brated work of a late eminent writer; who supposes, the New Jerusalem came down from Heaven, when Constantine the Great called himself a Christian. I say, called himself a Christian; for I dare not affirm that he was one, any more than Peter the Great, I cannot but believe, he would have come nearer the mark, if he had said, that was the time when a huge cloud of infernal brimstone and smoke came up from the bottomless pit. For surely there never was a time wherein Satan gained so fatal an advantage over the Church of Christ, as when such a flood of riches, and honour, and power, broke in upon it, particularly on the clergy.

8. By the same rule, what signs would this writer have expected of the approaching conversion of the heathens? He would, doubtless, have expected a hero, like Charles of Sweden, or Frederick of Prussia, to carry fire and sword, and Christianity, through whole nations at once. And it cannot be denied, that since the time of Constantine, many nations have been converted in this way. But could it be said concerning such conversions as these, "The kingdom of heaven cometh not with observation!" Surely every one must observe a warrior rushing through the land, at the head of fifty or sixty thousand men! But is this the way of spreading Christianity, which the Author of it, the Prince of Peace, has chosen? Nay, is it in this manner that a grain of mustard-seed grows up into a great tree? Is it thus that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Rather, it spreads, by degrees, farther and farther, till the whole is leavened. We may form a judgment of what will be hereafter, by what we have seen already. And this is the way wherein the true Christian Religion, the faith that worketh by love, has been spreading, particularly through Great Britain and its dependencies, for half a century.

9. In the same manner it continues to spread, at the present time also, as may easily appear to all those whose eyes are not blinded. All those that experience in their own hearts the power of God unto salvation, will readily perceive how the same religion which they enjoy, is still

spreading from heart to heart. They take knowledge of the same grace of God, strongly and sweetly working on every side and rejoice to find another and another sinner, first, enquiring, "What must I do to be saved?" And then testifying, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit doth rejoice in God my Saviour." Upon a fair and candid enquiry, they find more and more, not only of those who had some form of religion, but of those who had no form at all, who were profligate, abandoned sinners, now entirely changed, truly fearing God and working righteousness. They observe more and more, even of these poor outcasts of men, who are inwardly and outwardly changed, loving God and their neighbour; living in the uniform practice of justice, mercy, and truth: as they have time, doing good to all men: easy and happy in their lives, and triumphant in their death.

10. What excuse, then, have any that believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God, for not discerning the signs of these times, as preparatory to the general call of the Heathens? What could God have done which he hath not done to convince you that the day is coming, that the time is at hand, when he will fulfil his glorious promises; when he will arise to maintain his own cause, and to set up his kingdom over all the earth? What, indeed, unless he had forced you to believe? And this he could not do, without destroying the nature which he had given you, For he made you freeagents; having an inward power of self-determination, which is essential to your nature. And he deals with you as freeagents from first to last. As such, you may shut or open your eyes, as you please. You have sufficient light shining all around you: yet you need not see it unless you will, But be assured, God is not well-pleased with your shutting your eyes, and then saying, "I cannot see." I counsel you to bestow an impartial examination upon the whole affair, After a candid enquiry into matter of fact, consider deeply, "What hath God wrought?" "Who hath seen such a thing? Who hath learned such a thing? Hath not a nation,"

as it were, been born in a day?" How swift, as well as how deep, and how extensive a work has been wrought in the present age! And certainly, "not by might, neither by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord." For how utterly inadequate were the means! How insufficient were the instruments to work any such effect! At least, those of which it has pleased God to make use of in the British dominions and in America. By how unlikely instruments, has God been pleased to work from the beginning! "A few young raw heads," said the Bishop of London! "what can they pretend to do?" They pretended to be that in the hand of God, that a pen is in the hand of a man. They pretended, (and do so at this day,) to do the work whereunto they are sent to do just what the Lord pleased. And if it be his pleasure, to throw down the walls of Jericho, the strong holds of Satan, not by the engines of war, but by the blasts of rams'-horns, who shall say unto him, "What dost thou ?"

11. Mean time, "blessed are your eyes, for they see: many prophets and righteous men have desired to see the things you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the things that you hear, and have not heard them." You see and acknowledge the day of your visitation; such a visitation as neither you nor your fathers had known. You may well say, "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad therein." You see the dawn of that glorious day, whereof all the prophets have spoken. And how shall you most effectually improve this day of your visitation?

12. The first point is, See that you yourselves receive not the blessing of God in vain. Begin at the root, if you have not already. Now repent and believe the gospel. If you have believed, “look to yourselves, that ye lose not what you have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward! Stir up the gift of God that is within you! Walk in the light as he is in the light." And while you "hold fast that which you have attained, go on unto perfection."

Yea, and when you are "made perfect in love," still "forgetting the things that are behind, press on to the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

13. It behoves you in the next place to help your neighbours. "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." As you have time, do good unto all men, but especially unto them that are of the household of faith. Proclaim the glad tidings of salvation ready to be revealed, not only to those of your own household, not only to your relations, friends, and acquaintance, but to all whom God providentially delivers into your hands. "Ye," who already know in whom you have believed, "are the salt of the earth." Labour to season, with the knowledge and love of God, all that you have any intercourse with. "Ye are as a city set upon a hill:" ye cannot, ye ought not to be hid. "Ye are the light of the world. Men do not light a candle, and put it under a bushel:" how much less the all-wise God. No, let it "shine to all that are in the house," all that are witnesses of your life and conversation. Above all, continue instant in prayer, both for yourselves, for all the Church of God, and for all the children of men, that they may remember themselves, and be turned unto our God: that they likewise may enjoy the gospel blessing on earth, and the glory of God in heaven.

SERMON LXXII.

ON DIVINE PROVIDENCE.

LUKE Xii. 7.

"Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered."

THE doctrine of Divine Providence has been received by wise men in all ages. It was believed by many of the eminent Heathens, not only Philosophers, but Orators and Poets. Innumerable are the testimonies concerning it, which are scattered up and down in their writings: agreeable to that well known saying in Cicero, " Deorum moderamine cuncta geri:" That all things, all events in this world, are under the management of God. We might bring a cloud of witnesses to confirm this, were any so hardy as to deny it.

2. The same truth is acknowledged at this day in most parts of the world: yea, even by those nations which are so barbarous as not to know the use of letters. So when Paustoobee, an Indian Chief of the Chicasaw Nation in North America, was asked, "Why do you think the Beloved Ones (so they term God) take care of you?" He answered, without any hesitation, "I was in the battle with the French, and the bullet went on this side, and the bullet went on that side; and this man died, and that man died: