strangers were not to be sent for to aid the stated pastor. All these things were unnecessary: and God bring on the day when they shall be no longer necessary for us; when Christian principle shall be so alive and vigorous, that it shall only be necessary to lay before Christians what is their duty to see them up and doing. We are but in the infancy of the missionary age: we are only doing that which God permits in kind accommodation to our weakness. Those who come after us, will smile at what we think necessary to excite a spirit of missionary zeal.

The last cause I mention is, that there was an unhesitating, an entire, and untiring consecration on the part of the ministers of the Gospel to this great work. They thought no other object was worth living for but the salvation of the soul: they sought no other object, they thought they had no other business in this world, but the salvation of the soul; and they wanted no other as an object for existence. No sacrifice, no ties, no labour, no self-denial, were too great to endure for this work. Literary retirement, philosophical leisure, bodily recreation, the ordinary routine of ministerial duty, entered not into their calculation they lived for the salvation of immortal souls. And much as I think the professors of the present day are behind the professors of the first days -ministers, I think, of this age, are far more behind the ministers of that golden age of the Church. Oh the sublimity of discourse-oh the grasp of eternity-oh the hold upon truth, and the deadness to the world which were found in the men of those days!

My dear brethren, do let me entreat you to think of this matter. I am well pleased to see this crowded audience, because I would hope it is not a cold curiosity to hear a stranger that has brought you together. I am well pleased to see the meetings which are being held, from time to time, in this and other places. I am well pleased to hear the cause of missions set before us—not merely with the strains of magic genius, but, as it were, dipped and dyed in the colours of the Sun of Righteousness itself. I am well pleased to hear of accumulating funds, of extending missions, and the multiplication of missionaries. And now, brethren, what is wanting? Ah! let us all ask the question. What is wanting? What is wanting, but that the Church should arise and do her duty, in attaining to more eminent spirituality, and to more fervent prayer? I covet not the gloomy mysticism of the hermitage, the formal drudgery of the monastery, the extravagant fanaticism of the pilgrimage or the scourge: I want not these things to be seen amongst us. But I do want to see that those who call themselves disciples of Jesus Christ, should live more up to their profession. I do want to see in them more conspicuous marks of discipleship, the evidences of conversion, the signs of vitality. I want to see in their temper the mind of Christ, upon their character the stamp of heaven, and in their conduct the index of eternity. I do want to see them looking up to heaven as if they had something there, and soon expected to be there themselves. I do want to see the eye of faith glittering in the rays of the excellent glory, and the tongue of believers reverberating the sounds that come down from heaven. Oh forgive this earnestness, when I ask if Bristol Christians, if members of the churches here, if the professors of this city are alive to the power of God in their hearts. Are there any signs of revival among you, brethren? Let me ask in all affection and seriousness this question. Depend upon it the Church

must be revived before the world can be converted: Christ will come to his Church before he goes out to the world; he will come and clothe himself in the midst of his people with power and glory, before he goes out to the nations; he will come to the New Jerusalem, and then go out to the world. I am not speaking of the personal reign, or the visible display of his glory, in any other way than shall be seen in the heavenly temper and holy conduct of hi disciples.

Here we must begin. No-I will correct that phrase. My dear brethren in the ministry, it must begin with us: that is the third particular. If we would have the Church blessed, we must ask a blessing first on ourselves. There is no man in existence on whose lips this prayer is more in place, there is none that can more effectually present it, than a Christian missionary: next to him comes the Christian minister. I said just now that the salvation of a soul is felt throughout the world. Brethren, that is our business: we have nothing else to do in this world, as an object of existence, than the salvation of souls. For this we were set apart by the Holy Ghost for the ministry; for this Christ sent us into his Church; this we professed to be our object in our ordination vows; this the Church expects from us, and so does the world. We are to be the men of one book-the Bible; of one idea-salvation; of one business-the conversion of souls. Others are going down occasionally into the valley of dry bones; we dwell there: they now and then prophesy; it is our business. Oh, I tremble for myself, and I tremble for you; I wonder at your indifference, and I wonder more at my own; I wonder that a sense of the value of souls does not take sleep often from our eyes, and slumber from our eyelids.

It is one of the mysteries of God's moral government, that he has made a matter of such transcendant importance as the salvation of souls, in a measure to depend on our influence on others: but so it is; how tremendous, then, is our responsibility! It is indeed no ordinary matter, to be an ambassador from the King of kings. Angels never had committed to them an embassy of such deep and everlasting moment: neither mortals nor immortals were ever entrusted with a commission so awful, and attended with such amazing consequences. My dear brethren, there is not one of all the thousands that hear our voices, but will take an impression from the voice they hear which will never wear out. Myriads in time to come may depend for their eternal welfare, in some measure, upon our instrumentality. There is no middle destiny for us: we are candidates for a higher seat in heaven, or we are going to a deeper abyss in hell, than others. Heaven and hell will for ever ring with the recited memorials of our ministry. Our work leads us directly to the altar; we go daily (where Nadab and Abihu went) to offer the sacrifice with sacred fire. My brethren, let us forget wife, let us forget children, let us forget everything, in order to minister in the fidelity of our souls for the service of Christ. Oh do, do, from this night, look again to your responsibility. There is something beyond the power of language to describe, or the imagination to conceive, in the tremendous responsibility of our office. Forgive me in speaking thus. I would stir up my own soul, as well as stir up yours, in all that has been said. Our people that are converted, as well as the unconverted, depend much upon our spirit, and tone, and temper. The expression so often thrown out in profanity and jest, is an awful truth-"Like priest, like people." We carry an

atmosphere with us, and we raise or depress the religious temperature of the community we are icebergs to chill, or we are central fires to warm.

And as it respects the tone of our people in reference to the missionary cause we have something to answer for to God. Not only are we answerable for ou own efforts in the salvation of souls; but for the efforts that are made by out very people. If they are dead and careless, is it not because we have not yet done all we ought to do to stir them up to this transcendantly important business? Oh, let us consider that we are answerable to God for the religious and zealous tone and spirit of those that are committed to our charge. If,. then, the Church is to be blessed, we must seek first a blessing on ourselves.

To bring the subject to a conclusion, I would remark, that we must each, whether minister or hearer, take up the idea in reference to himself. I must be blessed, in order that I may seek that others may be blessed through my instru mentality. Is there one in this assembly, one man or one woman, who has never sought mercy for himself or herself? What! at a missionary meeting, professing to seek the salvation of others, and never sought your own? Oh, consider this-If on earth, or in any other world, there can be found so appalling an instance of awful inconsistency. Eternal God! send from the clouds that surround thy throne a lightning flash of conviction into that sinner's heart, that he may to-night see his guilt, and flee for refuge to the hope set before him. Sinner, may that prayer be answered for thee. There is mercy if thou seek it: the God of mercy bends his ear to listen to thy cry. And what, shall there not be one here to-night that will say, "God be merciful to me a sinner?" Why, so intent is God upon hearing such prayers, that, if he could not hear two things at once, he would command silence in heaven, and hush every voice and every harp of the celestial choir, that he might hear the cry of penitence and faith go up before his throne, asking for mercy. Go to-night and seek that mercy. The world never can be converted while thou art unconverted : thou stoppest the work, unconverted sinner. But oh! if this night a soul should be converted, if one should be saved, what a triumph will there be in heaven among the angels of God; what an accession to the means and instruments of converting others.

Ministers and Christians, we are all too apt to generalize, too backward to particularize. We lose ourselves in the crowd. We think the sermon directed to the congregation; we divide it between the congregation, and the share that comes to ourselves is so small that it fails to move the heart, and leaves the conscience unassailed. We ought to feel that we are the object on which the preacher wishes to pour the full tide of his argument and persuasion.

Now let us each suppose, that upon us individually depended whether the Church should be revived and the world should be converted. Let us suppose we were the very centre of the moral interests of the globe; that it depended on us individually whether the Gospel should go out and convert the nations, or whether they should continue in sin. If that idea could be conveyed into our minds, we should be so impressed, that, regardless of the thousand eyes that were looking on us, we should fall down in the midst of the congregation, and implore of God his grace to help us, that the misery of the world may not lie at our door. Why is not this supposition cherished by every man, by every

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Christian? It does depend upon us that the world is to be converted. Christian, there is thy country demanding an increase of piety in thy heart, that thou mayest be an instrument for sanctifying its greatness to the service of Christ. There is the Church demanding an increase of thy piety, that it may experience a revival. There is the world uttering loud and deep groans of misery, demanding an increase of your piety, that thou mayest be the instrument of its salvation. And above all, there is the Redeemer of the world looking down at this moment upon thy heart, and in immediate reference to the results of the judgment day, to see thine heart moved by appeals so numerous, arguments so weighty, a responsibility so tremendous.

I refer you to the judgment day; that day when Christ shall come in the clouds, and every eye shall see him: that day when all nations shall be convulsed with terror, or wrapt in ecstacy at the vision of the Lamb: that day when all rich men shall stand at the bar of Christ, and give an account of every farthing of their property-what they have gained, what they have spent, what they have hoarded, what they have withheld, as well as what they have given: that day when all that is dear to avarice, to sensuality, to pride, to ambition, shall be seen wrapped in flames or reduced to ashes: that day when heaven and hell shall open to receive their own: that day when the shout of triumph from the right hand of the Judge, and the shriek of terror from the left, shall proclaim that nothing is left that is valuable but salvation. Oh Christian, look to that day; anticipate the designs of that day. Anticipate what thou wilt then wish thou hadst given to, and done for, the cause of Christ; and let that anticipation decide thee as thou now puttest thy hand into thy pocket to draw out the offering which is to be consecrated to Christ: and let the anticipation of that day decide thy conduct on every day that is to intervene between the present and the consummation of ali tnings.

PERSEVERANCE IN ATTAINING THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

REV. H. STOWELL, A.M.

CHRIST CHURCH, SALFORD, MANCHESTER, OCTOBER 12, 1834.

"Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain; as the latter and former rain unto the earth."-HOSEA, vi. 3.

THERE cannot be a more interesting question, than that simple one which is asked in the catechism of the sister Church in the sister country. That question is, "What is the chief end of man?" Perhaps there may be many within these sacred walls, who never seriously pondered the question. Such persons, therefore, must be passing on through life, without having ever considered what is the end of man-what is the object towards which they should be continually pressing, and for the attainment of which they should devote all their powers. They are thus like a vessel abroad on the ocean, without a haven to which it is steering, and how can they ever hope to find the haven of eternal repose? But in the decision of the question, there is, indeed, fearful danger lest we should mistake what is "the chief end of man." Is it merely to eat and to drink, to sleep and to die? Is it merely to accumulate riches, to pamper self? Is it merely to provide for his family, and to get raiment and food? Is it merely to gratify ambition, or to pursue the phantom of amusement? Yes, if man be but the creature of a day, who has no existence beyond the present, and no hope beyond what this world can offer. But if you admit that man is an eternal being, his spirit as deathless as the God that gave it—that man has the destiny of futurity before him, and that it must be determined by his conduct here; that here the gulf is formed that shall be fixed for ever-then, surely, the answer to the question must be one, must be obvious: it is this-to know, to love, to please, to serve, to enjoy God for ever. That is the one vast end of man, for which he was made; and, therefore, if it be not accomplished, the end of his creation is defeated, and his own soul is lost.

The beautiful words I have read from the prophet Hosea, afford rich encouragement to those who, convinced that such is the end of man, desire to set out in good earnest, in attaining that great object-the knowledge, love, and enjoyment of God. "Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain; as the latter and former rain unto the earth."

The words will lead me in the first place, to shew you, that if we would know God, we must follow on to know him; and, in the next place, that in following on to know the Lord, we have every assurance that our labour cannot be in vain. May his Spirit guide us into the knowledge of his truth.

TO KNOW GOD REQUIRES THAT MEN SHOULD SEEK TO KNOW HIM. The knowledge of the Most High is not instinctive and intuitive. Time was,