In the third place, it is necessary, my brethren, that we should be well established in the doctrines of the Church. But here, although we have comprehensive creeds, and well digested articles for our assistance, we are, nevertheless, referred for our opinions to the holy scriptures which contain, as we are assured, all things necessary to salvation. And I believe, that upon a diligent and candid comparison, it will be found that whatever the Church teaches its members to receive has the sanction of the word of God, and that when we contend earnestly for the one, we shall, of necessity, be engaged in defence of the other also. For our guidance and encouragement in the way of righteousness we are instructed in the various principles and duties which concern our characters in their relation to an eternal world. We are told of the depravity of the human heart as a great moral disease which pervades the whole family of mankind; we are pointed to the remedy provided in the mediation and atonement of Jesus Christ, who is set forth as the only ground of hope and justification to the sinner,and who, in his offices and his attributes, is represented as God over all blessed for ever; we are assured of the aid of the Holy Spirit to renew our natures and to direct our steps, and we are urged to all the sincerity of repentance and obedience, from the powerful motives of a resurrection from the dead, and the judgment of the great day. These are the interesting subjects presented to our consideration and improvement in the various formularies and services to which we are accustomed, and, to the serious and faithful inquirer, it cannot be a matter of doubt and uncertainty that they are supported by the declarations of the bible. Considering, therefore, the truth and importance of those doctrines which constitute so great a part of our religious system, the duty of yielding to them our unqualified assent, and of resting upon them as the foundation of all that we can enjoy or hope for in eternity, must be apparent to all; and, whatever may be the fashion of the times or the disposition to which we are prone, there can be no excuse for any individual in treating with neglect or irreverence the peculiarities of divine revelation. Let us, then, try our faith by the only sure standard, without regard to private feeling or popular prejudice, and whatever we find in agreement with the rules trom heaven let us embrace and defend uninfluenced by the favour or the fear of the world. Next to the doctrines of the Church, I would recommend, in the fourth place, the observance of its ordinances. It is usually expected, when men unite themselves with a particular society, that they will support its institutions by their example in practice as well as by other means. And, indeed, how can they be said to respect its interests, and to honour its laws when they uniformly refuse a compliance with its most distinguishing requisitions? In this, there is, however, much ground for complaint and lamentation in the church of Christ for, although the reasonableness and utility of conforming to appointed regulations are acknowledged by the greater part, if not by all, yet but few seem sufficiently impressed with a sense of their nature and importance, to seek from them the benefits which they are intended to convey.

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In the order of the Church it is required that none should neglect baptism, either as it regards himself or his children, for by this only do we become members of the visible kingdom of Christ, and have se. cured to us the means of grace which are found in the gospel dispensation. In connexion with baptism the apostolical ordinance of confirmation, or the laying on of hands, is set forth as a necessary mode of declaring and engaging in our own name, agreeably to the obligations which, in our infancy, were laid upon us by others. And finally, the sacrament of the Lord's supper is offered as the seal of all those covenanted mercies which almighty God has promised us in and through his Son Jesus Christ. Besides the duties, therefore, of prayer, reading the scriptures, and attending publick worship, which we would hope are not so often neglected by Christians, it is incumbent upon those who would comply with the whole will of God, by honouring the institutions of the blessed Saviour and his apostles, to participate in the other ordinances which have been mentioned; and if persons were more accustomed to reflection upon the subject, and more disposed to bring all their sentiments and views and habits into a strict conformity to the rules of the gospel, at the same time entertaining a just sense of the design and tendency of religious observances, we should, no doubt, have much less occasion to admonish and reprove our hearers for their neglect and indifference.

Fifthly, there is a duty to be particularly urged upon Christians, and which it becomes us, from our character and the situation in which we are placed, always to regard. This is union and peace, without which there can be neither publick prosperity nor personal happiness. The measures adopted or pursued for our overthrow by others, will, by the good providence of God in whom we trust, be made to recoil upon their authors; but division and contention among ourselves will soon prepare the way for our ruin. The most powerful weapons which assail the city from without will avail little towards accomplishing its destruction, but when discord and jealousy and strife have made their appearance within the walls, there is soon an opening for the enemy to enter, and in the advantage which is taken of mutual distrust and envy and recrimination, the invader is easily enabled to triumph in the victory.

The Church in this diocese has hitherto happily escaped the evil of internal disunion and contention, and to this circumstance, under God, we may attribute much of our present prosperity. May the peace and harmony which have so long prevailed be perpetual, and from united and obedient hearts may the word of life bring forth abundant fruit, to the praise and glory of God.

There is but one thing more to which I shall call your present attention, and this is the importance of exercising the kindliest and most benevolent feelings towards those who are opposed to us. It was the command of our blessed Saviour that we should love and pray for our enemies and persecutors; and the precepts which he gave, he confirmed and illustrated by his own example. And when we consider how little is ever gained by the indulgence of bad passions;

how much disturbance is produced in society, and how many evils are perpetuated between man and man, by returning reviling for reviling, and railing for railing, we shall surely need no further argument to convince us, how contrary is the practice both to our interest and our duty. We cannot expect that all men will agree with us in sentiment, or that they will be content to follow the paths which we recommend. And when we take into view the nature of the human mind, the ease with which it imbibes prejudice, and the readiness with which it opposes whatever interferes with its own direction, it ought not to excite our surprise, or our anger, when we are subjected to the ill will of our fellow creatures. Our duty, however, is plain; for, although our consciences will not permit us to make any sacrifice of principle, yet we may, and, indeed, we must, if we would be like minded with our Master, exercise in its full extent that divine charity which, under every provocation, suffereth long and is kind. Reciprocal resentments and animosities are altogether unbecoming, and contrary to the mild and forgiving character of the gospel, and the wounds which they cause are not soon healed; but to overcome evil with good, to return blessing for cursing, and prayers for wrath, is the highest dignity of our nature; and the effects may generally be expected to correspond with the excellency of the virtue.

I have now, brethren, in a brief and imperfect manner, set forth some of the duties which rest upon us as Episcopalians, and I trust that the subject will not be deemed altogether unsuitable to the occasion of our present meeting. In pondering the path of our feet, it will be well for us if we find that all our ways are established in truth, according to the rules which have been given. In the course of our observations we have shown the importance of a conscientious and steadfast attachment to the system that we have received; of a sufficient acquaintance with the arguments by which its distinctive principles are maintained; of a cordial reception of its doctrines; of an observance of its ordinances; of the preservation of peace and unity among ourselves, and of the manifestation of kindness and good will to others. It is for us to judge, by an examination of our hearts and lives, whether we have regulated our steps accordingly; and if in any case, either on your part or mine, errour has been adopted and persisted in, may a merciful God give us wisdom to perceive wherein it consists, and grace to amend our course in future. And to Him, whom we beseech to pardon all our sins and imperfections, for the sake of Jesus Christ our only Mediator and Advocate, be ascribed glory, honour, and dominion, now and for ever. Amen.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE GOSPEL ADVOCATE.

In offering you a few remarks on the subject of Christian modesty, it is not my purpose to speak of its nature or excellence. Every body is sensible to the charm which this amiable virtue imparts to the character of its possessor; and every one perceives its nature, as well as its beauty, where he is not himself the example, in the dark shade which the want of it throws over every other quality. My object is

rather to point out a few circumstances in which some Christians among us are in danger, as it appears to me, of too much losing sight of a virtue which all so highly esteem. I shall hope to be able to do this in such a manner as not to make myself an example of the deficiency which I would wish to see corrected.

We in this country hear it so often repeated that "all men are born free and equal," that we are ready to forget that there is a diversity of gifts and stations in the allotments of Providence. Young men, specially, who are eager for usefulness or distinction, are not a lite in danger of becoming, in their zeal, unmindful of the respect due to their superiors. Far be it from me, indeed, to intimate that there is any such thing as a real distinction of rank among us; or that wealth or family, or even learning or worth, confer any title to the respect of those who possess them not. I am well aware how prevalent is a very different rule of distinction. As St. Paul says, "those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour." Still I would hope that we are not so far gone from the original institutions of society, but that, as Christians, we may be willing to pay some respect to those, whose age and piety, and whose offices in the Church justly entitle them to it. To the clergy, in particular, and especially while engaged in the immediate duties of their sacred office, I would hope that we may even yet cultivate feelings of reverence and respect, as well as those of affection and confidence.

There are some employments which lead those engaged in them to be acquainted with literary men, and especially with clergymen ; by which they are induced to claim an intimacy, for which neither their character, nor their station, nor their information fits them. At the same time, they, perhaps insensibly to themselves, form a habit of assuming more than their due proportion of influence and consequence in their own proper sphere of action In this manner, their conduct becomes disagreeable and offensive to their associates, at the same time that it is sometimes annoying to those, to whose society they aspire. I have known the feelings of some members of a congregation to be disturbed, by a person of this sort, from his seeking an intercourse with clergymen, particularly with strangers, in the vestry of his church immediately preceding divine service. There is no time, it seems to me, when a pious clergyman would more wish to be left undisturbed, than when about to commence the holy service of the sanctuary. The introduction of any thing, not connected with the duties before him, must be an unwelcome intrusion; and it is far from being an agreeable sight to the congregation to see him, as he proceeds to the sacred desk, preceded by several persons who have encroached upon his retirement, without being called to it by any office in the church, or by any duty of religion.

At the holy communion there is sometimes room for the exercise of modesty on the part of young persons. I have seen, with grief, the infirm and the aged, and even the officers of the church, kept waiting by the eagerness of young persons to press forward to the altar.

This is indeed rather owing to inattention, than to any intentional disrespect. Yet I think a modest regard to the feelings of others, and a proper respect for our superiors in age or office, should prevent its habitual recurrence. In so interesting, and so solemn an ordinance of religion, nothing should be permitted to occur to mar the beauty of holiness.

In regard to the manner in which the communion is received at the altar. there is a frequent omission, which also proceeds chiefly from inattention to the circumstance, but which might be prevented by a modest respect to the wishes of our fathers in the Church. The editors to the Boston edition of Bishop Wilson's "Introduction to the better Understanding of the Lord's Supper" have inserted in a note the following extract from Bishop Hobart's Companion to the Altar. "The receiving of the consecrated bread with the glove on the hand, should be avoided, as familiar and irreverent. Perhaps the most decent and proper manner of receiving the consecrated bread is in the palm of the right hand, crossed over the left, and then lifted to the mouth " Were there no other motive for following this direction, than a disposition to comply with the wishes of an affectionate and beloved clergyman, one would think it abundantly sufficient to ensure its general adoption. Yet I am told that many persons are in the habit of receiving this part of the consecrated elements in the manner objected to, and sometimes with the fingers of the glove not a little soiled. Some people seem to have an apprehension that an attention to these minute observances will lead the mind off from the proper subjects of contemplation, and in some measure reduce our worship to idle ceremony. But, in an enlightened community, and with an intelligent and faithful clergy, there can be little danger of superstitiously substituting the forms of religion for its substance. On the contrary, the pious Christian will find that every appropriate ceremony, however unimportant in itself, which he habitually observes from a sincere motive of respect to the divine Author of our religion, will aid his devotional feelings, and elevate his affections. Thus he, who habitually bows at the name of Jesus in the creed, because it is said that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow," and who receives the elements at the communion in the manner which is thought most expressive of love and reverence to our divine Saviour, will find that these observances assist in the promotion of those holy affections which it is one object of all our worship to produce. It is like the cup of cold water given in the name of a disciple which shall not lose its reward.

I proceed to mention another of the dangers to which the modesty of some young men is exposed. From the state of things in this country, the wants of the Church have been such as to make it necessary to admit young men to orders, before they have gone through such a course of preparatory studies as is required in the other professions, and as, under ordinary circumstances, would be required in our Church; and some of the duties which more properly devolve on the clergy are at times unavoidably performed by candidates for or