revolutions of empires and the eventful characters of the closing ages, one object was distinct, the most glorious of all, and to which all the mysterious machinery was subordinated-it was "the word of God," "clothed with a vesture dipped in blood," followed by "the armies of heaven," "smiting the nations with the sword of his mouth;" for this is the weapon by which he achieves his victories, and wearing his triumphant name, befitting his universal empire, and his resistless conquests; "written," now, to be read another day by the assembled universe-"King of kings, and Lord of lords." I have now redeemed my pledge, to show you that your object to evangelize the world is founded upon the principles of revelation; the grand truth which it assumes, and upon which it proceeds, being that to all nations the blessings of salvation are to be ultimately extended; and this truth is held in view from its first to its last page, is represented as originating in eternity before all time, and as consummated in eternity, when time shall cease to be. Here, in point of argument, upon the authority of inspiration, and on the part of those who believe it, the missionary question rests, as to its object.

earth, and was declared to be so from the hard to be understood, relative to the cross, is carrying on in heaven, and is pleaded before the throne. It is the business of the Redeemer-the one great work in which he is engaged, and in which he will be occupied until all the benefits of the salvation which he died to purchase, shall be secured according to the tenor of the covenant declared. This constitutes the basis of his mediatorial kingdom. "He must reign until all enemies are put under his feet.". -"But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, covered with glory and honour." To his many crowns, must be added that of the regenerated world; and then "cometh the end;" when having subdued all opposition, and “put down all rule, and all authority, and power;" having completed the conquest of the universe, and accomplished his mediatorial commission, he shall "deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him," and shall mark it by this solemn and public surrender of this delegated sovereignty, no longer necessary to his ransomed and perfected church, and as from the beginning, even from everlasting, the triune Jehovah. "God shall be all in all," in whose presence the redeemed shall find eternal joy -receiving ever new displays of his love, and ever admiring the glorious mysteries of his ineffable nature.

John foresaw the accomplishment of all those things, when the veil of futurity, and, in some instances, even that of eternity, was drawn aside before him. As though these concurrent declarations had been all too little to give due effect and sufficient assurance to the grand design contemplated in the visions of the Almighty, he beheld him upon whose bosom he once leaned; but so transformed, that all his faculties were overcome, and the splendour of the mount of transfiguration was but a faint shadow of the insufferable brightness of uncreated glory, in which the risen Redeemer then revealed himself to his beloved disciple. Amidst things

2. But we mentioned the claims of revelation, as bearing upon your efforts, in connexion with this unquestionable object. These must be scriptural also, both as to their extent and their means.

Their extent may be measured by the principles already established; and revelation claims for Christ, empire absolute, religious, universal-"I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession."

The harp of prophecy has been struck from age to age; its strains are too sweet and too elevated to be mistaken for mortal music. It has sounded louder and louder, and its notes have risen higher and higher, until it has mingled with the chorus of heaven; and celestial lyres have been hushed to listen to its melody; angelic spirits have desired to look into the mys teries which it celebrated, and the glories which it foretold. Rising amidst the

The

Such is the extent of scriptural claims for Christ, and from you it claims corres

mountains of Judea, it reached Greece | be effected before the end shall come! and Rome, in broken and indistinct With us, it is always time to obey an exechoes; and the strains of Isaiah were press command, always time to labour, imitated by Virgil, who caught them the time of duty is clear-"Secret things through these imperfect reverberations. belong to the Lord our God." The subject of the prophetic song was place, the way, the measure, the end of always the triumphs of the Redeemer. our individual exertions, of our respective We lay no stress upon particular inter- destinations, are all with him, and we pretations of imagery employed by the cheerfully leave them there. We renounce prophets, whether the renewed face of the again speculation to grasp certaintyearth, and the subdued ferocity of beasts "The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, of prey, and the extinction of natural ani- and all flesh shall see it together: for the mosities in the animal creation are to be mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." considered as figurative or literal; as relating to an actual transformation of the face of nature, or only to moral changes,ponding duties. It requires faith in these or to both, as is not improbable; for all was perfection once, and it is in the power of the Being who works, to restore them; it is not for us to decide. We adhere to the obvious principle-the groans of the whole creation must be heard; the promises of God must be fulfilled; the ruins of the fall must be repaired; the Messiah must reign, and his empire is in the bosom; it controls the passions; it is an empire of peace; it thus distinguishes itself from the kingdoms of this world, founded often in violence, supported by cruel and desolating wars, and pouring through their hundred gates armies as destructive in their career as imposing in their external grandeur. It is clear that the spirit of the religious reign of Jesus is "glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good-will to men." And when such is its spirit, and the moral influence corresponds, and all things shall be subordinated to it, it is easy to conceive, not merely that incalculable benefits shall result to society, but that physical changes, unimaginable in the present state of things, will take place upon the face of nature itself, arising from this moral trans-eth, and hath nothing." This is a serformation. We will not, however, suffer ourselves to indulge in speculation, while we contend for the right of empire claimed by revelation for the Saviour.

We enter into no calculations relative to times and to persons, to the years which must revolve, before the latter day, already dawning upon us, shall reach its meridian, or as to which anti-christian powers must fall; and what changes must VOL. I.-50

promises, without which your principles will be unfixed, your perseverance uncertain, your labours uncheered, your sacrifices unrewarded. The great part of the courage, zeal, and triumph of primitive Christians was disclosed by the apostle John. "This," said he, "is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." It recommends prayer. Even Jesus is to ask—“ Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance." Surely it becomes us to follow such an example, and to fill the sails of the vessels which bear our missionaries to foreign shores, with a spiritual gale of unfeigned supplication. "And this is the confidence that we have in him," said an inspired writer, "that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us; and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that are desired of him." We cannot doubt that in praying for missionary success, we ask according to his will, because we ask according to his promise. Activity must blend with desire; for "the soul of the sluggard desir

vice which the young peculiarly may render to the cause of religion; the heart may remain to age, but not the hand; the love to the cause, but not the energy to aid it. "I write to you, young men, because ye are strong," said one over whose head ninety winters had passed, chilling his blood, but unable to freeze his affections. Employment of the prescribed means is called for. The wicked one is

to be "consumed with the Spirit of the entertained, as though "they were the Lord's mouth, and destroyed with the people, and wisdom must die with them," brightness of his coming." Use no un- and all who venture to differ from their hallowed weapons, neither force nor fraud, dogmas, to hesitate before they risk eterneither philosophical expediency, nor hu-nal interests upon bold speculations and man policy. You do not need them, for unsupported hypothesis, or to suppose the cause rejects them. The weapons the possibility, and admit the existence which have vanquished so many are pow-of a written revelation of the divine will, erful enough to subdue all" and the weapons of our warfare are not carnal." Trust to the simple preaching of the gospel, in faith upon its author: scorners may laugh now, as they did in the days of the apostle, who said, "We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumblingblock, and to the Greeks foolishness; but to them that are saved, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the wisdom of God, and the power of God."

were either fools in understanding, enthusiasts by constitution, knaves by design, or, upon the most candid construction, narrow in their conceptions, illiberal in their opinions, irrational in their creed, and unphilosophical in their conclusions. Do not suffer yourselves to be moved by hard names, bitter words, and scornful revilings. Do not mistake sophistry for reason, ridicule for argument, assertions Personal devoted-for proof; nor be daunted by the bold assumptions, and the high tone arrogated by the opponents of revelation, and of your efforts as founded upon it. Bring the pretensions of both systems to the test; let that test be plain matter of fact, and not doubtful disputation; let the facts be deduced from all parts of the world, and from all ages of time; let them be examined in their uniformity and consistency, and then it will be soon and easily seen and demonstrated who has effected most for the world, in point either of moral culture, or of substantial happiness, the philosopher or the missionary.

ness to God is required at your hands, and will crown your work. He only who has learned the value of his own soul can justly appreciate the worth of the souls of others. He only who is in earnest for his own salvation can persuade others that he feels a real interest for the salvation of the human race. It is required by the divine law, that a man should love his neighbour as himself, but not more than himself. What opinion, then, can be formed of that man's sincere concern for the conversion of the heathen, who has never inquired after his own? His passions may be touched, but the missionary cause relies only upon principles. These are its claims upon your efforts, and those the indisputable sanctions which the Scriptures afford your object; and here we could be content to rest the

cause.

But it will be necessary,

II. To contrast these principles and claims with the infidel pretensions and objections of the day. Necessary, because these will meet you in every step of your Christian and benevolent career-will be urged upon you as oracles of wisdom, and as a new discovery of truth, as though the human mind had received a sudden illumination, and the intellectual and moral world were going to make a new experiment, of the success of which, from the fitness, beauty, and propriety of its principles, no reasonable doubt can be

Challenge, then, their pretensions, and produce your own. They tell you of the sufficiency of natural religion, and of the deficiency of a written revelation. They tell you, that as all men must be supposed to be interested in a revelation of the divine will, if it be conceded to exist, (and this is at least an admission of the consistency of missionary efforts with the belief of such a revelation,) it ought to have been written with a sunbeam upon all lands, or inscribed on the face of the orb of light himself, that he might daily present it to all nations in his unwearied journey. Upon their own showing, that which is demanded has been done, and (to give them all the advantage of the argument) has been done by natural religion, and not as yet by revelation. If, as they assume, natural religion is a sufficient revelation, and no other is necessary,

stained with gore, and foul with crimes; not depicted by fancy, but demonstrated by fact; by facts drawn from all climes and from all generations; facts which even infidelity has not the effrontery to deny.

it has been written with a sunbeam upon all lands; it has been inscribed from the beginning of the creation upon the face of the glorious orb of day. What is the result? What has natural religion effected in any, in every age? in any, in every country? "The heavens declare the But, reason was to have rectified these glory of God, and the firmament showeth errors; reason is another goddess of their forth his handy-work ;" but "the world idolatry; reason was to sit supreme, enby wisdom knew not God ;" they "wor-shrined in the light of natural religion, shipped and served the creature more than the arbitress of human destinies. To her the Creator;" they fell down to the hosts was intrusted the key of knowledge, to of heaven; or "changed the glory of the unlock and dispense the riches of the incorruptible God into an image made universe. She was to be the architect, like unto corruptible man, and to birds, rearing a structure of happiness and of and four-footed beasts, and creeping virtue under which man should repose, and things." Now call for natural religion, a temple of religion in which he should and she shall answer you from the depths worship. She was to be the polar star of the forest and the summits of the moun- upon which, fixing a steady eye, he tains; from the sea, and from the shore; might safely sail over the stormy sea of from the crowded city, and the unculti- life, and find a port of rest at last. But vated desert; from the hut of the savage, the light of the star is obscured; the and the dome of the monarch: every plans of the architect are marred; the key where her altars are planted, and her wor- of knowledge is mislaid; the arbitress of ship maintained. Her influence and her man's fate is dethroned. How is it she footsteps may be traced on the face of has lost her high prerogatives, and sufthe whole earth, in barbarous rites, revolt- fered her authority to be overthrown? ing superstitions, and disgusting obsceni-She is more than dethroned-she is imties; and in all the forms of idolatry, prisoned; she not only no longer rulesfrom the feathered gods of the islands of she is the mere slave of the passions. the South-sea, to the misshapen logs of How is it that she has fallen from her pinAfrica, up to the three hundred and thirty-nacle of glory? She was beguiled by three thousand of deities of philosophical sense. "The invisible things of him India. Would you see her in her own person? Bid her come forth-she appears in garments rolled in blood:" "the battle of the warrior with confused noise" rages around her; children drop into the fires kindled to her honour; human victims are slaughtered on the altars raised to her praise, or crushed beneath the ponderous car upon which she sits But, conscience was to have prevented enthroned. Around her, dying cries and these disorders, and to have laid restraints agonizing shrieks mingle with loud ac- upon the passions. Conscience was to clamations and frantic songs: her look have ruled as the vicegerent of heaven in withers the country, and depopulates the the human bosom. Conscience was to city. This is natural religion, not as she have sat as judge upon human actions. came from the hands of God, the witness Conscience was to have been a witness of his eternal power and Godhead, but as in all moral questions. Complicated and she is deformed by the passions of men, important was its office, to judge and to and debased by their corruptions; not as witness both, to accuse or excuse, to "the image of the invisible Creator," but sentence or acquit, to restrain or to as the idol of the fallen and depraved punish. Conscience was to be the sentiYet this is natural religion, nel of the soul, keeping guard over the

creature.

from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." But when men "became vain in their imaginations, their foolish heart was darkened; and professing themselves to be wise, they became fools."

But

imprisoned passions. But the judge was | peal, acknowledging them as masters, corrupted on the bench, and the sentinel and adopting their system; men, who if slept upon his post. Reason and con- they now lived, would be ashamed of science were either unequal to their their professed scholars? If among such charge, or unfaithful to their trust. We men, natural religion, and reason, and can account for these things on the prin- conscience, and philosophy, all proved ciples of revelation: they are evils which too unequal a guard against the passions infidelity is too proud to acknowledge, of a corrupt nature, and to a guide absoarising out of a doctrine which he detests. lutely insufficient through the mazes of Man is a fallen, therefore a depraved crea- ignorance to the throne of God; if in such ture; and the moral corruption extends hands the grand experiment altogether over all the faculties of his soul, and has failed, what further pretensions have the poisoned all the springs of his present modern philosophers, the opposers of rebeing. Therefore his corrupt passions velation, and the deriders of missionary predominate over all his intellectual and efforts, to advance? They will not dare moral powers, and hold the noble spirit to tell you that it has been denied either in ignominious bondage. For this the time or space : it has been made nearly gospel has provided an effectual remedy; six thousand years from the fall of man, and this remedy you are sending by your to the very hour in which I am addressing missionaries to the ruined world. you; it has been made by the intellectual infidelity denies the malady so far as pos- giants of the olden time, as well as by the sible, and rejects the remedy altogether. infidel pigmies of the age in which we He is indeed compelled to allow these live. They will not dare to tell you, that moral irregularities. the results have ever been different from those which we have stated. They will not dare to deny, that such is, at this moment, the aggregate of the experiment now trying, among all states, whether savage or civilized, which revelation has not reached. I disdain to contrast the intellectual and moral influence of Christianity, wherever it extends, with the scenes of horror and degradation to which I have alluded; but I demand of your infidel opponents to explain, if they can, by what fatality, or by what chance (and they shall choose their philosophical school in deciding the question) it occurs, that their efforts, to elevate the moral condition of man, have never succeeded, and that those of Christianity have never failed?

But, philosophy is to counteract them, and to restore the reign of natural religion, of reason, of conscience and of virtue. Were Greece and Rome, then, barbarian? Were they ignorant of philosophy? or was the experiment not made? It was not in a desert, surrounded by savages, but in the centre of Athens, encircled by philosophers, that Paul stood amidst the monuments and upon a mount of idolatry, although a court, and the highest court of justice, evincing how closely allied the civil government was with their debasing superstitions, and pointed to an altar inscribed, "To the unknown God." Such is the true character of every altar which reason and philosophy, and natural religion, unaided by revelation, have raised, although all do not bear the same You have examined their pretensions, inscription. These are the altars which and stated your own; now let them proyour missionaries are hastening to over-duce their strong reasons, and you shall throw, to plant the cross in their place, fearlessly face the objections which they and to proclaim to the poor idolater, commonly bring against your object and "whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, your efforts. him declare we unto you." And is it not to men like these, the mighty minds of departed ages, who sought after truth, but missed it, because they lacked the guiding ray of revelation; is it not to men like these, that infidels of the present day ap

They tell you that the world ought not to be disturbed: that is, that the usurpations of sin and of sorrow, which have been permitted during thousands of years, should be established by prescription, and that a revolted universe should never