry from Macedonia" as applied to
the foreign field. But that cry comes from the home field as
loudly. It comes from the lakes and woods of Muskoka, from the
the rocks of Algoma from the benighr-ed fields of Quebec, from
wide prairies, and from the mountains and valleys of the bound-
less west. We must put first in our regard, that which God has
put first in its claim upon us, and in i<"8 relation to us. It is not a
question about which there can be any dispute. One of the best
fruits of foreign mission effort is to make us value the gospel
more, and desire to make it known to all men It is a mistake to
exaggerate or to exalt out of its proper place, the claims of the
one field or the other.

The souls of all men are alike precious in the sight of our
Lord. Reason as well as scripture teaches us to expend our sym-
p.ithy and bei.evolence first upon thase within our borders. The
true missronary spirit is practical not sentimental. It is governed
by duty. It works by divine direction. It is willing to do unro-
mantic work. The heroism is shown at home, as willingly as it is
abroad. I<et the claims of each field have their just place in
our regard. My decided conviction is that the church will never
tulftl her duty until she gives to the cause of Home Missions the
first place. The church should give to the home missionary the
same training, the same generous provision in going to his field,
the same liberal treatment on the field, which she gives to the
foreign missionary. No one can give any reason thati will stand
investigation wliy so great a distinction should be made, as
is made, between the supply sent to the foreign field and the sup-
ply that is sent to the home mis ion field.

The people at home in our mission field deserve to be treated

-e-

with the same respect as the heathen abroad. If the heathen re-
quire trained men to teach them, surely the highly intelligent
people, the pioneers of your civilization, require men of equal
ability and equal training. The chui-ch appears to think that
they do not. The existence and prosperity ot the church depends
upon the adequate cultivation of the tield in our own land. That
should be attended to Hrst up to the point of our duty and ability.
I hope the church will yet come to this view and be as diligent in
dtrengthnning her stakes as in lengthening her coitls No
advocate of foreign missions desires to diminish the interest of
the church in home missions. The very opposite is the case. The
true mission spii..^ will not err in this matter. When the church
possesses it, then each claim of the Master will be attendee! to upi
to the extent of the church's power.

Let me refer to the agmis by whom tne woi^k in the home
field is to be done in the foreign field it is done
by order of the church, by ordained men Here a conbider-
able part, in fact the gieater of it, is done by students. Some of
it by uatechists.

The church lays a great responsibility en you. The system
has serious defects. First, in respect to the partial time of tupply
given Second, in the inability of the student to dispense the
sacraments of the church Third, in its interfering with educa-
tional work of the students.

We must, however, take the plan which is in use. and deal
with it as best wecHU This is to be borne in mind, that your
work is CHily preparatory. You are the skirmishers in advance
of the heavier troops. Vour work belongs to a dispensation that

fjasseth away. The result of it should be to make the people
ong tor the dispensation that is to follow. It should be that the
people would not ask students to be sent to them a day longer
than was neces: ary. We find, often quite an opposite feeling
created in the mission field. That after students have beeii
employed for some time, the people will not look at a minister of
years and experience. They do not w.-int an ordained man If
compelled tc have one, he must be as like a student as possible in
his q laliflcations. This is no doubt complimentary to you, but it
is ail unhappy result of your woik You should take the role of
John the Baptist and teach, that the student must 'decrease' and
the ordainea minister nnist 'increase.' The people should be
taught that it is their duty and their privilege to have gospel
ordinances in all their completeness set up among them. The
church owes this to them. They should give the committee no
rest until this has been secured The church should supply the
funds to do this, and I think that the church would supply the
f nnds. if the need for them was demonstrat ed.

-7-

the
the

Further there are two elements of character and work, which I
wou*d com mend the student missionarv to cultivate while on the
field. These are. first, that principle which the apostle inculcates
when he says to the Phillipians. "Stand fast in the Lord." I
notice a tendency in a portion of the ministry and church to be
too easily influenced by the views and practices of those who are
not qualuied to be f^uiaes or models. A tendency to fall in with
some popular opinion, or to adopt some noveltjr in the form of
worship, before the matter has been fully considered. Let us
examine our ground and be sure of it, and stand fast upon it
There is no virtue in being compliant to every apparently
religious current that presses upon you. There is great
influence wielded by simply standing fast. Such should
be the opinion of the gospel pioneer. False views and
foolish opinions and sinful practices will break down when con-
founded oy this spirit which will not give, in matters of religion.
It was upon this rock like character in the early church that
Paganism was broken in pieces.

The second principle I would mention, thouf^h I observe that
you are already adepts in it, is, that of elasticity of method.
Presbyterian ism allows this. It also profits by it Fresbyterian-
ism puts life above form. It approves of puttinfr the "new wine
into new bottles." But while it is proper and sensible to adapt
your methods to your situation, this should not ioad you to be
careless of form. There is both use and power in the form and
in the manner. It is never out of place to be reverent in the
treatment of sacred things It would be a great accomplishment
to teach the people, that it is of vast importance how God is to be
worshipped. So many think, and are ei.couraged to think that
it does not matter. That idea fills God's house with confusion.
Men think to-day that in the Christian pulpit they may teach
what they please with equal acceptance in the sight of God.
They also tnink they may introduce whatever fantastic form of
worship they please.

The idea prevails that it is the people who are to be consulted
and not God as to how the service of his house is to be catried on.
But I say, be under divine commandment. "The grandest
things that ever come into us are commanded in. The authority
of God is our noblest educator For more than all else it wakens
up our life and impregnates our sentiments with all that is heroi-
cally true and good. When the soldiers of .Testis Christ throng
in, after their great campaign is over, what will be more surely
discovered in them, than their everlasting ennoblement in
Christ's great will and commandment."

I have been speaking of home mission work in the narrower
sense in which we are actustonied to regard it It has wider
meanings. It includes the whole work of the church at home.

— s-

Kvcjy coM^fivj^iitioii Mhoiihl be an or^i^aiii/iitioii for doiiij^ homo
iiiissioM work. VVt» do not luu'd to leave our own uarislies to find
HinneiH ontsiile of the chui-ch to eonvert. Tliey exist all aiuund
us. Our Hi.st duty is to them. The thurches of the old countries
recognize this. They nearly all employ mibsion aKcncies beyond
the pastors work. 1 see that the cliiirch in your city recoKnizes
tills. And in this direction is the nmst usef.d Held for Htudent
traininp^ and for the employn»ent of students. I speak from per-
sonal experience, having spent my last year in theology between
this kind of work and tiu' duties of the hall. Tlie people of To-
ronto are favored in having ii college to draw upon for agents in
this field.

This mission agency is of the kind called by the Lutheran
church the " Inner Mission.''

It deals with things temporal and physical, as well as things
spiritual. This is the niost fruitful effect of foreign missions on
the church at home. That these teach us more fully what go? pel
work means. That it means not only preaching, but teaching
and healing and caring for the poor, the sick, the friendless, the
orphan, and the widow.

Under the shadow of our churches an unchristian ized popula-
tion is growing up. That is ti ue in rural centres as well as in the
city.

The need of directing attention to this view of the subject is
attested by two painful facts :

1. First, that in not a few districts and towns, while the
population has increased and other denotninationshave increased,
our own chinch has ri^mained stationary. In some towns whose
population has initreased thei'e are no moie congregations than
there were twenty years ago It was shown a few years ago in
the census returns, that there was a large number of Presbyteri-
ans who were not accounted for in the statistics of our church.
The second fact is, that in the neighborhood of all our congrega-
tions, other agencies are at work to reach people who are not
connected with any of the churches. When each congregation
becomes a centre of mission life in its own district, the spiritual
life of the church will be revived. A greater interest will be taken
in mission work both at home and abroad

The church would increase not only by the natural growth of
its membership, but by the in gathering of those outside of the
fold. There is nothing to boast of in the fact, that in comparison
with a few years ago our numbers have increased. Only some
calamity, or disruption, could have prevented this. There is no
thing t() boast of in the fact, that the man is stronger and wiser
and richer than the boy. It would only be a matter to thank God
for if we could show, that any increase was the result of enlarged
activity and zeal in bringing the people under the power t-^ the

-0

gospel . But a(2:ain, let lis enlarpje our ideas still further in respect
to the work of the church at home. The vhurch is the great
educating power in the land. Religion exercises a deeper influence
over the minds of men than any other agency. E«enthede
nominational form which religi >n takes, shows itself in the life
of the people. We have an it.astration of this fact in many
countries but very uianifestly in the people of Scotland. They
are intellectually and morally the product of their religion. And
they are marked by very distinct denominational characters.
No where probably are seen so clearly both the coarser or finer
shades, indeed all the i: hades of Presbyterianism. A fact that is
made much of in a humorous way by rtt ent Scottish writers.

The mfitience of tbe church was exerted upon the country as
it ever is, through the ministry.

An educated ministry in each parish from generation to gene-
ration, preaching Bible truths, affected the life of the people pro
foi?ndIy Those who were interested in spiritual questions found
a counsellor in their pastor. Those who had literary aspirations
found a friend and guide in Him.

It IS the church which has had such a niinistiy, which
has been the great educating power in the land. It is the
church which has kept alive the conscience, which under
all defects and errors, makes that people conspicuous for
their integrity. As is the ministry so are the poople. Scot-
land under the reign of moderation illustrates the s»»nie truth.
There is no virtue in Presbyterianism, nor in any ism,
to preserve it from corruption. We have seen it sink into
Unitarianism in England, developing Arianism m Irehuid,
and Moderatism in Scotland. So it is not the ism there
is any virtue in. It is only the church as the temple of the
HolyGhost that has power. It is only a church spiritually alive
that call escape corruption. The purpose of the church whether
at home or abioad is Npirit\ial. It is to make good men out of
bad men. So long as sh(^ does this there is no danger of her over-
throw. Her strength is in her product A gos|3el that can
gather a church out of 'Jerusalem, the city of priests ; out of
Antioch, the city of lovers of pleasure; out of Corinth, the
vanity fair of the Roman Empire, at once the London and the Paris
of the first century after Christ ; out of Ronje, the city of imperial
power," is a gospel that cannot be despised by anyone. To do this,
IS the best answer the church can make to her assailants No
criticism can harm a gospel which can show such trophies of her
teaching. The influence of the church is felt in every department
of life. Education in this Province, it is said, lacks the religious
element If it does so. it is not so much the defect of the laws as it
is the fault of the people, and of the church. It is because the min-
isters, the trustees, and the parents do not take the trouble to see

—10

more in this field. Ciirist-
the world. The churches
as ours do, and yet do not
the education given in the
weak. Weak in intellectual

that the schools are religioMs. The law permits them to be so, if
the people desire them to be so There is nothing in the hiw to
prevent any Board of Trustees from being careful to appoint a
person of Christian character to teach There is nothing in the
the law to prevent the trustees giving their teacher to understand
that they net only desire the religious exercises which the law
prescribes t » be used, but that they desire the teacher to impress
on the young minds the authority of that divine law which they
are required to teach them, once a week. That they desire him
to enforce his instruction by a refer^^nce to the principles of the
Christian religion. And there is nothing in the law to prevent,
but there is a distinct provision to encourage the ministeis of the
different ci urches. giving all diligence to see that this is done.
The church to-day is disposed to lean too much upon the Govern-
ment, and to ascribe to a defect in the law that which is due to
the weakness not of the gospel buh the ministers. The church
should make her influence felt much
ianity i& the educating element of
which exist alongside of the school
make their power felt in moulding
school, are churches which are v
power and in spiritual power.

A<jain. The religious life of the family in our parent churches
was due to their teaching. They held that it is in the home
that the beginnings of character are made. The home has the
chief influcMice in making a religions and moral people. To make
good men is i,. made good citizer s. That was the theory. The
church set herself more to the attacking of sin in the heart than
to crusades against particular sins.

It is not a successful method of work to divide up the sins of
thecomnumity too much, and letting sin alone, to make a great
stir over sins. It is injurious to the conscience, and has been so
m this land, to maguify one sin, to the hidir.g of others.

The avarice which is the root of all evil, lies comfortably
undisturbed in our churches, while the offspring of it in particular
instances, is assailed with exaggerated violence. Let us remember
that it is only by attacking sin we will get rid of sins. The life
of a people is measured by the life of the home. The church is
responsible for the character of the homes, the state is not Such
is the wide spreading influence of a living church Such the work
that is to de done at home. To do her work effectually requires
the indwelling in her of the Holy Spirit. As one working in the
fleld I simply add my testimony to that of others when I say,
that the great duty to which we sho.ild address ourselves, is to
maintain at a high standard the religious life of the people.

What is nee.led is that we should unite in one great effort to
lift up the whole church to a higher plane of life. Not separating

-11.

in our recfard, or in oar advocacy, one part of her operations
from another, but putting first that which God has put first the
life of the church as a whole, and the mission she has to fu'fll in
the j)lace where by God she has been put. The question is, how
is this to be done ? It is a question which toe courts of the
church might profitably spend some time in the study of.

Those who are placed oy Providence as eaders in the church,
should hold before her a high standard as to what is required,
and what is to be undertaken. There is now a painful acquisence
in low standards.

When one considers the doles and driblets meted out for
God's work at home, compared with what is required, it is dis-
couraging. Through all our home work, as well as home mission
work, more means are required. We should not set before the
people the minimum but the maximum of our need And we should
ask for it, not as those who ask a favor, but as those who are.
appointed to show to the people the will of our Master and the
openings set before them in His service.

2nd. We should not separate in the regard of the people,
one part of the church's operations from another. W«. should
adopt the divine order in presenting claims For there is a, divine
order We should follow it. If we did, I think that in some cases,
that which is now last would be first. The wants oi the house-
hold, the providing for the family, the widows and orphans, the
aged, and the educ'ating of the family would be first— and after
these every outlying enterprize.

There are required in the church at present those three
things : 1 Unity. The whole chnrch being enlisted for the whole
of her operations. There should be not only an alumni associa-
tion of tTiis college or that, but of all the colleges. An association
in which men of all schools and from every part of the church at
home or abroad should be enlisted. To such an association let
your schemes be submitted, endowment schemes and all other
schemes which require to be lifted up. Are those ministers who
have been trained abroad not worthy to associate with you ? Are
they not interested in the colleges and in the church as much as
yourselves? Appeals enamating from such a source embracing
all the ministry would come home to the church with more hope-
fulness of success. I think it is needed in the direction of
jjfreater unity. Unity of policy, and plan and spirit. 2. There
IS much to be desired a larger measure of enthusiasm in
the ministry, and membership, on behalf of the operations
of the church. Enthusiasm for the life, and the good
name, and the prosperity of the chrich as a whole Such a
spirit would lift us out of our localism and our hobbyism, and
make all parts of the church equally the subject of thought and
prayer, and all the schemes equally the object of our care and

-12-

synipathy. 3. There is needed further an increase of our
faith in God. It is His work we are engaged in. He will supply
tWe means for accomplishing it. He will iionor a large faith.

It will be unto us as it ever is according to our faith. He will
send the means for generous undertakings. Let us cast ourselves
anew on him, and attempt and expect greater things. Union,
enthusiasm, and faith, these are a trinity <.>f great power. As
the rising tide Will lift the heaviest vessel in the channel from
the place into which she has been left to sink by the outgoing
tide, so the tide niust flow in upon the church, the tide of divine
grace and of aivine enthusiasm and faith — then those who are in
charge of her operations shall have clearer and ^larger
views of her great duties ; then all jealousies shall be
swept away, then the church with all' her attendant in-
stitutions and schemes, shall be lifted out of her worldliness and
unbelief, into a spirit more worthy of her high calling, and shall
go forward witn new power on her mission of divine beneScence
throughout all tiie regions of this wide Dominion, and unto thb
uttermost parts of the earths

,a**