fact, however, which speaks volumes, that from the period of the institution of the "Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge" in 1709, with the exception of the "Moravian Society" in 1732, and the "English Methodist" in 1786, and the "Baptist" in 1792, there was not a single missionary association formed for the propagation of that Gospel, the knowledge and belief of which, we are assured, are essential to salvation by any religious party or Christian Church in Great Britain, for the protracted period of 80 years! Since then not a year has passed in which various associations have not been formed for the fartherance of the Gospel both at home and abroad. Some 50 societies of leading importance, connected with different divisions of the Christian Church, could be named. What a happy change is this! What a token of decided revival, and what a foundation laid for farther progress! It is interesting and worthy of notice, that the first Bible Society was formed in 1670, and the first Missionary Society in 1663; and that the head of the one was Dr Thomas Gouge, and a principal founder of the other the Rev. Richard Baxter, both of them Puritan and Presbyterian divines. The missionary spirit of Baxter is well known. * How striking the

*The state of the heathen appears to have occupied the thoughts of Baxter through the whole course of his ministry. Numerous allusions and references to the subject are found in his writings. In the Preface to his work, entitled, the "Reasons of the Christian Religion," he states, that his desire to promote the conversion of idolaters and infidels to God and the Christian faith, was one of the reasons which prompted him to write that work. "The doleful thought, that five parts of the world were still heathens and Mohammedans, and that Christian princes and preachers did no more for their recovery," awakened the most painful anxiety and distress in his mind. In his work, "How to do good to many, &c.," he asks, "Is it not possible at least, to help the poor ignorant Armenians, Greeks, Muscovites, and other Christians who have no printing among them, nor much preaching, and knowledge, and for want of printing have very few bibles, even for their churches or ministers? Could nothing be done to get some bibles, catechisms, and practical books printed in their own tongues, and given among them? I know there is a difficulty in the way; but money, and willingness, and diligence, might do something. Might not something be done in other plantations as well as in New England towards the conversion of the natives there? Might not some skilful zealous preachers be sent thither, who would promote serious piety among those of the English that have too little of it, teach the natives the Gospel, and our planters how to behave themselves so as to win souls to Christ ?"

At the close of his life, and on the near approach of eternity, his mind was deeply interested on this important subject. The unbounded benevolence of his heart is poured forth in the following extract from his solemn review of his own character, made in his last days :

contrast between these good men in the midst of persecution, providing for the circulation of the Word of God and the preaching of the Gospel in the American wilderness, and multitudes of professed ministers of the Gospel in the midst of external ease and prosperity, talking perpetually of friendship and the love of man, and yet leaving millions on millions of their fellow-men to perish without a single effort, yea, hostile to any effort to give them that truth which alone can save.

The immense increased circulation of the Scriptures, through the medium of the various Bible Societies which were called into existence early in the present century,the consequent growth of general knowledge and sound public opinion,-in part the fruit of the action of the Word of God,-the intimate union and co-operation of Christians for religious objects who had long been estranged,-God's blessing upon Christians at home when contributing and labouring for the salvation of sinners. abroad, all tended to the spread of evangelical preaching, both in the Established churches and among the Dissenters. Though the people of Scotland had little or no

"My soul is much more afflicted with the thoughts of the miserable world, and more drawn out in desire of their conversion than heretofore. I was wont to look little farther than England in my prayers, as not considering the state of the rest of the world; only I prayed for the Jews,-that was almost all. But now, as I better understand the case of the world and the method of the Lord's Prayer, so there is nothing that lies so heavy upon my heart as the thought of the miserable nations of the earth. It being the most astonishing part of all God's providence to me, that he so far forsakes almost all the world, and confines his special favour to so few,-that so small a part of the world has the profession of Christianity in comparison of heathens, Mohammedans, and infidels! and that among professed Christians there are so few that are saved from gross delusions and have any competent knowledge; and that among those there are so few that are seriously religious, and truly set their hearts on heaven,-I cannot be affected so much with the calamities of my own relations or the land of my nativity, as with the case of the heathen, Mohammedan, and ignorant nations of the earth. No part of my prayers is so deeply serious as that for the conversion of the infidel and ungodly world,-that God's name may be sanctified, and his kingdom come, and his will be done in earth as it is done in heaven. Nor was I ever before so sensible what a plague the division of languages was which hinders our speaking to them for their conversion; nor what a great sin tyranny is, which keeps out the Gospel from most of the nations of the world. Could we but go among Tartars, Turks, and heathens, and speak their language, I should be but little troubled for the silencing of 1800 ministers at once in England, nor for all the rest that were cast out here, and in Scotland, and Ireland, there being no employment in the world so desirable, in my eyes, as to labour for the winning of such miserable souls, which makes me greatly honour Mr John Elliot the apostle of the Indians in New England, and who ever else have laboured in such work."

political power at this time, yet public sentiment began to exert a strong and growing influence upon the administration of Church patronage. Many patrons exercised the Act of Queen Anne in such a way as to secure acceptable evangelical ministers, and regarded their patronages rather as a trust for the good of parishes, than as the sources of private influence or personal rewards.

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In the meantime, the cause of sound ecclesiastical policy, as well as evangelical religion in the Church of Scotland, was greatly aided by the publication, for many years, of the Edinburgh Christian Instructor," under the powerful editorship of the late Rev. Dr Andrew Thomson. This periodical rendered to Scotland a similar service to that which the "Christian Observer" rendered to sound doctrine and principle in the Church of England. It can scarcely be questioned, that not a little of the good which has appeared in the Established Churches of late years, has been owing to the seed which was sown by these able Journals in earlier days; nor have they ceased to exert a powerful propitious influence still, though the work is now divided among a greater number of coadjutors.

Another important source of good was the discussion in Church Courts, Presbyteries, Synods, and General Assemblies, of cases which involved great principles of Scripture, or ecclesiastical policy, and which, through the press, found their way, more or less, fully to the public. This is one of the vast advantages of Presbyterian Church government, to which other forms of rule are strangers. It affords scope for discussion, and so for the exposure of error and abuse, and the elucidation and propagation of truth. Who can doubt that the Church of England, especially in these times of inquiry and discussion, is weak compared with what she might be from the absence of such courts. The vote, may often be adverse, and, it may be, in the face of the best argument; but the discussion is of great service in preventing evil, and in maturing the mind of the Church for change, and in hastening on a return to a sounder state of things.

The able discussions which year after year took place on many great questions, such as against Pluralities, and which practically, though not formally, carried them, it cannot be doubted, had an influence favourable to the revival of evangelical religion. Presbyterian government, moreover, is fitted to propagate and perpetuate salutary influence, after the influence has once been called into existence.

Nor must we forget the special and kind Providence of God, in raising up several very eminent persons, in both parts of the island, and in assigning to them distinct spheres of labour, in which they all excelled, and by means of which they brought divine truth under the view of different influential classes, in a way in which no single individual, nor even society of less gifted individuals, could have been expected to accomplish. Among these may be mentioned, William Wilberforce, Hannah More, Henry Thornton, Dr Thomson, Dr M'Crie, and Dr Chalmers,—all now gone to their reward, with the exception of Dr Chalmers, who still lives to see much of the fruit for which he and others of high powers and similar spirit prayed and laboured, but which they were not privileged to behold. Let us hope that he is yet destined to behold a vast extension of the life and power of true religion, and that through his own surpassing labours in enlarging the Church, and vindicating the honour of her exalted Head. The raising up, at the same time, of persons of such rare and singular gifts and graces, and others could be named,-indicates, in a remarkable manner, God's interposition to bless his Church.

Shortly after the termination of the war in 1815, there was a decided revival of religion in many families of the middle and higher classes of society in Edinburgh, chiefly owing to the faithful application of evangelical truth to the heart and the conscience, under the ministration of Dr Thomson. At the same period, a similar change appeared at Glasgow, as the fruit of the labours of Dr Chalmers; and through the press the blessed influence was widely diffused. Ere long, evangelical religion

appeared in several of the Episcopal pulpits of Scotland, from which it had wellnigh departed, if it ever held a place in them. In this way many of the higher classes heard and received truths to which they had been altogether strangers. In the meantime, evangelical religion steadily spread among the people generally, and sometimes in very striking forms. About the year 1814, simultaneous revivals, of considerable extent, appeared in several Highland parishes, such as Arran. Many were added to the Church of such as should be saved; and, through the labours of the "Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge," and the "Gaelic School Society," it is certain that the spirit of true religion was widely diffused in various other quarters.

Such was the growing progress of evangelical religion in the Established Church, that she had now strength to institute and maintain different schemes of Christian usefulness for herself. The faithful among her ministers and people had all along carried on, and still continue to carry on, the same objects with Christians of other denominations, associated into societies; but now she would act for herself, and was the first, we believe, as a Church, to do so. As there can be little question that this is the Scriptural mode of proceeding, it may be expected that she shall receive the richer blessing. Already she has five great Schemes: the Educational at home for the Lowlands, as well as Highlands and Islands, embracing schools and teaching children;-the Colonial scheme, for providing churches in all the many colonies of the British empire, and making provision for the religious wants of the Scottish Presbyterians scattered throughout the continent of Europe: already the Colonial Church of Canada alone numbers above 60 ministers, and every year is adding to the number;—the scheme of Foreign Missions, intended to convey the Gospel of salvation to the heathen: the sphere of labour has hitherto been confined to the three Presidencies of the East Indies: the British labourers are 12 in number, of the highest qualifications, and their