Elias, (Matth. xvii. 5): "This is "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him!" And Jesus himself prayed for these Apostles to his Father, (John xix. 18) :

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As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world;" and then again, (John xvii. 18-20): "Neither pray I for them alone, but for them also which still believe in me through their word. No man (therefore, amongst us) taketh this honour to himself but he that is called of God." (Heb. v. 4.)

Again, if you believe such to be the qualification of your Church, you will religiously avoid doing that by word or deed which may be subversive of her establishment, or prejudicial to her welfare, "lest haply you be found even to fight against, not man, but God." (Acts v. 39.) The political aspect of the times, the over-heated fervour of party zeal, call upon me most seriously to caution you, without accusation or reproach, against this alarming apprehension.

For the same reason, "lest haply you be

found to be fighting against God," you will be very cautious how you encourage schism from this authorised and Apostolical Church. The evil of schism is manifest from its results. It leads to heresy. Hence, as people have separated themselves from the true Church, as we believe, we find that some have denied the Lord that bought them; and neither acknowledge Him as their God, nor receive His atonement. Others set aside the baptism which He has appointed for the remission of sins, and gift of the Holy Ghost, whose Deity they also deny. Others have insisted partially only on the doctrine of Christianity; suchas faith, and the gift of divine grace; to the exclusion of self-exertion, and practical holiness, which the Apostles enjoin their ministers to preach incessantly. Others, again, think so highly of their own works and worth, as to neglect those essential doctrines. Some have taken up strange notions of God's decrees, and flattered themselves that they are favourites, and must be saved, live how they will; whilst some have despaired of His

mercy, live how they will and believe how they may. Such are the evils derivable from schism, or separation from an authorised ministry and Apostolical Church; which you, therefore, consistently with your profession, cannot encourage, nor further, without sin.

Again, if you believe such to be the qualifications of your Church, you will endeavour to extend her influence, send forth her doctrines, and set up her candlestick amongst those who are yet in the shadow of darkness.

But, above all, you will yourselves rejoice in her blessings. You will attend her services regularly. You will bring your children to the baptism of the Holy Ghost. You will submit them to the hands of your Apostolical bishop for confirmation. You will bring them, and of course therefore come yourselves, to the table of the Lord's Supper; there to be renewed in grace; there to be strengthened in the pursuit of holiness; there to be fortified against temptations; there to testify gratitude and obe

dience to your Lord; there to show your hope of pardon and acceptance in the atonement of his death; there to sanctify yourselves by the reception of his spirit for the table that he has spread in heaven. Oh! would you, my friends, but more seriously consider the benefits resulting from this spiritual feast, and ask yourselves this one question, what ground of hope you have, what one text of Scripture will warrant such hope, of your ever sitting at his table in heaven, if you refuse to present yourselves before his table on earth.

Lastly, if you believe that Christ, not with his dying breath, but living spirit, after his resurrection declared to his Apostles, "Lo! I am with you alway"—alway, not, be it remembered, so long as you live, but, "even unto the end of the world," where do you hope to find him now that those Apostles are removed from it, if not in the ministry which they commissioned? I speak not of the spiritual holiness of the ministers themselves, but the spiritual benefits resulting to the flock from their ministry. If

you believe that he promised, "where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am 1 in the midst of you," where look you more for the fulfilment of this promise, than amongst the gathering together of his disciples, under his own appointed ministry? If you believe that the Apostles, after our Lord's ascension, conferred, for the edification of the Church, the extraordinary gift of the Spirit on those whom they ordained, amongst what class of persons do you rather look for the ordinary blessing of this Spirit attendant on their ministerial functions, than amongst those who are appointed from these primitive bishops to their office?

Whatever, then, may be the claims, pretensions, or qualifications, of other societies professing Christianity, certainly our Church has her own; and on them alone I insist. "What have I to do with them which are without ?" I merely state our own. I press them on your consideration, because they have not been insisted upon of late days as they ought to have been;