into God's family, and accepted unto life eternal. For " your covenant with death, saith the Lord, shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand,"*-and "I have seen his ways," he says of Ephraim, "and will heal him."t He But, in his sovereign wisdom, and to the fuller illustration of the riches of his goodness, it hath pleased God, in all ages, to make men the messengers of his love to their fellow creatures. hath "laid help upon one that is mighty;"‡ he hath set forth his Son to be a propitiation through "faith in his blood;"§ he is "in Christ reconciling the world to himself." But, for so it seemed good in his sight, "He hath committed to us the word of reconciliation." " Now, therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ," || "To call upon all men everywhere to repent ;" "To open their eyes, and turn them from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them that are sanctified through faith which is in him." And though, I trust, it is never out of our thoughts, that it is "not in us, by our own power or holiness, to do anything" in this behalf; yet true it is, notwithstanding, that "whosoever receiveth us receiveth him that * Isa. xxviii. 18. + Isa. lvii. 18. Psa. lxxxix. 19. ¶ See Acts xxvi. 18. sent us;" that "whatsoever, according to his word, we loose on earth, is loosed in heaven ;"* and that wheresoever we divide the word of truth effectually, a soul is won. And now I ask next, is not this a work, to which it is worthy of a wise man to devote himself altogether? St. Paul thought so, it is clear: for, in amazement at the condescension of God, and at the high honour put upon himself,-"Unto me," he exclaims, "who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." Nor did he think himself at all the less indebted, because, in the outset of his apostleship, it was declared, "I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake," nor yet because at every step of his + after labours he found that witness true. "And now behold I go bound in the spirit," he says, "unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto 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." § *See Matt. xviii. 18. Acts ix. 16. + Eph. iii. 8. § Acts xx. 22-24. Was he right, however, or was he wrong ? Is this to be looked upon as an enthusiastic rapture, or speaketh he forth the words of truth and soberness? If he does, surely there is no peculiarity in the case. If he was so immensely ho1oured, and laid under so vast an obligation by the dispensation committed unto him, can it be said that we are less obliged, less honoured, when the very same is committed to ourselves? Or if we, going, indeed, therein, not a tittle further than the vows which are upon us, should give ourselves wholly and absolutely to this one thing, and draw all our cares and studies this way, would that be irrational, or an over-much zeal in us, which in him was wisdom, and accepted as such by his almighty Master? It is noble, it will be granted, to be the benefactors of our fellow-creatures. We congratulate those who have it in their power to be so. We honour and applaud those who, in order to be so, have made great sacrifices, and submitted to great self-denial, and dared great dangers. But what is it, after all, which the most applauded have brought to pass? One may have visited the prisoner; another may have fed the hungry, or healed the sick; another has delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless and him that had none to help him. And some have benefited the community by useful inventions, and some have been the munificent patrons of arts and industry; and some the ministers of God for good in the upholding of the laws; and others have not borne the sword, even of war, in vain: and "the eye, doubtless, cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you." But suppose the prisoner enlarged; suppose the sick recovered, and the hungry fed; and the rod of the oppressor broken. Suppose the afflicted comforted; and the beggar "increased with goods, and in need of nothing," and true judgment executed universally between man and man, and "peace within our walls, and plenteousness within our palaces;" and our "oxen strong to labour, and our sheep bringing forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets"-yet what is he who sees and tastes all this prosperity, if he be ignorant withal of Jesus Christ? and what are the people which are in such a case, unless also they have the Lord for their God? "Yet how shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard; and how shall they hear without a preacher ?"* Hath not God done exceeding abundantly for us, my brethren, when he hath called us to the dispensing of that word of life, which is never more necessary for men than when all that they have is multiplied? which alone is able to prevent all *Rom. x. 14. their blessings from being turned into snares; whilst, by itself, it is all-sufficient to their happiness, though every earthly consolation should be withdrawn? If it be an honour to be the benefactors of our fellow-creatures, or a blessing to have the opportunity of being so, who may account themselves more highly privileged than ourselves? But this, we know, is not the utmost of our privilege. It is assuredly to be looked upon as a high distinction, that when every one has his proper calling by which he is to serve society, ours should consist in nothing less than the publication and declaration of God's own glory; that the intent of our ministrations should be, that his "name may be hallowed," "whom, not having seen, we love,"—" his kingdom come, his will be done in earth as it is in heaven;" that in doing our part by the general body of which we are members, we should, moreover, be in so peculiar a manner fellow-workers with God himself, and be occupied in that very same business which occupied the Lord that bought us. And, finally, that throughout our whole enterprise of love we should necessarily be conversant about objects so high and noble, and, at the same time, so edifying. We know that, in putting before mankind those views of the mercy, and power, and holiness, and truth of God, which are to be collected only from the Gospel, we are employed |