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But I forbear. The cause of truth and learning is the

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cause of God, and it will not be deserted.

With our Alma Mater, then, we leave our filial valediction; and in the words of Virgil, where he speaks of Berecynthia, the mother of the Gods, we express our most ardent wishes that she may ever be

Felix prole virûm...................................

Laeta deûm partu, centum complexa nepotes,
Omnes caelicolas, omnes supera alta tenentes†. ‡

AEN. LIB. vi. 783.

Proud of her sons, she lifts her head on high;
Proud, as the mighty mother of the sky,

When, through the Phrygian towns, sublime in air
She rides triumphant in her golden car,
Crown'd with a nodding diadem of towers,

And counts her offspring, the celestial powers,

A shining train, who fill the blest abo

A hundred sons, and every son a god!

PITT.

The present state of the University of Cambridge is such, we believe, as must be highly gratifying to its friends. Within a few years the terms of admission have been considerably raised and a greater strictness of examination introduced. The number of books studied there is increased, and a spirit of application discovers itself, which promises much future excellence. The introduction of Dalzel's Collectanea Majora is a great step towards the improvement of Greek learning; and a Lord's day exercise will soon be required of the students in Grotius de veritate. The professorships of rhetoric and of natural history are noble instances of munificence; and there have been lately added adjunct professors in the two departments of chemistry and of anatomy. There is yet, however, much to be done, which calls for the patronage of the rich. A professorship of law, for which there is already a fund, might soon be put in operation with more ample endowments. The salaries of some of the officers require to be enlarged, to induce men of talents to fill these places for any length of time; and the number of tutors might be advantageously increased. But it is peculiarly desirable that a theological school should be established, where students for the ministry may be supported, and a professor or professors appointed, who shall devote themselves to the instruction of resident graduates in Biblical criticism, and in the qualifications for the pulpit.

It would be a very agreeable employment to some one acquainted with our academical annals, to collect and publish a history of this university, or an Athenae Harvardienses. In a few years it will become almost impracticable.

SERMONS

BY THE LATE

REVEREND JOSEPH S. BUCKMINSTER.

SERMONS

BY THE LATE

REVEREND JOSEPH S. BUCKMINSTER.

SERMON I.

GAL. iv. 4.

BUT WHEN THE FULNESS OF TIME WAS COME, GOD SENT FORTH HIS SON.

MORE than eighteen centuries ago there appeared in Judea an extraordinary personage called Jesus of Nazareth. The consequences of his life, death, resurrection and ascension have been such as no human foresight could anticipate, no human power control; and it is not now in man's imagination to trace them through the range of future generations. Even if it should be maintained, that there was nothing supernatural in this character, or these consequences, yet the event and its influences must for ever remain stupendous. The appearance of such a person in the world, and at such a period, with the consequent change in so large a portion of society, ought always to arrest the consideration of every thinking mind. It has made an era in the history of mankind, which must be eternally memorable. We, who believe that the birth of Christ was the birth of a Saviour for the world, who see in him the Son of the omnipotent God; we,who believe that the purposes of his in

carnation were such as eye had not seen, nor ear heard, nor has any mind yet perfectly explored, and who rest all our peace and hopes on him, and him alone, as the vicegerent of Jehovah,---cannot be surprised at the long established celebration of the supposed day of his birth, or withhold our concurrence from the honours, which so large a portion of the christian world are disposed to pay it, especially when it coincides, as at present, with our customary day of worship. And at other times also we are disposed to say with the apostle, he that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord, and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

It is certain that about eighteen hundred years ago, Jesus, this extraordinary person, appeared, whose birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension completed a series of astonishing and, as we believe, miraculous events. This Jesus claimed the character of the long expected Messiah, the light and salvation of the world; and under this character he is received by all who embrace his religion and acknowledge his divine authority. It will be our object in this discourse to show, that the time in which he appeared was, in every respect, the most proper for his appearance, this is the first head of discourse,-yet that this fitness of the period lent no aid to the propagation of his religion, and diminished not in the least the necessity of miraculous interposition for its support, this is our second division. In other words, the state of the world, when Christ was born, was such as to constitute, at the same moment, the most proper time for his appearance and the greatest impediment to the success of his religion.

1. When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son. The fitness of the moment appears in the first place from this undeniable fact, that there was, at that time, a general expectation throughout

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