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members, and of assaults from the evil one. The voice of the Son of God is, "I will be merciful to your unrighteousness; and the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." Come, ye children of domestic woe, upon whom the Lord has made a breach, by taking away your counselors and support. The voice of the Son of God is, "Leave thy fatherless children with Me; I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in Me." Come, ye from whom mysterious providence has swept away the acquisitions of long and reputable industry. The voice of the Son of God is, "My son, if thou wilt receive My words, thou shalt have "a treasure in the heavens that faileth not ;" and mayest "take joyfully the spoiling of thy goods, knowing that thou hast in heaven a better and an enduring substance." Come, ye poor, who without property to lose, are grappling with distress, and exposed to want. The Son of God, though the heir of all things, "had not where to lay His head;" and His voice to His poor is, "Be content with such things as ye have, for I will never leave thee nor forsake thee; thy bread shall be given thee, and thy water shall be sure." Come, ye reproached, who find ́ "cruel mockings" a most bitter persecution. The voice of the Son of God is, "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye, for the Spirit of God and of glory resteth upon you. Come, in fine, ye dejected, whom the fear of death holds in bondage. The voice of the Son of God is, "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them. O death, I will be thy plagues! O grave, I will be thy destruction! repentance shall be hid from Mine eye;" blessed Jesus! thy loving-kindness shall "be My joy in the house of My pilgrimage;" and I will praise thee "while I have any being," for that Gospel which thou hast preached to the poor!

DISCOURSE SEVENTY FIFTH.

WILLIAM STAUGHTON, D.D.

DR. STAUGHTON was born in England, at Coventry, in Warwickshire, in the year 1770-the same year in which Drs. Griffin and Mason were born. At the early age of twelve years he discovered remarkable talents, and composed several poems, which were published and admired. At the age of seventeen he wrote a book called "Juvenile Poems." His literary studies were pursued at Bristol; and in that place he began occasionally to preach, and drew together large assemblies. He came to this country in 1793, at the request of his brethren in England, upon a call from Dr. Furman, of South Carolina, for a young man of promise to take charge of the Baptist church in Georgetown in that State. His first ministerial connection, of about seventeen months, was with the above-named church. Thence he removed to New York; but, falling sick with the yellow fever, and being otherwise afflicted, he chose a residence in New Jersey, and settled first with the church at Bordentown, and then with that at Burlington. While residing at the latter place, such was his reputation for brilliancy of talent, that Princeton College conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Divinity, though then only twenty-eight years of age. In 1806 he removed to Philadel phia-the scene of his greatest labors and success-and assumed the charge of the first Baptist church. There his ministry was blessed with the outpouring of the Spirit, and during this pastorate, of five years, he received about three hundred by baptism. In 1811 he became pastor of the Sansom-street church, formed that year, and upon the erection of their spacious house of worship, it was crowded with an ad miring audience. In 1817 Dr. Staughton was chosen President of Columbian College, Georgetown, D. C.; which office he filled for more than ten years. Upon the formation of the literary and Theological Institu tion in that city, he accepted the appointment to its presidency; but, setting out for that place from Philadelphia, he was taken sick upon way, and died in Washington, Dec. 12, 1829.

Dr. Staughton possessed a mind of remarkable vigor and activity, and a heart full of zeal and noble purposes for the cause of the Re7 mer. Few men ever enjoyed a wider popularity, and more heartily ted it to the best of objects. He excelled as an educator, and is

said to have been almost unrivaled in pulpit eloquence. It is to be regretted that so few of his thrilling utterances-generally unwrittenhave been preserved. We have met with only three of his printed productions; one, an address delivered at the opening of Columbian College, and two sermons; that here given being superior to the other. It was delivered at the dedication of the house of worship of the Hightstown Baptist church, N. J., Nov. 26, 1803. A few passages, chiefly of a local interest, are omitted. The discourse is worthy of the preacher's reputation; abounding as it does in bold and striking conceptions, expressed with the various essentials of true Christian eloquence.

GOD DWELLING AMONG MEN.

"But will God indeed dwell on the earth ?"-1 KINGS, viii. 27.

It is the duty of reasonable creatures to worship the everlasting God. His majesty claims our adoration, and His mercy our grati tude. Nature herself, feeble as is her capacity for discovering and leading men along the paths of moral duty, has, nevertheless, in all ages, pointed the barbarian to the Supreme Power, from whom all good is derived, and on the guidance of whose providence all revolutions depend. "Pass over the earth," said Plutarch, "you may discover cities without walls, without literature, without monarchs, without palaces or wealth, where the theater and the school are not known; but no man ever saw a city without temples and gods, where prayers, and oaths, and oracles, and sacrifices were not used for obtaining good or averting evil.”

This duty is more clearly taught, and enforced with still stronger motives, in the volume of Revelation. Almost every page instructs us to worship the Lord our God, and to serve Him only. We have examples rising in succession for our imitation. The mode of worship may vary, but the devotional principle must be the same.

As the necessities we feel and the blessings we enjoy, for the most part, respect us not merely as individuals, but as members of a large community, with solitary worship man is not to satisfy himself. The blasting and the mildew, the sword and the pestilence, the locust and the famine, are not private calamities. National victory over unjust opposition, peace in all our borders, fruitful showers and golden harvests, are not private blessings. Thousands feel the pang or divide the transport. Hence we find that men have not separately each one prepared a victim for himself; they have agreed

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in bands to surround a common altar, and to join in mourning and supplication, or in hymns of thanksgiving and praise. Sometimes a family composed a company of worshipers, and sometimes a city; but in the history of the Israelites we behold a whole nation uniting in holy solemnities. Though, on their leaving Egypt, the people were more than a million in number, they had but one tabernacle, one ark, one mercy-seat, one altar for burnt-offering, and one high priest.

The tabernacle first used among the Hebrews appears to have been reared in haste by Moses. Perhaps it was nothing more than one of his own tents. It came to pass, nevertheless, that "every one who sought the Lord went out" to this tent, probably for the space of a year. Hence Moses fitly called it "the tabernacle of the congregation."

Afterward the larger tabernacle, the workmanship of Bezaleel and Aholiab, was set up. To this the tribes repaired, not only while sojourners in the desert, but after their settlement in the land of promise.

At length King David conceived the design of building a house for the Lord. He had already testified his love for the worship of Jehovah, by having a new tabernacle raised near his own palace, for the reception of the ark on its removal from the house of Obed. edom. But this was not sufficient. "See now," said the king w Nathan, "I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth in curtains." แ "Go," said the prophet, "and do all that is in thy heart." The king was on the point of proceeding to the pleasing task, when he learned that though the Lord approved his purpose, the work should be reserved for Solomon, his son. Soon after the pious monarch had fallen asleep with his fathers, the young prince "built the house and finished it."

"Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes," that they might bring the ark from Zion to the temple. The men of Israel gathered themselves together in crowds to join the solemnity. When the priests began to remove the ark, the tabernacle and all the holy vessels, King Solomon and all the congregation led on the procession, sacrificing, as they went, "sheep and oxen that could not be told or numbered for multitude." As soon as the ark was brought into the oracle of the house, a dark cloud filled all the place. The people were struck with horror, and the terrified priests could not stand to minister. Then spake Solomon, relieving their apprehensions and commencing his rayer: "The Lord said He would dwell in thick darkness." The

king recounted with solemn reverence the promises that God had made and fulfilled for his father David and for himself; but, as he prayed, his devotions were suddenly checked, or rather, sublimely elevated by an overpowering sense of the Divine Majesty. "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens can not contain Thee; how much less this house that I have builded!"

You, brethren, have been raising this house and setting it in order. To-day we open it by beginning to offer up the incense of prayer before the throne. To day, for the first time, from this pulpit salvation through the blood of the Lamb is proclaimed-the doors have begun to be crowded with worshipers, and the walls to ring with hymns of thanksgiving. O that to-day, in this place, sinners may be converted to God and saints receive consolation and establishment. Great God of assemblies! bend thy heavens and come down; here make the horn of David to bud, and ordain a lamp for thine anointed!—" But will God indeed dwell on the earth ?"

We adopt for ourselves the exclamation of Solomon. Every word is full of meaning. We scarce know where to rest our emphasis. Will God dwell on the earth! It would create our wonder if a cherub were to display his burning glories among us, but this were nothing; it were nothing if all the cherubim that wheel round the throne of light, were to come from the skies, compared with the descent of the eternal God. For God to dwell in heaven does not so much excite our astonishment. It is true in a certain sense the angels are chargeable with folly, and the heavens are unclean in His sight; there are, however, there, none dwelling in houses of clay, no "filthy and abominable" beings who drink "iniquity like water." But that He should dwell on the earth, seems almost beyond belief. Will He indeed dwell, or shall it be only in a sense improper and figurative! Will he indeed dwell, or is the mercy too great to be expected! Divine condescensions often fill the hearts of good men with holy astonishment. Thus the compassion and sovereignty of Christ in manifesting Himself to His disciples and not to the world, appeared marvelous. Lord, how is it? When Israel was delivered from captivity, when a risen Saviour was announced to His disciples, they were like men that dream, they believed not for joy.

The devout surprise which our text expresses, leaves it implied, that it would be no ground of wonder if God would not make His abode with us. This idea will receive confirmation on our contem.

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