of life which they spread before us, without emotions of praise and thanksgiving? Do not the peals, which summon us to the house of God, from Sabbath to Sabbath, and the strains of heavenly mercy, which there proclaim pardon and glory to penitent sinners, excite us all to exclaim, "How amiable are thy tabernacles, Lord God of hosts!" Shall we not convey this divine light to others? This holy cause will infallibly triumph. The idols of paganism, the temples of infidel philosophy, will vanish before the light of the gospel. The Christian missionary goes on a voyage of benevolence. So angels fly through the heavens, sail from world to world, to promote the same glorious Rulers and legislators are never so entirely the ministers of God for good, as when they support the banner of the cross. They wisely build hospitals, and found seminaries for the public good; why should they not regard the higher interests of man, the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom? Why should they not protect the church in "the wilderness," and "the witnesses prophesying in sackcloth ?" When nations shall understand their best interests, then kings, or rulers, instead of waging ungodly wars, shall be nursing fathers, and queens nursing mothers of the church. Aaron and Moses shall lead the people to the heavenly Canaan.

cause.

So familiar are we with the doctrines and duties of revelation, that we can hardly conceive the immense importance of conveying it to others. Were it not for the light of this gospel, we, we, this day might have been worshipping in the temple of Mars, or shouting the praises of Bacchus, or offering our chil

dren on the altar of Moloch. The poor will certainly then contribute their mite, and the rich their silver and gold, an offering to the glorious gospel.-But I recollect where I am. The metropolis of NewEngland is more distinguished for its princely benefactions, than, any other place in the world; it is a fountain whose streams gladden the city of God. No persuasion would prevent your offering to the Lord the present which you have brought to his house. Angels, who hover over the assemblies of the saints, witness your pious sacrifices. Already He, who sees the end from the beginning, has prepared a reward for those who cordially support his cause. That Saviour, who was present at a contribution in the temple of Jerusalem, is present now. He will accompany those who receive your gifts from seat to seat. The recording angel will notice the widow's mite. The names of every donor will be written in the book of divine remembrance. In the great day, when the Son of man shall come in the clouds of heaven, with all his holy angels; when the earth shall be on fire, and the heavens pass away with a great noise, and you shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, then will he say to every one, who gave a cup of water to a disciple in the name of a disciple, "Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world." Amen.

SERMON IV.

PSALM xlv, 6.

Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

GOD is the greatest and most sublime object in the universe. Every thing respecting Him, demands the teachable and serious attention of mankind. But God as a Saviour, "God in Christ," reconciling the world to himself, is the most interesting character of the Divine Being. The most essential part of Scripture relates to the Redeemer of the world. His name, his offices, his attributes, give interest and life to the sacred page. It is, therefore, a duty of the first importance to study his character, as it is revealed, to learn the relation, which he bears to man. In vain do we apply to any other, than the inspired teachers; in vain do we go back to the remotest antiquity, and explore the records of Chaldean or Egyptian learning; in vain do we ask the sages of Greece or Rome, to describe Immanuel. The lectures of their philosophers, and the songs of their bards declare, "We know him not." In vain do we consult the schools

and seminaries of modern times, to learn whether he ought to be human, angelic, or divine; their elevated science, while it makes surprising displays of the human intellect, is bewildered in the mysteries of redemption, and confounds their disciples with opposite responses. Nor shall we be more safe in appealing to ancient or modern creeds, councils, or spiritual tribunals. Athanasius was deposed from the ministry, and driven into banishment, because he advocated the Saviour's divinity; and in the same age, Arius was exiled and excommunicated, because he opposed the doctrine. In the reign of Henry VIII, Papists and Protestants were burning at the same time. Is it safe to trust such baleful meteors, to show us the way to heaven? To the law and the testimony let us resort, that we may know Jesus Christ. The evidence of many other facts and doctrines is derived from various sources. The rivers and mountains, the sun and stars, proclaim in every language, the existence and glory of their Creator. Daily events around us, the changes and revolutions of empires, announce the Providence of God. Our own experience, our knowledge of others, the history of man, confirm our belief of human depravity; yet no where but in his word, which he has magnified above all his works, is made manifest the desire of nations, the Saviour of the world. Neither philosophy, nor metaphysics, nor any other science, would have discovered the doctrine or character of the Redeemer. We are, therefore, confined to the sacred oracles. What they declare of this wonderful personage we ought implicitly to believe. We shall not question the truth, the propriety, or the