cial call on those here present. I could scarcely have imagined an occasion in which I would have presumed to tell a christian congregation what was the least they ought to do in a way of giving. But I shall venture now. It has been stated to me, that in order to meet all outstanding charges on account of this building, a sum is wanting of about two hundred pounds. It will neither be for the glory of God, nor for the honour of that pious Prelate's memory, whose name you mean to inscribe upon your church, nor for the credit of your own sincerity in your professed attachment to him ;-it will neither be following his example, nor doing your good work well; nor dealing, if I may so say, fairly or wisely by this town, in its present situation, and under its present pledge,-if one farthing of the debt I named be left undischarged this day; so that if you should not bear this burden, you would have to bear a heavier. But ye will not consent to that. There must be "no more gatherings' another day. Depart hence ye will not, without being able to say, we have actually finished our commemoration of Him who was once such a shining light amongst us; and then, as clear of all unbefitting encumbrances, you may thankfully, and joyfully, and hopefully betake yourselves to the greater work before you; in the which may God, in his infinite mercy, bless and prosper you for his dear Son's sake. Amen. 310 SERMON XV. CHURCH BUILDING A HOPEFUL AS WELL AS A NEEDFUL WORK. [Preached at Wolverhampton, at the re-opening of the Collegiate Church.] PSALM XXVii. 4. "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple." THE Psalm from which this text is taken is entitled in our Bibles "a Psalm of David ;" and it is evident that it was composed at some period of the writer's deep distress; probably when he was hiding himself from the cruel persecution of Saul. It will be for our instruction to observe what are his views and wishes in so trying a condition. At the eleventh verse he asks-" Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies." But this was not the thing which lay most upon his heart. His grand anxiety is expressed in the text which you have heard. One thing was indispensable to his happiness; namely, that he should behold the beauty of the Lord, and inquire of Him for his spiritual guidance. And in order to this, he wanted a privilege of which his present circumstances debarred him; namely, the power of free and continual access to the ordinances of God's house. This, therefore, was the chief, comparatively the only thing for which he lifted his voice in prayer. up Now, if we love our neighbour as ourselves, that which in our serious moments we covet most earnestly on our own behalf, that same we shall infallibly desire for him. If, then, it be granted that David petitioned wisely, it will follow that we can do nothing better than adopt his prayer as a directory for our own practice, if we would learn how we may best serve our brethren. To this, therefore, I would exhort you now; and I trust that what I shall have to say will be found suitable to the occasion of my present address to you. The noble edifice this day re-opened for the worship of God, has indeed been restored in a befitting manner to its ancient magnificence, and has been made capable besides of accommodating within its walls very nearly eight hundred addi tional worshippers, and that chiefly by provision of free sittings for the poor. But funds are still wanting to defray the cost which has been incurred. And further though that is all which I am to ask for in a way of giving now, it is very well known to yourselves that, even after these funds are obtained, a much larger work will still remain, which must be set about speedily, if not to-day. For the church accommodation of this great town will still be most dreadfully deficient, and therefore a very strenuous effort to increase it largely will be necessary. Suffer me, then, to remind you, first, that your neighbours in this place have as absolute need of the benefits which David looked for in the house of God, as David himself had. And let me endeavour to show you also, that which I think is very capable of proof; namely, that there is as good ground for hoping that they may actually find these benefits within this or any other churches which you may hereafter build for them, as there was for hoping that David and others of his day might find them at the tabernacle then standing. On these heads I mean to dwell; and I shall accordingly request your attention to what I have to say. I. First, respecting the necessities of those around you; and II. Secondly, respecting the method by which they may best be remedied. I. And, first, respecting the necessities of those around you. Whatever may be thought of the general selfishness of mankind, there are happily abundant proofs that in this country we have never been so utterly unmindful of the " things of others," as to have forgotten those wants and distresses of our neighbours which are obvious and before our eyes; our public institutions as well as our private alms, are witnesses that we do regard those around us as of one blood and of like infirmity with ourselves, and do feel for them in conformity to such relation. And God forbid that our exertions in this kind should ever flag, or that the feeding of the hungry, and the ministering to the sick, should ever be classed with that payment of" mint, anise, and cummin," which ancient hypocrisy was wont to substitute for the 66 weightier matters of the law."* Nevertheless, we must not err on the other side. We have not ascertained the necessities of our brethren when we have made ourselves acquainted with their bodily and temporal distresses; nor have we discharged ourselves of our obligation to the law of love when we have relieved those distresses. * See Matt. xxiii. 23. |