and rejoice with you all." "Hereby," says another apostle, "perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the breth

ren."

Let it be your prayer, that there may be a succession of faithful ministers of the gospel granted to us by the head of the church. The prophets, the apostles, the most eminent and useful servants of Christ do not continue by reason of death; but the Lord who sent them is Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. Ministers die, but the chief Shepherd lives, and by him this ministry is preserved. He takes the children instead of the fathers, and employs them in his service. He makes the spirit of those who are taken away, to rest on those who succeed them. He calls forth those who were most unlikely, and fits them for his work. Paul was once a blind Pharisee. Augustine was in his younger years an heretic of the worst kind, in his opinions, and a mere slave to the pleasures of sin in his life. Luther was for a long time, a devoted servant of Antichrist, ready as he owns to destroy any one who would have spoken but a word against that Man of Sin. Other eminent lights who labored in the great work of the reformation, were in like manner taken out of the dark kingdom of the beast. Our Lord Jesus will send, by whom he will send; from him we ought to ask the continuance of this ministry among us, and heavenly influence to accompany it.

It is most lamentable, that so many in this land live as heathens, utterly despising the ordinances of Christ; that so many are deluded by a false ministry-by teachers whom the Lord has not sent; that many are led astray by an unfaithful ministry-by men not upright and steadfast in their Master's cause; and that so many profit nothing by the word of God, though preached to them in some measure of plainness and purity. See that ye my brethren, do not provoke the Lord by sinning against the light, to take it away from you. Remember what he did unto Shiloh, for the wickedness of his people Israel. There is many a Shiloh to be seen without going so far as Palestine-places once favored of the Lord, but now in just indignation, forsaken by him. They are instructive monuments to us, calling us to take heed, lest we perish after the same example of apostacy from God.

The improvement which we all ought to make of this subject, is to rely on the mercy of the Lord as sufficient for us in all the service, and in all the sufferings to which we may be severally called, we do not glorify him while we think and

speak of him as an hard master, requiring much and giving little; he is plenteous in mercy; our afflictions may be severe, but they are of a passing nature; whereas to them who fear him, God's mercy never ends; let us therefore hope in the Lord, and when at any time we are brought into great depths, trust that he will bring us out of them, saying with the Psalmist, "thou Lord who hast showed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth."

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

OF THE REV. DAVID SOMERVILLE.

Of this eminent servant of Jesus Christ, I have been able to obtain but a very brief and general account. He was born in Scotland, west of Edinburgh, and after passing through the usual preparatory studies in the country, he entered the University of Edinburgh; having completed the usual academical course, he entered on the study of Theology, under the Rev. William Moncrief, at that time Professor of Theology for the Associate Synod of Scotland. After he was licensed to preach the gospel, he labored chiefly in the bounds of the Presbytery of Glasgow: and having received a call from the Associate congregation at Strathaven, he was ordained and installed there about the year 1769 or 1770. He labored there with distinguished success nearly twenty years; when, by a great loss of blood proceeding from the nose, he found himself unable longer to discharge the duties of the ministry in that place, he gave in the resignation of his charge to the Presbytery, which was accepted. He then took a journey to Ireland, where he remained but a short time. Having a brother, a merchant, in Baltimore, he was induced, in hopes of benefiting his health, by a change of climate and the sea voyage, to come to America. He brought his family with him. He united himself to the Associate Presbytery, on his coming here, and for some time preached, as his health permitted, in their vacancies in Pennsylvania and Virginia. But his health had been radically impaired-he survived his arrival in this country but a year or two. He died in Rockbridge county, Virginia, about the year 1793. The precise date of his coming to America, which, however, must have been in 1790 or 1791-the particulars of his death and the circumstances of his family, have not been ascertained by the writer of this sketch. All who have had any acquaint

ance with Mr. Somerville, or knowledge of him, agree in bearing testimony to the excellence of his character, and his singular qualifications for usefulness in the church. The following brief delineation of his character, by the Rev. A. Whyte, of Argyle, N. Y., who was personally acquainted with Mr. Somerville, may be relied upon as correct :-" Mr. Somerville was a man whose heart was set on his Master's work, zealous for the truth, and bold in reproving sin and vice, and before he met with that loss of blood in Scotland, very popular as a public speaker. He was active in setting up social meetings for prayer and conference in his congregationmuch given to secret and social prayer himself, carrying almost every thing to a throne of grace, and looking upward for direction in all his ways. He was a very active and use

ful member in church courts. He was sometimes liable to fall into fits of melancholy or depression of spirits; these, however, were not of long continuance-he would soon recover his wonted cheerfulness."

SERMON,

BY THE REV. DAVID SOMERVILLE.*

(Preached at Paisley, March 12, 1776.)

"We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord.” (2 Corinthians iv. 5.)

My Reverend Fathers and Brethren—

AMONG the many names and designations given to the gospel minister in the sacred oracles, that of Ambassador is one: says

* This sermon was published shortly after it was preached, to which was prefixed the following Preface by the Author:

"This discourse was delivered on a day of humiliation observed by the ministers and other members of the Associate Presbytery of Glasgow, at Paisley; which humiliation day was unanimously agreed upon by them, at a meeting immediately preceding, when I was appointed by the Presbytery to prepare a sermon for the above occasion. Accordingly this discourse was prepared, and delivered at that time. In studying I had not the remotest intention of publishing it: this resolution was afterwards formed in consequence of some who heard it expressing their sentiments of it, so as judging it might be of service to the public. With this sole design it goes from me. If, through the divine blessing, this end be gained, I desire through grace to give Him all the glory, who holds the seven stars in his right hand. Though I am very far from pleading the merit of the discourse, the present mournful and degenerate state of religion in this land, among both ministers and people, presents but too good an apology for the publication. It is obvious to every one possessed of the smallest degree of spiritual and serious discernment, and not altogether infatuated and hardened, that this land, once famous for religion and reformation, and so the joy of all the churches, is now at this period as far sunk into apostacy and impiety, both in profession and practice. I have been long of the mind, as well as others, that many of those who are, by name and office, the public teachers of religion in this land, have a very deep and atrocious hand in actively contributing to the ruin of its interests; among other ways, by a long and unrelenting series of despotism and tyranny, in pressing and intruding upon the heritage of God with might and main, a set of corrupt, naughty and time-serving men. The wickedness and baleful effects of this conduct, openly and avowedly managed against Christ, the express letter of his word, and the spiritual interests of his church, is here in some measure delineated, that such men may in time be convinced of their hostilities against heaven, that the secure may be awakened, the deluded undeceived, the blind-folded delivered; that those who are hugging their chains and in love with their bondage, may be made sensible of the worth and value of their precious rights and liberties, and, in a word, that all may see, who will see the pernicious and soul murdering tendency of that impious and furious course that