indifference on the subject of missions, we should mention for one, the past conduct of the church on the same subject. The famous doctrine of "probability," as held by the Jesuits, consisted in this: "That an opinion or precept may be followed with a good conscience, when it is inculcated by four, or three, or two, nay even by one Doctor of considerable reputation, even though it be contrary to the judgment of him who follows, and even of him who recommends it." While men would blush to justify their conduct on the subject of missions by an open avowal of such a principle, a careful inspection of their motives might convince them, that much of their own indifference is to be ascribed to the example of the wise and good of past ages. Men eminent for learning, virtue, and as we believe, vital godliness, with one consent, slumbered over their duty to a perishing world. Who has forgotten it? No new revelation has been made to us, and many have the unconscious feeling-" Are not we more likely to err in reading our obligations, than those godly men, whose examples we imitate, and whose sainted memories we revere? We are willing to consider ourselves as extravagant and enthusiastic interpreters of our duty, but how can we censure such men on so serious a charge as that of disobeying the express commands of their Lord and Master-we cannot bear the thought that the church of Christ has incurred the tremendous curse of having done nothing, century after century for a world lying in wickedness."

Another cause of our limited efforts in behalf of the heathen, is a prevailing skepticism as to their final condition. When such men as Henry Brougham defend the position, that man is not responsible for his belief, it is not strange that bishops in the house of Lords should oppose the promulgation of christianity in India, or that a petition with one hundred thousand signatures should have been presented to parliament, to prevent any interference with the "innocent superstitions" of the oriental princes. The latitudinarian views which have obtained more or less throughout all christendom, tend directly to subvert a missionary spirit, by assuming the principle that one religion is as good and safe as another. The "beautiful mythology of paganism," as Gibbon so impudently denominates it, is regarded by many with the same complacency as a more spiritual creed. The open avowal and constant practice of a large body of professed christians in the midst of us, who declare their belief in the salvability of the heathen, is a good illustration of our position. This belief they have construed into their acquital from the missionary enterprise. And we have never been so visionary as to expect that they would incur vast expenses, and live in the spirit of self-denial and martyrdom, in order to save their fellow men from an imaginary destruction. We wonder not that the

chief concern of such men with missions, is to smile at those who avow another conviction, while they mock them for their inconsistency. It becomes now a serious inquiry, what is the belief of evangelical christians upon this momentous subject. They profess to believe that nothing which defileth or worketh abomination, can enter the kingdom of heaven; and overwhelming as is the thought, that dying without holiness, the heathen must lie down under the wrath of God. But how extensively is this doctrine in fact received? How deeply is it felt by those who deduce it from scripture? To say the least, are not multitudes skeptical about its truth? Is it written on the fleshly tables of the heart as a conviction never to be effaced? Is it "held fast" with the tenacity of an abiding truth? Does this world appear to us as it did to Paul, like an immense wreck, when he uttered that appalling sentence-"if indeed I might save some!" At distant intervals, that one expression moves us like the trump of the archangel, to intense efforts and agonizing prayer in behalf of millions "ready to perish." But the enemies of the gospel raise the shout of denunciation against so hard a saying; till uneasiness and doubts arise in our own minds as to the method of reconciling this overwhelming truth with the benevolence of God; skepticism succeeds to conviction-the mind is all quiet again-till, perhaps, the season of monthly prayer, induces us again to summon together our reasons for so solemn a belief, and to wake up our feelings to a new interest in behalf of the helpless and hopeless. We need not tell men who have studied the human mind, that skepticism on any subject is the surest obstacle to exertion. It is worse than downright opposition. Men cannot act, when their minds are tossed about by every wind of doctrine. A firm belief concerning the future condition of the unevangelized, is the fundamental principle on which rests all efforts to send them the light and the truth of christianity. You may groupe in one appalling picture, all the miseries of superstition, ignorance and heathenism, as they affect the present life, or dwell with burning eloquence upon the final glories of the church-and thence may appeal to every generous principle in the heart of man to persuade him to extend the dominion of knowledge and true righteousness, yet the shadow of a doubt as to the future condition of sinful pagans, will outweigh any accumulation of motives of a less powerful tendency. But doubt on this subject is unnecessary. The apostles of Jesus Christ had no doubt as to the destiny of their fellow men, when with incredible zeal they flew from country to country to warn them of the wrath of God. By their conduct they commended the truth to every man's conscience in the sight of God. They acted as though they believed. "I believe, therefore, do I speak," is the invariable reply of the fervent-hearted Paul. Would

we act like them, we must possess the same consistency of opinion. If we do not wish to float through a religious life at the mind's pleasure, let us be steadfast and immoveable in some principle on this as every other point of duty-a principle which will make us uniformly either the friends or enemies of missions-which we are able to defend, and which we are not afraid to preach.

Another very serious impediment to a spirit of missionary enterprise, is erroneous ideas of the sovereignty of God, creating a species of religious fatalism. This has been stated in the following definite shape. "If that Being whose power is Almighty, has willed to permit on earth the protracted existence against him of this enormous evil, why am I called upon to vex and exhaust myself in a petty hostility against it?" Now this, most evidently, supposes our rule of action to be drawn from that which is beyond our comprehension, rather than from the plain, intelligible and explicit commands of God;-which we hold to be an absolute absurdity. We know of no better reply to all those who justify their sluggishness by a sanctimonious reference to the decrees of Omnipotence, who verily seem afraid of fulfilling the scriptures before the timethan that which is said to have been made by Robert Hall, amid the melancholy, yet often brilliant wanderings of a diseased mind, "we extend to you our cordial commiseration, in that you were predestinated to be sluggards in the kingdom of God, for you have made your calling and election sure."

How far our most exalted adorations of Almighty Power, are tinctured with the same fatalism, we cannot decide. But it would not be strange, if He who reads the heart should often detect a spirit of the most abject indolence, and deep rooted aversion to active duty, mingling with our humblest confessions of personal weakness and inefficiency, and loftiest ascriptions of praise to that Being who is "able to tread the wine press alone."

The figurative language employed by the sacred writers, may have affected the minds of many, not excepting those who are accustomed to discriminate, in the manner now described. We pray in the language of the bible that the "sun of rightousness" may arise upon the benighted nations, till imagination deceives us with the illusion that the darkness and depravity of the human soul is to be dissipated by some supernatural illumination, and in a manner as independent of human aid, as that by which the darkness of night. is dispersed by the light of day. We pray that the "windows of heaven" may be opened, and an abundant blessing poured out, charmed with the beauty of an image which represents Omnipotence as raining righteousness down from heaven like showers that water the earth. We read of the "arm of the oppressor being broken," and the "prison doors" which are to be thrown open, and

we wait for some almighty power to palsey the one, and some m raculous agency like that which liberated the Apostles, to accom plish the other. It is our daily prayer that the knowledge of Go and the gospel of his Son may speedily be communicated to th whole human family, and while the petition is yet warm upon our lip imagination pictures some white-robed seraph, flying through heaver bearing the everlasting gospel; as if this inspirating representatio of the prophet were to be construed into an acquital of all huma instrumentality. Thus it has come to pass that we have lost sig of the little means and processes by which the purposes of God a to be accomplished amid the splendors of the prophetic vision Thus we dwell more on the ultimate results we expect-the glor of the church, than upon the "foolishness of means" by which the are to be secured. We pray more that God would send out h light and truth, than that he would send us to proclaim that trut with our own living voices. We pray more that the gospel ma be circulated through all tribes and languages of men, than that w may be employed in the work of translating, printing, and de spatching them with our own hands.

The prosperity of the church is a prevalent cause of indifference on the subject of missions. The church never was impeded by persecution, and self-denial; it invariably is by self-indulgence and prosperity. The peace, security and enjoyment of its members in times of perfect quiet, is like that of soldiers reposing in their camp, or mariners in harbor. The spirit of enterprise is gone. Inactivity, self-gratulation, moral and intellectual dissipation succeed. So indisputable is the tendency of persecution and trials to purify, strengthen, and extend the church, that were it not for compassion and alarm for its enemies, it would be our daily prayer that such would rise up, many and strong to impugn her faith, and oppose her progress. This would not only, as Luther quaintly expresses it, "keep the word of God from growing rusty," but would awake the church to new activity, and call it to become separated from the world. The church is never so limited in numbers and power, as when it approximates so near the world--as apparently to embrace the whole. She becomes mighty to save whenever the line is drawn plainly and impassably. Where this is done by persecution and wrath, the church is aided by means of its friendly violence, as is the oak by the storm. None will attach themselves to her in troublous times, but such as have the kingdom of God within them --men "honest in the sacred cause." Should the days which try men's souls-those days of old, when the wrath of man rolled in like a storm upon the church, this very hour break in upon her peace, such mighty transformations in her condition would be effected as speedily to preclude all sorrow because of her narrow and circumscribed

wounds. Instead of those who wait upon her in these days of "soft ind silken professorship," a host would encamp about her of nole and valiant souls, such as bore her triumphant through seas of ire and blood in the days of martyrdom. The courtly bishop hould bid an eternal farewell to his palaces of ease and splendor, and staff in hand, should go out into his ministry of love, as described by Milton; "undiocesed, unlorded, unreverenced, with nothing or his earthly portion but brotherly equality, matchless temperince, frequent fasting, incessant prayer and preaching, continual watchings and labors in his ministry." Many a titled dignitary should descend from his sinecure, and show by his honest efforts, that e is more ambitious to promote the glory of his Master, than to secure the splendors of office. The riches of the church should, without reserve, once more be laid at the feet of Christ, that in selfdenial and poverty, the disciples may enjoy the glorious privilege of feeling like their master, the servants like their lord. The pomp of ceremonial worship should be consigned over to those whose religion consists in it; while such men on should minister at the altar, as would bring back that period, whe.. it was said that the church had "wooden chalices and golden priests, instead of golden chalices and wooden priests ;"-men who would consider no earthly distinction in comparison with the honor of turning sinners from the error of their ways; and who, with souls burning to do something for Christ, would labor in season and out of season, esteeming it no reproach to follow in the footsteps of the apostles, and endeavor to convert souls at "uncanonical hours;"--men more covetous of the "obsolete honors of christianity," strifes, persecution and martyrdom, than the splendors of a courtly establishment; men,"guiltless of the abominations of the surplice," and who as Cotton Mather expresses it, would be willing "like silk-worms to consume themselves to weave garments of righteousness for others." Under the guidance of such men, who seek not their own but the things which are Jesus Christ's-men zealous for doing their duty on earth, ambitious only of being numbered in heaven with those who have come out of great tribulation and are clothed in white, the church will go forth conquering and to conquer, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.

A sure obstacle to missionary enterprise, is a low standard of piety at heart. This is an obstacle paramount to every other, for life and energy will not circulate through the extremities, if the heart is destitute of vigor. In those years when the Spirit of God is poured out most abundantly upon our churches, missionaary feeling and contributions have risen in a steady and constant gradation; and in the year 1829-a season remarkable for the withdrawment of the Spirit, a night when no dews distilled from VOL. IV.

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