even in his presence I may be allowed, without, I trust, hurting his modesty, and without being suspected of anything like flattery, to say that we think of him, and shall ever to the end of our lives think of him, with reverence for his varied learning-with admiration for his exceeding modesty, candour, and impartiality-and with gratitude for the mildness, the urbanity, the kindness, which, whether as his pupils, or as his visitors and the partakers of his hospitality since we have ceased to be his pupils, we have ever experienced from him. Especially I may be allowed, when speaking on behalf of my brother ministers, to thank him for the respect which, in our instance, he has always paid to the rights of the human mind-for the care with which he has always abstained from attempting to influence, to bias our inquiries-for having so constantly set before us "the truth" as that which ought to be the object of our desires and our endeavours -and for having so regularly reminded us of our responsibility to the God of truth for the manner in which we used the opportunities and means which God has given us of attaining to a knowledge of the truth. Wel know that in this age and country there are many persons who cannot understand how this should be the duty of a theological tutor, many who would have him not only superintend and assist the studies, but anticipate and provide for the conclusions of the pupils, who would have him do his utmost to make the succeeding generation, in all its opinions, in all its feelings and sentiments, no more than an exact counterpart of all preceding generations. We all appreciate and thank him for the manner in which he has discharged his sacred trust in respect to us. We can thank him, and I am persuaded that we all of us do thank him, for the entire absence of dogmatism which there has ever been in his instructions to us. We thank him that, instead of labouring to make our minds the passive recipients of his own or of other men's opinions, he has sought rather to awaken in us the love of truth, and the disposition to seek for and to follow the truth, wherever it may appear to be found, and wherever it may seem to lead us. Yes, my dear Sir, [continued Mr. Robberds, turning to Mr. Wellbeloved] we do thank you for this; and we feel that in this you

have woven around our hearts a bond which no subsequent difference of opinion between you and ourselves ought to break or weaken. We feel that of whatever churches we may be members or ministers, or even if we can find no church with which we can conscientiously connect ourselves, we could, not less appropriately than now, join in this testimonial of respect, of esteem, of veneration, and gratitude; for, my dear Sir, from you we received the impulse to make the truth our object, and from you we received the impression that there can be no nobler, no more sacred object for the human mind to pursue than truth. I will only add, what I am sure I may be allowed to add, when speaking on behalf of my brother ministers, or indeed of all, whether ministers or laymen, who have been educated by our venerable friend, our earnest hope and prayer, that he may long be spared to enjoy the recollection of the successful manner in which he has performed the duties of his important office; that he may long be spared still to teach us, by communicating to the public the results of his own studies; and also still to teach us all, and society at large, the calmness and serenity which may be diffused, by devotion to such studies, over the evening as well as over the meridian of an active and useful life.

The Rev. Charles Wellbeloved then rose, evidently much affected, and for some moments almost overpowered by his feelings, and when the loud and long plaudits which greeted him had at length ceased, he addressed the meeting in the following terms:-Mr. Philips, Mr. Robberds, and gentlemen, my highly valued and most respected pupils that have been, it is not, I assure you, a mere formal, empty profession that I make, when I declare that I cannot express to you the sentiments of my heart on this most interesting occasion. "Out of the abundance of the heart," we are told upon the highest authority, "the mouth speaketh;" but the abundance of the heart may be so great, that the mouth may not be able to give it This I knew would be my case, if I proper utterance. trusted to the inspiration even of such a moment as this; and in consequence of that, I have previously thrown together the thoughts which arose in my private study, anticipating that I should not be able even to utter a

word unless it were prepared beforehand. But I felt— it is very extraordinary, but so it is-I felt it all before, and my feeling at present is that rather of disease than of nature. I cannot weep, as everything that I have heard ought to make me weep. It has dwelt upon my mind, and it has incapacitated me from giving proper utterance to the feelings that I have and that I ought to express. How can it be otherwise, than that I should be unable fully to express the thanks of my own heart? I should be unworthy of the extraordinary tribute of respect which I am now receiving, if I were not overpowered by it. You will give me credit, I am sure, for all those emotions which a heart in its right place, and a heart properly disciplined, must in such circumstances feel, but which I cannot fully describe. I must refer you, therefore, to your own breasts, in order that you may judge rightly of the state of mine. Great, very great as is the kindness which has prompted you to offer this testimony of your esteem to me, my gratitude on receiving it, I trust you will believe, cannot be less. The hearts of those who have given, and the heart of him that receives, I am confident, must truly respond to each other. cept, then, my offering of thanks, my dear friends-that offering which I can present you in words; imagine all that is possible of kind and grateful feeling, which no words can express. Had I been permitted to retire from the situation I have so long held, in the same silent, unmarked, and unostentatious manner in which I entered upon it, I should have been perfectly satisfied; assured, as I could not fail to have been, by what I had experienced during the whole of that long period, from, I will not say every individual, but from the great majority of all those who have been under my care, from the experience that I had of them while they were in the college, -I was sure that I should carry with me into retirement all the affectionate regards of those with whom I had been so happily and so long connected, that I deserve to possess. My habits and feelings would have led me to prefer this, if the choice had been left to me; but your kindness would not suffer that; and since I know that it is the most gratifying to you, if on no other account, on this alone, it must be most gratifying to me. I need not

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assure you, that I shall ever most highly prize this costly token of your kind regard so long as life or the power of perception shall last, not for its own sake, not on account of its intrinsic value, great as it is, or of the beauty of its workmanship, but for the sake of the testimony it bears, in that beautiful inscription, of your approbation and esteem. "Laudari a laudato viro," was of old, and must ever be considered, a high and enviable distinction. You have conferred this distinction upon me; and this splendid gift will ever remind me of the honourable privilege of being respected and esteemed by those who are themselves, in their several stations, esteemed and respected by the wise and good around them; whose character for intellectual and moral worth is such as to reflect true honour on all who are the objects of their praise and friendship. This token of your esteem will be highly valued by me as a pleasing memorial, also, of my long-continued connexion with an Institution, from the most zealous friends and supporters of which, I have received such numerous marks of kindness and friendship; which has also been the means of uniting me, in ties of the purest friendship, with many of the most excellent of the earth, and of continuing and strengthening the ties of valuable and early friendship. Nor shall I ever look on this memorial of your kind regard, I trust, without feeling my gratitude excited and increased towards that great and good Being, whose providence has enabled me to exercise so long, and with so little interruption, that portion of talents which it has pleased him to grant to me, in promoting the interests of Scriptural truth and virtue; in endeavouring, I hope not unsuccessfully, to communicate religious information to those who were willing to receive it; and in aiding many to become the guides and instructors of others in the attainment of true honour and substantial happiness in this world, and of life eternal in the world to come. And at the same time the conviction, which I now so strongly feel, and which I shall, I am persuaded, ever retain, that this testimony of your regard and esteem far exceeds my deserts, will keep alive in me that humility of spirit which is becoming in every one, however extensive his knowledge and brilliant his talents, and especially becoming in him

who now thus imperfectly addresses you, and who claims for himself no other merit than that of having laboured to the utmost of his ability to serve the best interests of those who have been confided to his care, with fidelity and diligence, as ever in his great Task-master's sight. And now, my kind and valued friends, I entreat you once more to accept the best thanks I can offer-thanks very inadequately, very imperfectly expressed-for this splendid testimony of your esteem and approbation, and for having added so much to its value by your assembling here on this occasion in such numbers, at, I fear, no little trouble and inconvenience to yourselves. And may God Almighty grant you all, his choicest blessings in this life, and unite us all again, in the bonds of uninterrupted and everlasting friendship, in a better world, when this life shall have passed away.

[The applause which might have been expected again to greet the respected and honoured guest of the evening, on his resuming his seat, was checked by a deeper feeling; many of the older ministers and lay students present were much affected; and the emotions of all present were relieved by a silent pause of a few moments, during which the ladies retired, the whole of the company standing as they left the room.]

CHRISTIAN UNITARIAN CHURCH, Aberdeen.—This church was opened for the worship of God the Father Almighty, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, on the 9th of August. The weather was exceedingly propitious, and long before the time of service, the pews, aisles, and lobbies of the church were crowded. Hundreds of persons were unable to get even within the outer gates; and throughout the day the audiences were large and deeply attentive.

The Rev. J. Cropper, the minister of the church, commenced the service by giving out from a selection of hymns for the occasion, one composed by the Rev. Wm. Gaskell of Manchester. The Rev. Dr. Montgomery of Belfast, read the Scriptures and prayed. The Rev. G. Harris of Glasgow, preached from 1 John iv. 14–16, on the Fatherly character of God, as expressed in nature and revelation, and its vital importance as a doctrine of