tracts has it rescued from barbarism, and with what creations of benevolence has it clothed them! How many thousands whom ignorance and selfishness had branded as the leavings and refuse of the species, if not actually akin to the beasts that perish, are at this moment rising under its fostering care, ascribing their enfranchisement, under God, to its benign interposition; taking encouragement from its smiles to assume the port and bearing of men; and, by their acts and aspirations, retrieving the character and dignity of the slandered human form! When did literature accomplish so much for nations destitute of a written language? or, education pierce and light up so large and dense a mass of human ignorance? When did humanity save so many lives, or cause so many sanguinary "wars to cease?" How many a sorrow has it soothed; how many an injury arrested; how many an asylum has it reared amidst scenes of wretchedness and oppression for the orphan, the outcast, and the sufferer! When did liberty ever rejoice in a greater triumph than that which Missionary instrumentality has been the means of achieving? or civilization find so many sons of the wilderness learning her arts, and agriculture, and commerce? or law receive so much voluntary homage from those who but yesterday were strangers to the name? By erecting a standard of morality, how vast the amount of crime which it has been the means of preventing! By asserting the claims of degraded woman, how powerful an instrument of social regeneration is it preparing for the future? And by doing all this by the principle and power of all moral order and excellence the Gospel of Christ-how large a portion of the world's chaos has it restored to light, and harmony, and peace!

In tracing the benefits resulting from Christian Missions, Dr. Harris undertakes to show, that a greater amount of good has resulted to the Church at home by the energies they have called into exercise, and the influence they have exerted, than would have been produced if the same amount of money and effort which have been absorbed, for the evangelization of the heathen abroad, had been devoted to the diffusion of the Gospel at home. This is most important, and deserves particular attention. In support of this opinion it is urged that the Missionary enterprise has blessed the Churchit has broke up the monotony of religious services and topics which formerly existed-deepened the piety of the members of the Church -excited to holy activity and emulation-enlarged the views of the Church, produced the conviction that the cause of religion at home and abroad is one-united Christians by its sympathising influenceexciting to acts of Christian liberality in the consecration of property to the service of Christ-awakening and cherishing a spirit of prayer-given noble specimens of Christian character and enterprise to the Church and to the world-disarmed infidelity of weapons which it used to employ against Christianity-promoted biblical study-strengthened the evidences of Christianity-saved many of our own countrymen at home and abroad, and given innumerable occasions to the Church for glorifying God.

We are sometimes discouraged when we compare the number of those who have submitted to the faith of Christ, with the great bulk of mankind yet remaining in heathenish darkness and practising idolatry. Discouragment tends to paralyze effort. Dr. Harris therefore wisely endeavours to show, from a review of the past history of Missions; that there are reasons why we ought not to be discouraged, but that we ought rather to be stimulated to greater

exertions from the success with which our efforts have been crowned. He contends that our success has been fully proportioned to our efforts that our expectations have been greater than our exertions -that the Cross of Christ has in many instances triumphed over the powers of darkness in heathen lands-that where for a season success has appeared most hopeless, oftentimes the result has been most satisfactory, the most glorions triumphs have been obtained.

Not only is there found in the history of the Church, ground of encouragement for increased Missionary exertions, but also in the present political aspect of the world; Dr. Harris justly remarks that, all the rest of the globe appears to be placed, by Providence, at the disposal of Christendom." The population of the earth may be classified into those who may properly be designated savages, consisting it is computed of about one hundred million-Mahometans about one hundred and twenty millions; the different sects of Brahminism four hundred millions, and professed Christians about two hundred millions. Notwithstanding the great superiority of numbers possessed by the worshippers of idols, yet politically considered, how inferior and powerless are they, when compared with the nations which have renounced idolatry and profess to worship the one, living, and true God. Mohametanism and Brahminism have lost their expansive power; they are no longer aggressive; the political power of the Crescent is waning; the nations of India are mostly subdued; and China is in a state of feebleness, unable to maintain the integrity of its empire. On these topics Dr. Harris makes the following appropiate remarks:

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"The political state of these countries is a correct representation of their moral condition. Persia, by its heretical adherence to Ali, divides the Mussulman power; and becomes a source of solicitude and weakness to Turkey. As Mahomet appealed to the sword in proof of the divinity of his mission, every battle lost is an argument lost;" so that the evidence of his creed is nearly at its minimum. Science and philosophy are against it, for of all the systems of false religion, that of the imposter is the least true to nature; so that almost every fresh scientific discovery is the preparation of a new weapon with which to assail it, and every Mahometan that begins to reason, is a votary lost. The Ottomans themselves, are possessed with a melancholy foreboding of their doom; and the events of every year only serve to deepen the gloom of their prospects. Their moral aspect now, therefore, is that of a foe comparately disarmed and disheartened; and though he who should denounce the Caaba, or preach the Cross, in the streets of Constantinople, would probably find the cadi and bigotry as active as ever, yet the history of Henry Martyn shows us how patiently the Islamite will attend to the claims of Christianity, when judiciously presented, and how beneficial an influence may be exercised by religious conversation alone."

"China-that world within itself-is doubtless surrounded with obstacles to conversion. But the existence of these, constitute the very reason, and the only ground of necessity, why we should attempt it. She is guarded against the truth by more than one wall. Her material wall, as it has been justly remarked, is crumbling dust compared with her political; her political wall is a mere illusion compared with her moral barriers-for civilization in China can hardly be called religious; her moral wall of prejudice and pride is only that by which sin entrenches itself in every country and every heart. The wall which overtops the whole, and which we shall find it most difficult

to surmount, is that which our own unbelief and ignorance have erected. Every other has been breached and entered. So far is China to be from being regarded as impregnable, that Judaism entered it probably prior to the Christian era. Budhism in the first century, Nestorianism in the seventh century, Mahometanism in the eighth century, and Romanism in the thirteenth century. Such was the success of Popery in China, especially in the hands of M. Ricci and Father Schaal, that many of the mandarins embraced its doctrines; one province alone contained ninety churches and forty-five oratories; a splendid church was built within the palace; the mother, wife, and son of the emperor, Yung-leih, professed Christianity; and nothing apparently prevented China from being added to the papal see but the disputes which broke out between the Jesuits and the Dominicans. * * *

"The intercommunity between all the provinces of the Roman empire which aided the early propagation of the Gospel, and the newly-formed power of the press which came in aid of the Reformation, though parallel facts, are not to be compared with the subsidiary aids in the service of the Gospel at present. What, for instance, was the intercommunity to which we have alluded, compared with the facilities afforded now, by improved navigation alone for visiting the remotest parts of the earth? Was the central position of Judea a favourable circumstance for the first diffusion of the Gospel? Britain is the Phoenicia of the modern world, with every part of which we are in constant communication. Was the early propagation of Christianity materially promoted by the dispersion of the Jews among the surrounding nations? Still more widely are British Christians distributed among the nations now, and still more effectually, therefore, have they the means of contributing to the same glorious end. Did the greatness of the Roman empire present an ample field for Missionary exertion? It is only an angle of the field which now awaits our labour. The transmarine possessions of Britain have an area of 2,200,000 square miles, a sea coast of 20,000 nautical miles, and a population of 120,000,000. But our labours are not limited to these; our field is the world." Did "the gift of tongues" conduce to the primitive diffusion of the Gospel? The power of the press has come to us in its stead, enabling us to speak to the nations in a manner not dependant on the utterance of the speaker, but which often anticipates his arrival, prepares the minds of a people for his message, and continues to echo it, after his departure, from generation to generation. So mighty a power and so rich a gift is this, that had we to choose between it and the gift of tongues, we should all probably give it our decided preference. In a single year it multiplies copies of the Holy Scriptures by thousands and hundreds of thousands; and, if need be, it could multiply them in the same time by as many millions. So that as far as the means for the propagation of the Gospel are concerned, the Bible Society alone gives us a decided advantage over the primitive Church. Having "rolled a noble stream of truth through the earth, it requires that the Missionary should stand upon the banks, and cry, Ho every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.'"

In the fourth part of the work, the "Objections to the Missionary Enterprise are considered." Those referred to are the following: The Missionary Enterprise unnecessary- the heathen safe-success said to be hopeless-that civilization should precede Christianity-want of funds, of no avail until Christians are united; or until the personal reign of Christ-the time not yet come-must not take_the_work out of the hands of God." The arguments urged by Dr. Harris to prove the awfully wretched condition of the heathen world, deserve most serious attention; and certainly they ought to excite the Church to more vigorous self-denying efforts to send them the

Gospel of Christ. We should be most unwilling to lessen in any degree, the force of any argument employed in urging the duty of Christians to spread the glad tidings of salvation, yet we confess that although we are fully satisfied, the heathen world is in a most deplorable condition, we cannot conclude that, "if there be meaning in language he" (the Apostle Paul in the tenth of the Romans,) obviously intends that it is as impossible for a heathen to be saved by Christ without believing in him, as it is for him to hear of Christ without a preacher." To unnumbered thousands of millions of the human family, the name of Christ has not been made known, and they have been placed in circumstances in which, to them, to know him, has been absolutely impossible. The knowledge we have of the character of God from the revelation he has given of himself in his word, forbids our concluding, that any man will be eternally punished for not doing, or not believing that which to him was impossible to do, or to believe. The Apostle in the tenth of the Romans, we consider, does not determine the impossibility of the salvation of the heathen, but simply points out the high advantages and responsibility of those to whom Christ is made known. Hence he asks," Have they not heard? Yes verily," is the answer which he gives to his own question. The apostle therefore is not in that place, speaking of those who have not had the means of bearing of Christ, but of those who had heard. The case of the heathen is considered by the Apostle in the second chapter of his epistle to the Romans, and although we admit, that under the most hopeful view which we can take of the heathen world, its state is such as ought to excite our utmost compassion, and call forth every possible effort to send them the Gospel of Christ; yet we conclude, with Dr. Adam Clarke, in reference to those who are kept without the Holy Scriptures, and the glad tidings of salvation, that God does not deny to them "the light and influence of his SPIRIT, and will judge them in the great day only according to the grace and moral means of improvement with which they have been favoured. No man will be finally damned because he was a Gentile, but because he has not made a proper use of the grace and advantages which God had given him." Yet alas! even according to this rule, many, very many will be lost, who might have been saved if the Gospel had been preached to them.

Dr. Harris justly states, that, in reference to the Missionary work the Church require, to be deeply humbled on account of its past unfaithfulness; more fully to appreciate the spiritual nature of the work; to have a vivid and all pervading apprehension of its obligations collectively and individually to engage in the work: the more extensive circulation of Missionary information; a greater depth of personal piety; less of the rivalry of sects and more of Christian union; greater pecuniary liberality; the influence and agency of Christian laymen, who for the glory of God and the good of souls, should accompany Missionaries to the heathen, make their residence among them, and afford their countenance, support, and assistance to the ministers of the Cross in their efforts to bring men to believe in Christ. More " of energy and zeal" are also wanted; "the zeal of a Paul and of the first disciples; of a Luther and the early Re

formers; of an Eliot and our first Missionaries; the zeal of our momentary but strongest impulscs made perpetual." To obtain the supply of all the wants of the Church in reference to the Missionary work, more frequent, united, persevering, believing, prayer, is strongly and faithfully recommended and enforced.

In the concluding part of the work, the "Motives to entire consecration to the Missionary Enterprise," are eloquently and impressively stated, illustrated, and applied. From the consideration of our past unfaithfulness, we are exhorted to use our utmost means and energies. The consequences of the past neglect of the Church are truly and fearfully depicted. After directing attention to the awful scenes presented to view, among the six hundred millions of our race, yet in heathenish darknsss, we have the following impressive appeal :

Look, we entreat you, look at those myriads again. You think, perhaps, that you do see them; many, at least, may flatter themselves that they do; but, no, they have not yet-their conduct proves it. See, the countless mass is at worship-before the throne of Satan, glowing as with the heat of an infernal furnace-with rage, lust, and cruelty, for their religious emotions. Look at them again-their demon worship is over; but are they satisfied? How eager their looks! how objectless and restless their movements! how the living mass of misery heaves, and surges, and groans, and travails in pain together!

Look at them once more; they are travellers into eternity; mark, how vast the procession they form, how close their ranks, how continuous the line, how constant and steady the advance! Do you see them now? Then you see that angry cloud which hangs over their ranks-which moves as they moveand which ever and anon emits a lurid flash; it is stored with the materials of judicial wrath. Do you mark them still? Then you see that thousands of them have reached the edge of a tremendous gulf-it is the gulf of perdition, and they are standing on the very brink. Are you sure that you see them? God of mercy! they are falling over-they are gone! And we never, never tried to save them! Father, forgive us, we know not what we do. Saviour of sinners, spare us yet another year. We know they are lost-lost to happiness and lost to thee! We could have told them of thee-shown them thy cross-given them thy Gospel-pointed them the way to heaven. But they are lost!

Talk not of enthusiasm! He who has felt most, has not yet felt enough. We are speaking of scenes of misery over which a Paul wept with anguish ! We are living in the very world for which Christ bled in agony ! Those very scenes which hardly raise an emotion in us, are the scenes which moved the heart of God-which produced the Cross of Christ. So that were every Christian to tremble with emotion-were the members of every Church to meet on the subject, to start from their supineness as one man, and to utter a loud cry of lamentation-were the whole Church to be seized as in travail for souls, it would be only what sympathy with Christ requires, and what the state of a perishing world demand.

Devotedness to the Missionary work is enforced by the consideration that the providence of God has remarkably opened the way for the spread of the Gospel, by the means possessed by the British Empire. We are also reminded, that the characteristic of the present age is that of change and transition, that it devolves upon the Church to turn this peculiarity to the highest account, and to impart the