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what they are relatively"-he called upon the mother. The mother had buried the pious husband some years before, but had remained undecided herself. She bore an excellent testimony to her daughters, and said, “If they do not go to heaven, I know not whoever will:" and then rising up from the chair, and, wringing her hands as she walked up and down the room, she exclaimed, "Lord, what will become of me! My husband is gone to heaven; and now my daughters are going: and am I to be left a poor spiritual outcast. O, Sir! pray for me, that the God of my husband, and the God of my children may be my God." He perceived the impression that was made, and cherished it and some time after came forward the mother and the daughters together; and a brave weeping-time they all had.

Well, but this subject affords encouragement to God's servants. They should remember that they do not labour at random, or at an uncertainty; the Lord assigns them their place, and their work, and their ability, and the nature and the degree of their usefulness. My dear brethren in the ministry, allow me to recommend you always to look at our text before you leave your study. Allow me to say, Always look at this text, and think of it the last thing in the pulpit when you are just rising up to preach: "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Ministers have trials-many more than some of you are aware of. They have trials in common with you as men; and they have trials in common with you as Christians: but in addition to these two huge multitudes, they have trials peculiar also to themselves: but "they live if you stand fast in the Lord." It is enough under all they endure if the work of the Lord prospers; if souls are added to the Lord daily of such as shall be saved; and the conversation of Christians is such as becometh the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yea, they know too, that, if Israel be but gathered, they shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and thus they shall stand faithful. They know that they are a sweet savour unto God, both in them that are saved, and in them that perish to the one indeed they are "the savour of life unto life:" but to the other they are "the savour of death unto death." There is, however I am sure I speak the feelings of my brethren here—there is another and a better comfort they have than this; and that is, the hope that they shall save, not only themselves, but also them that hear them.

Well this encouragement of course extends to all missionary efforts. To think of evangelizing the whole world is a bold and daring enterprize. It certainly is a very important and a very necessary one, if we believe our own principles, if we believe the testimony of God concerning the state of those who are destitute of the Gospel, and the mode by which they are to be recovered. But why should it be thought an impracticable one? Has not God foretold it, and promised it? It will be needless now, and we have not time, to repeat the number of passages of Scripture, which, blessed be God, on these occasions are now become very well known and familiar. But when we read such declarations as these: "He shall sprinkle many nations"—" All nations shall fall down before him, and all kings shall serve him"-" The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea"-and so on: allow me to ask, whether any thing has yet occurred in the history of divine Providence

or grace, sufficient to embody these assurances ? If not, whatever be the croakings and the forebodings of some, better days are before us than the world has ever yet witnessed.

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And has not God also commanded this? Has he not said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature?" And would he enjoin what is an absolute impossibility? Has not much been done already in this cause? How unlikely when the law went out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, how unlikely was the rapid establishment and spread of Christianity which followed. But," say some, "there were miracles then." There were; and miracles have now ceased; and we are not to look for miracles now. But, then, neither do we need them. How was this highly-favoured country evangelized at first? Not by miracle. How have the South Sea Islands been evangelized? Not by miracles: no, but by the blessing of God on the use of means. Why then, should not this cause become general? Why should it not become universal? What is there in any case to be overcome that has not been overcome in various instances already, by the blessing of God upon means, inferior to those which we are in the possession of? How many things are there that may be considered as indications and pledges in this case? We cannot refer to them at all now; but it is impossible not to remark the prompt and easy mode of intercourse now between one country and another; the increase of science, and the extension of commerce. You will observe that these are almost exclusively appertaining to Christian countries. And there is one thing that exclusively belongs to them; namely, all colonization. Such is the wretched state under Mahometan and heathen governments, that there is no surplus population to be provided for. But all the colonies that have been formed for a length of time back, and are still being formed; all these are from Christian nations. And therefore they go forth with more or less of the means of grace in their possession, and the knowledge of divine truth, and maintain connexion with the mother country, from which they derive assistance.

And then what a field is there open to Protestants. There is no Popish mission now; and I am persuaded there never will be again. The field, therefore, lies open entirely to Protestants: it is occupied by them only. There yet remains very much land to be possessed: but what a spirit has God already awakened; and what efforts have been made in the translation of the Scriptures; and in sending forth missionaries. How many Missionary Societies have there been established: and all these (blessed be God) all these look to God for their efficiency and success. They are all therefore, founded on prayer; and they all carry forth. with some little shades of difference, which do not affect the essentials of Christianity, all carry out the same truth-the truth as it is in Jesus.

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So far, my Christian friends, my reflections have been general, and intended to meet such an occasion as this. It is not necessary that they should be more particular we are all here agreed; we may venture to say that the spirit of catholicism characterizes all the missionary societies, and that they rejoice in each other's success. With regard to you, my brethren, who have the honour of having gone before many others, before the Baptist Missionary Society, before the London Missionary Society, before the Scotch Missionary Society,

and before the Church of England Missionary Society; indeed they were the last to bring the king back; but now they are nobly exerting themselves. Blessed be God for what success has attended you. If you had failed in these efforts, the failure would have been more glorious than success in any other cause under heaven. But you have not failed. What has God wrought! You do not "labour in the very fire," nor" weary yourselves for very vanity." You are on the rising side; you are on the superior side; and a side that will in time become universal also.

Why then, you say, should you exert youselves in order to recommend it? Why because God displays his wisdom as well as his power in his operations; because he accomplishes ends by means; because, if you are in a proper frame of mind, you will long to become instrumental in his hand. If you decline the work, the work will not be declined. Be assured of this: God will raise up enlarged means from other quarters; but you will lose the honour and the happiness of co-operation. Yea, not only so, but you will incur guilt, and you will expose yourselves to the curse of the angel for disobedience, for the neglect of opportunities and means: "Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty."

But my Wesleyan brethren, I would not conclude with a curse. "The Lord bless you, and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you, Amen and Amen.

and give you peace."

THE EXAMPLE OF ANDREW.

REV. J. ANDERSON, A.M.

ST. PANCRAS' CHURCH, NEW ROAD, APRIL 26, 1835*.

"He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus.”—JOHN, i. 41, 42.

THE scene which is presented to us in this passage of Scripture, presents one of those beautiful pictures of simplicity, and purity, and love, which are so often revealed to us in the pages of the Inspired Volume. There is no elaborate display about them: there is no effort to adorn the prominent figures with any high-wrought colouring; or to contrast them with any artificial grouping of the objects around them. They are simple and faithful representations of human nature, awakened and purified by the Spirit of faith and of holiness.

We see this evidently in the case before us. The Baptist, if we examine the context, had been delivering, with zeal and earnestness, the message with which he was intrusted. He had been heard crying in the wilderness, "Make straight the way of the Lord." He had rebuked the impenitent, awakened the slothful, and taught the ignorant. He had spoken no smooth things, nor prophesied deceits; but had told the people plainly of the coming terrors of the Lord. He had told them of the axe that was lifted up to strike the barren tree to the dust; and of the fire that was ready to devour each unprofitable branch. He had given them, moreover, the baptism of water unto repentance; and had told them even of One mightier than himself, who should come, whose shoes he was not worthy to loose. "He was not that light,” he told the people; he was only sent to bear witness of it: and he bore that witness faithfully and truly. Yea, he beheld the Lord, of whom he spake, coming even to the waters of his own baptism: for thus did it become that blessed Redeemer to fulfil all righteousness. He saw the heavens then opened, and the Holy Ghost then descending, and the voice of the Eternal Father then declaring, that that was his beloved Son, in whom he was well pleased. But even further than this was the Baptist commissioned to preach him: for he was enabled to point to Christ as "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world;" that Lamb" without blemish and without spot," by whom a way hath been consecrated for us into the holiest of holies; by whom the means of reconciliation with a Heavenly Father is vouchsafed to an offended world.

These things, we remember, formed the subject of the Baptist's ministry. And these things we find that certain inhabitants of Bethsaida heard; for they were Johns disciples: and by the testimony which they had heard they believed. We are told that they followed Jesus; that they "saw where he dwelt,

*For the District National Schools.

and abode with him that day; for it was about the tenth hour." We know not, my brethren, what was the subject of the holy converse then vouchsafed to these first followers of Christ, for the Scripture has not revealed it: but assuredly, if ever the affections of our common nature were turned to grace; if ever the outward senses, or the inward feelings, of our nature were attuned to heavenly peace and harmony, that must have been when these humble Galileans were admitted to the abode, and beheld the glory, of the Son of God. We know, in fact, that their minds were enlightened, and their affections purified, by the privileges to which they were admitted; for the language of Andrew, in the text, proves his knowledge of the truth. He had been the disciple of John, but was now taught of Christ: he had followed the servant, but now did homage to the Lord he had obeyed the messenger, but now he saw that King of Glory, of whom that messenger was the forerunner. His heart, then, was lifted up from the depths of sin; the high places of pride were brought down within him: the crooked paths of worldly policy were exchanged for the simplicity of truth; and the wretched contentions of worldly strife for meekness and order

These, then, were the blessings vouchsafed to Andrew when he became the Lord's apostle; and these were the blessings which in all earnestness and faith he sought to make his own brother partaker of. Mark, how quickly and power"He first fully the spirit and the principle of faith brought forth its fruits. findeth," we are told, "his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus." Observe: he brought that brother to whom he revealed that blessed truth to the fountain of that very truth. That Jesus was "the Christ;" that Saviour was become to him "the Anointed One;" the Priest to make He of whom the atonement; the Prophet to instruct; the King to rule. "the seed of the prophets had spoken was that very Jesus. Yes, he was woman;" "the child" of Abraham's promise; "the prophet" that should arise up like unto Moses." It was He of whose coming Balaam spoke, when he beheld "the star" which should "arise out of Jacob." It was He of whose coming Isaiah spoke, when he spake of "the names whereby he should be called "-" The Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." It was "the desire of all nations;" it was "the Lord our Righteousness;" it was "the seed of David ;" that "stem" to which the Gentiles should look," and whose "rest should be glorious;" it was that blessed " angel of the covenant;" it was, in fact, the full consummation of all those blessed promises, which, from the day of Adam's fall, had been vouchsafed to man, to be his guide, his support, and his consolation. All this was now fulfilled; and all this Andrew, in the fulness of his affection, made known to his brother.

And in contemplating his zeal and eagerness to convey that truth, I know not what more touching picture can be presented to us of fraternal love, purified and exalted by the love of Christ. Observe, it is not only the love which we are permitted to feel, and which we rejoice to feel, for those who are born with us of the same parents, who dwell with us under the same roof, who have shared the hopes and the fears of our childish days, and who still walk by our side along the path of life; but it was that enduring bond of brotherhood which shall remain when earthly kindred and earthly affections have crumbled into dust; it is that bond which unites the things which are temporal with the things

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