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Secondly. Ifit is God's gracious design to reclaim the world in the manner described, we infer the peculiar obligations of those who enjoy gospel light, to assist the ignorant and destitute. The path of duty is plain. For as it is the duty of parents and instructors to open and enrich the minds of their children and pupils ; as men of science are under obligations to display the principles of knowledge; so all the subjects of gospel illumination are bound to communicate light to the ignorant and destitute class of men. No miraculous influence is now expected. The day of miracles is past. The light of the gospel must be extended by those who now enjoy it. Except by the instrumentality of those who have the bible in possession, it is probable that no gospel light will shine upon the ude and barbarous natives of the wilderness. How immensely great then our obligations? The object magnifies as we approach it. For how many millions of poor ignorant creatures are now dependent on the subject of gospel information for the rudiments of religious education? While we enjoy the zenith of gospel day, the greater part of the globe is shrouded with midnight darkShall the children of light then fold their arms and indolently sit under their vines and figtrees, while legions of pagans are dying in their sins? Shall we shut the door of salvation? God forbid. Let us then act like christians, and scasonably and rigorously adopt correspondent measures. For according to the fixed course of prov

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idence they will not move from the doleful habitations of ignorance, before thy receive a friendly visit from gospel missionaries. How full of instruction then are these words of Christ to his disciples; "Ye are the salt of the earth; and the light of the world." Whose heart does not beat with laudable emulation to be one of the first missionaries? What subject of the least spark of grace is not willing to forsake father and mother and all the endearing connexions of life, and proclaim the glad tidings of salvation to the long neglected tribes of the wilderness? For how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they believe in Christ, of whom they are ignorant? Go, my christian friends, and count the sands: go, weigh the mountains: and then attempt an estimate of your obligations to enlighten the ignorant! Only let us recall the barbarous state of our parent Britain, and both continents, not two thousand years past, when Christ dispatched his first missionaries, and remember by what means and instruments the world has been partially enlightened, and we can be at no loss respecting our obligations to extend the field of gospel knowledge by every possible effort. If we decline the object, much guilt will necessarily be contracted. Clouds of swift witnesses will rise up from the perishing world against us, and we, alas, trembling and speechless, must stand charged with their blood! Who can endure the dreadful scene? A vigorous and faithful compliance then with our obligations

to spread the light of the gospel is the only alternative. As in a former case, not very dissimilar, if at such a time as this we hold our peace and incur the divine displeasure, while the reformation of the world shall be effected by other instruments, will not the consequence be insupportable? But, let us hope better things, and things which accompany salvation. For who knows but even we on this narrow strip of the continent are brought upon the stage at this revolutionary period to cooperate with Christ in a peculiar manner to enlighten Gentiles and restore the Jews? While others refuse to advance in consequence of an imaginary lion in the way, or because the time to favor Zion is yet distant, let us like Joshua resolve to comply with duty and leave the event. In imitation of Judah's reforming Prince let our hearts be lifted

up in the ways of the Lord. There is nothing to fear respecting the object, which engages the divine perfections, but criminal inattention. The Lord will support his cause and reward his faithful servants. But,

Thirdly. If the restoration of the Jews in the course of providence depends on the general reformation of the Gentiles, how dismal the present prospect respecting that rejected people! Must the Gentiles be previously reclaimed? Must the civilized Gentiles really embrace the Lord Jesus, and must the millions of pagan wretches, who inhabit the four quarters of the globe, and those, who cover the distant islands of the sea; must the Gentile world

at large be gospelized before the blinded Jews can be restored? How lamentable their condition! Surely the Father of the faithful needs a large stock of patience. For christian Gentiles move slowly, and he has long waited for the fulfilment of that covenant, whose signature was Abraham and not Abram, constituting him the father of many nations. But blessed saint for he, who believed the altar of sacrifice could not long detain his dear son, can easily believe any thing God has promised and patiently wait for the fulness of the Gentiles to prepare the way for the final return of his scattered posterity. Let us, however, in the mean time, remark that neither the divine constitution, nor the Patriarch's faith relative to the recovery of the Jews, dispels the darkness, which now hangs over the nation, and which will probably continue several generations. The Jews, by thousands in consequence of unbelief, are descending into the abyss of ruin and this judicial course will continue till Roman idolatry and Turkish imposition shall cease in consequence of the signal reformation of the Gentiles. What tongue or pen can describe, yea what imagination can, paint their deplorable condition? Shall we then like the Jews, who crucified Christ, incur the guilt of anterior generations who have for many centuries been regardless of the reformation of the world? The weight of guilt is infinite! And nothing short of speedy application to the blood of Christ and suitable attention to the magnitude of the object before us will bear the

light of the great day. It is supposed there are nine hundred millions of souls now on the globe; and who can believe that five or six hundred millions of these are hastening to destruction in consequence of the inattention of enlightened Gentiles, and not tremble? Shall any of us then style ourselves the friends of God, and the children of Abraham, while inattention to his perishing posterity loudly proclaims the contrary? It is a gospel maxim, that faith and works are inseparably connected, and, except we harmonize with Christ in extending the grace of the gospel among the destitute, our faith is vain and we are yet in our sins. Neither riches nor honours, nor any other worldly consideration may prevent our gospel exertions. For the opening, extensive, fields are white for the harvest. Laborers are now called to the work, and what warrant have those men to denominate themselves christians, who prefer the honour, opulence or pleasure, of the world, before the honour that cometh from God only? If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him. But, Fourthly. We infer from the preceding discourse the peculiar responsibility of the pastoral office. Both numerous and various are the means and instruments which God uses to accomplish his sovereign purpose. Sometimes one method is adopted and sometimes another. Though never restricted to any particular measure, yet he generally uses the instrumentality of gospel preachers.

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