the glory of God be your desire, and the salvation of sinners your object, for then, "you shall go out wih joy and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."* It would be the height of infatuation to suppose England faultless: she is not; but her excellencies compared with her defects are so numerous, they resemble the spots on the sun, completely lost in a blaze of richness and splendour. I must also say that Britain is not the only country where Jesus is really known, and truly worshipped. Glory be to God! there are a few places in which Christianity * Isa. lv. 12. exists more than in name; but it is a painful truth, that genuine piety is by no means an universal thing, even where it is mostly professed. Let us then lift up our hearts to the Lord that he may pour out his Spirit upon all flesh, and cause vital godliness to reign in every soul. My readers, if I could lead you to distant lands, and show you their actual condition, your hearts would bleed with sorrow. Oh! the millions that are enslaved by sin and sunk in ignorance. He who remains at home and reads the details of missionary efforts, finds sufficient to exite his fervent sympathy; but the individual who goes abroad, visits the scenes of missionary labours, and explores the regions where mercy has never been published, is bowed down with grief. He sees his fellow-immortals dying without hope and without God. They have eyes but see not, ears but they hear not; their worship is idols of wood, and stone, which cannot deliver or save. Christians! be truly concerned for the miserable heathen, and cheerfully appropriate your means, freely give your time to their cause. Bear in mind that the harvest amongst them is very great, but the labourers few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send forth labourers to gather in many souls. Entreat with great earnestness that the empire of sin may be speedily destroyed, and that the great head of the church may establish the earth in righteousness, so that no man may have occasion to say to his neighbour or brother, know the Lord, for all will then know him from the least even unto the greatest, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is God. Hasten, oh! thou happy day, when all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God; when universal joy and unbounded happiness shall fill every heart; and when all nations, kindred, and people, shall sing the praises of redeeming love. At that glorious period every ransomed soul will be rapturously exclaiming, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bride |