belonged not to himself. Like Moses, he was faithful in all his house, as a servant; but Christ as a son over his own house. And the glory of the spiritual temple which he builds is all his own. Even in this present world, the Church which is planted in the midst of it, marred as it is with infirmity and corruption, and burdened like its Saviour with contempt, is a glorious monument of praise to our Saviour's name. Every stone that is laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord, becomes a living witness to the truth, and grace, and power of a crucified Redeemer. The universal Church is the light of the world, shining before men in the beauty of holiness, and shewing forth the praises of Him who hath redeemed it with his blood. And just as when he was upon earth, and went about doing good, those who were made the happy subjects of his beneficent miracles delighted to employ their newly recovered faculties in tributes of affectionate homage to their deliverer, and followed Jesus, glorifying God, even so it is now in the spiritual working of his power; all who experience his grace are unto him for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: the temple that he is thus building in the world, resounds with his praises; for in every part of it, under all varieties of climate, in all the different grades of society, the heart is still the same, has the same bitterness of sin to be delivered from, and finds the same relief at the cross of Jesus. From the ends of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the Righteous One, and the hallelujahs of the Christian Church, ascribing salvation unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, have been echoed back from the banks of the Ganges, and the coasts of Africa, from lips heretofore polluted with the frantic cries of idol worship, and hearts bound in the iron chains of brutalizing superstition.

And when this glorious temple shall be completed, and the head stone is brought forth with shouting, and a great multitude which no man can number is gathered before the throne, what an exceeding weight of glory will then rest on the universal Redeemer? All the crowns in the heavens will be cast down before him; every eye shall see him, and gaze upon him, with wonder and ineffable delight; every redeemed sinner, in the enjoyment of a full salvation, will give all the glory of it to his Saviour, and ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands of angels, will join their songs with ours, saying, with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." Thus will the once suffering, but now glorified Redeemer, see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied. All his enemies made his footstool, and all his people brought to glory, to be with him where he is-to dwell in his presence, and sing his praises, for ever. This is the joy that was set before him, for which he endured the cross, despising the shame. "And he shall reign for ever and ever.” And now, beloved brethren, we have only to gather up in a few concluding sentences, some of the fragments of the subject before us, for the purpose of direct practical application to ourselves as concerned in the work of missions. In the first place, Let us beware of building without Christ. For "he shall build the temple of the Lord: even he shall build the temple of the Lord." It is his prerogative to build, as he is to bear the glory; and as he himself has solemnly warned us, "He that gathereth not with me, scattereth;" so the greatest and wisest of earth's master builders hath set us an example of disclaiming all participation in the power, as well as the glory,-"Not I, but the grace of God which was with me." Cordially do I rejoice, my brethren, to know and believe,

that the proceedings of this society, alloyed as they still doubtless are with a mixture of human infirmity, are yet, in the main, conducted in a simple dependence on the promises of Christ, for our encouragement, and on the Spirit of Christ for our guidance. Our gracious Master has sometimes seen fit to wither the arm in which we were tempted to trust, and to disappoint the hope which gathered perhaps some of its confidence from the imagined efficiency or adaptation of human instruments. Let it all combine to lead us to a greater simplicity of faith: let us be jealous over ourselves, with Godly jealousy: let our dependence be more child-like, and our obedience more unequivocal and self-denying let all be begun, continued, and ended, in Him who is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last let us seek to be, even more than we yet have been, a society whose very element is prayer: and so let all the results of our undertakings, whether prosperous or adverse, lead us to the Saviour in prayer for blessings received, or confiding acquiescence under afflictive dispensations.

In the next place, Give all the glory to Christ. "He shall bear the glory;" and while all the events of the restless and agitated world, moving forward, as they too generally do, in utter forgetfulness of him, must yet work together in entire subordination to his glory, even the wrath of man must praise him; the work of missions has this high and holy character stamped upon it, that it aims at this hallowed end in the most direct way, and on the largest scale. And this consideration it is, which, above all others, endears the missionary work to our hearts, that it is so identified with the work of our Saviour, and so bound up with his glory. It is a direct assault made upon the kingdom of Satan, by the act of proclaiming another king, even Jesus, for whom it claims the universal empire. The temple you are now building in New Zealand, or in any other of the darkest spots of Satan's dominions, is consecrated to his glory, and becoming vocal with his praise. O, let us put the crown on His head who alone is worthy to wear it. The silver and the gold, which from the Church's liberality is poured into this treasury of the Lord, would be desecrated and perverted from its legitimate purpose, if employed to make crowns for any other head than that of Jesus. The most honoured of those who have laboured in the work of this building, and in whom pre-eminently we glorify God for the grace bestowed upon them, from the venerable Scott to those whose names are more recently embalmed in our affectionate remembrance, James and Wilberforce, would all unite with one mind and one might, to glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, putting away the honour from the earthen vessel, and referring to the grace of their beloved Master all they have been enabled to do for him.

Still let us go forward, dear and honoured brethren, in the same spirit; and let it be the joy and rejoicing of our heart, that we are counted worthy, in a very feeble measure, to work the work of the Lord Jesus, and that his grace has taught us to set our affection to the house of the Lord. May He, for whom it is built, take pleasure in it and be glorified.

Lastly, upon this principle, drawing all our strength from Christ, and giving all the glory to Christ, Let us contribute with a self-denying liberality of our labour and our substance for the work of building the temple of the Lord. This is the concluding point, but I forbear to urge it by any formal arguments or exhortations. The cause itself is too elevated and holy to need a recommendation to our hearts by any enticing words of man's wisdom. labours in this cause, our prayers, and our gifts, are all for the glory of Christ,

Our

“And he shall live; and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba ;" prayer also shall be made for him continually; a d daily shall he be praised. To him be all the glory of what he has already done in us and by us. May our hearts be filled with his love, and constrained by that love to bring forth more abundant fruits of righteousness to the glory and praise of God. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things, and blessed be his glorious name for ever, and let the whole earth be filled with his glory."-Amen and

amien.

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NATURE AND ORIGIN OF REVIVALS.

REV. E. BICKERSTETH, A. M.

SIR G. WHELER'S CHAPEL, SPITAL SQUARE, BISHOPSGATE, MAY 4, 1534.

"O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years."-HABAKKUK, iii. 2.

THIS, my brethren, is our hearts' desire and prayer for you. What greater wish can your present minister, or your former minister, have for the good of his congregation, than that there should be a blessed revival of the work of grace among you? And as it is the prayer of your minister, so, I doubt not, it is the prayer, the heart's desire, of very many before me. Long has the truth as it is in Jesus been preached in this congregation; times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord we have again and again had: what we want to see is, fresh supplies of grace imparted from season to season, and the work of the Lord continually growing and reviving among you. May these wishes, these prayers, be abundantly answered at this time.

I purpose this evening to direct your attention to these four points:-first, the state calling for a revival: secondly, the nature of a revival of God's work: thirdly, the only source from which it can flow: and, fourthly, the time in which it should be sought. And O that while I am preaching upon the subject, the Spirit of our God itself may realize the truth in many a heart before me; that it may indeed be a blessed beginning of a revival of the work of grace in our souls.

First, I have to consider, THE STATE calling for A REVIVAL. A revival is a return to life and vigour, from a state of languor and decay. A revival supposes a previous profession of the Gospel, and in its strictest sense, a previous partaking of its life and power. But I will consider the state calling for a revival in a larger sense, as applying to the Church in general, and to us as individuals.

I will look at it, first, as it regards the Church in general. The Church of Christ needs revival. Though better than it once was, it is not, I apprehend, taking a large view of the whole Church of Christ, in a lively state as to deep and practical godliness. There are comparatively few flourishing Churches, where the congregations are manifestly prosperous to a large extent in their souls. There is a vast increase of profession in our day, and with that, I doubt not, an increase of real piety. But in the midst of that, there is much disunion among different bodies of Christians; and there is among Christians themselves but a low standard of devotedness to Christ; a low standard of doctrine, and of devotedness to him. We ought as Christians, to have a lively and deep interest in the Church of Christ; a lively and deep interest in the conversion of all

around us; our family, our relatives, our friends, our neighbours, and our country: we ought to have a deep and lively interest in the spread of the Gospel, both among Jews and among Gentiles, throughout the world. I bless God that there are good reasons to hope, the anniversaries of the different societies will shew, that there has been a real and considerable increase in zeal and liberality for the diffusion of the Gospel. That society in which all along you have taken so lively an interest-the Church Missionary Society, will considerably enlarge its funds; and the interest of the Jewish Society, and other religious societies, are prosperous: and I trust, as many of you as are able will attend the anniversaries and sermons that are to be preached for the various societies.

But in looking more particularly at that Church to which we belong, with which we are more immediately connected, never was it more the object of attack and of enmity than it has been in the present day. This will only endear it to those who, on conscientious principles, adhere to our established Church, and feel that it has been greatly honoured of God in promoting his spiritual kingdom throughout our land. This attack not only comes from the open infidel, but from those from whom we least expected it-brethren in Christ of other denominations. The Lord give us grace to receive every such attack, not in the spirit of anger, but in the spirit of meekness and gentleness; not returning railing for railing, but praying for them who oppose us, and return love and kindness, and good will for every such attack upon us. But all these things, I hope, will have an important effect in reviving the Church of England and the Church of Christ at large.

Times of conflict and trial are doubtless before us; but they are not times of evil to the Spiritual Church; they are not times of evil to the Church of Christ. Blessed be God, whatever takes place all around us, the Church of Christ, built on a rock, can never be shaken, never be moved.

This is the state of things calling for a revival in the Church generally. Now, with regard to us, as individuals, look what God's word calls us to. "I beseech you that ye present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." "A living sacrifice!" "Take up your cross daily; deny yourself, and follow me." Daily self denial. "Live not to yourselves, but to him who died for you." Devotedness to Christ. Is this our character, or anything like it? Is there not in us—what Christian will not confess it—a state of worldliness, a state of lukewarmness, a state of formality? Thus in a state of worldliness, we much need revival. When the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things, enter in, they choke the word; when the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, are in any way indulged or yielded to, what a tendency all this has to deaden all spiritual life. So in a state of lukewarmness: the state of Laodicea; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot;" thou art lukewarm. "I would thou wert cold or hot. No zeal for God and his glory; no ardour for the kingdom of Christ; an indifference to the means of grace. This is a state manifestly calling for a revival. So those in a state of formality need revival. The Apostie speaks in the latter day, of many having “the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." You observe it is not the form of religion, it is not the form of profession, but it is the form of godliness. There may be all the appearance of godliness, that which the world denounces; that which the world scoffs at-godliness; there may be a reception of doctrine; there may be a profession of these before men, there may be a liberal hand

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