"virtue." The copies of the bible would soon be multiplied in China. If an individual (a prime mover of the revolutionary opinions in Europe) found means to send his" Rights of Man" to China,† shall not our national zeal in the defence of truth and of social happiness urge us to diffuse among that people a code of nobler principles? There are no arguments against this measure of a benign philosophy and true philanthropy, but those which are contained in the books of Voltaire and Rousseau.

6. The British nation, though so intimately connected with China by commercial negotiation, has no institution for instruction in the Chinese language at home or abroad. The consequences of such disadvantage, on our influence, our character, and our commerce at Canton, are well illustrated by an authentic historian, who had the best opportunities of obtaining information on the subject.

If it be possible any where to furnish to Europeans the means of regular instruction in the Chinese language, it may be expected at the College of Fort William in Bengal; our propinquity to China affording opportunities of obtaining a constant supply of teachers and books; and of maintaining a regular correspondence with its learned men. Our territories on the continent are contiguous to the Chinese frontier; and our islands are resorted to by the Chinese people.

The French are at this time cultivating the Chinese language with great assiduity; and no doubt with a prospect of certain advantage. We have in India satisfactory evidence that they meditate an embassy to China, or a descent on Cochin China, as soon as peace in Europe shall give them opportunity.§ "The French," says Mr. Barrow," aware of the solid advantages that result from the knowl"edge of languages, are at this time holding out every encourage"ment to the study of Chinese literature; obviously not without "design. They know that the Chinese character is understood "from the gulf of Siam to the Tartarian Sea, and over a very con"siderable part of the great Eastern Archipelago; and that the "Cochin Chinese, with whom they have already firmly rooted them"selves, use no other writing than the pure Chinese character, "which is also the case with the Japanese. It is to be hoped there"fore that the British nation will not neglect the means of being "able to meet the French, if necessary, even on this ground.¶

• See Barrow's Travels, page 392.

† Ibid. 396.

# John Barrow, Esq. Secretary to Lord Macartney's Embassy. See his Travels in China, page 616. Mr. Barrow is the only writer from Kircher downwards, who has illustrated China.

During the short interval of the last peace, this expedition was talked of publicly at the Mauritius; and mentioned to the English there as a project of France, to which the British government could not possibly have an objection.

Barrow's Travels in China, page 615.

then, stated and considered.

A

SERMON,

PREACHED

AT TOTTENHAM COURT CHAPEL,

BEFORE THE FOUNDERS OF THE

MISSIONARY SOCIETY,

24 SEP. 1795.

BY DAVID BOGUE,

OF GOSPORT.

THE FIRST AMERICAN EDITION.

CAMBRIDGE:

PRINTED BY HILLIARD AND METCALF,

For the "Society of inquiry on the subject of missions," in Divinity

College, Andover.

1811.

SERMON.

HAGGAI, i. 2.

Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts, saying, this people say, the time is not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built.

WHAT dost thou here, Elijah? was a question proposed of old, from the throne of heaven, to one of the most eminent servants of the Lord of hosts. His answer is recorded by the unerring pen of inspiration, in 1 Kings, xix. 14, and deserves our notice. I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy Prophets with the sword. Should the Great Jehovah deign to ask the reason of our meeting at this time, and to say to each of us, What dost thou here? I trust we can reply, "We feel a zeal for "the glory of the Lord God of hosts: we are deeply grieved "for the state of the heathen nations, because they are stran<< gers to the covenant of promise; aliens from the common"wealth of Israel, and living without God, and without hope "in the world. Of the numerous temples which decorate "their cities, not one do we perceive dedicated to the one true "God: They are all the habitation of idols. Altars we see "in vast abundance, but not one erected to Jehovah. They "are all for sacrificing to demons, or gods the work of their Own hands. With grief we behold the greater part of the "habitable globe in this condition, and far more than one half "of the inhabitants of the earth ignorant of the true God, and "of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, whom to know is eternal "life. And deeply concerned both for the honour of God, " and their salvation, we are met under the auspices, we hope, "of infinite wisdom, power, and grace, to concert a plan for "sending missionaries to the heathen, to proclaim the glad tidings of salvation through the blood of the cross, and to "turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of <6 satan unto God."

O that the same spirit who came down on the apostles, on the day of Pentecost, may descend on us, to inspire us with wisdom, love, and zeal, to make the meeting profitable and

delightful to our own souls, and to honour us as his instruments for conveying the knowledge of salvation to those miserable nations, which are sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death.

You have already attended on the labours of five of the ministers of Christ, who have preached to you on this solemn occasion. It is allotted to me to close the service. May I be assisted with your prayers, and the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ. What I have in view is to consider the objections, which may be raised against the design of our present meeting, and to suggest such answers, as will, I trust, be deemed satisfactory. The words of the text, set before us a class of men exactly similar to those with whom I am called to contend.

They said, the time is not come, &c. Difficulties and dan gers appeared before their eyes; the dispensations of Providence, and the aspect of human affairs did not seem to favour their efforts, and therefore they think it best to relinquish the object for the present, and wait for a more convenient and aus picious season. Too many now imitate the spirit of these ancient objectors, and say, "The time is not come when the

"mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the

tops of the mountains, and exalted above the hills, and all "nations shall flow into it. The time is not come, the time "when God will give his Son the heathen for his inheritance, "and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession." But the objections will, I flatter myself, be found equally vain. Jehovah himself deigns to answer those timid and incredu lous Jews, declares their fears to be groundless, and commands them to put their hand to the work without delay. While in a humble dependence on his aid, I attempt a reply to modern objectors, by considerations drawn from his word and Providence, may He, who teacheth man knowledge, and can make babes eloquent, suggest suitable ideas to my mind, and instruct me to express them in fit and acceptable words, that conviction may be carried to every heart, and that we may all with one accord cry out, "The time is come, the time "that the house of the Lord should be built. Let us labour "with all our might, that it may soon rise strong, beautiful, ❝and extensive, from the ruins, in which it has so long lain."

Some think the following general observation sufficient to destroy the force of every thing that we can urge. "Num"berless difficulties present themselves to my mind, so that "I am quite discouraged: the object, though desirable, has so many formidable hindrances, that in present circumstan ❝ces, it cannot succeed."

In answer to this, I would briefly remark, that the man, who