IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

May 20th, 1806.

"Resolved, That the Standing Committee of Missions be directed to present the thanks of this Assembly to the Revd. Dr. NoTT for his Sermon, and to request a copy thereof for publication." A true Copy of Record,

NATHANIEL IRWIN, P. Clk. G. A.

BY THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF

MISSIONS;

Resolved, That the thanks of this Committee

be presented to the Revd. Dr. NoTT, for his Missionary Sermon, delivered at their request."

Extract from the Minutes,

J. J. JANEWAY, Sec.

A

SERMO N.

1 COR. xv. 58.

ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD.

SON of man can these dry bones live? Thus spake God himself to Ezekiel in a vision the circumstances of which were as follow.

The prophet had been carried away in the Spirit, and set down in a valley full of dry bones. Hav ing passed round about this valley, and while sur veying its silent and affecting ruins, a voice addressed him, Son of man can these dry bones live? To this interrogation the prophet gives not a decisive answer, but resolves the issue into the sovereignty of God: O Lord God thou knowest.

The voice which before interrogated now commands, Prophesy upon these dry bones and say unto them, hear the word of the Lord. The prophet obeys, and as he prophesies-Lo! the sinews and the flesh come upon them, and the skin covers them aboye.

Over these bones, which as yet had no breath in them, the prophet was again commanded to prophesy, and again was obedient. Breath now came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

This vision contains, in emblem, a representation of the promised recovery of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon. This, however, is not all that it contains. Between the captive state of Judah and the fallen state of man there is a ma

nifest analogy. The DRY BONES which are a striking emblem of the former, are a' no less striking emblem of the latter. And the miracle of cloathing these dry bones with flesh, and inspiring them with life, may be considered as the figure of another miracle, more astonishing, equally above the reach of man, and "decisively evincive of the agency of God."-I mean the miracle of a moral resurrection. Notwithstanding the life and vigour of the intellectual powers of man, revelation asserts, and experience confirms the melancholy assertion, that with respect to his morał powers he is dead in trespasses and sins.

The situation of the prophet prophesying over dry bones, resembles that of the evangelist calling on the spiritually dead to hear and live. And if in the former instance there was encouragement for the prophet to prophesy, in the latter, there is no less encouragement for the evangelist to preach. Success then depended, and now de