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 CHARGE 
 
 DHL IV EKED TO 
 
 THE CLERGY OF THE DIOCESE OF GLASGOW 
 AND GALLOWAY, 
 
 TRIENNIAL VISITATION, AUGUST 29, 1855, 
 IN ST MARY'S CHURCH, GLASGOW, 
 
 RIGHT REV. W. J. TROWKR, D.D. 
 
 BISHOP OF GLASGOW AND GALLOWAY, 
 
 EDINBURGH: 
 
 II. GRANT & SON, 54 PRINCES STREET. 
 
 LONDON: F. & J. RIVINGTON. 
 
 GLASGOW: M. OGLE & SON. 
 
 1 H55.
 
 PRINTED FOR R. GRANT AND SON, EDINBURGH.
 
 CHARGE, Ac. 
 
 Eeverend and Beloved Brethren, 
 
 In the early part of the year I submitted to 
 your consideration some thoughts on those endless 
 divisions of Christendom by which many minds are 
 painfully perplexed, and also on the apparently 
 partial fulfilment of such prophecies as seem to pro- 
 mise to the Church for ever a perfect unity and an 
 unerring certainty. 
 
 I am very sensible that, in meditating long and 
 earnestly on these very sacred subjects, it is not 
 unlikely that the mind may over-estimate the value 
 of the conclusions at which it may arrive. Under a 
 sense, however, of the great responsibility which 
 rests on any one called to my sacred office for endea- 
 vouring, by all means in his power, to promote the 
 cause of peace and truth, I had for some time been 
 anxious to call your attention to certain views on 
 these subjects which had long commended them- 
 selves to my own mind as calculated, in these times 
 of excitement and exaggeration, to sooth and satisfy 
 any person who might have become unsettled and
 
 uneasy with respect to the position of the Reformed 
 Catholic Church ; and having, in the form of a 
 Pastoral Letter, suggested to you certain trains of 
 thought which seem to me seasonable at this time, 
 with respect to the divisions of the Church, I am the 
 better able, on the occasion of my Triennial Visita- 
 tion, to dwell with you on the state of the Diocese, 
 and some other subjects of Ecclesiastical interest, 
 and, I would hope, of mutual edification. 
 
 Having now, by the mercy of God, held my sacred 
 office for nearly seven years, I have thought that it 
 would be a suitable time for considering its present 
 condition, with respect to progress, as compared 
 with its state at former periods ; and although, in 
 a purely voluntary Church, there must always be 
 many circumstances to cause anxiety — (indeed where 
 is the Church, and when has there been any period 
 of the Church, of which this might not be said?) — 
 yet, on the whole, I think that the feelings resulting 
 from a review of the progress of the Church in this 
 Diocese during the Episcopate of my revered prede- 
 cessor, as well as my own, will afford much ground 
 for encouragement and thankfulness. 
 
 The Episcopate which preceded my own was a 
 very remarkable one in the history of this Diocese, 
 and even in the history of this Church. At my first 
 Visitation (1849) I endeavoured, in some degree, to 
 express my great respect for my predecessor's me- 
 mory, and my sense of the very remarkable amount 
 of blessing to his Diocese of which God had per- 
 
 UIUC 
 
 V
 
 mitted him to be the means. But every year that I 
 have myself had experience of the difficulties which 
 attend the Episcopate in Scotland, has deepened on 
 my mind the impression, which it had then received, 
 of his quiet and unpretending, but most untiring and 
 munificent, exertions. Knowing, as I now know, by 
 some not inconsiderable experience, the difficulty of 
 eliciting zeal, of conciliating prejudices, and of induc- 
 ing many minds to work together in harmony for the 
 permanent establishment of even one new charge, I 
 reflect with admiration, and with hearty desire to 
 learn from his character and example the conditions 
 of success in this blessed work, on the fact, that, while 
 occupied with the cares and duties of a distant In- 
 cumbency, he was enabled to set on foot no less than 
 ten distinct charges in this Diocese, most of them 
 Incumbencies at the time of his decease. Previous 
 to his Episcopate, he had been forward in aiding 
 (always with open hand and heart) the establish- 
 ment, or the extrication from difficulty, of several 
 other congregations ; and it was doubtless owing, 
 under God, to the influence thus acquired, and to 
 the love and veneration which were universally felt 
 towards him, that he was enabled to effect so much 
 while holding the office of Bishop. Into his labours 
 it was my lot to enter. And while I was thankful 
 to have, in the example of my predecessor, an 
 instance of the rare combination of zeal and learning 
 with gentleness and wisdom, I thought it not un- 
 likely that after so considerable a progress a lull or
 
 6 
 
 pause might ensue, and that it might be my own 
 portion (during such time as I might myself be 
 allowed to serve God in the office of your Bishop) 
 rather to foster the charges set on foot by my pre- 
 decessor, than to witness in my own day any similar 
 increase. The spirit, however, which he was enabled 
 to elicit has not declined. In several instances, each 
 Incumbency established during the Episcopate of 
 Bishop Russell has proved like leaven in its neigh- 
 bourhood, notwithstanding the opposition unavoid- 
 ably occasioned in many quarters by the increase of 
 our congregations ; and notwithstanding the attacks 
 which have been made from time to time, and even 
 recently, on the validity of our Episcopal succession, 
 as well as on the principle of Episcopacy itself. 
 
 Printed papers of this character have been exten- 
 sively circulated in some parts of this Diocese ; but, 
 on the whole, I have thought it best to abstain from 
 controversial replies to these documents. It may at 
 times be our bounden duty to give some short and 
 simple answer to objections when proposed by candid 
 enquirers ; but I believe for the most part the best 
 answer to such attacks, is an honest endeavour to be 
 true to the principles of our Church, both in life and 
 doctrine, and then such attacks will do us no lasting 
 injury. Our Church, by the Divine blessing, has con- 
 tinued peacefully to strike a deeper root, and bear 
 more abundant fruits. I believe there are at this 
 moment fourteen more clergymen at work in this 
 Diocese than there were at my consecration, and the
 
 number of strictly new charges is ten or eleven. At 
 least eight new Schools have been set on foot. Four 
 Churches have been consecrated, two of which were 
 ready, or nearly ready, at the time of my predeces- 
 sor's death. Another Church (not yet consecrated) 
 has been built; and a building, formerly used as a Dis- 
 senting Chapel, having been purchased as a place of 
 worship in the Diocese, has recently been made over 
 for ever to the Church by the zealous layman who at 
 first purchased it. Four excellent School-rooms, two 
 of them licensed for Divine service, have been built ; 
 and three Parsonages built or provided. In three 
 instances, Endowments have been provided on a 
 scale before unknown in our Church since its impo- 
 verishment. If I were to go more into detail than 
 seems to me advisable on the present occasion, it 
 would be easy to adduce many other marks of pro- 
 gress of a most cheering and encouraging character. 
 I cannot forbear from mentioning the increasing 
 disposition and desire of members of our Commu- 
 nion to comply with the directions of the Prayer 
 Book as to the public celebration of marriages and 
 baptisms in Church, and the complete and entire 
 observance of that most solemn and affecting formu- 
 lary — the order for the Burial of the Dead. Were 
 I speaking of the Church at large, many other 
 encouraging signs of progress might of course be 
 mentioned ; but on a Diocesan Visitation, I speak 
 only of such as may be observable in this Diocese. 
 The number of persons confirmed, and the increase
 
 8 
 
 of communicants, are always satisfactory and unmis- 
 takeable signs of progress. 
 
 To many persons this statement may after all 
 seem such as can only be described as " the day of 
 small things." If that were the case, yet Scrip- 
 ture cautions us against despising " the day of 
 small things " in reference to the building of God's 
 Temple. 
 
 To those, however, who estimate justly the diffi- 
 culties of the case, I am persuaded that the results 
 which I have mentioned will seem to be such as 
 could not have been expected twenty years ago ; 
 and such as call upon all those who regard the Epis- 
 copal Church as the most faithful existing witness 
 for Evangelical truth and Apostolic order, to give 
 glory to God for what has been accomplished, and 
 to go forward in their work in a spirit of thankful- 
 ness and trust. There are deeply-rooted prejudices 
 to conciliate or overcome : there are many plausible 
 reasonings to deal with, tenderly and charitably ; 
 and these not only as put forth by Christians of 
 other communions, but also as influencing many 
 persons, who, while they prefer the Episcopal system 
 and Liturgical worship, yet view the question of 
 introducing Episcopacy and the Prayer-Book as one 
 of preference and expediency, rather than of duty. 
 The attached members of our Church are scattered 
 throughout the country in a manner which renders 
 it very difficult to combine their action and their 
 contributions in the establishment of new missions
 
 <> 
 
 or incumbencies ; and we must admit that the exag- 
 gerated statements and needlessly offensive practices 
 of some, and the unhappy lapse to Romanism of 
 others, have not only given a handle to objectors, 
 but have furnished an excuse, to such as might be 
 hesitating whether or not to attach themselves to 
 our Communion, for withholding their adherence. 
 Moreover, it must be remembered that our Church 
 neitber deals in the stern denunciation of those who 
 reject her doctrines, which is not without influence 
 in gaining proselytes ; nor does she sanction the use 
 of such stimuli as are found in new and exciting 
 practices, or in the exclusive and exaggerated en- 
 forcement of certain doctrines. It is not difficult to 
 get proselytes to some popular and partial exhibi- 
 tion of Divine truth ; but such increase of numbers 
 is no real proof of strength. For the most part it 
 lasts only for a season, and is effected at the expense 
 of the right proportion of faith, and the real con- 
 sistency of the Christian character. Our Church 
 neither says with the Church of Eome, in reference 
 to her own Communion, " Nulla Salus extra Eccle- 
 siam;" nor does she sanction those views which 
 commend themselves to the pride of the human 
 intellect and human heart, by proclaiming that every 
 man may interpret the Bible for himself, without 
 reference to the sense in which it had been received 
 from the beginning, as attested in the Creed, and 
 embodied in the Sacraments of the Church of God. 
 Her spirit is mild, tolerant, and persuasive. Dread-
 
 10 
 
 ing the effect of any false excitement or unhealthful 
 stimulus, she appeals to the sober judgment, the 
 candid and unimpassioned consideration of the world 
 around her. Avoiding as much as may be the 
 heated atmosphere and polemic spirit of controversy, 
 she cleaves fondly to that which was from the 
 beginning, and leads her children by the still waters 
 of devotional exercises and reverent worship. Dis- 
 claiming the delusive though dazzling attribute of 
 infallibility, she holds aloft (second only to the 
 banner of the Cross) the principle of cleaving to 
 historical and probable testimony. She enforces on 
 her children, according to their intellectual capacity, 
 the duty of candidly weighing (with reference to 
 the various questions by which we are tried) the 
 amount of probable and cumulative evidence; re- 
 membering that this is, in the nature of things, the 
 only possible evidence (as in the case of Christianity 
 itself, so also) in the case of various doctrines of 
 Christianity ; and that, instead of denying the exis- 
 tence of difficulties, we are responsible for setting 
 faithfully over against any undeniable difficulty the 
 overwhelming amount of probable and cumulative 
 evidence in favour of the ancient Creed. 
 
 It is on this account, my Rev. Brethren, that we 
 rejoice in the progress of our Church. It is not in 
 that narrow and sectarian spirit which leads people 
 to exult in the triumph of some party to which they 
 may be attached by hereditary prejudices, or by 
 long personal habit ; It is not in the fierce and
 
 11 
 
 fanatical temper of zealots, who compass sea and 
 land to make one proselyte, without considering 
 the effect of such change on the various relations in 
 which he is Providentially placed : It is not as 
 denying (God forbid) the amount of Christian truth 
 and Christian holiness in the various Communions 
 around us : — but it is because we believe our Church 
 to witness, by her principles and practices, more 
 faithfully than any of those Communions, to the 
 ancient Truth and the evidence on which it rests : — 
 It is because we believe her to take her stand on the 
 only ground from which it is possible to contend 
 logically and successfully against Popish error on the 
 one side, and theological and latitudinarian error on 
 the other; — It is because we believe (and we think 
 experience has sufficiently shewn) that those Com- 
 munions, with all their zeal and excellence (for 
 which we thank God, and by which we desire to 
 take example), yet unconsciously appeal to principles 
 which, in the long run, would undermine the evidence 
 for many essential doctrines which they hold in com- 
 mon with ourselves ; nay, the evidence on which the 
 genuineness and authenticity of the Scriptures of 
 Truth can alone be defended. It is because we believe 
 conscientiously that, in this age and country of religi- 
 ous excitement, when people are being blown about 
 by every wind of doctrine — tossed to and fro on the 
 waves of controversy — their spirits embittered — 
 their peace destroyed — their moral beauty marred 
 — by the temper of division, controversy, and un-
 
 12 
 
 certainty, — we believe, I say, that the views of 
 Divine Truth contained in the Book of Common 
 Prayer present the safest guide into the haven of 
 peace and truth ; and that the increasing influence 
 of that Book is the best security that the Bible itself 
 (I do not mean the letter only of the Bible, but 
 the sense and meaning of the Bible — the revelation 
 of truth contained in the Bible — the actual and very 
 remedy proclaimed in the Bible for human sin and 
 human sorrow), will be faithfully handed on to 
 coming ages, unimpaired and fresh as it was at the 
 beginning. We believe that the progress of our 
 Church is a token of return to calm and healthful 
 habits of thought and feeling with respect to de- 
 votional practice, and with respect also to the nature 
 of that evidence on which all that is precious to us 
 ultimately rests ; and therefore we thank God that 
 He has called forth the ancient spirit of zeal and 
 munificence within this Diocese (as well as elsewhere 
 within this branch of the Church) in several re- 
 markable instances ; and we are encouraged to go 
 forward in our work with patient expectation, with 
 steadfast endurance of the trials and difficulties which 
 are necessarily incident to a Church in our present 
 circumstances ; with firm resolution, by the grace of 
 God, to be unprovoked by any asperities to bitter 
 words or uncharitable feelings ; while We will not 
 flinch from humble but earnest endeavours to hand 
 on to those around, and to those who shall come 
 after, the sacred deposit which, by God's infinite
 
 13 
 
 mercv, we have ourselves received. No doubt we 
 must all expect our portion of anxiety and trial. In 
 my own case those anxieties have been deepened by 
 the private trial which prevents my continued resi- 
 dence, and which often suggests the question — Is it 
 right to continue in an office demanding the whole 
 devotion of time and energy, while Providentially 
 hindered from residing among you ? Your own 
 united wish that I should continue to do so, is my 
 consolation and support, and is itself, I trust, a happy 
 and healthful token that such minor differences as 
 may arise from time to time between a Bishop and 
 his Clergy, have never impaired the mutual trust 
 and affectionate regard which should always charac- 
 terise our. sacred relation. I have to thank you for 
 the gratification which your confidence has afforded 
 me in such trying circumstances, and to assure you 
 that, whenever you may see reason to doubt whether 
 the existing arrangement is the best for the Diocese, 
 under a review of the whole case, I shall be neither 
 hurt nor surprised by your informing me that this 
 is your opinion. 
 
 The precarious footing of many of our missions 
 must always be attended by anxiety. We must be 
 subject to such events (surprising as it was) as 
 occurred with respect to the chapel erected at Sel- 
 kirk. It will always happen in a voluntary or 
 unendowed Church, that funds will fluctuate ; and 
 some congregations will be in a feeble, while others 
 are in a thriving condition. But such anxieties as
 
 14 
 
 these are incident to the condition of the Church 
 militant here on earth. And experience shows us 
 that the existence, nay, the progress of our Church, 
 consists with far greater trials than those over which 
 we have now to mourn. Our part is to bear our 
 testimony in our generation ; endeavouring to main- 
 tain the truth, and serve our Master, and look to 
 Him for blessing. 
 
 And here, my brethren, among the subjects which 
 seem to me to call for some remark at this particular 
 period, I would briefly direct your minds to the 
 revival in our sister Church of England and Ireland 
 
 o 
 
 of the deliberative functions of the Convocation of 
 the Clergy, in the most important of her Provinces, 
 and the bearing which such revival must have on 
 many questions which affect our own, and even the 
 American branches of the Reformed Catholic Church. 
 Valuing as we value the synodical action of our 
 own Church, we cannot but regard with the deepest 
 sympathy the deliberations of that venerable body, 
 and the progress of public opinion in favour of the 
 important movement, which has hitherto been con- 
 ducted with so much wisdom and moderation. It 
 is a matter of great thankfulness that this work has 
 thus far been so conducted as to allay many appre- 
 hensions that were perhaps reasonably entertained ; 
 and our prayers should not be wanting that the 
 Divine blessing may still attend a movement with 
 which, indeed, we are not directly concerned, but 
 which, from our close connection with the Church of
 
 15 
 
 England, and our use of the English Book of Com- 
 mon Prayer, suggests many thoughts, not unattended 
 with anxiety. 
 
 It is plain, for instance, to every one who reflects 
 on what is going on, that the question of the admis- 
 sion of the Laity, under certain conditions, to the 
 Synods of the Church, must sooner or later be mooted 
 in that Assembly ; and this cannot be the case 
 without a great influence on the same question, with 
 respect to the constitution of our own General and 
 Diocesan Synods. The interest which was felt on 
 this subject in our Church three years ago, has 
 perhaps declined rather than increased ; but it is 
 well that, in times of comparative rest and peace, 
 we should. calmly prepare ourselves for the question, 
 which sooner or later must come before us as a 
 matter for practical determination. You are aware 
 that I am myself favourable, under the present cir- 
 cumstances of the Church, to the admission of 
 Laymen, under certain conditions, into her Synods. 
 This opinion does not rest on any notion that the 
 Laity have (inherently and indefeasibly) a right 
 to such admission. But neither do I believe that 
 even Presbyters have any such inherent, original, 
 and indefeasible right. My own opinion (which I 
 would express with much recollection of possible 
 error), is, that all right of rule and legislation was 
 lodged with the Apostolic College ; and that it was 
 by concession on their part that any others were (as 
 at the council at Jerusalem) associated with them-
 
 L6 
 
 selves in the determination of questions. And I 
 conceive that the Bishops of the Church, in a simi- 
 lar manner, if they believe the admission of the Laity 
 to be advisable under the actual condition of the 
 Church, may propose that admission under certain 
 limitations, not on the principle of recognising a 
 right on the part of the Laity, too long withheld, 
 but on the principle of a reasonable and conditional 
 concession, rendered both safe and advisable from 
 the progress of time, and the actual circumstances 
 of the Church, and the spread of education. And as 
 Presbyters, once admitted by concession to share in 
 synodical action, have afterwards a prescriptive right 
 of which the Bishops could not deprive them ; so I 
 believe that the Laity, once admitted, will, in a simi- 
 lar manner, acquire rights of a prescriptive though 
 not of an inherent nature to a stated and limited 
 share in the legislation of the Church, — care being 
 taken not only to preserve the original deposit of 
 the Faith for ever inviolate, but also to provide for 
 the decision of such doctrinal questions as might by 
 implication affect it, by purely Ecclesiastical Courts. 
 Some well considered scheme, by which the Laity 
 might have a share in the election of Bishops, seems 
 to me also much wanted in this Church. 
 
 But the subject which comes home more nearly to 
 our feelings and apprehension than any thing which 
 affects only the constitution of our Synods is the 
 recommendation presented to Convocation in the 
 report of a very weighty committee appointed by
 
 17 
 
 iIkii renerable Synod in favour of a new arrange- 
 ment of the offices of the Church, and some other 
 important changes. It 'Iocs not. of course. Follow that 
 this Church should adopt all or any of the modifica- 
 tions of this sort of her present use which may be pro- 
 posed by an English Convocation ; but still any advice 
 emanating from a body of such authority in England 
 on so delicate and grave a subject must have a seri- 
 ous influence; on Scottish Churchmen ; and without 
 entering at length on questions which do not imme- 
 diately concern us, I commend what is going on to 
 your serious reflection, and to your habitual pra 
 It is satisfactory that all parties agree in retaining 
 the whole of fche existing Offices, Liturgy, and Litany 
 of the English Prayer-Book — though the Report 
 recommends a somewhat different arrangement and 
 division : on which I will only remark, that it seems 
 to me, on the whole, more suited for the circum- 
 stances of the English Church than for (hose of OUT 
 own. In some respects this Church has either adopt- 
 ed, or has the means of adopting, without difficulty, 
 some of the recommendations of the Committee. 
 Thus, 1. By our J 7th Canon we admit parents as 
 sponsors for their own children in Holy Baptism. 2. 
 We are enabled to introduce, by the authority of the 
 Bishops, occasional prayers and thanksgivings into 
 the order for morning and evening prayer ; and there 
 is nothing to hinder us from giving at least Diocesan 
 authority to some form for the institution of incum- 
 hents, or other solemn occasions. 8. I think it well
 
 18 
 
 to call vonr attention to the admonition prefixed to 
 the Second Book of Homilies, with respect to the 
 
 power o\ selecting other chapters than those which 
 mav tall in order to be read on Sundays and Holidays. 
 The authority of this admonition is over-ridden in 
 England by the Aet of Uniformity : but I conceive 
 that, in consequence of our subscription to the 
 Thirty-Nine Articles, it has mil authority among 
 ourselves. Mv attention was first called to the tact 
 bv one of mv present clergy, and I see that people 
 are elsewhere noticing the importance of the princi- 
 ple thus sanctioned. It is there said. " And whereas 
 it mav so chance some one or other chapter of the 
 Old Testament to fall in order to be read upon the 
 Sundays or other Holidays, which were better to be 
 changed with some other of the New Testament of 
 more edification, it shall be well done to spend your 
 time, and consider well of such chapters beforehand, 
 wherebv vour prudence and diligence may appear, 
 so that vour people mav have cause to glorify God 
 for you." 1 am not mentioning this with a view to 
 vour acting upon it without Episcopal advice and 
 sanction : but for the purpose of shewing that we 
 recognise a principle which is of great importance. 
 I should think mvself justified, in virtue of this legal 
 document, and of the spirit and principle involved in 
 it. in sanctioning the reading of chapters taken from 
 Inspired Scripture, instead of chapters from the 
 Apocrypha, on Holidays : and perhaps in adopting 
 the lessons from Inspired Scripture in the Calendar
 
 19 
 
 of the Scottish Prayer-Book of King Charles I., in- 
 stead of the Apocryphal lessons, between September 
 27 and November 23. 
 
 With reference to another point, I may mention 
 that I should have no hesitation in authorising the 
 use of the Litany with a sermon as a third service in 
 populous places. I believe that we shall never regain 
 our hold on the poor, without relaxation of the stiff- 
 ness of our system in respect of preaching only after 
 the full service of the Church, nor yet without the 
 adoption of such hymns as are aids in congregational 
 devotion, in addition to the use of the ancient ver- 
 sions of the Psalms. And if in any place the clergy 
 find that the managers or trustees of Chapels are 
 averse to allow their use for the benefit of the poor 
 in services of this kind, I think that they should use 
 their influence, temperately but earnestly, to con- 
 vince such persons of the want of charity unconsci- 
 ously shewn in such objections. It is the very glory 
 and characteristic of a Church to preach the Gospel 
 to the poor. 
 
 There are many other subjects on which, if time 
 allowed, I should wish to urge your continued and 
 earnest exertion. The wants of the Church Society. 
 The Friendly Society for the widows and relatives of 
 the clergy. The promotion of schools. The recol- 
 lection of the claims of the Society for Propogating 
 the Gospel in Foreign Parts. The very important 
 rule about to be adopted by the Church Society, 
 and which I recommend most earnestly to your sup-
 
 20 
 
 port, with a view to promote, and indeed enforce the 
 endowment of Churches. In every Church, whether 
 or not deriving aid from the Church Society, there 
 ought to be a regular Endowment Fund, of which the 
 congregation should be periodically reminded. 
 
 Not wishing, however, to occupy your time and 
 attention too long on the present occasion, I will, in 
 conclusion, address only one solemn word to you 
 and to myself, — 
 
 « PHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF." 
 
 It is a word often spoken in bitterness by those 
 who fret against the warnings of their Spiritual Pas- 
 tors, or expect in them an angelical perfection not 
 to be looked for in the present state of things. But 
 yet it is a word which we should all take to our own 
 hearts, remembering how grievous is the scandal, 
 how great the injury, not to our Church only, but to 
 religion itself, when those who profess to be guides, 
 themselves are led astray ; and those who are set to 
 be watchmen, themselves are supine and slothful. 
 In particular, it is felt that those who claim a call 
 and a mission more apostolic and authoritative than 
 can be claimed in other communions, ought to shew 
 by their personal habits, and by their devoted lives, 
 that the grace of orders has a blessed influence, not 
 marked by haughty assumption of the ministerial 
 prerogatives, but by a more lowly and gentle dispo- 
 sition to become the servants of all men. We have 
 not in this country the influence which arises from
 
 21 
 
 secular rank and large expenditure, and homes that 
 realise in many an English village the fairest dreams 
 of earthly happiness ; while they are the centres also 
 of wide-spreading benevolence and pastoral effort. 
 Long may England be characterised by such blessed 
 resting-places of pure and undefiled religion through 
 the length and breadth of her land ! But we may 
 have in an equal, nay, we might have in a still 
 greater degree, the influence which arises from burn- 
 ing zeal and meek patience, from a single eye and 
 unsecular mind — from the spirit that is not easily 
 provoked — from the willingness to spend and be 
 spent in our Master's service. This is the true 
 source of a Pastor's influence. And this is the 
 gift of God, poured down on those who most obe- 
 diently lay themselves out to do His will, and by 
 whom invisible things are most habitually realised as 
 motives to daily exertion and self-denial. Men do 
 feel that he who proclaims a remedy for sin and sor- 
 row, ought himself to be an instance of the efficacy 
 of that remedy ; — in sorrow, patient and trustful, like 
 one whose treasure is above ; — in prosperity, humble 
 and diligent, like one who knows its uncertainty, 
 and is pressing towards the goal ; — unworldly when 
 his own interest is at stake ; — meek under irritating 
 usage ; — devout, and temperate, and pure ; — a living 
 epistle of his blessed Master, known and read of all 
 men : — an instance of the degree in which the plague 
 of the heart may be healed, and the bitter waters 
 may be sweetened. Then can we speak persuasively
 
 22 
 
 to others to taste and try the remedy, when we 
 speak from personal experience of its blessed power, 
 commending it to them with a conviction which 
 they perceive can spring from nothing short of that 
 experience, and when, notwithstanding some signs 
 and traces of the original evil, they see plainly that 
 the old man has indeed received his death-wound, and 
 the new man is being gradually formed in us ; when 
 they see no swelling self-conceit — no vain-glorious 
 self-display — no preaching of ourselves in the place 
 of Christ — no carnal end — no faithless and wilful 
 inconsistency ; but the love of Christ and the love 
 of souls. God pardon us, my brethren, who for the 
 most part (each of us will own it of himself) so far 
 come short. God enable us to look to the True 
 Brazen Serpent lifted up in the wilderness, till the 
 deadly plague indeed is healed. Let us live with 
 that word before our minds — " Physician, heal thy- 
 self ;" and remember that the unmistakeable tokens 
 of spiritual health in ourselves, are one essential con- 
 dition of ministering to others the true and sufficient 
 remedy. 
 
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