WORK IN THE COLONIES. CHAPTER I. 66 THY KINGDOM COME." THERE are few people, at least among those making any profession of religion in this Christian land, who do not repeat these words each day of their lives; and Sunday after Sunday their sound is borne upwards, from the hearts, we trust, as well as the lips of innumerable worshippers. But amongst the thousands who unite in offering up this prayer, how small a number ever reflect on the responsibility they thus incur ! Is it not generally acknowledged that when we pray for any temporal or spiritual blessing it is our bounden duty to make every exertion in our power towards the attainment of that blessing? Should we not justly deem that person in error, who, having prayed earnestly, "Give us this day our daily bread," should sit with folded hands expecting his daily sustenance to be brought to him without any corresponding effort on his part? How then can we beseech the ALMIGHTY to hasten the coming of His visible kingdom here below,—that is, the extension of the Christian religion throughout the world, as we do in this B petition,-how can we venture to do this if we are not at the same time doing everything in our power to advance that blessed object? Let each one of us then ask himself the question,- What am I doing to spread the knowledge of our BLESSED LORD and His Gospel amongst those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death? And to those who think that it is not in their "power to do anything for so great a work, be it said, there are three methods in which the propagation of the Gospel may be advanced, and one or more of these is in the power of every living being. Firstly, by Personal Exertions. In all ages it has pleased GOD to raise up men who have devoted themselves to this work as missionaries-men, who have indeed "left houses and lands, brethren and sisters, fathers and mothers, wives and children, for Christ's sake and the Gospel's." From the days of the Apostles to the present time, there has never been wanting a glorious succession of those who have thus "climbed the steep ascent of Heaven Through peril, toil, and pain,”— And let us never forget,-we,-who in Christian England enjoy the full light of the Gospel,-that we owe that blessing entirely to the exertions, to the self-denying labours of such as these ;-to whom, doubtless, has been, and ever will be fulfilled, the gracious promise that they "shall receive an hundredfold now in this time-and in the world to come eternal life." And here we cannot forbear directing attention to an excellent paper which appeared some years ago in the Gospel Missionary, entitled, "A few Words to Mothers at Home about Missions Abroad," which clearly points out to English 1 Vide Gospel Missionary, vol. v. p. 60. |