favour or affection, unless he had an honest conviction that in so doing he was supporting the truth. He may have been mistaken in his judgments at times, as we all are liable to error, he may have pertinaciously adhered to his opinions once formed,—but those opinions were always formed upon honest conviction of their truth. He was eminently a high minded, honourable, truthful man; and whether in the business of the important mercantile house over which he presided, in the meetings of his fellow-citizens, in the public opinion of all Canada, or in the private circle of his friends, it was this marked feature in his character that was felt and honoured. Every one had confidence in the strict integrity and honour of the Hon. George Moffatt. And while such was the case, with a clear head, long accustomed habits of business, and untiring energy to the last, need we wonder that his services were so often sought after, and so many complicated and difficult questions entrusted to his care.

Loyalty to his Queen was not with him a mere sentiment, but a principle; and while proud of his own British origin, and anxious to maintain our connection with the mother country, yet no man had more truly at heart the welfare of Canada, or was more anxious to uphold her nationality, or more jealous of her just rights and honour. This city, his own Montreal, which he remembered, at the beginning of the present century, when a boy, in its comparative insignificance, and which he had seen growing up until she had become the great commercial capital of Canada, and the metropolitical city of the Province, he loved with unvarying affection. Without display or vanity, his hand was freely open to the calls of charity and religion; and I shall always acknowledge, not only his services in our Synods and all the business of the Church, but that to him we are very much indebted for the erection of this Cathedral, not only as a contributor to the funds expended on it, which he was in common with others, but still more as the Chairman of the Finance and Building Committee; to the really onerous labours of which he gave continual and effective attention during several successive years.

Well may Montreal mourn the loss of such a citizen; and well may the merchants of Montreal, well may our politicians and

public men, well may we all, follow his steps, and try to win, in as simple and unostentatious a manner, as fair a name.

Though long past the period which the Psalmist gives as the age of man, and having been for some time in failing health, yet his death at the last was sudden and unexpected. Occasionally we hear friends recount with anxious satisfaction the words uttered by a dying man, as giving some sure evidence of his being in a state of salvation; sometimes pressing the sufferer to give expression of his own personal assurance of his being at peace with God. Whatever these may be worth at any time (and in the case of old and tried believers in Christ they will no doubt be often spontaneous, real, and edifying), yet assuredly, at all times, there may be something more satisfactory on which to rest our hopes, viz., the evidence of a Christian life. "By their fruits ye shall know them."

Our departed friend, even if he had not passed away so suddenly, was never, I think, likely to have been very demonstrative in words of his own religious feelings; it was not his nature. And though, no doubt, it will be true in the experience of many, that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh; yet I am convinced, from long and thoughtful observation, that the facility with which many people are ever ready to talk of such deep and serious subjects, arises not because they feel them deeply, but because they really feel and understand them so little. But his life was eloquent; and while he was honourable and upright in duty towards man, so was he mindful of his duty to God, and anxious to draw near His mercy-seat for help and strength. The last time I ever saw his venerable form, in life, was the Sunday before death in his place in this house of God; and on the last occasion of the celebration of the Holy Communion in February, though not well enough at the time to be present through the whole length of the morning service, he came in to join in that Sacrament, in which we commemorate the death of Christ, and by faith are enabled to be partakers of His precious body and blood. Well, then, may we say, by and bye, when we think of all these things,—" We meekly beseech thee, O Father, to raise us from the death of sin to the life of righteousness; that when we shall depart this life, we may rest in Christ, as our hope is this our brother doth."

us; and

May this hope be a strong consolation to his sorrowing family. And may we all lay to heart the lessons such events teach trim our lamps, and gird up our loins and be ready, when our own summons shall be issued. It may be sudden; it cannot be very distant for any. And "when the world that is, is becoming as the world that is to be; when we begin to see earthly things indistinctly, and earthly sounds, like subterraneous waves, fall muffled on the ear, and more and more distinct looms forth the throne of the Invisible; when we are almost past the barriers, and belong more to the dead than the living,—O God! in that hour for a conscience void of offence, not only towards men, but towards Thee; a conscience which shall certify us that we loved, prayed, believed when death stood afar off, as we would fain do at the moment when his grey shade is stealing over us; and bystanders begin to whisper of us the ancient words: "Man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?" *

* Woodford's Occasional Sermons.

L

A CHARGE,

DELIVERED TO THE

CLERGY OF THE DIOCESE OF MONTREAL,

On the 20th January, 1852,

AT

THE PRIMARY VISITATION,

HELD IN

The Cathedral Church of Montreal.

MY REVEREND BRETHREN,

The Primary Visitation of the Bishop of a new Diocese marks an important epoch in our ecclesiastical annals; and I doubt not that we all have looked forward to this occasion of our assembling together with no small degree of interest and anxious expectation. May the Spirit of Wisdom from above, and the Spirit of Love and of Strength rest upon us all, and overrule our purposes and deliberations, now and always, to the glory of God, the edification of the Church, and the salvation of our own souls.

It is my wish, in the first place, to direct your attention to the real position, which, as members of the United Church of England and Ireland, we occupy in this Diocese. While spiritually we are identified with the Church in the Mother Country, emanating from her, using the same Liturgy, subscribing the same Articles, blessed with the same apostolic ministry, visibly forming part of the same ecclesiastical body, and claiming as our own all her mighty champions, confessors, and martyrs-yet in a political sense, and as regards temporalities, and everything that is under