XV.

THE FIFTEENTH ADDRESS

*TO THE GRADUATING CLASS AT ST. MARY'S HALL.

THE POLISHED CORNERS OF THE TEMPLE.

THIS is the one and twentieth birth-day of St. Mary's Hall. It seems to me, impossible. But the other day, as I sat, at work, in my study, in that old Academy, which stood, where St. Mary's Church, now, stands, it was proposed to me, to buy the property, built, as a school, for Friends, to be a girls' school of the Church. But the other day, I set my hand to a pamphlet, entitled "Female Education, on Christian Principles;" the first announcement of my plan. But the other day, on a beautiful May morning, these doors were opened, to a little band of timid girls; who are now abroad upon the land: its mothers, and its grandmoth ers; God bless them! And, now, scarce a city, or a town, or a village, or a hamlet, in which St. Mary's Hall is not "a household word." While, each successive

* March, A. D. 1858.

year, the living stream of women has flowed out; to beautify, and fertilize, the land. For these exceeding blessings of His Providence and Grace, God's holy name be praised! That He may still continue them; and, that St. Mary's Hall, through generation after generation, while the world shall stand, may be a name, still, and a praise, let us devoutly ask Him, through the merits of His Son, our only Saviour Jesus Christ.

curses!

To-day, the one and twentieth time, the wave of womanhood wells out, again, upon the world. To bear on it, what blessings, or what women are, the world will be. will bear sons, like Samuel. and her sister Mary, will make Christ.

For, as the Women, like Hannah, Women, like Martha, any house, a home, for

Women, like Lydia, will be mothers of the Church. Women, like men, are children of the Fall.

They bear, in them, the seeds of sin.

They are the

children of God's wrath. To be His children, they must be born again. To continue His children, they must daily be renewed. It is what St. Paul hath

said, "Not, by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." It is upon the broad basis of the Gospel, that St. Mary's Hall is founded. It is through these transforming influences, that the dear children, who come here, are sought to be built up, " as living stones." It is by faithful preaching of the word of God, and the faithful ministration of His mysteries, that we strive, day after day, not without constant prayers, to fit them

in, as "polished corners of the Temple." We strive to build them, into the Temple, as its corners; and, they, polished.

We strive to build them into the Temple. Our doors are thrown wide open. We welcome all, who come. We ask no questions, of the Christian name, by which they have been called. We gather in, of every sort, from every land. Daily, the Church's prayers are offered. Daily, the word of God, is read. Continually, the Font is filled with water. On every Lord's day, the Holy Table offers its immortal food. We are one family, in Christ. The daughters of the Church feed, with us, at the banquet of that heavenly food. One, and another, feels the sacred glow of the Redeemer's love. One, and another, comes to us, to hear of Christ. One, and another, asks to be instructed, in the knowl edge of salvation. One, and another, bends beside the Font, to own the Saviour; and to take His Cross. One, and another, kneels before the sacred rail, to ask the gift of the Divine and Holy Spirit, in "the laying on of hands." One, and another, comes, in deep humility, to ask the crumbs, which fall, from His full board. With in a year, twenty have owned the gospel covenant, in holy baptism. Within a year, fifty have been confirmed: of whom, not less than forty are communicants. The present number of communicants, who have been trained and nurtured, here, is seventy. Till one feels, as they ap proach, to be partakers of that heavenly feast, the beauty of the Prophet's words: "Who are these, that fly, as a cloud; and as doves, to their windows?" And,

thus, they are built in, through faith, which works by love; as living stones: while, "all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto a holy temple, in the Lord."

"The holy

grave, with "The holy

But we would build them in, as corner stones." The Psalmist, so, describes them: "that our daughters may be as the corner stones." Women, are not for ornament, alone; or chiefly. They are, for use. What were our homes, without them! What a desolate thing, a house, without its mistress! What a deserted thing, a family, without a mother! What a loneliness, our life were, without sisters, daughters, grand-daughters! They are the corner-stones of human society. They should be corner-stones, in the Church. Who were the Saviour's ministers and comforters, on earth? women." Who were the earliest, at His the sweet spices, to anoint His body? women." Who are first named in the sad company, which gathered, in that upper room, after the Ascension? "The holy women." Whom does St. Paul set foremost, as his helpers, in the Gospel? "The holy women." What were the Church now, humanly regarded, but for "the holy women?" Whom does the Missionary find readiest, to welcome, and to cheer him, in his wandering ministry? "The holy women." Who, under God, are the life and soul of our foreign enterprises, for Christ, in Greece, in China,* and in Africa? "The holy women." Whom do we count on, as certain worshippers, at all our daily services? "The holy women." Who

One of them, a dear daughter of St. Mary's Hall.

To

are the readiest, in winter's cold, or summer's heat, to seek the poor, the sick, the sad, to comfort and relieve them? "The holy women." Who are most willing to deny themselves, and toil, and pray, to help us, as we feed the lambs of Christ? "The holy women." These are the corner stones, of which we speak. have such women, is our object, here. Not women, to display fine dresses, or rich jewellery! Not women, to be rolled about, in easy carriages, from shop to shop, or theatre to theatre! Not women, to loll, listlessly, upon luxurious sofas, with the newest novel! But, working women, caring women, loving women: such as Solomon praised; who look well to the ways of their household, and eat not the bread of idleness. Women: such as St. Paul commends: "well reported of for good works; who have brought up children; who have lodged strangers; who have washed the feet of saints; who have relieved the afflicted; who have diligently followed every good work." Women, such as St. Peter paints; whose adorning is "not that outward adorning, of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit; which is, in the sight of God, of great price." These were the Sarahs, the Rachels, the Rebeccas, the Miriams, the Ruths, the Marys, the Lydias, the Phebes, the Priscillas, of the Bible. These, as women professing godliness, and practising what they profess, are the corner stones, which we endeavour to build into the Temple. Of them, thank God, a mul