What is my joy or crown of rejoicing?  Are not even ye—­ye—­in the presence of Christ at His coming?  Why, then, sunder a tie that is bound to every fibre of my inmost heart?  I will answer you frankly.  There must be no concealment or false pretexts between us.  In the first place, as I told you two months ago, I had determined to make my thirtieth anniversary the terminal point of my present pastorate.  I determined not to outstay my fullest capacity for the enormous work demanded here.  The extent of that demanded work increases every twelve months.  The requirements of preaching twice every Sunday, to visit the vast number of families directly connected with this church, attending funeral services, conferring with committees about Christian work of various kinds, and numberless other duties—­all these requirements are prodigious.  Thus far, by the Divine help, I have carried that load.  My health to-day is as firm as usual; and I thank God that such forces of heart and brain as He has given me are unabated.  The chronic catarrh that long ago muffled my ears to many a strain of sweet music, has never made me too deaf to hear the sweet accents of your love.  But I understand my constitution well enough to know that I could not carry the undivided load of this great church a great while longer without the risk of breaking down; and there must be no risk run with you or with myself.  I also desire to assist you in transferring this magnificent vessel to the next pilot whom God shall appoint; and I wish to transfer it while it is well-manned, well-equipped, and on the clear sea of an unbroken financial and spiritual prosperity.  No man shall ever say that I so far presumed on the generous kindness of this dear church as to linger here until I had outlived my usefulness.

For these reasons I present to-day my resignation of this sacred, precious charge.  It is my honest desire and purpose that this day must terminate my present pastorate.  For presenting this resignation I alone am responsible before God, before this church and before the world.  When you shall have accepted my resignation, the whole responsibility for the welfare of this beloved church will rest on your shoulders—­not on mine.  My earnest prayer is that you may soon be directed to the right man to be your minister, to one who shall unite all hearts and all hands, and carry forward the high and holy mission to which God has called you.  He will find in me not a jealous critic, but a hearty ally in everything that he may regard for the welfare of this church.

As for myself I do not propose to sit down on the veranda and watch the sun of life wheel downward in the west.  The labors of a pen and of a ministry at large will afford me no lack of employment.  The welfare of this church is inexpressibly dear to me—­nothing is dearer to me this side of heaven.  If, therefore, while this flock remains shepherdless, and in search of my successor, I can be of actual service to you in supplying at any time this pulpit or performing pastoral labor, that service, beloved, shall be performed cheerfully.