tributed, for religious purposes, would it not have produced insurrection? At that period could all the orators of the world have persuaded the nobles and princes, the kings and emperors of Europe, to come down from their thrones, to aid Bible and Missionary Societies in sending the news of salvation to Pagans and Mahometans? Who, but that God, who is the Author of the divine word, could have caused those intrepid heroes of the North, those thunderbolts of war, at the battles of Moscow, of Leipsic, and Waterloo, to sheathe their swords, drunk with the blood of slaughter, to clothe themselves in the robes of peace, to send the word of life to all the tribes of Adam, to cause the light beaming from the sword of the Spirit to shed its cheering rays through their most barbarous provinces, changing the dismal night of heathen darkness into the light of moral day? The Christian world bows before the impulse, as a forest before the wind. The Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters to produce this world of order and beauty; so is He now moving to produce knowledge, and holiness, and a millennium of glory. Ethiopia stretches forth her hand for the cup of salvation; the isles wait for the law, and of them, it may be said, "A nation is born in a day." The feeble Hindoo, the cautious Chinese, the red man of the forest, listen to the strains of gospel mercy.

This, and much more is the fruit of prayer. It is prayer, which has caused the cloud, small at first, like that which the servant of the prophet saw from the top of Carmel, to extend far and wide, distilling its

showers in the North and South, watering the burning plains of Africa, converting her deserts into fields and gardens. In answer to believing, persevering prayer, the nations are waking from the slumber of ages, and inquiring for "the balm of Gilead and the physician there." They are raising their eye to the tree of life, bearing its fruit every month, whose leaves are for the healing of the nations. The Star from the East is shedding its light on every land, and the hymn of angels is again sung in the fields of Bethlehem. Looking to the cross of Calvary, pagans exclaim,

Truly this man was the Son of God." Devout women, not a few, are making costly preparations, not to embalm the body of Jesus, not to perfume his tomb; but to extend the glory of his name, to rescue ignorance from its errours, and vice from its miseries. As if refreshed with the dews of Hermon, the rose of Sharon blossoms in the wilds of Tartary, and on the shores of the Caspian; the vines of Eshcol are planted in the isles of the sea, and the forests of America; the cedars of Lebanon wave on the banks of the Ganges and shade the palaces of Ava; the songs of Zion echo from the hills of Greenland, and the angel is flying through the heavens, having the everlasting gospel to preach to the inhabitants of the earth, to every nation, and tribe, and language, and people.

When believing and fervent prayers shall become general and constant; then greater things than the e will take place; the Spirit of the Lord will be poured forth without measure; liberty and science will

break the chains of despotism; the useful arts, pure morals, Christian principles, will give a new aspect to society; piety and benevolence will rule the hearts of men; and one united chorus of praise ascend from all the domestic altars, and all the religious assemblies of the human family. Amen and Amen.

SERMON VIII.

GENESIS xviii, 19.

For I know him that he will command his children, and his household after him.

THAT mankind were formed for improvement is too evident to require any formal proof. That our improvement is generally considered a matter of high importance, many things evidently prove. Not only the great expense incurred, and patient labour endured, to accomplish the purpose, but a thousand other circumstances, proclaim the high estimation in which intellectual culture is holden.

The constantly increasing pleasure of advancing knowledge, indicates that we are pursuing an impulse of nature, and obeying the will of God. Travel to yonder forest. It is silent, gloomy, dismal. Cut down the trees, break up the ground, sow the seed, and behold a field of blossoms and fruit. great and more important is the change produced by education. As the Chinese clay assumes the form of beauty, as a block of marble becomes a Venus or a

So