degree of D.D. was conferred on the Right Rev. John Stark Ravenscroft, bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in that state: and at the recent commencement of Union College in this state, the same degree was conferred on the Rev. Jonathan M. Wainwright, rector of Grace Church, in the city of New-York.-The degree of LL.D. was lately conferred on the Hon. Cadwallader D. Colden, of this city, by a college in Pennsylvania.

Theological Library. A library of theological works, intended chiefly for the use of the clergy and the students of divinity of the episcopal church in the western parts of this state, was formed a few years since by the aid of individuals in Utica, Albany, and New-York, and placed under the care of the vestry of the episcopal church in the first mentioned place. This library, with the exception of some books retained for the use of a parish library, has lately been removed, by the consent of the vestry, to Geneva, for the benefit of the students of divinity of the branch theological school. It contains some choice theology, and the whole collection may be valued at two hundred and fifty dollars.

Obituary of the Rev. Samuel Wydown.

Died in Albemarle, Virginia, on the 14th of February last, the Rev. Samuel Wydown, formerly a minister for many years of the baptist church. About five years ago he changed his views of the doctrine of baptism, in favour of in fants being admitted to that sacrament, and was ordained a presbyter of the episcopal church. His death, as far as we have been informed, was peaceful and happy; and we cherish the hope of meeting him in a better and happier world.-Theological Repertory.

Biblical Illustrations.

Genesis xxxvii. 13.

The sacred history of events transacted in the fields of Sichem, from our earliest years is remembered with deHight; but with the territory before our eyes where those events took place, and

in the view of objects existing, as they were described above three thousand years ago, the grateful impression kindles into ecstacy. Along the valley we beheld a company of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead,' as in the days of Reuben and Judah, with their camels bearing spicery, and balm, and myrrh, who would gladly have purchased another Joseph of his brethren, and conveyed him as a slave to some Potiphar in Egypt. Upon the hills around, flocks and herds were feeding, as of old; nor in the simple garb of the shepherds of Samaria, was there any thing repugnant to the notions we entertain of the appearance presented by the sons of Jacob.-Dr. Clarke's Travels, vol. ii.

St. Matthew xxiv. 41.

Scarcely had we reached the apartment at Nazareth, prepared for our reception, when, looking from the window into the court-yard belonging to the house, we beheld two women grinding at the mill, in a manner most forcibly illustrating the saying of our Saviour. The two women, seated upon the ground opposite each other, held between them two round at stones. In the centre of the upper stone was a cavity for pouring in the corn; and, by the side of this, an upright wooden handle for moving the stone. operation began, one of the women with her right hand pushed this handle to the woman opposite, who again sent it to her companion, thus communicating a rotatory and very rapid motion to the upper stone, their left hands being all the while employed in supplying fresh corn as fast as the bran and flour escaped from the sides of the machine.

-The same.

St. Luke x. 30.

As the

The distance of Jericho from Jerusa

lem is reckoned by Josephus to be 150 furlongs, or near nineteen miles; the same author adding, that the whole country between them is all rock and desert, and for this reason' apt to be infested with thieves," which in all likelihood gave occasion to our blessed Lord to instance, in this part of the country, where he says, 'A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves.'-Wells.

It was opened with morning prayer, read by the Rev. Roger Searle, minister elect of St. Paul's Church, Medina; St. James's Church, Liverpool; and Trinity Church, Brooklyn; and an address, and the administration of the holy communion by the bishop.

Agreeably to the 45th canon of the General Convention of 1808, "providing for an accurate view of the state of the church from time to time," the Right Rev. Bishop Chace delivered the following address:

Dear brethren in the Lord,

Most sincerely do I thank God, the author of all goodness, that he hath been pleased to permit me once more to meet you in convention.

The gracious direction of God's Holy Spirit having been implored on our present work, in the preceding service, it is now my duty to address you on the subject of your duties, and of the state and exigences of the diocese in general. As this convention, by the constitution of the American church, is made to consist of "clergy and laity," 1 shall avail myself of this distinction to address each order; laying before them, separately, the subjects deemed most worthy of consideration; and closing all with a statement of my official duties, accompanied with some appropriate remarks.

First, then, I address you, my brethren of the clergy.

If I were asked to name the most
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compendious method of bringing home to my heart, and stirring up my affections to a due sense of my duties, as a Christian bishop, I should not hesitate in declaring that method to be a clear and unreserved statement of the solemn service which took place at my consecration. May I not suppose that the like mind is in you, in relation to the degree of Christian ministry committed to your charge? Of all the means left us to stir up the grace of God,' given unto us by the imposition of hands," perhaps there is none greater than that of recurring to the first principles of the clerical character, to see what duties God laid upon us, and what solemn promises we made before him and his church, when we were ordained. Accordingly, we find that the clergy have been often most earnestly exhorted, not only statedly to read over their ordina tion vows, but to do it with fasting and prayer, especially on the anniversary of their ordination. The good Bishop Wilson, that pattern of godly living, more perfect perhaps than any other of his day, held himself bound to this duty, and earnestly enjoined it on his clergy. And it is believed by many, that it was his conscientious regard unto this means of grace, and his strict performance of this duty, which made his life so pious, and that of his clergy so signally blessed to the salvation of many souls.

Prompted by these considerations, [ have determined to call up and consider-what I hope you never forgetthat most solemn service wherein, by the grace of God, you were admitted to holy orders. And here I would apprise you, that, though the most of you have attained to the dignity of presbyters in the church of Christ, and it is to that degree I mean to direct your chief attention; yet, as some of you are deacons, and some here present are only candidates for that office, I shall take 33

into view, first of all, the question on the presentation of a candidate for the holy order of deacons. It was then demanded of you by the embassador of Christ, in his name " Do you trust that you are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost, to take upon you this office and ministration, to serve God for the promotion of his glory, and the edifying of his people?" To this you answered in the affirmative. Here we would observe, that, though it be granted, that these words, do you trust, do not imply that you felt such miraculous impressions of the Holy Spirit on your minds, as were distinguishable from all other sensations of duty; yet the least that can be made of them is, that you felt fully persuaded this was your duty; and that for this persuasion you had good evidence, not of your own opinion only, but such as the word of Godwhich alone can distinguish between false and true persuasions-could and doth justify, viz. that your life exemplify a heart of sincerity and piety-of faith towards God and obedience to his commands. Without this evidence, no man has any reason to believe himself moved by the Holy Spirit of God to assume the ministry. And if he do so assume it, to the sin of usurpation he addeth the dreadful crime of perjury. This, as I observed, is saying the least of the nature of that profession demanded of every candidate on the very threshold of the ministry. If the ministers of Christ are not good men, they contradict the very nature of their calling, and prove, in a sense too awful to name, that they lied, and continued to lie to the Holy Ghost.' For, how can they be said to be moved by the Holy Ghost' to take upon them the office and ministration to serve God, promote his glory, and edify his people, whose main employment is to serve the world, to promote their temporal welfare, and, by their loose and ungodly example, to pull down and destroy the church of God? Awful must be the account which such must give to that holy Saviour, into whose service they have, thus unbidden, obtruded; whose name they have so often taken in vain, and whose cause they have so essentially injured.

But, we trast, dear brethren, that it

is otherwise with you. In examining your hearts and lives, we have good hope, that you find the evidence of sincerity and piety, of faith and good works, which the Gospel so evidently requires, as the only ground to give ease to your conscience on this important head.

But to be good men is not sufficient evidence that the design of the institution of the Christian ministry has been fulfilled in you. The office, especially that of presbyter, is of great dignity, and the duties which it imposes are important and numerous. These are set forth in the preparatory exhortation preceding the promises in the ordaining of priests;' and this exhortation is so important and heart-piercing in its nature, and so essential to the right understanding of the extent of the ministe→ rial duties, that it would be unpardonable in my present work not to recite it. And in reciting it, I beg you, my brethren, to consider it as now once more brought to your minds and hearts, as if newly dictated by the divine providence for your benefit. Now, again, we exhort you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye have in remembrance into how high a dignity, and to how weighty an office and charge ye are called. That is to say, to be messengers, watchmen, and stewards of the Lord: to teach and premonish, to feed and to provide for the Lord's family; to seek for Christ's sheep that are dispersed abroad, and for his children who are in the midst of this naughty world, that they may be saved through Christ for ever. Have always, therefore, printed in your remembrance how great a treasure is committed to your charge. For they are the sheep of Christ, which he bought with his death, and for whom he shed his blood. The church and congregation whom ye must serve, is his spouse and his body. And if it shall happen that the same church, or any member thereof, do take any hurt or hindrance, by reason of your negligence, ye know the greatness of the fault, and also the horrible punishment that will ensue. Wherefore, consider with yourselves the end of the ministry towards the children of God, towards the spouse and body of Christ; and see that ye

never cease your labour, your care and diligence, until ye have done all that lieth in you, according to your bounden duty, to bring all such as are or shall be committed to your charge, unto that agreement in the faith and knowledge of God, and to that ripeness and perfectness of age in Christ, that there be no place left among you, either for error in religion, or for viciousness in life.

"Forasmuch, then, as your office is both of so great excellency, and of so great difficulty, ye see with how great care and study ye ought to apply your selves, as well to shew yourselves dutiful and thankful unto that Lord, who hath placed you in so high a dignity; as also to beware that neither you yourselves offend, nor be occasion that others offend. Howbeit, ye cannot have a mind and will thereto of your selves; for that will and ability is given of God alone: therefore ye ought, and have need to pray earnestly for his Holy Spirit. And seeing that ye cannot by any other means compass the doing of so weighty a work, pertaining to the salvation of man, but with doctrine and exhortation taken out of the holy scriptures, and with a life agreeable to the same, consider how studious ye ought to be in reading and learning the scriptures, and in framing the manner both of yourselves, and of them specially pertaining to you, according to the rule of the same scriptures; and for this self same cause, how ye ought to forsake and set aside, as much as ye may, worldly cares and studies.

all

"We have good hope that ye have well weighed these things with your selves long before this time, and that ye have clearly determined, by God's grace, to give yourselves wholly to this office, whereunto it hath pleased God to call you; so that as much as lieth in you, ye will apply yourselves wholly to this one thing, and draw all your cares and studies this way; and that ye will continually pray to God the Father, by the mediation of our only Saviour Jesus Christ, for the heavenly assistance of the Holy Ghost; that by daily reading and weighing the scriptures, ye may wax riper and stronger in your ministry; and that ye may so endeavour yourselves, from time to time, to sanc

tify the lives of you and yours, and to fashion them after the rule and doctrine of Christ, that ye may be wholesome and godly examples and patterns for the people to follow."

This, my dear brethren, was a fair explication of the duty and office which you were about to take on you, when, standing before God, you were made presbyters of the church of Christ. To this you assented, not only by a silent conformity, but by vows the most awful and explicit, taken as in the presence of God and his whole church, in what immediately followed.

For the express purpose that " your promises might the more move you to do these your duties," you did "answer plainly" to your bishop, calling upon you, "in the name of God and his church," that "you did think in your heart that you were truly called, according to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the canons of this church, to the order and ministry of the priesthood.”

Under these solemnities you did declare, "you were persuaded that the holy scriptures contain all doctrine required as necessary for eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ; and that you were determined, out of the said scriptures, to instruct the people. committed to your charge, and to teach nothing as necessary to eternal salvation but that which you should be persuaded may be concluded and proved by the scriptures."

Before God and his church, you did then promise and vow, that, by the grace of God," you would give your faithful diligence always so to minister the doctrine, and sacraments, and disci pline of Christ, as the Lord hath commanded, and as this church hath received the same, according to the commandments of God, so that you might teach the people committed to your care and charge, with all diligence to keep and observe the same."

You did then, in the presence of God and his church, solemnly vow, that, by the help of the Lord," you would be ready, with all faithful diligence, to banish and drive away from the church, all erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to God's word; and to use both public and private monitions and ex