he conveyed to the minds of the young the impression of his sincerity. There is no mightier element of success with men, than an elevated character. Cicero makes this indispensable to all success in oratory, and in this instance, at least, we have a happy illustration of his principle.

Mr. Starr was open and courteous in his intercourse with his fellow-men. To the younger members of the bar, he was specially attentive, taking a lively interest in them and in their success.

As a lawyer, he illustrated those qualities which I have endeavored to set before you in this discourse, as belonging to your profession. Every good work, and every true reform, and every wise enterprise for the improvement of society, found in him an active supporter.

But the crowning excellence of his life was his christian character. He was a sincere, noiseless, straight-forward Christian. He abhorred formalism and show in religion. The portraiture drawn of a good man by one of the sacred writers, was emphatically descriptive of him. He did justly, loved mercy, and walked humbly with his God. He was always at his post in the Church, the lecture-room, and the prayer-room. He was promptly in attendance at the meetings of the session, and ready to do his part as a Christian and an officer in the house of God. For nearly five years that I have sustained the relation of pastor to him, his arm has always been ready for my support. He was himself a pastor's son, and he knew how to sympathize with the trials and toils of the ministry. He gave the countenance of his presence to all our religious meetings, and the whole strength of his influence to assist his pastor and fellow-elders in carrying on the work of the Lord. His interest and personal attention extended to the Sabbath school, to the young and

to those who came into the congregation as strangers from abroad. He has gone from us; a man we loved and respected as an humble follower of Christ; who laid his talents and his life at his Master's feet. I will not pass beyond his public character; I will not enter the domestic circle and re-open the fountains of grief. We can commend those from whom he has been taken, and her from whom God has thus suddenly removed the dear companion of her pilgrimage, to the grace and loving kindness of Him who rules sovereign over all the affairs of time. He died as he lived; without fear, and with a calm reliance on his Redeemer for salvation. A Christian, he fell asleep in the arms of Jesus. We could have wished it had been, in one respect, otherwise; we could have wished that he might have gone to rest from this place of his abode, amid the attentions of his wide circle of friends, amid the prayers of his fellow-christians, amid the scenes of his professional and Christian life; we could have wished to have gone with him down the dark valley, till we saw the light break in upon his soul from the opening heaven beyond; we could have wished that on the ears of those nearest to him, the whispers of affection and hope had fallen, and that it had been our privilege to hear him speak of the life to come. But the Infinite Lord, who doeth all things in wisdom, did otherwise ordain. We bow to his high decision, assured that though our brother and friend took not his departure from our side, yet that he has ascended from the conflicts and toils of time to the rest of God's people and the companionship of the Lamb. Let it be our daily effort so to live the life of the righteous, that at length we may quietly die the death of the righteous. Soon the scenes that now absorb you will have passed away; the places that know you will know you no more forever. The night approach

eth; the still, dark, cold night of the grave; the night whose darkness no effort of the human soul, no deductions of human reason, no instructions of an earthly philosophy, no science of time can at all disperse. This night comes to you and to me. The morning cometh! the morning of the Savior's love and visible presence! the morning of redemption, when the soul, delivered from the darkness and bondage of corruption, is ushered into the glorious sanctuary of the Lord most high! This morning cometh only to those who, penitent for sin, have trusted in Christ for pardon, and sought, through his strength, for the riches and glory of the better life.

THE MOSAIC LAW OF USURY.

Ir is now more than a year since I received, from a member of this church, a request for information in respect to the nature of the Mosaic law of usury. More recently the same request has been urged upon me from different quarters. I mention these facts, in order to show you that my design, in the following remarks, is rather to assist the minds of those who are inquiring on this subject for their own guidance, than merely to take part in the discussion of a subject which seems destined to create periodical excitements, such as that which, of late, has given new interest and importance to it before the community. Standing entirely aloof from the parties in these discussions; knowing well that truth, as the stars, is best seen from a position which excludes the indirect reflections from the multitudes about you, I have no design to become a party with any man or any set of men, but to speak the truth simply, clearly, and fully, as it presents itself to my view. In discoursing from this. place, it is my purpose to avoid, as far as may be, the purely political aspect of the subject, and except so far as it is necessary to its illustration, confine myself either to the biblical or the moral view of it. There are political, social, and general aspects of this subject, which can be more appropriately discussed by intelligent men of business and the members of the bar. And there are

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Scriptural and moral aspects of the question-its relation to the teachings of God's word and its influence upon the spiritual interests of men, that bring it within the range of the instructions of the pulpit.

1. Our first inquiry respects the law in the case, as given by Moses to the Israelites. Let us turn to the statute first made and recorded in Ex. xxii, 25: "If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as a usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury." The term translated "usury" primarily signifies a "bite," or as a verb "to bite ;" and is applied to the bite of a venomous serpent: the word itself conveying the idea which in that day was attached to usury as that which produced deadly effects. The real meaning of the term, in this passage, is the gain of money beyond the principal, or what is now denominated interest. The whole passage prohibits the taking of interest on money loaned to the poor. You perceive this limitation in the command. So far as this injunction was their guide, it was lawful for an Israelite to loan on interest to those in good circumstances, but not to those who were in distress. To these they were enjoined to lend money without exacting any return beyond the principal. You perceive here the benevolence of this statute. It had respect to the poor and their relief, and was designed to act as an incitement to generous conduct on the part of those in possession of wealth.

The next passage which claims attention is found in Levit. xxv, 35, 36, 37: "And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee, thou shalt relieve him; yea though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee. Take thou no usury of him or increase; but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee. Thou shalt not give him thy money upon