ions of idolaters, scattered over a country of fifteen hundred thousand square miles. Yet at the sight of these immense fields, already whitening, by God's Providence, unto the harvest, his mind is filled with a sense of thankfulness, and with a joy with which the stranger intermeddleth not. Though it may not be given to him to turn many to righteousness, and the world may perhaps think in the severity of its judgment, that God has not set liis seal to his ministry and has disowned his feeble laborers, there are still the faithful few whom he has been permitted to rescue from the god of this world, his crowns of rejoicing and exceeding great reward, his own sons in the faith, on whose foreheads his Father's name is written, members of one body in Christ, who know their shepherd, and are known of Him. It is enough for him if but one stony heart is melted into love, or one listless eye awakened into intelligence, and taught to look steadfastly on the mercies of Heaven. He hails with humble thankfulness the soul that has been given to his prayers; and counts it as an earnest of that glorious season, when "the Lord will famish all the gods of the earth, and men shall worship Him every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen. How then, it is time to ask, is the consummation of prophecy, humanly speaking, to be accomplished? Some insight into the Divine counsels may perhaps be gained by looking back to the gradual increase of those ministers of the New Testament, through whom the Lord has been adding to the Church daily such as should be saved, during the ages past. First was heard a single voice in the solitude of the wilderness, preaching repentance, for Next were sent forth the the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Then Twelve, on a special mission, and commanded to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then other Seventy also, whose message was to every city and place whither the Lord would come. followed the Elders, and Saints, and Martyrs of the primitive ages, men whose praise is in all the churches, who counted not their lives dear unto themselves, so that they might finish their course with joy, and the ministry which they had received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the grace of God. And still as from time to time, during the lapse of many centuries, some bright candlestick has been removed out of its place, by those inscrutable dispensations which seem intended to remind us that the Lord needs not the agency of a Paul or an Apollos to work His purposes, other men of God have entered successively into the field of labor, bent on doing the work of Evangelists, and on giving, if permitted, full proof of their ministry. The time has not been in the history of Missions, when God has left himself without witness: and though it cannot yet be said that "great is the company of the Preachers," yet on this very day, aye, and at this very hour, many a teacher of Truth, whose tent is pitched among the heathen in every quarter of the globe, is remembering with joy how his brethren here are occupied ; and is present with them in spirit, though not in the flesh; and is bending the knee in unity of devotion to the Lord of the harvest, that he will raise up many helpers, and send forth more laborers into the vineyard. There is, indeed, in the signs of the present times, that which would have stirred the spirit of a Paul within him. Never was there a period, since the veil was rent which shut out the Gentiles from the sight of the Holiest, when the bow has been seen so plainly in the clouds, denoting that God has not forgotten His covenant with man. The leaven is clearly at work among the nations; a spirit of inquiry has gone forth; the spell is dissolving day by day the darkness becomes less gross; the sun of rightcousness shines over a wider horizon. It may be that the time is at hand when this Gospel of the kingdom shall be no longer preached among a handful of the people, on the house-top, or upon the mountains, secretly and by stealth, by sufferance or connivance, but in all the world, for a witness to all nations. great and effectual door is open to us; and though there be many adversaries, and principally that old and greatest Adversary of all, whose fury will break forth yet more fiercely when he sees that the strong holds of his kingdom are in danger, yet if it be a door that God hath opened who shall shut it? The time of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men every where to repent." It is time, however, to close this subject, and to commend it, as I venture to do most carnestly and most solemnly, to your own further meditation, and to your secret prayer. But before I conclude, I cannot refrain from adverting, very briefly, to certain reflections of a practical tendency, which have been suggested to my own mind while occupied with the foregoing considerations. If there is in them that which can serve to cdify, may He, in whose hands are the preparations and disposal of all hearts, accom pany them with His Holy Spirit, and impress them by His grace upon us! 1. It seems to be highly important, with a view to the benefit of our own Christian progress, to cultivate a strong and serious sense of the duty of co operation, in enlarging the boundaries of the Redeemer's Kingdom. The heart is very often as selfish on religious subjects, as in matters which concern our carthly and temporal interests. We might attain a greater measure of spirituality, if we would learn-not indeed to withdraw our thoughts from the contemplation of our own individual need of mercybut to represent to ourselves in a more lively manner the wants of others, as suggested by the perception of our own. Love to man is set forth on the highest authority, as the test of our love to God. "He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from Him, that he who loveth God loveth his brother also." 2. We are commanded to be "like-minded with Christ."— Now it is not in the incommunicable attributes of his character, such as his eternal wisdom or almighty power, that we are bidden to participate. It is essentially to the mind of Christ, as evidenced in those properties which fall within the scope of human imitation, that we are to be assimilated. How then was it evidenced in that manifestation of his good will to man which he sealed by his blood upon the cross? How, in his gracious provision that "the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ," that there might be "neither Jew nor Greek, neither bond nor free, neither male nor female, but all one in Christ Jesus?" How was it evidenced in his prayers? "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through thy word....Father, I wil! that they also whom Thou hast given me be with me where I am." Nay, we know that His will for the world's welfare is already in part accomplished; for they who sing the new song, in the Apocalyptic vision, are the saints who have been "redeemed to God by His blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation." 3. Again: An enlargement of Christian charity towards our brethren, is in strict unison with those feelings which pervade the glorified saints and angels, and all the blessed company of heaven. We know that there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth. What a subject must it be for exultation, when the idols of a whole nation are cast at the foot of the Cross! We know that it is one of the themes of praise, every day and night, in the song of the Lamb, that all nations shall come and worship before him. What a privilege to be among the honored instruments of effecting this miraculous change! 4. Lastly: We are to be one with God, as well as "every one members one of another." Now the very essence and nature of God is Love-His name is Love. It is but too certain, therefore, that we are still far removed from that unity with the Godhead, into which all the Sons of God will one day be translated, if we have no desire to "please our neighbor for his good to edification." Try yourselves, brethren, by this test. Let each ask himself, whether he has done all that might have been expected, considering his means, his knowledge, his power, his influence, his worldly substance, his mental endowments, his sense of mercies received, his consciousness of the gross darkness which still covers so large a portion of the earth-to take away from this nation that reproach which was uttered against the earliest preachers of the Gospel, at the very first promulgation of Christianity, by one taught from above: "All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's." There are few-I had almost said there are none—so situated, as that passiveness in hastening the coming of Christ's kingdom, among those who are still sitting in the shadow of death, can be within the line of their duty. I am not ignorant of God forbid I should be insensible to!-the religious wants of our own country, of our own local districts, nay, of our own parochial neighborhoods. I would not withdraw, from the channels by which they are at present watered, one drop of the stream of charity. But we know, on inspired authority, that he that openeth his hand maketh himself rich; and that he is blessed by the Giver of all good gifts in double measure, who casts his mite into Christ's treasury, in token of his love towards his Master's cause. I would say, therefore, to each who is sensible of his blessed condition in living beneath the influence of Christian revelation-in the language of a text once heard before within these holy walls on a similar occasion, and not heard without effect "Freely ye have received, freely give:" give according to your several opportunities; give your personal ministrations; give your pecuniary aid; give your word in season; give-what all can give-your prayers to the work. May God grant you hearts to know and feel the nature of this duty! May a spirit of fervent charity be enlarged within you! May you realize within your own bosoms, through Divine grace, something of that heavenly state and spiritual temper which will one day characterize the whole city of of God on earth! For the time shall come, and it cometh perhaps quickly, when, according to the prophecy, "the tabernacle of God shall be with man; and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people; and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And all men shall be blessed in Christ; all nations shall call Him Blessed." SERMON XXXI. THE DUTY OF CHRISTIANS TO GIVE FREELY, FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE GOSPEL. By the Rt. Rev. JOHN BIRD SUMNER, D. D., MATTHEW X. 8. Freely ye have received, freely give. I have selected this passage as the basis of my discourse, because it contains, in short compass, the scriptural argument for Missionary exertions. It may be right, perhaps, to premise, that I take the spirit of the passage, rather than its literal meaning. In connection with the context, its literal meaning may be no more than this: "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils:" but beware of seeking any temporal remuneration for such exercise of your powers,-powers bestowed on you for a purpose very dif ferent from that of personal advantage: "Freely ye have received-freely give." You have been endued with extraordiVOL. II.-16 |