peculiarities of that love which would die for Christ. But here is a test of Christian love. When one hears the command of Christ, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature," and says, "Lord, here am I, send me," and goes forth. When another perceives that he is not qualified to go, but is willing to do as much at home, and deny himself as much, and suffer as much to encourage and sustain him that goes. This is Christian love; and this is precisely what is needed in this country at this time. For the sake of illustration, suppose that you were to devote yourself and your all to the missionary cause, just as the most devoted missionary of whom you ever heard, and labor at home instead of going abroad. You live in as good a house, and wear as good apparel, and spread as good a table, and regulate all your expenses, and improve all your time, and train your family just as you think it becomes your brother, the missionary, to do; at the same time you deny yourself as much, and do all in your power as much to promote the cause, as you expect him to do. In all these things you keep the Lord Jesus Christ in view, and seek to please him, and imitate his example, and bear his cross, and seek his kingdom. You also, as a true yoke-fellow, work shoulder to shoulder with them who toil abroad; pray as they pray, and feel as they feel, and hope as they hope. Tell me now, is not this Christian love? Tell me again, does not the Divine Method lead to this very course? Is it not then a test of Christian love? Is not this the very thing that is needed at this time and in this country? It is not a bloody test, to be sure; but is it not as surely a test? Admit, indeed, if it be demanded, that all this might be without love to Christ. We contend, too, that a man might "give his body to be burned" without charity; but this alters not the nature of the test. It still stands good for this purpose; and by this must Christian love, at this day, and in this land, be tried.

6. Finally. Shall the Divine Method be adopted and pursued?— For one, I answer in the affirmative. I will not preach to others what I will not do myself. I have weighed this matter; and I beg you to allow me to say, without being thought ostentatious, that I have practised this method, substantially, for about thirty years. I do not say that I have literally laid by on the first day of the week, as God has prospered me; but that I have done the same as to the general amount. I do not say that I have loved Christ, or his cause, or the souls of men, or denied myself and suffered so much as I might have done. But I do say that I have, during these years, devoted a certain proportion, a tenth at least, of all that God has given me, to his treasury. Nor would I have said this publicly, were it not that consistency seemed to require it, for I wish to bear testimony that the Divine Method is good. It impresses upon the Christian a sense of personal responsibility; it is feasible; it is good to the one who follows it; it enables one to do his part in contributing to evangelize the world; it is a test of Christian love. And now, I must urge every one to adopt and pursue this method. The single fact that it is of God, is sufficient to recommend it to every one

that loves God. Then the fact that it is called for at the present time to sustain and carry forward the missionary enterprise, should recommend it to every one who loves Christ and the souls of men. It proposes that something be done; that it be done now; that every Christian should do it, and continue to do it. It is no oppressive method; but one of equality. It is no partial method; but one to be adopted by every Christian. It is no fitful method; but one to be pursued steadily, as based on Christian principle. It is no unsuitable method; but one adapted to the exigency of the times, and adequate to all the demands of charity. It is no novel invention; but it has stood the test of ages. Nor is it just now discovered; for it is written in the ancient records. The author of "The Great Commission" urges it as appropriate to the present wants of the world, as well as of divine authority. We expect of our missionaries as much at least as this Divine Method requires. And why should not every one of us do as they do, and bring all our love, and self-denial, and practical energy to bear upon this heavenly enterprise? "Who then is willing, this day, to consecrate his services to the Lord," and to a perishing world? "His God be with him, and make him a blessing to thousands of millions." Amen.

SERMON CCCLXIV.

BY REV. JOHN M. WHITON,

ANTRIM, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

The Salvation of the Gospel great, and not to be neglected with Impunity.

"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation ?"-HEB. II., PART OF 3d.

THAT thousands who have the offer of salvation by Christ, do neglect it, and neglect it shamefully, is too plain to need proof. By neglecting prayer-leaving the Bible unstudied-desecrating the Sabbathabsenting themselves from Christian assemblies, or hearing the truth with utter indifference-slighting divine ordinances-preferring to think, read, or talk of anything rather than Christ, they neglect this salvation. In so doing, they live as Satan would have them; he wishes them to do nothing worse, for Christ neglected is practically the same as Christ rejected. Better neglect anything else. Irreligion, though less hurtful to present interest or reputation, will be found, in the end, as fatal to the soul as open immorality.

The topics presented in the text are, the greatness of this salvation— and the fallacy of the neglecter's hope of escape.

1. A work is thought to be great, in proportion to the greatness of the preparations for its accomplishment. When, in passing by a field, you see a great multitude of laborers, with all sorts of implements, you infer that some great piece of work is in hand. On visiting a large commercial city, the ships, wharves and stores, apprise you that an extensive trade is intended. The sight of a large army with all sorts of warlike materiel, would lead you to the conclusion that some great conquest was meditated. Think, now, of the vastness of God's preparations for the salvation of men. A Saviour, early promised-sacrifices appointed-religious worship enjoined-angels sent from heaven with messages to men-prophets raised up to preach and foretell-a Sabbath instituted-the holy Scriptures written-the Son of God not spared from a painful death-Gospel ordinances appointed-ministers sent forth to call men to repentance-the Spirit poured from on high: and then say, do not the preparations indicate the greatness of that salvation which is their sole object?

2. We infer the magnitude of a work from the dignity of the chief

agent. Why, for the highest places of magistracy, or embassies to foreign nations, do men propose those, supposed to possess first rate qualifications? Because the trust reposed is great; the work to be done, important. For the work of redemption, neither man nor angel was competent; the undertaking of it on the part of Christ, was as if he had said, It can be trusted to no hand but my own; I myself will become the chief agent; "lo, I come;" no other than a divine person can expiate sin, magnify the law, subdue the heart of the sinner, and render forgiveness consistent with justice. Such is the dignity of the Saviour, God's own Son, that it is the glory of our world that he lived in it, of our nature that he assumed it. How great the work that required for its accomplishment the strength of an Alınighty Arm, the attributes of an Infinite Mind!

3. The multitude of subordinate agents is another token of the greatness of an enterprise. Solomon built the temple-but not without the instrumentality of many thousands of inferior agents, whose labors were put in requisition year after year. What a vast amount of services! How costly the edifice! Behold in redemption a greater than Solomon here. Under Christ, the Superior Agent, what countless multitudes of subordinates have been employed in unbroken succession, from age to age. What an army of Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs! How many myriads of ministers called of God to preach! What numbers employed in writing, translating, printing and circulating the Bible and other books of piety! How many millions have subserved the great cause as teachers, in families and Sabbath schools; or aided it by their prayers and contributions! The printers who publish Christian books, the laborers who build our churches, yea, the very sailors who convey the missionary to his far distant destination-all are co-operators. Perhaps they mean not so; their object may be anything rather than the salvation of souls; still they are necessary, though involuntary, builders of the spiritual temple. Would such a multitude of hands be employed, were the work not great?

4. A fourth mark of greatness is found in the importance of the object to be accomplished. The pyramids of Egypt, though structures of prodigious magnitude and cost, are, in the respect just mentioned, unimportant and almost worthless. What good have they done the world? unless, indeed, to furnish a tomb for the bodies of a few kings, which might just as well have dissolved into their original elements in a common grave. What a misapplication and waste of time and treasure! But a canal, facilitating communication, and creating a profitable commerce between distant regions; a steam communication between Europe and America, bringing remote quarters of the world into near neighborhood; are great enterprises, on account of their permanently and extensively beneficial results. While we yield to these and similar works, all the tribute they can justly claim, yet how insignificant are all earthly and temporal objects compared with the salvation

of a soul-an undying soul! of millions of such souls-souls that will think, and act, and feel for ever! as all the souls who ever thought and felt, are, in some unknown part of God's universe, thinking and feeling beings still. To open the blind eyes-to unstop the deaf ears-to extirpate the bad passions of depraved nature-to lead men in the path of peace to bring succor to the perishing, pardon to the guilty, salvation. to the wretched and miserable, an eternal heaven to those who deserve the deepest hell-this is what the Gospel aims at. How transcendent the object, how great the salvation!

5. An enterprise is stamped with greatness in proportion to the obstacles removed, and the difficulties overcome. The celebrated road of Napoleon, from France through Switzerland into Italy, carried over the Simplon, one of the Alps, leads the traveller up steep acclivities, on the verge of tremendous precipices and almost unfathomable gulfs, wondering how human ingenuity could construct a way through scenes so frowning and seemingly inaccessible. There are other channels of communication, formed by an excavation under the bed of a large river, or by tunneling mountains. The difficulties overcome impart to these works the impress of greatness. Apply this thought to the moral difficulties overcome in the sinner's salvation: the enmity of the carnal mind against God-its dislike of humbling truth-its repugnance to duty-its love of sin-its strong and almost invincible prejudices-the power of evil habits and bad passions nourished by long indulgencethe corrupt customs and maxims of the world-the influence of wicked men, and the agency of wicked spirits-all must be overcome, or the soul will not be converted. What power is adequate but that of God? What else, amid so many opposing influences, could keep the Church from utter extinction? Instead of wondering there is so little religion in the world, the wonder rather is that there is any; considering the obstacles in the way. The glory of it is to be given to God alone. How truly are the righteous said to be "scarcely saved;" not without powerful assistance, not without having been in imminent danger of perishing. In this respect it is a great salvation.

6. Once more a work is deemed great in proportion as its influence is extended through space and duration. The discovery of America by Columbus has affected the temporal and spiritual condition of millions, in three quarters of the globe, from that day to this; and the influence is destined to continue and widen, to the end of the world. The conquests of Britain in Asia, and the colonization of New Holland by that Power, are now influencing the political and moral state of hundreds of millions of mankind; and seem destined to be the means of introducing modern civilisation and science into more than half the Eastern hemisphere. Wide however in extent, and permanent in duration, as may have been the influences of these enterprises, and of many others recorded on the page of history, they bear no comparison to the influences emanating from the cross of Christ. The former fill,