The Sun.
London, England, 1823-06-12 00:00:00

OXFORD COMMtMORATION,

OXFORD, JUNE 10.
THE. SERVICE IN ST. MARY'S CHURCH,

AND THE RADCLIFFE SERMON.

The Governors of the Radcliffe Infirmary assemb led ilia
mottling in . the Radcliffe Library, and precisely at eleven
proceeded in grand procession to the. University Church, in
Which the Vice-Chancellor, andall the Dignitaries of theAcatle.
'inical body joined, with the leading Gentlemen of fortune and
consequence in the country. The anthems selected for the so.
lemn service by Mr. Vicary, 'Mos. Bac. who presided at the or.
gan, and who is the Conductor of the Three Grand Concerts,
were, that composed by Dr. Boyce, beginning with theanblime
Chorus of " Lord, thou hest been our Retuge ;" the-100th
Psalm, Which was delightfully sung by the principal Vocal Per.
formers engaged for the Concerts, and- by the young Gentlemen
of the Chapel Royal, with the assistance of all the Oxford
Choirs. The service concluded with the Coronation Anthem,
composed by Handel—" And all the People: rejoiced and. said
God. save the King ; Long live the Kink; May the King live
for ever." The galleries of the church, as well indeed as the
area, were completely filled, and numerous parties of the resi»
dent members of Oxford were excluded from attending the Pr-,
vice by the vast concourse of strangers who had taken their seats
early in the morning. The sermon was preached by Mr. Sum.
nee, Prebendary of Durham. The Rev. Divine took his text
from the lath chapterof St. John's Gospel, verse 12, " This is
my commandment, that ye love one another as I have loved you."
After remarking that this exhortation to brotherly love was the
last solemn injunction given by our Lord ti his Disciples, the.
eloquent Preacher proceeded to-'point out in what respect
it was to be considered a new commandment. "It was new to
the Jew's," who, although previously acquainted with the obit.
gations of charity towards their brethren, had so universally
restricted the letter Of the precept, and se lamentably fail,l in
reducing it to practice, that they needed fresh sanctions to
enforce its authority. "It was new to the Gentiles" is a more
unqualified sense, and to confirm the assertion, he would
appeal only to the records "of antiquity, and observe.
uon of those who survived its mouldering piles. Where,
amidst the splendid monuments of departed pride and .ambis
tion, did they discover the vestiges of buildings erected to the
elleviatien of human *offering& The stliishneas and insensi-
bility of nian in his natural state were insuperable obstacles
to the exercise of this wid.like virtue; it needed Meter ;no',
tives to bring. it into action, and these Christianity alone
could supply. Mr. S. next suggested the obligations iniposed
upon-us, to the exercise of mutual love and charity, by the
love displayed towards mankind by Christ. In order to form
even i feeble idea of the extent of that love, we should consider
how painful it must be to a good man to become even an occa.
sional spectator of the Vices and of the depravity of the wicked.
How great then must have been the love of the Son of God, a
Being of infiniteririty, to sinful men, which could prompt
him to shbMit tO. a whole life of endurance to the wicked, and
even to hold familiar converse with publicans and sinners, with
a view to their final salvation. The concluding appeal to the
charitable feelings of the congregation produced an unprece-
dented collection in aid of the Radcliffe Fund.