to the sacredness of the day, and of the occasion; and invited them to engage with becoming reverence in the worship of Him who "dwelleth not in temples made with hands." A hymn was

then sung

Jesus, and shall it ever be

A mortal man asham'd of thee!

After prayer, the congregation were addressed at some length from Matt. xxviii. 19. "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

The candidates, fifteen in number, were then successively led "down into the water," and "were baptized, both men and women," according to the example of the first Christians, exhibited in the eighth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.

During the whole service, it was pleasing to witness, on the part of the audience, that decorum and seriousness which all considerate persons will ever bring to the solemnities of divine worship. In the afternoon, when the persons baptized were received into the Church, (whose number of members has now increased from seven to forty,) the right hand of fellowship, accompanied with a suitable address, was given by the Pastor in the presence of a numerous and deeply interested assembly.

SERMON.

ECCLESIASTES XII. 10.

THE PREACHER SOUGHT TO FIND OUT ACCEPTABLE WORDS.

WORDS are instruments of thought, by which we make known our sentiments and purposes to others. They are signs which enable us to communicate a knowledge of facts or to illustrate truths that may greatly affect the character and happiness of our fellow creatures. They are powerful means both of good and evil. They have a heartwithering or heart-stirring effect according to the ideas which they present to the mind. Even the hearing of a few words, or the sight of them, has often made the stout hearted tremble, or filled the bosoms of the disconsolate with transports of joy.

and

So deeply indeed, are the interests of society involved in the faithful

proper use of this conventional mode of intercourse, that nothing can sooner, or more effectually destroy the reputation of a person, and exclude him from all the confidence of friendship, than the knowledge, that he is habitually regardless of what he says.

If therefore it be thus important that a man should be cautious of his words in the common intercourse of life, and in his transactions with the world, how much more cautious should he be who ministers in things which relate to another world;

"Who negotiates between God and man

As God's ambassador-→→

And who is the public advocate and expounder of a revelation which purports to be from heaven; the reception or rejection of which, will fix man's weal or woe forever. Surely, if there be any one on earth, who "should beware of lightness in his speech;" it is he who enters office, so big with consequences to those that hear him.

on an

Solomon was not only the King of Israel but a Preacher. And he especially felt the solemn responsibility attached to his ministerial character. He knew that the truths which it was his duty to teach, were of a religious nature; and that their influence on the moral character of others, would be either good or bad. He was therefore anxious, as every preacher should be, that he might say nothing which would

pervert the judgment, or give a wrong direction to the affections or conduct of his hearers.

Although he was endued with uncommon wisdom; and his acquirements in learning and science were profound and various; yet, when he set himself to address his fellow men, on subjects which related to their religious faith and practice, he did not feel himself at liberty to speak without much previous reflection. "Because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge: yea he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. The preacher sought to find acceptable words."

In this passage we have an example,which ought to be imitated by all who preach. If he who is announced in the scriptures as the wisest man; laboured with industry and care to find out acceptable words, even words of truth, surely preachers at the present day, who have all the disadvantages of speaking in another language, and of living at a distant age, in which the manners and habits are totally different, should take good heed to select and use such words, in all their ministrations as shall most clearly and impressively exhibit the truths which they undertake to explain and enforce.

I. It may perhaps, be proper to remark, that in performing this duty, a preacher is not required to find out words, for the purpose merely of making himself generally acceptable to his hearers.

No one ever delivered truths, that were more unacceptable to a certain class of hearers, than did the preacher. He cautioned them against worldly amusements and pleasures, with all the force of one, who had learned by bitter experience, that although full of promise, they are only vanity, and occasion vexation of spirit. He described & course of licentiousness and its consequences, in language the most condemnatory and appalling. He sought to find out words, that would be most alarming to the conscience, and terrible to the apprehension, when he pourtrayed the commencement, the progress and the end of wickedness. While he held out the brightest hopes to the righteoushe never spared the unrighteous.

Nothing would be so acceptable to many hearers, as for ministers to prophecy smooth things; and to tell them that God makes no differ ence between the righteous and the wicked; between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not. But however acceptable this kind of preaching would be to sinners, we are assured that it would be unacceptable to God. He has set his servants as watchmen, to warn the wicked of their danger, and to exhort them to turn from their evil ways and their doings which are not good. If the wicked turn not, they