Was America discovered to our view, that those inhuman ruffians, who first landed on her shores, might rob the inhabitants of their country, murder them by millions, and send the few that remained into the bowels of the earth to dig for gold to allay the cravings of their accursed avarice? Were thy coasts, O Africa, unveiled to our eyes, that Christian merchants, sanctioned by Christian legislatures, might drag thy unoffending sons and daughters from their native soil, and all the tender charities of life, to be bondmen and bondwomen in their distant colonies, till welcome death put an end to the bitterness of sorrow, and proclaimed deliverance from the galling yoke? No one that has the spirit of man within him will dare to assert the impious falsehood. Do ye think, ye men of literature and philosophy, that the chief design is to gratify your curiosity, to make your maps more full, your systems of geography more complete, and your histories of man in his various forms and institutions more perfect? Do ye suppose, ye men of commerce, that the great end of God in this dispensation is, that the manufactures of England might find a more extensive and profitable market, and that the commodities furnished by these distant lands might minister to our convenience, luxury, and affluence? No; these are the false imaginations of worldly men who see objects through a distorted medium. The true state of the case is this: God in his Providence has discovered these nations to us, and given us intercourse with them, that a door might thereby be opened for the entrance of the Gospel, and that messengers might be sent to them with the joyful tidings of salvation by the cross of Christ. Nay the very discovery of them is the hand of God, opening the door, and a loud call to the lovers of the Gospel to enter in, and labour for the salvation of perishing souls. Philosophers account the mere discovery of these distant countries, a door opened for them to go in, and reap all the improvements which science can possibly collect. Merchants think the mere discovery, a door opened wide enough for them to go in, and purchase from the inhabitants the commodities of their own country, and dispose of their own in return. And after this shall we hear Christians whine that a door is not opened to the heathen for them to enter in, and strenuously exert themselves for the salvation of guilty and miserable men? For shame, brethren, shall it be said, that the love of science, and the love of gain are more powerful in their principles, more active in their exertions, and less cold and formal in seeking an introduction to the heathen, and cultivating a friendly intercourse with them, than Christian zeal, and the love of immortal souls!

What door, I would ask, do you wish to be opened to you?

what do you effect? what can you expect more than is already done? We have the Gospel. They have souls to be saved. We know how to convey it to them. We can learn their language to teach them religion, just as readily as another can to acquire wealth, and so have a door of utterance. And by humble and fervent prayer, we may hope for the divine blessing and God's powerful aid, to convert the sinner and give a door of entrance. What more then can we require? What is necessary besides, to constitute an open door? Do you expect they will send for us to come to them? But how can that be, seeing they are ignorant of the Gospel, and know not, unhappy creatures, what the invaluable blessing is, which they need, and which we have to bestow upon them?

Some men in the course of life, meet with uncommon events, or miracles in Providence; and are therefore ready to look for something extraordinary in the way of direction and encouragement. But this is not God's common method in the government of the world; nay not even in his dispensations. towards the church. If you read the history of the planting of Christianity, you will find in a very few instances God giving his apostles particular directions to whom to go, and where to preach. But ordinarily there was nothing of this: they went forth, led by the dictates of Christian providence, and Christian zeal, wherever there were precious souls, and preached the word, the Lord working with them. From an accurate perusal of ecclesiastical history it appears, that this has been the way ever since, in all the efforts which have been made to propagate the Gospel, even in the most remarkable seasons. What open door had Luther, Zwinglius, and Calvin to preach the doctrine of the cross to the millions sunk in ignorance and superstition? Were they guided and authorized by visions and revelations of the Lord? or did they at first find men inviting them to expose the errors of popery, and to feed them with evangelical doctrine! No, it was while they preached, that people were convinced of their errors, and embraced the truth. And this may be considered as a general rule. Before the ministers of Jesus set out to preach, matters had been precisely in the same situation as now with us. Providence unbarred her gate, and shewed them where there were souls to be saved, and this was all the encouragement she gave. But when they had gone forth, and were preaching the word, God opened the door of faith, removed obstacles out of the way, and gave efficacy to the word of his grace, and this frequently, where at first there were the most unpleasing appearances, and the most violent opposition. If these things be seriously reviewed, it will no longer be objected, that a door is not opened for the preaching of the Gospel to the heathen.

IX. It is objected by some, "what right have we to inter" fere with the religion of other nations ?"

Some think it enough, if people have a religion; and if they be sincere in it, they conclude, that they shall certainly be sav ed; no matter of what kind the religion is. This discovers

the lowest abyss of mental stupidity, and an utter ignorance of the nature of God and virtue. Is there not a difference in things themselves? Will poison nourish the body, like wholesome food? Will a spell or a charm heal diseases, like an efficacious medicine? Will darkness serve to shew a traveller his way, as well as light? If a man sets out on a journey and advances with diligence, does it not matter, whether he be on the right road? Is there no difference between truth and error, between verity and falsehood, between right and wrong? Can the infinitely wise God be pleased with a religion, full of ridiculous absurdities? Can a holy God be delighted with an homage, which does not proceed from holy dispositions, and which has no tendency to produce them? Can a righteous God ever accept services which give no honour to his rectitude; but on the contrary, trample it under foot? Can a good and gracious God look with approbation on a ritual, sanguinary in its nature, and nourishing the seeds of enmity and revenge, and where there is not a spark of benevolence, or love to God, and love to man? If after this, a person will still maintain, that it matters not what a man's religion is, provided he be sincere, to argue with him is to lose both time and labour.

But some who acknowledge the religion of " the heathen to "be bad," still say, "what right have we to interfere?" If report speak truth, this was urged in the first assembly of a Christian land, by a great name in the literary, nay in the religious, or rather in the ecclesiastical world. How little weight there is in the objection, whenever, or by whomsoever urged, will be evident, when you consider, that we have an authority, paramount to every other; the authority of Jehovah himself, for carrying the Gospel to the heathen; and not only his authority, but his express command, which makes us criminal if we disobey. "Go," says the Son of God, to his disciples, Matt. xxviii, 19, "go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the "name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; "teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have com"manded you; and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the "end of the world, Amen." Such is the commission, and it must abide in force, till it be executed; that is, till all nations be taught, and with respect to time, until the end of the world, should the design not be accomplished sooner. As the nations are not yet all taught the religion of Jesus, it is evident,

that the obligation to teach them, is in force on us, as his disciples; and we have the highest authority to proceed in the work, and to interfere with the religion of the heathen nations.

But to descend from authority to reasoning: Is not active benevolence one of the grand principles of Christianity? I never felt the obligation to exercise it in an extensive degree, as I do now; and I fear we have all greatly neglected this part of duty. Benevolence teaches us to do good, both to the bodies and souls of man; and the numerous distresses, and miseries, which overspread the earth, are loud calls to every Christian's benevolence for relief, and to his utmost exertions, if possible, to lessen or remove them. If a country were starving from a grievous famine, would it be a culpable interference, to freight a vessel, and send them our bread to eat? And if their souls be starving from a famine of the word of God, shall it be accounted wrong, to convey to them the bread of life? Did pestilential disease ravage an unhappy land, and there was no medical man to administer relief; if a physician should kindly go to dispense a sovereign remedy, and restore the sick to health, would it be an improper interference? And if by the raging of the mortal malady of sin, the, whole head be sick, the whole heart faint, and miserable pagans ready to perish, is it blamable to attempt to heal and save their diseased souls? If we heard, that in a pagan country, superstition and fanaticism brought annually to the altar a hundred thousand men and women, would an attempt in some ardent philanthropist, to convince them of the folly and wickedness of the barbarous custom, be a criminal interference with the religion of the infatuated people? And shall the endeavours of Christian benevolence to save hundreds of thousands of perishing sinners among the pagans from the miseries of the second death, be branded with the defaming name of a meddler in other men's matters? If a nation were ignorant of the arts of civilized life, and of those discoveries which contribute to human happiness, would it be a culpable interference for a society to send persons to teach men to sow and plant, to build houses, and procure abundance of every comfort? And shall a crime be imputed to those who would teach rude pagans, ignorant of all the arts of the spiritual life, the science of faith in a Saviour, the art of holy living, so as to please God, the way of maintaining fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, and the certain method of securing eternal blessedness beyond the grave? Rise up now, thou who utterest the objection, and say, what man, or body of men, have obtained a patent from heaven, to stop the current of Christian benevolence from flowing through the place of their abode, or to concenter and perpetuate misery in the

country where they dwell? Stand forth, and speak before the thousands who surround thee. But thou art wise to hide thy head for shame, and conceal thy folly. Once more,

X. Others say, "We have heathens enough at home, let "us convert them first before we go. abroad."

That there are vast multitudes in England, as ignorant as heathens, it is painful to be compelled to acknowledge. That every method should be employed for their instruction and salvation, what Christian will not loudly affirm? But do you mean by the objection, that all the people at home should be converted before we go abroad? This mode of arguing would effectually prevent proceeding in the villages too, because those who are in town may on these principles say, "There are "hundreds in the neighbouring streets, still in a state of im"penitence; why therefore should I go out into the places "around, while there are so many wicked people at my door." Such reasoning and such conduct would hinder the progress of the Gospel in the world, and restrain that active benevolence, to which God has here assigned some peculiar service, and to which he has proposed objects so numerous and important.

The apostles did neither argue nor act in this way, else they had never gone beyond the bounds of Jerusalem or Judah; and the Gentiles had remained ignorant of the gospel unto this hour. Had Peter said, "There are unbelieving enough in the "land of Canaan, let us convert them first, before we go to "the Gentiles," what would have become of those, who were not of the seed of Abraham? Or if Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles, when he went down to Antioch, and preached in that populous city, had, if requested to go into Greece or Italy, made this reply: Why should I; there are a hundred thousand heathens in Antioch: It is needless for me to go further, as long as I live: What would then have become of us, or of all who live in these remote parts of the earth? But this objection is not derived either from apostolical reasoning or conduct. They were itinerant preachers: They travelled from city to city, and from country to country. Wherever they went, they scattered the seed of the word, made converts, formed them into a church, and then removed to some other place, where the sound of the gospel had not been heard. This has likewise been the method in all remarkable revivals of religion, as at the reformation from Popery, and in more limited effusions of the Holy Spirit on particular lands. Besides, it is with a bad grace indeed, that the objection is offered among For more than two hundred years has the Gospel been preached in England and now, when it is proposed to send it to Pagan nations, an objection is raised, in order to quench

us.