The true view, in my opinion, is, first to thank God, to whose providence alone it must be ascribed that the Church was preserved at all; and, secondly, to look upon the Church as the great instrument of civilisation, and the only light which shone amidst the surrounding gloom. You will hear uninstructed persons laugh at the lazy and bigoted monks. Why, it was these very monks who kept the lamp of knowledge from being extinguished altogether; it is to them that we are mainly indebted for whatsoever learning and civilisation was preserved in Europe. While the unlettered barons were occupied in continual brawls, the peaceful monks were employed in their cells copying the Scriptures and the works of ancient authors, and recording the history of the times in which they lived. While the vassal of the noble was following his lord to the wars, the peaceful tenantry gathered around the monastery were draining marshes, clearing forests, improving agriculture and horticulture. The monastery was the only place of refuge for the traveller: hundreds of aged persons, in times when there were no poor-laws, and few who possessed a knowledge of medicine, had their wants relieved, and their diseases cured, by the skill and benevolence of these lazy monks. The true position of the monks was as a body of landlords, who cultivated the arts of peace instead of war. In fact, the ecclesiastics of those days were often the only men who could read or write, and, by natural consequence, they attained great political power: all the principal offices of state were filled by them. Until Sir Thomas More, in the reign of Henry VIII., no layman had been chancellor of England. The Church, too, was the great patron of the arts; painting, sculpture, and music, revived under her patronage; and of her noble skill in architecture, we have proof around us, at which we ourselves have need to blush. Surely

there must have been something worthy of our admiration in the genius of those men, who had the piety or influence, the taste or industry, to raise unto God those venerable edifices which overspread our land. Deep as were the errors of those days, it was not all darkness which could inspire the feeling necessary for the undertaking, or the energy and skill with which it was accomplished.

To come to more modern days,—the art of printing is perhaps the most powerful engine which bears upon the intellectual condition of man. But what strong presumption is there that this also is a divine gift, rather than a mere human invention ? In itself, printing is one of the most simple and obvious things imaginable. What, in fact, is a common seal, but a print? But, strange to say, no one ever thought of applying this simple art to the multiplication of books, until the time came when God decreed that the Bible should be spread among the nations, and his Church reformed: then, and not till then, printing was invented. In still later times, the mechanical power of steam has produced, and is still likely to produce, great changes in the civilised world. This mighty power was discovered three centuries ago; but until the last twenty or thirty years, God never willed that it should be applied, as it now is, to the purposes of locomotion. May we not well believe that this wonderful invention, viewed in connexion with our improvement in the arts and sciences, and the extensive commerce which has sprung up with every part of the habitable globe, is ordained by Providence to be the means of spreading the knowledge of salvation to all the corners of the world? and that, while we are toiling and labouring to extend our commerce from shore to shore, the true object of God's providence is to diffuse in every region the seeds of gospel-truth, which, according to

his own promise, if we interpret it aright, is destined one day to overspread the world? Those who think little of spiritual things, perhaps, may discern no evidence of these intentions; but to the humble and religious mind, all things appear to tend more or less to one great object-the enlargement of the kingdom of God.

You will, I am sure, pardon me, my friends, for introducing into my address topics which may appear of rather a graver character than usually belongs to a philosophical lecture. My feeling is, that, whatsoever we undertake, ought to be undertaken on right principles: "Whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, we should do all to the glory of God." It is impossible to take a true and just view of any subject, especially such an one as that before us, without rightly considering the relation in which it stands to God's dispensations. If we begin our institution in a vain-glorious boasting manner, fancy ing ourselves wiser and greater men than our forefathers, because we print more newspapers and books, and travel somewhat faster, I fear it will not turn to our profit. Nay, if such a spirit prevail generally, and increase, as in some quarters there is reason to fear, -it may come to pass that, for our presumption, we shall meet with a serious downfal, and perhaps be thrown upon times, in comparison with which it might be considered a privilege to have lived in the dark ages. On the other hand, if we avail ourselves of our advantage in a humble, thankful spirit—if we use this institution as a means of improving our knowledge of God's works, and learn " to look from nature up to nature's God," and, like the great Sir Isaac Newton, to think the more humbly of ourselves, the more we increase in knowledge,—becoming the more conscious of the immeasurable distance which exists between the great Creator and us, the creatures of

his hand-if we thus employ our leisure-hours soberly and rationally, instead of indulging in those irregular habits which want of occupation too frequently engenders, then we may look confidently for God's blessing, and trust that he will prosper our undertaking.

I ought, perhaps, to apologise to my reverend friend, Mr. Hammond, for having trespassed in some measure on his province; but as I feel sure that nothing has been advanced in which he would not concur, I trust I may stand excused both by him and by you for having addressed you in a tone approaching something more to that of a sermon than a lecture.

The company declared one and all that Mr. Walton's sermon was one of the best they had heard for a long time, and departed home with the impression of having passed an agreeable, as well as profitable evening.

England, the time is come when thou shouldst wean
Thy heart from its emasculating food;

The truth should now be better understood;
Old things have been unsettled: we have seen
Fair seed-time; better harvest might have been
But for thy trespasses.

WORDSWORTH.

MOST elderly people have their eccentricities or peculiarities: some tell long prosing stories about themselves, and their own affairs; some repeat the sayings of Sheridan, Curran, Joe Miller, and others, who were celebrated for wit in their younger days; some talk politics, but fewer than formerly,-for serious discussion, except amongst really clever men, is looked on as a bore. Anecdote and flattery are