There is no absolute necessity that the meetings of the Church be open to any but themselves; but those in which they hold forth the Word of Life must be so. It would be well if the Church could secure a freehold edifice for its own meetings; as for the preaching stations, they would be more convenient if held year by year, or on lease. The benefit of securing one freehold will be this, that you may build what kind of edifice you may please, and will not be compelled to disburse more money upon it at a time, or all together, than may be convenient. Besides which, locality, being one of the requisites to compose a Church, you would thereby secure a focal point for perpetuity; and should the Church members remove from the locality, the freehold might be transferred, so as to keep pace with the change of circumstances. But one caution must here be noted, that the trust-deeds of the Church must be drawn up with full knowledge of the Scriptural principles of the New Testament Church, that if the laws of our country should be adverse to any of their Scriptural rights and privileges, the case may be met by suitable arrangements, without making a breach upon the Scriptural order of the Church. I speak thus because I fear that very few, if any, trust-deeds belonging to our Churches, with reference to Church property, can be relied upon as true to our principles.

In the third place, the pecuniary means of the Church must have specific attention paid to them, in order that the economy of this department of Church requisites should be successfully developed. The

demands upon the liberality of a Church naturally class themselves into two heads,-those which are ordinary and constant, and those which are extraordinary, and depend more upon the peculiar circumstances of the Church than the former. The ordinary calls comprise the current expenses incident to keeping open places for the use of the Church, the maintenance and relief of their poor, and the remuneration to their officers. The extraordinary calls comprise those for the erection of buildings; those requisite to maintain home and foreign Gospel missions, and those demands which the peculiar position of other Churches, or the cause of God in other parts, may require.

The infant Church would commence with having to meet the trifling incidental charges occasioned by their small meetings. Prudence would direct you, as possessing amongst you men of business, to know when, how, and to what extent those charges might be increased by greater accommodation and an enlarged sphere of operation. The poor should be next attended to. Afterwards, the surplus of the fair proportion of the foregoing charges should be the remunerating fees to the officers. And when these foregoing claims had been fairly met, the Church may be so strengthened as to be able to meet in some shape or other the extraordinary demands for their own consolidation and enlargement of action, and for the progress of the Gospel around and abroad.

Some may think it altogether preposterous to say how money shall be disposed of before they have it; but let it be remembered that the accumulation of

wealth never imparts to the possessor enlarged, or liberal, or judicious ideas, but everything that is mean. It is very true none can command wealth, but every Christian should, before he can fear that he may have his faculties screwed up into littleness by its receipt, take advantage of his impartial state of mind, and lay down good rules for its judicious management if it should come. And believe me this is one way to attain it. If you, as a Church, do not have your principles in these matters consolidated and fixed beforehand, you will never be the better for your abundance. The claims of a pecuniary nature are not only relative, and therefore controlled by circumstances, but they have the dangerous quality of transposing men's thoughts; and therefore aware of their deceitful nature, provide yourselves with sound financial principles in time. I would observe, with respect to the mode of raising these necessary sums, that they should be free contributions, by or through the Church members, made every Lord's day at the time of their assembling. The members should be made acquainted with the full amount so contributed, and the manner of its disbursement. And the officers should enable them, by a candid and unsuspicious report, to exercise their own free and unbiassed judgment as to the necessity of each case, to contribute accordingly. And lastly, with respect to the sums paid to the officers, it should be remembered that, while this mode would not prevent the raising of large sums of money if the people were wealthy and the cause needed it, these plans, if

adopted, would preclude the necessity for the Church to deal or bargain with, or say anything of pay to, those whom they might select from time to time to add to the colleges of officers. What was raised for that purpose would be known, and hence the candidates would be aware whether or not they could sustain the duties of their office with the remuneration ordinarily made from time to time; if such could not, they would only have to make way for others who could, and the Church would not be drawn into any transaction which might be a mere commercial negotiation. And by this means the Church could from time to time add, as they thought proper and had ability, to their home office-bearers, or to their missions.

In the fourth and last place, the prevalent aim of such a combination of individual effort should be carefully considered, and duly carried out in practice. The aim or object of Church organization is simply the glory of God in men's spiritual edification; and the widest and most extensive sphere, the bringing home the truth to every individual in its utmost extent. But in the first place, in the infant Church the edification of its own members must be the grand object of its hopes and aims, and everything that would militate against this must be avoided: afterwards extend it to others, and others, and others, as means and instrumentality shall be in the power of the Church.

To enter more into detail and particulars would give me great pleasure, but would be beyond the

extent to which I propose to limit myself in these Lectures, and, perhaps, would be entering into matters which could be better detailed when all the real circumstances were in view. You who intend to work your energies to promote the growth of the Church, see that you keep your attention constantly fixed upon these four grand departments of economy; and by judicious advice and zealous endeavours, see that these are brought to keep pace with each other, and to produce, in due time, the utmost your enlarged hopes may have encouraged you to expect. Upon the Church members in general, and upon the bishops and deacons specially, devolves the duty of leading the Church onwards. "In the multitude of counsellers, there is safety." But be careful that every step is a step in advance; do not allow a supposed advance to supersede or destroy what has been previously obtained: better remain in statu quo until you really can advance. Be not deceived by appearances, for it not unfrequently occurs that the originators of new interests, by not judiciously proportioning their superstructure to their foundation, involve the affairs in ruin, and are ultimately glad to surrender to others the harvest which they were instrumental in sowing. Beware, therefore, that you never allow your own zeal, or the equivocal excitement from competitors to urge you beyond the real strength of your cause. Very many other points and circumstances I might call your attention to besides what I have here stated, but further reference to these matters I fear would be burthensome, and, perhaps, appear like dictation.