to teach him the arts of reading and writing, and the first simple rules of arithmetic, and then supply him with some useful tracts, some manuals of piety, some books of sound information, you will enable him to relieve his leisure hours in an innocent manner at least, if not a profitable one. You will see he can find enough entertainment at home, with his wife and children, without being obliged to seek it abroad; and the calm delight and satisfaction which books afford, will put him in a frame of mind to enjoy the exquisite happiness which is inseparable from the cultivation of parental tenderness. And as he will be more respected in the eyes of his family, than that poor dull, and stunted creature who can teach them nothing, he will be induced to attend to every thing which can preserve, and avoid every thing which can impair, that respect. Then I say, you have no need to be afraid; let instruction have full scope among your people: it will have full scope whether you like it or not; when the vessel's sails are set, some wind will carry it forward. All I would venture to suggest is this: let those whose rank, and influence, and experience, entitle them to be at the helm of the vessel, take it, and all will be well.

I have not undertaken to trace out all the good which these schools have been the means of producing to the children who have been successively educated in them, but I am strongly inclined to believe, from all I have heard respecting them, that if you, the subscribers, were able to follow the many hundred children who have been instructed here, into maturer life, you would find them, in a great majority of cases, permanently retaining that love of improvement, and too much in the habit of usefully improving their minds to sink into that wretched inanity which yet pervades the untaught multitudes around us.

In urging you, then, to continue the support granted to these schools, I would not undertake to promise you that every child herein instructed is thus benefitted by your instruction; that is not a question for me. Do not understand us to say, that in no instance your expectation shall not be cut off. I do not say so; I do not venture to predict (I have not the power) that you shall see in every individual child, the fruit of your labour. Some of the good seed will fall on the way side, some on the stony ground, and some on the thorny soil; but some shall unquestionably fall on the good ground, and bring forth fruit, in some thirty fold, in some sixty fold, and in some an hundred fold. Then I would say to those who have the active management of these schools, "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand; for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that child, or whether they both shall be alike good."

But this is but one reason; bear with me while I mention to you the other which gives me infinite pleasure in preaching for these schools. I have adverted to the character of the minister who is over these schools now: but, brethren, when were these schools begun? Are they the growth of yesterday? No; so far otherwise, that there are few now present, except it may be the more aged, in this house of prayer, who can remember the year when these schools were first established, thirty-six years ago, when the late beloved minister of this chapel, Basil Woodd, opened and established these schools. And are there none now who can remember that most excellent, and humble, and amiable man? Are there not many who sat for years—I know there are some who grew up under his shadow, and who sat for years under his faithful and affectionate ministration. I need not remind you how dear to his heart was the Scriptural instruction of the children of his flock. Oh! let not then (I ask it of you as a favour

to his memory)—let not his expectation be cut off. Let his blessed spirit, if indeed it is conversant with things terrene, see that the people amongst whom he ministered, are still cherishing the schools which he established, and are continuing that education which he commenced.

If, then, thou hast much, give plenteously; if thou hast little, do all thy diligence, and give gladly. Ah, then, but you will say, there is no end to these appeals ; and no sooner is one charity sermon over, than there is another announced. Well, now, do you wish it to be otherwise? Do you wish your honoured minister to roll back the religion of your country? Oh, no, you will say, Whilst we have time, let us do good to all men; God only knows how long we shall have time: this may be the last society we shall have to give to. Let us not forget to do good to all men, and especially to them of the household of faith. I pray that God will dispose you to give, and crown you in your families with his blessing: yea, I commend you to God, and the word of his grace. I pray that his fatherly care may ever be over you, and his fatherly presence ever be with you, and your minister-this alone shall bless and sweeten all your comforts-and his grace sanctify all your trials; that the joy of the Lord may be continually your strength, and that God, even your God, may graciously give you his blessing. Yea, I pray that goodness and mercy may follow you all the days of your life, and number each one of you with his saints, in glory everlasting

CHRIST THE BUILDER OF THE CHURCH.

REV. J. SCHOLEFIELD, A. M.

ST. BRIDE'S CHURCH, FLEET STREET, MAY 5th, 1834*.

"And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts, saying, Behold the man

whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord: even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."-ZECHARIAH, vi. 12, 13.

THERE are few portions of the sacred volume more interesting, in a merely historical view, than that which embraces the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, and the rebuilding of their temple in Jerusalem. The simple record which exhibits to us that illustrious nation in their day of small things, struggling amidst reproach and contempt, to erect an edifice in which the God of Heaven should take pleasure and be glorified, attracts towards them our liveliest sympathy, and impresses us with the feeling, that all the other glories of the founder of the Persian monarchy, are mean and insipid, in comparison of his being called the "shepherd" of Jehovah, to say unto Jerusalem, "Thou shalt be built, and to the temple, Thy foundations shall be laid."

The temple thus erected was to stand in the place of Solomon's; and to those who had seen that house in her first glory, it was in their eyes in comparison of it as nothing. It had, however, a glory peculiar to itself, and a peculiar interest attaching to it: for as in a short time prophecy was to cease, and the canon of the Old Testament was to close, and no fresh links were to be added to the golden chain, which had held together the hope of successive generations, fixed with intense desire on their coming Messiah; so the very temple then building by Zerubbabel and Joshua, was to be the standing memorial to connect together all generations with the age in.which the desire of all nations should come. And as it had been treasured up among the prophetical records of their nation, that the sceptre should not depart from Judah until Shiloh came, so it was a glory reserved for the second temple, by which it would surpass the glory of Solomon's, that in this place God would give peace; preaching peace there by Jesus Christ.

The writings of the prophets who were raised up to help forward this building, are replete with an interest, corresponding in its character to that which rests on the temple itself: they are full of Christ. In the distinct recognition of his divine character, in the full exhibition of his gracious office, in the promise of the Holy Ghost given by him, in notices of his sufferings, and intimations of the glory that should follow, the pages of Zechariah, estimated in proportion to their extent, scarcely yield to any other portion of the Old Testament. And if some of the visions which occupy the former part of this

* Anniversary Sermon for the Church Missionary Society.

work, as well as the more dark predictions of his latter chapters, are shrouded in much doubt and obscurity, yet here, as in the prophetical book which concludes the Old Testament, we meet with many pages standing forth in so prominent and unequivocal a character, that they serve as land-marks to guide us in our inquiries into the more mysterious passages, in which Christ is revealed with such a splendour and radiance, that not only the subject matter, but the time and circumstances also are depicted with an accuracy not to be mistaken. So that in this, as in his future manifestation, it may be said, “Every eye shall see him.”

In the passage connected with the text, the prophet having finished the details of those remarkable visions which were given him for his nation's encouragement, records the transactions which took place in Jerusalem soon after the foundation of the temple had been laid. The Jews, who were still lingering in Babylon, though the decree of Cyrus that gave them their liberty, and enjoined them to return and build the temple of the Lord, had been issued about seventeen years before, having heard of the commencement and progress of the work, and desirous of shewing that they remembered the Lord afar off, sent certain of their number with a contribution of gold and silver, intended, no doubt, to be employed either in adorning the temple, or in furnishing the materials for the building. The prophet is directed by a divine command to take it, and apply it to a different purpose; one which might lead some grudgingly to ask, as was afterwards in the case of her who poured the precious ointment on the head of the Saviour, "To what purpose is this waste?" yet one ordained by the wisdom of God, and most calculated to lead the minds of the desponding Jews to the only sure source of consolation, by setting before them their expected Messiah, as the High Priest of things to come, with the crown of glory upon his head: for thus saith the word of the Lord to his servant, "Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Johijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah; then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and speak unto him, saying, thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is the BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord: even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."

Assuredly, brethren, a greater than Joshua is here: even upon the very surface of these words we discern clear and distinct marks of the glory of Him who is the true Joshua, of whom the sens of Nun and Josedech were types, and whose name was called Jesus, or Joshua, because he should save his people from their sins. May we be enabled by his blessed Spirit so to understand this testimony of Jesus, that we may gather from it motives of encouragement to the prosecution of the great work in which it is our privilege to be engaged: and may our present meditations be so sanctified, and all our proceedings so regulated, that the pervading spirit of our society may increasingly be, that which is embodied in the words-"He shall bear the glory." Even so, Amen. Our subject is calculated to lead to this result by directing our attention to three points: the person spoken of; the work assigned him; and the reward promised him.

Let us first endeavour to ascertain THE PERSON SPOKEN OF: not merely shadowed forth, but directly and primarily spoken of; so that much that 18 here said does not relate jointly to Joshua and Jesus, but absolutely and exclusively to the latter. Joshua, the son of Josedech, is placed immediately before us, and we behold the crown set upon his head. But when we want to hear the explanation of a circumstance so remarkable, the spirit of prophecy begins to unfold the message it conveys, our eyes are turned away from the common type, and fixed upon One in whom, as in their common centre, all the types and prophecies meet, from the very beginning of the world. "Behold the man whose name is the Branch:" "Behold," as it is paraphrased by the pious Bishop Hall, "the man who is the true type of the Messiah, that flourishing branch of the stock of Jesse." This is a method of speech not infrequent in this prophecy: as in the third chapter; "Behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua;" where he speaks of the foundation stone of Jerusalem's temple: but the qualities which he goes on to speak of, as belonging to it, are those of ante-type, and not of type. Again, in the fourth chapter, "These are the two anointed ones, which stand by the Lord of the whole earth." So in the present case; the whole tenor of the prophecy shews, that while to the eye of the sight nothing is presented but Joshua, the son of Josedech, the eye of faith shall discern, under that representation, one of the same name, but of far higher dignity; especially when it is said in the thirteenth verse, "He shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."

Observe, then, the circumstances of the prophecy, and see how undeniably they all point to Christ, the High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle. Mark the form of expression with which it is introduced. If we adhere more closely to the literal exactness of the passage, it is, "Behold the man, his name is the Branch." "Behold the man." What memorable and emphatic words; more than five hundred years afterwards they were uttered by the lips of the Roman governor, when he brought Jesus forth from the judgment hall, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe; then set him before the assembled nation, and bade them gaze on him, and take knowledge of him, as one in whom he found no fault at all; and they turned upon him the eye of scorn and hatred, and cried out, one and all, "Crucify him; crucify him."

The text directs our attention in the same words to the same glorious person, wearing, not a crown of thorns, but a crown of gold; but still the same, whether in his humiliation or in his glory, whether lifted up on the cross or on the throne; exalted as an object of universal regard, that every eye may see him, that every sinner may look to him and be saved, that he may be the hope of all the ends of the earth, and the glad tidings of his salvation may be to all people. His atoning sufferings purchased our redemption; his exaltation and glory completed it. Behold, then, the man, in his glory and in his grace: the Son of God taking our nature upon him, and so presented to us in the typical person of the son of Josedech; and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God, exalted there to be a prince and a Saviour, in the fulness of his glory, carrying on the work of his grace, by making intercession for the transgressors.

Again: "His name is the Branch." This name undeniably belongs to the Son of David; he is called by it in the third chapter of this prophecy: "Behold,