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upon your liberality; but if you were separately asked if you regretted the money that you have contributed, I can believe each one would answer in the negative. And here I feel, in mentioning these instances of your inclinations, I am only actuated by the desire of showing that there is evidently no disinclination to assist in doing that which may be necessary for the decencies of religion; and that if you have been, or are still, in any way guilty of the sin of opposing the cause of religion by preventing the preaching of the gospel to the poor, it is rather through ignorance than intention. Still, from whatever cause it proceeds, such it is to be feared is the case. We are professors of a religion, a fundamental principle of which is, that to the poor the gospel is preached, and yet where are the poor? We are members of an establishment whose advocates are continually supporting it upon the ground that it is in a peculiar manner the church of the poor, and yet we have no place in which the poor can be accommodated.

Did the enemies of our religion and our church want an instance to show inconsistency between theory and practice in religion, might they not come among us and see it? Might they not say, "You profess to be Christians? but the men with the gold ring and goodly apparel not only occupy the chief seats, but almost the whole of them. You profess to have a church for the accommodation of the poor, yet you intrench yourselves in the pews, which your power and influence have given you, and care not for the accommodation of those who have as much right to be accommodated as yourselves." Might they not say,

If you call yourselves Christians, act as becometh Christians. If you call yourselves members of the Establishment, act not upon the principle of the voluntary societies, who have at least the honesty to claim only that for which they have paid, or for which they annually subscribe."

Let not our object, however, be misunderstood; we have a duty to perform to

ourselves as well as to others, and we have a right to provide for our own and our own house. "For if any provide not for his own," says the apostle," and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." We do right, then, in providing for ourselves, our children, and our servants; but we do wrong in neglecting the poor, and, by our neglect in providing for their accommodadation, driving them to consort with sinful and wicked companions, where the name of God is not heard except to be blasphemed.

Common honesty, my brethren, should make us endeavour to provide for them, consistency as churchmen should urge us to act up to our profession; but our duty as Christians, our love to our brethren, as children of our heavenly Father who sent his Son to die for them as well as for ourselves, our anxiety for the welfare of their immortal souls, should unite us to immediate exertion, for adopting the means to promote their eternal salvation.

We have now endeavoured to show

you that it is your duty, as Christians, to provide additional church accommodation for the poor; hereafter we hope to prove that your own interest and welfare call upon you for exertion; and at some future time to convince you that you cannot secure to yourselves solid satisfaction, and real pleasure and joy, more effectually than by contributing, and that liberally, in aid of the object we have in view. And if we are able to convince you that duty, interest, and real pleasure may be thus combined, it will then only remain for us to appeal to your good sense, even without reference to higher motives, which your own hearts will suggest, to induce you to consider how much, rather than how little, you can give in furtherance of the undertaking.

We have designedly, my brethren, read the language addressed to you, from this place, two years ago. Since that time many have most liberally come forward; and although they may not have agreed with the sentiments herein contained, they have all

shown that their feeling with regard to the best interests of the poor, is generous and right. When others have so well done their duty, it becomes you to look to yourselves, and especially those who are, after all, the most interested in the alteration. When it was first proposed, it was thought that another gallery would be a sufficient enlargement for the wants of the poor; enquiry soon convinced us that this would not suffice; a greater enlargement was then thought of, in order to accommodate those who were not classed among the poor, but who are considered entitled to sittings. After deliberation, you have wisely resolved that the fabric shall be entirely reconstructed. We have now only to entreat you to enable those who have the arrangement of the plans, to build a temple worthy of Him to whose honour it is to be dedicated; and that after you have contributed according to your own means, you will, by your exertions amongst your friends, each one in his sphere, for all of you have influence, still

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