ORDINATION ADDRESS,

DELIVERED BY THE REV. ALEXANDER MUNRO, OF MANCHESTER, TO THE REV. G. w. ADAM, AT HIS ORDINATION TO THE PASTORAL CHARGE OF THE PRESBYTERIAN

CONGREGATION AT LEEDS, NOV. 18TH, 1852.

MY DEAR FRIEND AND BROTHER,-The present hour witnesses a momentous crisis in your life. You now stand before the Church—before men and angels, in a new and interesting relation. By the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery, you are formally separated to a holy callinginvested, so far as your brethren can invest you, with the office of the Christian ministry. The tie thus formed and recognised is henceforth to bind you and this flock to mutual duties, and to unite you in gracious privileges; constituting a relation whose issues imagination cannot estimate nor eternity exhaust.

In these circumstances, it is laid on me, in accordance with the ancient usage of our Presbyterian Church, to address, first to you, and, next, to your people, the word of exhortation. And may God, of his infinite mercy, open my lips to utter, and your heart to receive, such counsels as befit the occasion, and such encouragements as you may specially require. Many and divers are the functions of the sacred office; but if I would venture to assign a preference of one to the others, it would be, that you are specially called to preach the blessed Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Important, indeed, is the duty devolving on you to conduct the public worship of Almighty God. In their adorations the Cherubim veil their faces with their wings; while the Seraphim adore and burn. Emulate, then, in leading the devotions of your people, the humility of the one Angelic Order, and the fervour of the other. While, on the one hand, you do well to avoid enchaining your spiritual affections with stereotyped forms of prayer; thus hampering at least the operations of the promised Spirit; still let it be equally your care to guard against a loose and wandering manner of prayer. Rambling petitions and random utterances, are not to be mistaken for enlargement in the exercise. tempore effusions too often bring a reproach on free prayer, and give a handle to the advocate for set liturgies. Premeditate wisely the course of your supplications. Select your topics, and adjust their connexion. Ponder your matter; and consider how you can best give it manifestation and shape. Let your prevailing forms of expression be precatory-not expostulatory, or dogmatical, as the manner of some is. Let no careless, familiar, or extravagant thoughts or words find a place in your intended approaches to the great King. Thus prepared, and looking for the preparation of the Spirit, arise, and let your own and your people's devotions ascend, mingled with accents of adoring love, to the throne of the heavenly grace.

Ex

Again, you have the holy Sacraments to administer. Though this function is also subordinate to the preaching of the everlasting Gospel; still the due administration of them is of very great moment indeed. Ritualism was the leading feature of the Mosaic economy-the altar with the sacrifice, the censer with the incense, the sacred vessels with the official vestments, these mainly occupied the attention of the priests. But then, it is to be recollected that by these visible signs, Christ was preached as the Messiah promised-not yet sent. Brilliant as these symbols were, they were but "shadows of good things to come." But now that

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once in the end of the world, Christ hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself," this system of ritualism must give place, as the shadows vanish before the risen sun. On the same principle, all elaborate exhibitions of signs and emblems is to be held as alien to the spirit, and derogatory to the Lord of Christianity. The simple forms of baptism and the holy Supper, as enjoined, stand, externally sealing the covenant. But all the functions of the priest, or iepos, as such, are utterly abolished; and to aim at transmuting the Christian ministry into a ritual priesthood with its altar ceremonies-is at once a dishonour to the office, and a usurpation of mediatorial powers. Christ claims mediation, as his own untrodden domain. And the highest honour that can be possessed on earth is to minister to his people, as his servants in the Gospel. As his servant, then, dispense his Sacraments, not as conveying grace or ensuring salvation, but as external seals and edifying ordinances: dispense them, agreeably to the Scriptures, and to our scriptural directories, with order, solemnity and unction; as well as with due regard to spiritual discipline; so that the assembly of the saints may be comforted, and the great Master of Assemblies may be honoured.

But while you do all this; and while you visit from house to house— not with needless frequency, but only so often as your necessary sequestration for study may "permit: while your errands to the homes of your people are made, to warn the unruly, to comfort the feeble-minded, to support the weak :" while you bend your steps to the dwellings of the poor, to draw their souls to the unsearchable riches; while you pour, like the good Samaritan, the oil of consolation and the wine of joy into the heart broken for sin or bruised with sorrow; while you unveil the shining promises of Jehovah to the weeping widow, with her group of orphans; teaching them to see, through their tears, the face of that compassionate One who tempers the winds of his providence to the shorn lamb; and while soothing the anxieties of the sick, you assist in dispelling the gloom that sin or infirmity may gather around the soul, in that strange hour when it stands trembling on the verge of eternity-Oh, fail not, amidst all these avocations that so fitly become a minister of Him who bore our griefs and carried our sorrows-fail not to lend your most earnest attention to the duties of the pulpit-to the prime function of your life-to the full and faithful exhibition of "Christ and him crucified, as the power of God and the wisdom of God unto salvation." "By the foolishness of preaching," says the apostle, "God saves them that believe." And again he says, "Woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel." In adducing these things, I do not mean only that your doctrine be theologically correct, and your sentiment be good, as I trust they will always be ; but also that you study and contrive, with Divine help, to do justice to the doctrine, and to regulate well the sentiment as it flows from your heart. "Truth," it is said, “is powerful, and will prevail :" but we who are ministers, would do well to remember that truth owes much of its power to the shape in which it is presented. As a preacher, then, seek in dealing with truth, "to find out acceptable words." Present it habitually in such a way as to command for it the respect of men's understanding, to attract to it men's sensibilities, to engage in it men's profoundest sympathies; and so by a serious and earnest mode of application, "commend the truth to every man's conscience." Precious stones and precious metals are not thrown together indiscriminately in heaps; but are disposed, by the artist, with judgment and taste, so as by harmony and contrast to bring out their individual beauties

and to heighten their mingled splendour. And why should there be less care bestowed in distributing and arranging the precious things that are Christ's; in order that they may be deemed worthy of all acceptation. As a workman then, that needeth not to be ashamed, so present them—“ as apples of gold in cabinets of silver."

But, further, that your own soul may be sanctified, and that both your heart and your intellect may be enlarged for the work; let the holy Scriptures be your constant hand-book. Let your faculties and affections repair to them, as doves, in the sultry day, to the fountains. Let also, our excellent Westminster Standards, synthetically exhibiting, as they do, truths derived from a learned and devout analysis of those Scriptures, be often referred to, as helps and correctives. These Standards are not to be regarded as imposing "a human creed," but as an exposition of that Divine creed or belief, whose substance "God at sundry times and in divers manners," set forth as objects of saving and sanctifying faith. They are invaluable, especially at the present day, when so many loose views are coming into vogue-views drawn from wayward and shallow philosophizings-from rationalistic dilutions or neologic negations of the miracles and mysteries of the Divine Word.

Search the Scriptures, then, with the help of these, and with prayer for the light of the Holy Spirit. And let your favourite line of reading next be amongst the sound old theology of the Puritan divines of Englandthe Presbyterian writers, with writers kindred to them; whose names, such as Howe, Bates, Baxter, Goodwin, Henry-shine as a galaxy of glorious stars in the firmament of our sacred literature. These were the men of might, the grand in soul. Without forgetting that every age has its peculiar requirement; and with the full consciousness that you and your work belong to this age and to no other-and that you are called to mark its features, and to meet its exigencies; yet choose, ever and anon, a meditative hour for converse with the golden periods of the past. Walk with the shades of those departed worthies, through the bright prolific region of hallowed thought, which their extant writings present, compared with which the theologic writings of our day, are, in general, but as a handful of withered leaves to the gorgeous magnificence of Lebanon, in all its greenness and glory.

Apprehending the Gospel-its scope and its infinite issues-hold forth the Word of life clearly, boldly, stedfastly. Aim at nothing short of conversion, with your hearers-at "such a change as a man can no more forget than he can forget his escape from a shipwreck." Whether thus dealing with the sinner, or edifying the saint, press closely but affectionately on all the evil and peril of sin, the severity and mercy of God, the majesty of Christ's person, and the tenderness of Christ's love, the need of divine grace, and the law of human responsibility. Whitfield, if we look into his Remains, seems to have had just three themes which, filling all his discourses, lent thunder to his voice, lightning to his eye, and burning love to his heart, as he stood in the crowded cities, and on the green fields of the earth, uttering his Master's message to the multitudes of his day. These three themes were-MAN IS A SINNER ;-GOD, IN CHRIST, IS MERCIFUL;—AND DEATH, WITH JUDGMENT AND ETERNITY, IS COMING.

With you, whatever other themes be urged, let never these be forgotten. Preach them in season and out of season. Seize opportunities, or make opportunities, that so the work may be always advancing. Study the requirements of your own people and those of the great town, swarming

with immortal souls, to which you have been sent; and so adapt your ministrations to their objects. Some sins like some diseases-are endemic. They are found to thrive more rankly in particular localities. Select, therefore, and apply the most suitable medicines. Cherish every form of piety and virtue that comes under your notice. Live the doctrine that you preach. Remember what Baxter has said, that "a holy profession will never make amends for an unholy life." Anointed by the Spirit, and commissioned by the Church, let your zeal for Christ's house and Christ's glory, abound; and let your personal holiness appear to men as at once the test and the vindication of your zeal in urging them to repent, and turn to God, that they may be saved. Care for the careless; pray for the prayerless. Cheer the despondent; stay the wavering. Counsel with faithfulness; reprove with kindness and delicacy.

"And as a bird each fond endearment tries

To tempt its new-fledged offspring to the skies;
So, try each art, reprove each dull delay,

Allure to brighter worlds, and lead the way."

Such be the course of your ministry in the Gospel; such, also, be what remains of mine! And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with

you. Amen.

Biography.

THE LATE JOHN FRASER, ESQ., OF LONDON, CANADA WEST,

FORMERLY OF INVERNESS.

WE would sympathize with our friends of procured, but, after lingering in a state of the Synod of Canada under the heavy unconsciousness for about four hours, he strokes which it has pleased the Lord peacefully expired. A few particulars of lately to inflict upon them:-About fif- Mr. Fraser's history will doubtless be teen months ago, the Rev. William Ren- | acceptable to a large circle of our toul, of St. Gabriel-street Church, Mon- readers. treal, one of their most devoted ministers, was suddenly called to his rest; in March last, Mr. James R. Orr, an excellent Elder of Coté-street Church, in the same city, was also called to his reward; and now we have to record, that by a sudden dispensation of God's providence, the above much respected gentleman has been removed from the scene of his labours and active usefulness.

We copy the following from the "Middlesex Prototype," published at London, Canada West, 29th December last :

"Our entire community is filled with grief for the sudden removal, by death, of one of our most beloved and respected citizens. On the afternoon of Tuesday, the 21st instant, Mr. Fraser's carriage was run into by the heavy waggon of a careless teamster, six miles from town on the Goderich road, and Mr. Fraser thrown out with violence. He was carried into the nearest house, and immediate assistance

"He was born in Inverness, in Scotland, 29th of January, 1795, and was, therefore, at the period of his lamented death, fifty-seven years of age. Descended from an old and highly respectable family, Mr. Fraser received the advantage of a liberal education, at the Inverness Royal Academy, and subsequently at the University of King's College, Aberdeen, where he graduated, in 1812. The remarkably religious bias of his mind was derived, in very early life, from the instructions of his maternal grandmother, with whom, in Ross-shire, his first years were spent, and subsequently matured under the example and influence of his father, a man of high probity as a merchant, and rare excellence as a Christian.

"Though originally intended for a profession, the subject of our sketch devoted himself to commercial pursuits, and, with this view, passed a few years in