Veritas in puteo; as truth lies in a well, you will have to dig deep and draw long to get it. "How dark! how intricate the road that leads to intellectual light." As you gain wisdom you will grow in modesty, for mod. esty is the child of wisdom, and impudence the offspring of ignorance. Let your conclusions be the result of much study—form your judgments upon a preponderancy of evidence—let your arguments be dispassionate, and the reasons you offer exceed your assertions—never betray the smallest trust `reposed in you—discharge every office you are entrusted with, with fidelity and despatch—husband well your time, while your powers of body and mind are active—remember it is beneath the dignity of human nature to be employed about trifles—never foul your hands or spot your garments with the dirty contentions, scandals and prejudices of the age—finally, be men—add human dignity to the genius of the mind, candor to information, and bestow pity on ignorance. Never, with keen reply, consume the af fections of those who stand astonished at the copious lustre of your argu. ments. Were a young Randolph, that prodigy of genius, present, I would deal out the same lecture, nor think the admonition either unfriendly or illtimed.

The fundamental principle of republicanism is this; "that all powers of government are vested in, and consequently derived from, the many indi. viduals that form the body politic; and therefore all those who are raised to power, are responsible to their constituents for their conudct." With this sage maxim before your eyes, you will rarely err in your pursuits; and if this principle does not justify an Elective Judiciary, it is because there is no logical force in argument.

If my address, young gentlemen, appears too dictatorial, the habits which I have contracted, by my calling, the furrows in my cheeks, and the desire I have for you to excel, are my only apologies.

SERMON

PREACHED AT ANKRAM, DUTCHESS COUNTY, N. Y.,
THE ORDINATION OF REV. LUMAN BIRCH,

JUNE 17, 1806.

AT

ISAIAH, vi., 6, 7.—"Then flew one of the Seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged."

With more than eastern pomp of diction—in language sublime, beyond the power of art—the sacred poet here represents the Almighty, in awful emblems of divine majesty. Uzziah, the king of Judah, with a complex character, had reigned upon the throne of the house of David for more than fifty years: but kings, as well as slaves must die. In the year that Uzziah died, the prophet Isaiah had a vision of the King, the Lord of Hosts, sitting upon a throne, more resplendent than the ivory throne of Solomon—higher than the heavens—with a train which filled the superb temple of glory, while the dazzling seraphims, with veiled faces, clapped their golden wings, and proclaimed, "the whole earth is full of his glory."

Whoever reads the visions of Isaiah, Ezekiel and John, will not hesitate to pronounce them the same in substance. Isaiah calls these winged songsters seraphims. Ezekiel calls them living creatures and cherubims. John calls them four beasts, but their appearance and employment is the same in all their accounts, except the more particular description given by some, which is omitted by the others.

Various are the opinions of men respecting these seraphims, and perhaps no man can certainly tell what or who they represent. The greatest number of expositors, however, that I have read after, conclude that the angels of God are intended. They seem to imagine that their appearance and employment are too celestial to be accommodated to any beings on earth. But one insurmountable difficulty attends their comment. In Revelations, v., 9, they sing to the Lamb, "Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us

to God by thy blood." If Angels in light were confirmed by God in a Mediator, which is highly probable, yet, as they never left their first estate, it cannot be admitted that they were ever redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Of course then angels cannot be intended.

With all the embarrassments that attend the interpretation, yet, with Dr. Gill, it appears most likely to me, that the ministers of the gospel are to be understood by these singular creatures. In this light, therefore, I shall consider them. And, as there is the most minute description given of them in the first chapter of Ezekiel, I shall make many of my bearings upon that chapter.

They are there said to be Living creatures. Ministers are creatures, made by God, and poor feeble creatures they are—earthen vessels, subject to human passions and frailties. But yet they are living creatures, being raised from the death of sin to the life of holiness. Though they die daily, and are crucified with Christ, yet they live, and the life which they live is by the faith of the Son of God, who lives in them. Their number is Four. Reference may here be had to the four principal standards of the Hebrew camp in the wilderness, on which it is said, the four emblems of a lion, ox, man, and eagle, were inscribed: or to the four evangelists who wrote the gospel, and all their successors in the four quarters of the world.

And every one had four faces. First, the likeness and face of a man. Ministers are men, not angels—their work is among men, unto whom they are sent, and they should ever remember that they are but men. To prevent Ezekiel from being self-exalted through the abundance of sublime revelations, he is called the son of man about ninety times.

Second. The face of a Lion. The righteous are bold as a lion, and surely ministers, who are clothed with the garments of salvation, and the robes of righteousness, may, ought to be, and are, bold as lions. Peter and John, though unlearned and ignorant, by their boldness, made the rulers and elders of Israel marvel. They spake the word of God with boldness. The religion of Jesus makes men bold, but not impudent—modest, but not shamefaced and hypocritical.

Third. The face of an Ox. The Israelites were not to muzzle the ox that trod out the corn, which Paul says, was written for the ministers. Much increase is by the strength of the ox. Ministers are patient and laborious, like oxen, bending their neck in obedience—bearing the yoke of the gospel on their shoulders—drawing the plough of God's word, to break up the fallow-ground of the heart.

Fourth. They four had the face of an Eagle. As lions are the strong. est among beasts, and turn not aside for any—disdaining all subtle arts, and trusting alone to their strength—so eagles are kings of the air, taking

the loftiest flight of all birds, having the keenest eyes of any, which can gaze on the sun without winking, and fixing their eyes on the sun, will steer their course upwards, until they lose sight of the earth. So the ambassadors of Christ take their lofty flights to the throne of God—have their conversation in heaven—gaze on the Son of Righteousness by faith—and are so allured by heavenly objects, that they lose sight of earth and earthly things; and, like the eagle, where the slain are, there is she: where Christ, the slain lamb—the sacrifice for sin, is revealed in the gospel—there the preachers dwell.

It is moreover said, that these living creatures were full of eyes within— before and behind. Ministers have eyes within, to see their own corruption and weakness; eyes before to look unto God for instruction and strength; eyes behind, to see the world lying in wickedness, and also have an eye over the saints, who are following them, as they are following Christ.

These Seraphims had every one of them fixed wings. Ezekiel speaks of but four of them, but Isaiah and John describe six. With twain he covered his face. Repentance and humility cover the face of the minister of Jesus, and, indeed, the face of every human saint. As creatures, we are needy—as sinners, we are guilty; as creatures, we should be humble--as sinners, repentant; that, as creatures we may be supplied, and as sinners be pardoned. The call to the ministry does not exalt the preacher to be Lord over God's heritage, nor deliver him from the internal mass of corruption, or the outward adversities of life: hence humility and repentance ever cover his face.

With twain he covered his feet. That is, he runs as if he flew : at least, like the ostrich, his wings assist his feet. Fervency and resolution are subservient to his feet. When the preacher turns his course to heaven, with what fervency does he pursue the road of prayer, and with what resolution does he resist the fiery darts of the wicked—the accusations of Satan—his inbred unbelief at the delays of divine beneficence. When he steers his course among men, with what fervency does he run to and fro; being fervent in spirit, he speaks and teaches diligently the things of the Lord, with a resolution so great that neither entreaties nor threats can prevent him from finishing his course with joy.

And with twain he did fly. Faith and love are the two wings with which he flies. Faith in God—in the mediation of Christ—in the divinity of the Scriptures in the accountability of all rational beings—in the resurrection from the dead, and a future state of rewards and punishment; together with love to God—to the gospel, and to the souls of men, constrain him to preach and bear him up as on wings. By these six wings the heralds of Christ fly through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth.

When they went, their wings were lifted up, but when they stood, they let

down their wings. When ministers are engaged in preaching, and repentance and humility, fervency and resolution, faith and love are all in lively exercise, how charming is their voice, how beautiful their feet; but when they cease, and attend to the lawful callings of this life, to provide necessary things for their own houses, and those heavenly accomplishments do not appear, how different they seem to be: a bystander, with difficulty believes them to be the same men.

And their feet were straight feet. It is required of stewards that a man be found faithful. A bishop must be blameless—must have a good report of them who are without—must be an example to the flock—a pattern of them that believe—must make straight paths for his feet, and walk uprightly without crooking in conversation or practice.

In some preachers, there is so great discordance between their preaching and conduct, that when they are in the pulpit we wish they would never come out, and when they are out, we wish them never to ascend it again : but the true ministers of Jesus have straight feet. The sense of the phrase, however, seems to be, that they were cloven-footed like an ox or calf. Beasts of prey have crooked feet, at least crooked claws in them, with which they devour the lives of others; but the ministers of Christ carry neither mental or material weapons to deceive the souls, or destroy the lives of men with. Like the clean beasts of Moses, they chew the cud of God's precepts and promises, and are cloven-footed, without claws to de

vour.

And they sparkled like the color of burnished brass. Ministers like John the Baptist, are burning and shining lights, and, like the prophet, are like iron pillars and a brazen wall. It is further added, their appearance was like unto burning coals of fire, to consume the chaff and stubble of error and hypocrisy, sin and self-righteousness: and also to warm the affections and soften the hearts of the saints, as well as to frighten and drive off the wolves and dogs, and all the enemies of the flock. And like the appearance of lamps, it went up and down among the living creatures. From this it seems that each cherub had a lamp in his hand, and as they sometimes were rising on their wings, and at other times standing on their feet, the lamp of each went up and down among them. The word of the Lord is a light to our feet, and a lamp to our path, and preachers hold forth this word of life, the entrance of which giveth light: preach the word, the sure word of prophecy, which is a light shining in a dark place, and thereby enlighten the children of God to walk on in this world of darkness.

And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. The light of scripture is bright. All the mighty volumes of philosophers are trifling to the Bible. They give no account how sin can be pardoned, or the dead raised, but the sacred volume informs us how the first can be, and assures us that the last shall take place: and from this fountain of bright