THE

[PRICE 3d.

No. 17.]

THE age in which we live has been emphatically designated the age of induction; and, there appears to be a feeling of scepticism on the minds of many, unless our evidences are made to rest on reasonings brought from this quarter. The world has established her principles, and unless we can come forward and establish what we advance upon these principles, we cannot press it home in such a way as to claim attention, or countenance, or support. Without admitting that such kind of proof can be obtained, or has a right to be demanded, on all occasions, yet, as we find it so eagerly sought after, we may seize on this eagerness, and present such a species of evidence in refe rence to the Gospel of CHRIST. We are furnished with such evidence in the words which I have now read. We must not, however, suppose that we have discovered this mode of establishing the truth: GOD himself has laid it down. He here invites the world to examine the experiments which, in its blindness and weakness, it had made, and all the various expedients it had devised for its own benefit. It was, when he had left the world, to these experiments for four thousand years, that the fulness of time arrived; and, as the wisdom of man had succeeded in nothing but obscuring the beauty and denying the very existence of truth;

after that, the world by wisdom knew not GOD, it pleased GOD, by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." In connexion with this great principle, the cause of MISSIONS may be supported. Let us consider

First, The state of the world during the progress of the experiment.

VOL. I.

I. LET US CONSIDER THE STATE OF THE WORLD DURING THE PROGRESS OF THE EXPERIMENT.

If our world were placed in any circumstances from which it could be delivered by means of its own devising, we should only have to resort to such means for our renovation. But, let us look into the case, and let us examine our own state personally; let us see whether men are still in the same state as were our first parents, when they put forth their guilty hands to violate the commands of their GOD.

1st. We must consider the world as guilty before GOD.-Guilt includes in it the violation of the Divine commands. If we consider this, we shall find every son and daughter of Adam guilty before the revelation of GOD. Every command which God gives; all that arises out of GOD's moral government; any thing that is calculated to glorify GoD, man casts away as if it were unworthy his regard. And this, though the thunders of the divine wrath are heard, and man feels his exposure to danger, and stands in awful expectation, this state, therefore, is such as to forbid the hope that he can ever rise above the ruin that awaits him, by any means he can devise. Man has denied

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or forgotten this charge, amidst all the experiments which he has made to rescue himself.

2nd. Man is also in a state of defilement and impurity.-If we could see guilt written against man, as the only charge, we might hope that GOD, in his mercy, would send forth messages of kindness and of love, and cause man's sin to be removed for ever. But man is polluted and defiled as well as guilty. All within him is in direct contrast to the purity of GOD: all the impurity is committed in his sight who forbids corruption to stand before him. There is an essential and everlasting separation between GoD and this corruption. And, with this devotion of the whole life to uncleanness and abomination, and all that is contrary to God and his law; with all the powers in hostile array against his purity and glory; how is it possible that any experiments made by such men can render the creature less abominable in his Maker's sight.

3rd. Man is, further, as helpless as he is guilty and polluted. Were there any means by which he might deliver himself from his state of guilt, and from the corruptions of his heart; we know not what he might have done for his delivery. But he is helpless: there is a weight pressing upon him which he cannot remove there has come over all his powers a weakness which tells him plainly that, though hand join in hand to work out something to recommend him, he can have no hope of success. He who is ungodly is said also to be "without strength." The dreadful malady under which he labours is continually paralyzing all his powers; and, in every experiment he makes, he shews plainly that he is in circumstances in which he has no power to work out a deliverance; no means of preparing for eternity, though that eternity is nigh at hand.

4th. Man is also the subject of decided alienation from GOD.-If we had to contemplate the situation of man, as one connected with great guilt, all his actions associated with defilement, struggling with native helplessness; yet, if in connexion with this guilt and corruption, and imbecility, we could discover a strong desire to return to the GoD he had abandoned, we might have some hope of his case. But we find that he is guilty, and scorns the hand that alone can blot out his sin; he is corrupt, and will not wash in the only fountain that can cleanse hi m

he is weak, and will not lay hold on the power which could effectually relieve him. He is at enmity against GOD. He expects to relieve the thirst that torments him without coming to the fountain of living waters that fountain he hates; and, while he hates the fountain, the very thirst he feels creates a passion which enrages him. Thus do we see the guilt, the corruption, the helplessness of man combine together with enmity against the GOD who has formed him, and formed him so that without HIM he cannot be happy.

5th. But, in the progress of this experiment we see that man is a miserable being also. We see him covered with guilt, sunk in impurity, weak to deliver himself, full of enmity against the only Being that can do him good;-and now, we behold him miserable also. And is this surprising? Did the GoD who made man ever intend to bestow the light of his countenance upon those who cast away his fear? Did He ever intend that the creature whom he made to enjoy happiness through Him, should enjoy it contrary to Him? Would He, who designed that happiness should come from obedience to his law, bestow that happiness upon a rebel? Can man be happy while the Supreme wields an eternal sceptre against all his wishes and his hopes? All that we behold in man forbids him to be happy. An angelic mind, with all its majestic powers, if it throw off the love of GoD, though it may reign in the dark dignity of hell, can never be happy; it has cast off its allegiance to its Maker, and must inevitably be miserable. Let a man cherish his guilt and corruption, let him retain his enmity to GOD, and how can he be happy? While he indulges in his sin, and shields himself in his corruption, and follows the workings of his native enmity, and has no power to avert the wrath that is excited against him ;--it must be that misery is hisdestiny.

This has been the case in all ages. Whether we find the world in a state of peace, or behold it involved in war: whether we behold it in savage barbarism, or in its highest cultivation; we see it alienated from GOD in every case, and having in it all the elements of never dying misery. Such is the state of man, individually; and such is the state of the world on which you are called to look out through the medium of the Missionary cause. Let us now consider

II. THE REMEDIES WHICH DURING THIS PERIOD OF EXPERIMENT, MAN WAS LED TO APPLY.

A variety of experiments were made, not, indeed, for the avowed purpose of raising man to the possession of what he had lost; but for the avowed purpose of making himself happy.

1st. We find man, when he had fallen and exposed himself to the Divine wrath, betaking himself to arts.-Men began to build cities, to handle the organ and the harp, to work on brass and on iron. Thus, they aimed to amuse themselves, and to alleviate the curse which had been pronounced upon them. And we find the arts increasing, till at length the earth seemed to be clothed with every attraction, and, some nations at least, rose in majestic splendour. But, we find the very people among whom these arts most flourished, were still among the most miserable of the earth. The voice of passion, and the strife of tongues, and the clashing of interests, and the increase of population, and the accession of territory, appear to have impeded the very march of the arts themselves. The history of the world, from first to last, goes to shew that this experiment was unsuccessful to procure peace; that those who could succeed to render many of the elements of nature subservient to their wishes, could not subdue the workings of their own passions; and their state served but to illustrate the words of the apostle, respecting our race, "hateful, and hating one another." Then,

2nd. We find them having recourse to war.-Because the arts of peace did not afford them happiness, they had recourse to war. And did this experiment succeed? Mark their course from the time that the first murderer imbrued his hands in the blood of his brother, down to the time when Europe engaged in her last struggle; and then ask if in war man found any increase of happiness. Violence filled the earth; and this violence brought along with it such a conflict of passion as soon destroyed the world's repose, as the flood afterwards destroyed the world itself. After all these attempts had failed, we find the same practices resorted to: individuals marched through blood to seize on some hereditary or usurped throne. But when the warrior had obtained his wish, when he had gathered laurels from a thousand fields, when bowing nations were collected

around him, when his glories had reached their highest eminence, and his fame seemed to have acquired immortality, was there peace of mind? was there real enjoyment? was happiness secured? No, my friends! Poetry may have thrown a splendour around those deeds of blood; the laureate may have told the hero that all his toils are ended; the historian may tell an admiring nation that all its dangers are over; in the moment of victory, men may be overwhelmed with admiration, and their thinking powers may be deluded. But when peace has succeeded to the passing storm, they will find that nothing, in fact, has been gained; that their boasted victory has not lifted them one step higher to heaven; that still they have not obtained what they sought; and that neither the arts of peace, nor the conflicts of war, can give them what their guilt, and corruption, and alienation from GOD have combined to prevent.

But

3rd. During the period of these experiments, legislation aimed to do much. We might expect much to be accomplished by the wisdom of the ancient legislators. They did much to benefit men, and to secure a sort of immortality to their own names. though they studied the case of the people as closely as they could, and made many wholesome regulations; we do not find a single people raised by legislation. The Greeks and the Romans were, indeed, lifted up by it from the horrible barbarism around them; but it abated none of the evils of human nature; it succeeded to destroy no bad passion; it failed to introduce happiness and peace.

4th. Then something in the way of experiment was attempted as to religion. Arts, and war, and legislation having all failed, idolatry next did something to bring man to the knowledge of what would make him happy. But what do we see here? The vices of men were deified, and kept constantly before the contemplation of the people. This system was arrayed in every possible glory; we find poetry spreading her beauties around it; we find philosophy investing it with all her dignity: we find legislation maintaining it, and the power of arms enforcing it; we find art, and science, and authority, all combining to make this religion as attractive and as popular as possible. But, in the midst of this misguided and superstitious attachment to gods that were no gods; we

and that the holiness which had rejected our corruption and our guilt, had seen all the perfections of GOD conspire to work out our happiness for ever.

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But all this was done without us. The victim was selected without us-the work was wrought without us-the fulness of time came when the world knew it not. He grew up as a root out of a dry ground." The Redeemer was found at last with his own disciples doubting around him; the people whom he came to befriend rejected him, and at the last were found deriding him upon the cross; to shew that no part of the scheme was of man's devising, or of man's approval; while at the same time it is such a scheme as is sufficient to satisfy all the hopes of man, and to convince all intelligent beings that GOD has here devised a scheme which reflects the highest lustre on all his perfections.

And when we examine the Divine re cord, we find in the means of obtaining this salvation, how the wisdom of GOD triumphs over all the devices of man. How are we to enjoy the salvation which he has devised? FAITH is the means :we are not required to bring any thing, to do any thing as an equivalent for salvation; believing in the truth, the salvation is enjoyed. "Believe on the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and thou shalt be saved," is the voice which comes from heaven; and when this voice is listened to, and the heart is bowed down before it, all the blessings are secured. The sinner is not called upon, like the priests of another country, to cut and lacerate himself, or to do any thing which may seem a ground of dependance. He is to come and believe in CHRIST, and his peace of mind is held sacred by the very GoD who once condemned him.

2nd. But man has not only to believe the testimony, and to avail himself of the remedy; we have alienated minds, also, which must be brought back. We may have our sins blotted out, and still our enmity may reign and influence us. Now in the plan which infinite Wisdom has devised, this want is met, and our minds are made to move towards God. We come not only to know that our sins are blotted out, but to receive a new heart, and a right spirit. A criminal has heard that his prince has forgiven him his crimes; and while he hears it, his heart swells with new projects of crime against the very sovereign who has thus exercised his

prerogative for his forgiveness.

Such

is the character of this remedy for man's wretchedness that every part of it is calculated to move and melt the heart. It displays, in its very device, unspeakable kindness; in its execution, the same kindness is manifest; it comes to the enmity which burned against God himself, and aims to inspire it with love :in its progress and application we feel its kindness also. When we see the Son of GOD leaving the abodes of glory and becoming man upon earth; when we see him leading a life of suffering and sorrow; when we look to Calvary, and see him amidst scoffing Jews and idolatrous Romans; when we view him while the heavens gathered blackness, and the rocks were rent, and the earth was shaken, and all the multitude cried out with a loud voice," Crucify him, crucify him;" and when we find him amidst all these complicated sufferings retaining an unsubdued kindness; when we find him going from Gethsemane's sorrows to a spot of earth where the God of nature should marshall all his terrors, and allow him to become the sport of earth and hell; if we see, amidst all this his kindness; and remember that he had no motive of personal aggrandisement, that he would have remained as before if we had not been saved; and that he only did it to raise to everlasting glory those whom he could have swept away; and and that he did all this, as he bestows all blessings arising out of it, without money, and without price. Oh, there is something in all this which enters into the heart, and loosens all the enmity, and causes all the powers to spring from condemnation and impurity, and causes the whole scul to yield itself to him who for its sake gave himself up to all. And if we find all this bringing back love to the heart, the enmity of which no human power could subdue; then

3rd. Let us look also at the helplessness of man, and see how all this is removed. -We have seen how helpless man is, and in the gospel we find how the Holy SPIRIT comes in and tells him that there is mercy for his guilt, and love for his enmity, and holiness for his impurity, and for his weakness moral power to influence and command. This is peculiar to Christianity: there was nothing in the schemes of the heathen of old like the glory of GoD and of CHRIST which the SPIRIT brings into the soul of the believ