thing but the foolishness of folly to proclaim! But where are the elements with which you were to renovate mankind? Where are the victories you have won? Where are the trophies of your triumphs? If you have conquered to this extent, point us to the countries-tell us where the countries are. Not a man of them has a word to say. But St. Paul could point to many nations which had been subdued by the gospel to the obedience of the faith. Let it be observed, however, that this gospel is the power of God to every one that believeth-not to every one that heareth; it is one thing to hear the gospel, and it is another thing to believe the gospel so as to be saved by it. On this point, our individual, personal salvation, hangs "to every one that believeth"-believeth what? To every one that believeth the gospel to be of Christ, to be what it professes to be-and who gives full credence to the testimony that "this is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners ;" and that there is no other name given amongst men whereby they may be saved. I know that some people, very incautiously, as it seems to me, undervalue this; and I have heard persons say it is nothing to believe this. We know it is something. A man may be saved from infidelity who believes the gospel to be true, and who believes Jesus to be the Son of God. Still there are those who tell us that they believe the gospel is of divine origin, and yet are not saved; the credence which they attach to testimony does not exert any influence on their hearts or conduct; they are living" without God in the world;" their faith does not come up to the apostolic standard. What believing in order to be saved is, we are told by St. Paul in another place, when he says, "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness." He does not say with the head merely, or with the understanding; I know the understanding will perceive that I am a sinner, and that Christ is the Saviour; but I must not stop here; if I do, I stop short of salvaion There must be the dedication of the heart to Christ; there must be the submission of the will to Christ-the close determination of the will; and there must be the embracing of the Saviour with all the affections of the heart. Thus man, believing with the heart unto righteousness, confession is made with the tongue unto salvation: and, my fellow-sinner, if thou "confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved:" according to thy faith it shall be done unto thee-in every step of thy religious progress, and in the way of spiritual attainment, it shall be done according to thy faith. Thus believing becomes a settled habit; and thus the Christian lives by faith, and is saved by faith. Observe the impartiality of this-" To every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek;" for "unto the Gentiles also hath God granted repentance unto life." "To every one that believeth," without respect to conditionwhether they are high or low, whether they are rich or poor, noble or ignoble. There is not one salvation for a rich man, and another for a poor man: no, it must be by faith, simple faith in Christ Jesus. "To every one that believeth," without respect to colour; for souls have no discriminating hues; God has made and redeemed by his blood all nations that dwell on the face of the earth; to every one, therefore, from the fair European to Afric's sable son, it will apply; from the everlasting snow and frost and ice of Greenland and Lapland,to the paradisaical islands that lie on the bosom of the Southern Ocean. The gospel, being a universal remedy, will operate in every temperature, from the frigid to the torrid zone; and, wherever it is truly received, it works effectually in them that believe. "To every one that believeth," without regard to circumstances; for in Jesus Christ there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free; but Christ is all, and in all.” "To every one that believeth"-without regard to language or tongue. The period shall come when the gospel shall be published, and when the gospel shall be embraced by all the languages of this made; had he been a coward in the service of his Master, the declaration of the text had never been recorded; had himselt and his colleagues been cowards, they had not gone on in the face of opposition, and insult, and danger, and death; but, when persecution arose, every one of them could say, "None of these things move babbling world! What a miracle was that which took place on the day of Pentecost when the apostles of our Lord in a single moment received the knowledge of languages they had never studied in the ordinary way; and received the power to give utterance to their sentiments most correctly and fluently-which was a greater miracle still; so that these Par-me, neither count I my life dear unto thians, and Medes, and Elamites, the dwellers in Mesopotamia and in Judea, Cretes and Arabians, and others which are mentioned, all heard the apostles speak every man in the language wherein he was born—that is, the language spoken in the country of their birth-the wonderful works of God. Think you that this was not designed by Providence to be a sort of earnest and specimen of what will assuredly take place when, by means of Bible institutions and missionary efforts, the languages of the world shall have the word of God rendered into them (and into a large portion has it already been rendered) and the word of God preached in those languages-so that not only European and American, but Asiatic and African, and those that dwell in the remote islands of the sea, shall hear Christ and the apostles, and Moses and the prophets, declare the wonderful works of God in the redemption and salvation of men. myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." I know but one instance in which Paul was nearly overcome; and that was when his courage and his heroism were nearly overpowered by the sympathy and tenderness of his friends, recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. The servant of the Lord had preached, and Jesus had blessed his preaching; he had given his servant seals to his ministry, and they were his spiritual children. Ah, but he must leave them! The parting work was hard work, and their tears all but overcame the apostle. And what said he?" What mean ye to weep, and to break mine heart?" I can face danger; I can look my enemies in the face; I hesitate not to declare the gospel, though stripes and imprisonments await me; I can go to the stake for the sake of the gospel; I can endure all this; but these tears overcome me! "What mean ye to weep, and to break mine heart?" No; he remembered whose servant he was; he remembered the high office he sustained; and, summoning up all his courage, rising above the tenderness of friendship, he exclaimed, to die for the name of the Lord Jesus!" Now, see how all this bears on the profession made by the apostle: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth." Had it been a powerless thing, the apostle would have blushed to have been identified with it; had it been powerful to destroy, and not to save," I am ready to go bound to Jerusalem, and he would have been ashamed to own it; had it been designed for the benefit of a But who are the men who are ashamed few individuals, the apostle would never of the gospel? Certainly there is no being have laboured for its propagation. But, in heaven who is ashamed of the gospel; when he says it is the power of God, not angels are not ashamed of the gospel; to destroy, but to save-when he says, "the sufferings of Christ, and the glory "It is the power of God to every one that that should follow," were the things which believeth," good reason had he to say-"the angels desired to look into." The good reason have we also to say, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.” Let us learn from this subject the evil of religious cowardice, and take care to avoid it. If the apostle had been a coward, the avowal in the text would never have been redeemed of Adam's race that are hallowed and made meet for heaven, and who have obtained admission there-they are not ashamed of the gospel; they are attributing to the gospel the glory of conducting them to that blessed inheritance find those who are ashamed of the gospel? Do you think any of the beings in the infernal world would be ashamed of it could it be preached to them as the instrument of salvation? Would not every eye glisten, and every countenance beam with attention? Ah! but their doom is sealed! Their harvest is past!-Their summer is ended! They cannot be saved! of light and love. Where, then, do we-Where is the philosopher that is ashamed of the God of nature? And shall you and I, then, be ashamed of the God of grace? Ashamed of the gospel of Christ!-Where is the Jew that is ashamed of Moses? And shall the Christian and the Christian minister be ashamed of Christ? God forbid ! Ashamed of Christ!-No, no! let me be ashamed of myself, (much reason have I for that), but never let me be ashamed of Christ! Ashamed of the gospel! no: let me be ashamed of the world, but never, never let me be ashamed of the gospel of Christ! Where, then, do we find those who are ashamed of the gospel? Why, if they can be found any where, they must be found on earth; they are nowhere else. Can we find any among the truly wise, the truly good, the truly useful, the truly holy? I know no such person. Who are the men that are ashamed of the gospel? Why the men who ought to be ashamed of themselves! What! ashamed of the system of divine truth-a system that is full of goodness, and benevolence, and holiness-a system so worthy of God, so adapted to the circumstances of men! Ashamed of the gospel of Christ!-No, no! Let the proud, haughty infidel be ashamed of his gloomy and degraded system, (if system it may be called,) a system which degrades man into a kind of rational animal, making him the inhabitant of a body which, when it has answered its purpose, for any thing he can tell to the contrary, must be laid in darkness and in death, and man must cease to be. Is this the dignity of human nature? What was the case with respect to one of those blood-stained infidels in this metropolis, eight or ten years ago? At the fatal spot, just before the men were sent out of time into eternity, with a levity and impiety that outraged all decency, he exclaimed at the last moment, "We shall soon learn the secret." To learn the secret-but to learn it when it is too late! "O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united!" Ashamed of the gospel of Christ!-Let the wicked profligate blush at his deeds of darkness that will not bear the light, and which he will not bring to the light, lest they be made manifest; but never let the Christian blush to own the holy gospel. Ashamed of the gospel of Christ! 66 Learn, my friends, the necessity of consistency in your religious profession. See the consistency of this profession of the text: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; it is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth." How do you sustain and justify that profession? Is there harmony between your profession and your actions? Do you who say you are not ashamed of the gospel realize its efficacy? Can you assign this as the reason why you are not ashamed of it-because it has saved you from sin, saved you from all unchristian tempers, dispositions, and desires? Are you ashamed, my dear friends? In vain do you say you are not ashamed of the gospel, unless you have this reason to giveit is the power of God to salvation." Have you so believed as to be saved? Have not some Christian professors need to be admonished here. There is a want of harmony between the words of the lips, and the works of the lives? You are not ashamed of the gospel, and yet live in opposition to the gospel; not ashamed of the gospel, and yet violating the precepts of the gospel. Not ashamed of the gospel of Christ! But the gospel of Christ is ashamed of you. Not ashamed of the ministers and friends of the gospel; but the ministers and friends of the gospel are ashamed of you! Not ashamed to confess Christ crucified before men; but, unless you are speedily changed, and saved by the gospel-of you-yes, of you, will Jesus Christ be ashamed before his Father and his holy angels. May God give you repentance unto life! : the range of our mortal vision-could we see the dismal spectres of superstition flitting before our eyes-could we behold six hundred millions of our fellow-beings in the lowest moral and mental prostration, buried in ignorance, inthralled by superstition, loaded with guilt, polluted with crime, without God, without comfort, without hope! Oh, this would give intensity to our feelings-this would give fervour to our prayers-this would give vigour to our exertions!—and we should be ready to ask ourselves and one another, What can we do to send them "words whereby they may be saved?" What can we do to send them the word, "the entry" of which "giveth life?" As the gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation to them that believe, let those who have through grace believed, and have realized the saving power of his gospel, zealously and practically acknowledge their obligation to make it known to others. It is our mercy that we have the gospel. How great a blessing is it! How rich a treasure is it! And what has it not done for us! How it has blessed us, and saved us! But we have it not for ourselves merely-not for our personal benefit exclusively we have it for others, to bless others as well as ourselves. There is a sense in which every Christian minister, and every Christian believer, as well as St. Paul, is a trustee allowed of God to be put in trust of the gospel, intrusted As the gospel is identified with the with the gospel for the benefit of those power of God, let us expect our efforts for who have it not. Therefore, you are the its propagation to be crowned with success. debtors; and in debt you remain till you" What a noise," said a person the other impart to them the gospel of God. Can day, "what a noise they make about it be that we feel this power, enjoy this their Bibles and Missions: what a noise liberty, participate in these blessings our-they make about sending their Bibles and selves, and be unconcerned for those who are destitute? their missionaries to the pagans and what time they are consuming, and what Can it be that I am in the road to heaven, money they are expending! Ah," said and wish to travel there alone? Can it he, "but they will find human nature to be that I am saved of the Lord myself, be just what human nature always has and have no concern that my fellow-sin- | been, and will leave the world just as bad ners should be saved? I profess to you as they find it." And if I had the same I see not how it can be. The religion of views of Christianity which he enterthe gospel is essentially diffusive in its tained, I suppose I should sit side by side nature, diffusive as the breadth of the with him, and come to the same concluearth; and, in proportion as our hearts are sion. But I fearlessly assert there is one brought under its influence, however con- single word in my text which lays prostracted before, they are now expanded trate every thing that can be urged against and drawn out; we wish our fellow-men missionary exertions,-urged in the way of to become our fellow-subjects in the king- objection, by cold indifference, by freezing dom of heaven; we wish them all to be- avarice, by chilling doubt, or by impious come partakers of "like precious faith unbelief: it is this one word-powerwith us," and to be "fellow-heirs of the" the power of God."· Oh! talk no more same hope." Our gracious Lord says, about the power of prejudice,-talk no Freely ye have received, freely give." | more about the power of ignorance,―talk Why, we have given something; how no more about the power of superstition, little! We have felt something; but how and passion, and caste : I admit these are little! We have prayed now and then; great powers; but there is a power in my ah, how feeble have been our prayers! text infinitely greater, a power that can How little has been done by the profess- triumph over all the powers of earth and ing Christian world for the evangeliza- hell. Here is a power that can overcome tion of the pagan! Oh, could we take the power of sin; here is a power that can our post of observation where the prophet subdue the power of passion; here is a stood-could the whole length and breadth power that can break the power of prejuof the valley of dry bones come within│dice; and here is a power that can snap VOL. I.-9 66 F 2 the chains of oppression," the power of God." Let this simple but powerful engine be applied, and what shall be the result? It will pull down strongholds, cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and will bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Yes, let this engine be applied to the very centre of idolatry and superstition, let its props and its supporting pillars be but seized by the grasp of truth, and they will very soon rock to their base, and totter to their fall; their whole fabric will be broken, and the dust thereof driven before the winds of heaven. And what then, my Christian friends? Why, then shall be seen rising up every where, in beautiful proportion, the fair temple of truth,—a temple whose porticoes shall stand wide open, that the heavy laden and the weary may have free access, and there find repose, a temple whose ministers shall say to every inquiring soul, "Come in, come in, thou blessed of the Lord: wherefore standest thou without?"-a temple where people of every colour, and of every language, and of every clime, shall harmonize and commingle together in the delightful service of Christian worship, adoring and blessing Him who is the Maker and the Redeemer of them all,-a temple whose altars shall flame with the love and the gratitude of a redeemed and renovated world for it shall come to pass that in every place," from the rising of the sun, even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts." Well, now, my Christian friends, to contribute in any way, in any degree, to realize such a consummation-who is not solicitous ? Ashamed be the man, whoever he is, who can ever think on this subject without emotion! For such an object can any sacrifice be too painful, can any labours be too abundant? My friends, you have come up together as the friends of the gospel, as the friends of Jesus, as the friends of men. You are come here to contribute in aid of the funds of the Wesleyan Missionary Society,—a society that already employs some two hundred and twenty preaching missionaries, or thereabouts, in different parts of the world, a society that has already numbered among the members of the Christian church some forty-three thousand persons, gathered into the fold by the zeal, the labours, the prayers, the faithful preaching, and the holy living, by God's blessing, of these ministers,-a society that has schools connected with its missions, where some five-and-twenty thousand are instructed in the momentous verities of our common Christianity. What a work is this!-and what a prominent place are you taking, in the providence of God, in this great work of evangelizing the world! Many voices from many hundred tribes are saying, "Come over and help us give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out." And can you refuse? What! have you oil, and will you not pour a portion into their lamps, which have gone out, that they may be kindled afresh? Will your lamps burn less brightly? Oh, no! The more you communicate, the more you shall receive fresh supplies of the oil of the sanctuary, and your lamps will burn far more brightly. |