are unconverted and unsaved, what is the use of going into other nations. Home is dear to us. English souls are as valuable as Hindoo souls. If I can save five souls a year here, I shall be more useful here than some of the Missionaries, who have laboured twenty years, without perhaps saving one soul, or but one or two." To this mode of speaking I am really at a loss what to say. It seems pious, but I fear it is impious sophistry, virtually impugning the wisdom and goodness of the Saviour's command, to make known his salvation to all nations. I conceive the Saviour's declared intentions and wishes must be the rule to individual disciples and churches. And whilst there are many nations to whom Christ's salvation has not been proclaimed; the reasoning which has been exhibited is impertinent and irrelevant. Oh! man, who art thou that arguest against thy Saviour? He says, "Go and disciple all nations"-but thou sayest, "No: we will stay till all the souls in this nation are converted.” Here I might ask, on what system of theology is the opinion grounded, that such will ever be the case with respect to any one nation? Would that this were the case! but many men will not come to Christ, that they may be saved. Broad is the road that leads to destruction, and multitudes persist in travelling onward in it. Ye ministers of religion, let the Saviour's command weigh more with you than such reasonings as have been now set before you. The Chinese occasionally call Christianity the "European religion," and our Saviour is, in the Imperial Dictionary, called "The Saviour of the West ;" and there are those in Europe who seem to think, or at least to act, the same as the Pagans. It is the Roman world, the European world; the civilized world, (so called by Europeans,) which occupies the attention and the cares of Christendom. Our learning must be European learning, our languages must be the ancient Pagan languages of Europe; and the distant reports of Greek and Latin writers are more regarded than the records, (more probably true,) of Asiatic historians. x 2 I shall, no doubt, be told that some efforts to evangelize the nations, have been made in various quarters of the world, which, in a very qualified sense, I admit; but oh, how disproportionate to the requirements of that precept to which I have this evening called your attention! Not only have Protestant efforts been vastly deficient; but even a mental recognition of the duty has been rare. Some years ago I looked over half a dozen Commentators on the motto of this evening's address; and found that they either passed over the great commandment to evangelize the nations, without notice, or slurred it over with a sentence or two, whilst pages were spent in arguing the time and manner of water baptism. The difficulties which exist to impede the prosecution of this work, are many and great. The love of sin in the human heart; the worldly-mindedness of earthly principalities and powers, the pride of science, and the gates of hell, are all in league against the servants of Jesus in this enterprize. In this Christianized land, notwithstanding a partial triumph of religion, since the days of avowed French Atheism and infidelity, many are the enemies of the cross, in all ranks of the community; from the most powerless and ignorant peasant, up to the most learned and dignified courtier at the foot of the throne, are they to be found; among the merchants, and the lawyers, and the statesmen, notwithstanding all the "cant" of philosophy, philanthropy, and liberalism, there are in all places not a few covert enemies of the cross of Christ. And in some other nations, the obstacles to the discipling of men are a thousand-fold increased. Ignorance and prejudice, and malignity and enmity against God, exhibited sometimes by the populace, and sometimes by priests, or by politicians, all stand in hostile array against the banners of the cross, and turn a deaf ear, and dart a look of scorn at the envoys of Heaven's mercy to a guilty world. But, notwithstanding all these difficulties, greater is he that is for us, than all they that can be against us. glad tidings of complete justification, or remission of sin, and full acquittal in the sight of God, on account of the righteousness and merits of the Redeemer and Surety, received by an act of faith, which is commonly called, the blessed Gospel doctrine of Justification by faith: "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved!" The "fearful" are the "unbelieving," against whom a wo is denounced in the Book of Revelation. He who hung upon the cross, and endured the penalty of divine justice instead of a guilty world, is exalted a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins; He died for the ungodly to save sinners was the very end of his mediatorial work. If thou desirest salvation from sin and its future punishment, fear not, only believe." Sinners that come to Jesus for salvation, he will " in no wise cast out." He is able to save to the uttermost, and he is willing; what occasion then has a sincerely repentant and returning sinner to fear? Again do I say, agreeably to the Scriptures, O thou anxious doubting penitent, only believe in Jesus, and fear not either his willingness or his power to save thee. In the day that thou art in fear, O thou feeble Christian, cling to Emmanuel; God with us-Jehovah Jesus. Amen! will of God. And say not, Oh ye rebellious priests and people of Israel, "Thy will be done," and then fancy ye have done your duty. It is his will that Christian Churches use the means. "Go and disciple all nations; go and proclaim the Gospel to every creature." But, says the objector and caviller, would you have us all go and leave our own country and our own homes, and we pastors go and leave our flocks? No, my brethren, I require no such thing, Heaven requires it not. England's king has many affairs in foreign lands, commercial, and political, and martial; and it would be England's disgrace, if she could find no able and enlightened men and veteran servants to engage in these important missions. And Zion's King has important affairs in all lands; embassies of pardoning mercy to the guilty, of peace to the bitterest enemies; of salvation to perishing sinners, of conflict with the powers of darkness, where Satan and idols are enthroned; and it is the disgrace of our Zion that she sends not some of the ablest, and wisest, and holiest of her servants. What our Saviour taught, and did, and suffered on earth, was for the benefit of all nations. And it is his revealed will that the glad tidings of salvation should be proclaimed to all nations. Therefore every disciple, whether private Christian or Minister of the word, at home or abroad, should regard the Lord's will as the rule of his thinking and acting on this subject. He should have solemn soul-communings with the Divine Being on this part of duty; and answer conscientiously to Him, taking that deep interest in the affairs of the kingdom, and making those personal and domestic sacrifices for its welfare, which true unfeigned loyalty to Zion's King demands. It is incumbent on those who exhort the congregations of God's people, to urge the general duty, leaving the particular application to each individual's conscience in the sight of God. No one has a right to interfere with or judge another man's conscience. As for example, beneficence is a duty binding on every Christian; but no one can prescribe to another how much time, or how much property, he shall spend in doing good. So also to use efforts to disciple or evangelize all nations, is a manifest duty; but no one has a right to prescribe to another the degree of effort, either as to personal service, appropriation of time or of property, to be employed by the said individual. That is a sacred matter between God and his own conscience. But this much may be said, supposing no ostentation or hypocrisy, these efforts will always be in proportion to each disciple's love to the Master; or each subject's loyalty to the king. They that love much will use great exertions; they that love the Saviour little will do little to serve and honour him, or to effectuate his declared intentions. In such cold-hearted cases, every duty, personal, or domestic, or imaginary, will be thought paramount to this duty; every claim will be preferred to the claims of Jesus, and the enlargement of his kingdom. But worldly comfort is not the chief end of man. To glorify God is the highest end of human existence; and whoever makes this his sincere and supreme aim, will receive, from Divine Providence blessing the use of means, either a greater or a less supply of food and raiment and domestic comfort. If we be indeed "God's people," and "Christ's disciples," the hallowing of our heavenly Father's name and the coming of his kingdom should be the business of our lives. "Seek first the interests of the kingdom, and all other things shall be added, that Heaven deems necessary for you." First be ye interested in the kingdom, and then seek its interest; let these objects have precedence of all others. Christian fathers, and mothers, and children, should all make common cause in this work. O ye Christians! do ye really believe that God our Saviour, Zion's King, Emmanuel our Redeemer, lives and reigns in heaven, and now marks either your zeal and loyalty, or your heartlessness and disaffection? If so, let that work upon your fears and hopes. Do you believe that his humiliation, his agony and bloody sweat, his cross and passion, and his cruel death, were all endured for you, that you might not perish everlastingly? If so, let that |