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"thou hast loosed our bonds"-" Lord what wilt "thou have us to do?"

These are noble confessions indeed. Are they sincere? are you thus moved by the Holy Ghost? hath he convinced you, and humbled and penetrated you with the conviction of your own exceeding sinfulness and misery by nature ?-hath he taken the things of Christ and showed them to you? hath he effectually drawn you to this divine Saviour ?- doth the love of Christ now constrain you to live not unto yourselves, but to him? are your hearts indeed deeply concerned for the salvation of perishing sinners ?-have you been looking into the dismal state of the heathen world? do your bowels yearn over it? do you believe and delight in, and plead in prayer the promises of salvation to it? would you be glad to be qualified and sent to it, with the word of the Lord, the word of eternal life?-This is the true Missionary spirit and character-we invite and press all of this description to come forward full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. We cannot, we will not tempt you with worldly prospectsif you are right-hearted men according to your profession, you will not seek great things for yourselves. You must not think of an easy life

-you must labour hard-you must encounter difficulties, opposition and dangers; -for these however you are not unprovided. Our present funds, and the future beneficence of our christian friends, will enable us as we are disposed, to give you food and raiment, and all things necessary to life and godliness; we will follow you with our prayers, and with every blessing in our power to bestow-But what is of infinitely greater moment and advantage to you, is, that the Lord Jesus, whose religion you are to teach will be with you, and that he is greater than all who can be against you-Depending then on him alone for your own salvation, and for the salvation of the heathen, seeking not your own pleasure, profit or honour, but that he may be glorified. in and by you, and by sinners converted from the error of their way, be not afraid-be strong and of good courage. To all who thus devote themselves to his service, we most heartily bid God speed.-Fly ye angels of grace from pole to pole, and from the rivers to the ends of the earth, bearing to all men the glad tidings of the everlasting Gospel:-stop not in this bold flight of philanthropy, till you convey to the simple sons of the isles, the knowledge of the true God and

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eternal life-till you arrest the wanderings of the roving savage with the wonders of redeeming grace-till you dart the beams of celestial light and love into the dark habitations of ignorance and cruelty-till you convert the barbarous cannibal to humanity, to christian gentleness and goodness.

Hasten to the shores of long injured Africa, not to seize and sell the bodies of men, but to save their perishing souls-follow the miserable captives to their several sad destinations of slavery, with the inviting proclamation of spiritual liberty, while you inculcate the strictest duty to their masters-speed your way to India to repay her gold with the unsearchable riches of Christ meet all the high pretensions of the Bramin religion and literature, and all their fatal delusions and cruel impositions, with the overpowering evidence of the Christian as a divine revelation, with the full luminous display of evangelical truth and holiness. Cease not, till you see the whole earth filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the channel of the sea.

Finally, my brethren, suffer the word of exhortation. This subject suggests many import

ant directions, and they will all be found necessary, whether you consider the magnitude of the Missionary undertaking, or the variety of attacks, to which its friends are exposed. Good men may differ from you, but will be cautious in condemning you. The irreligious and profane will be less scrupulous-they will treat you with neglect, or pity or mockery, if they do not set themselves directly to oppose you. Be exhorted then to be wise as serpents, harmless as doves, and bold as lions. The most effectual way to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, is to show out of a good conversation your works with meekness of wisdom. Learn from this subject, not to lean to your own understandings, but in all your ways to acknowledge God, and he shall direct your steps.-You cannot proceed aright in this great work without counsel and help from above these you are not only permitted, but commanded to ask; and in the exercise of faith. and prayer, you are sure of receiving them. Were we even arrived at the spot of Missionary action, with every external advantage on our side, it would be presumption to expect success without the blessing of heaven-thither therefore our waiting eyes must be directed, looking up to

him, and pleading that according to his promise, the Spirit may be poured out from on high. "Come from the four winds, O breath, and "breathe upon these slain that they may live." He will give his Holy Spirit to them who ask it. He will grant the desire of your hearts. He will cause breath to enter into the dry bones of the heathen, and they shall live. Be therefore exhorted farther, both in the pursuit and attainment of this grand object, to give all the glory to him to whom alone it is due. Know that this is the doing of the Lord. Say from the heart, not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name be all the praise for ever!

If these are your prevailing views and sentiments, they will operate powerfully upon the whole of your temper and conduct. We have said that if the gospel shall be successful in the Papan world, it will produce the best effects upon individuals and upon society.

To exemplify these in your own characters, will be the highest recommendation of your cause. When your light shines in this manner before men, others seeing your good works, will glorify your Father who is in heaven. Let it appear to the world that our associations for the purpose

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