the abfurdity of fuch an inference will appear, if it is juft confidered, that for the fame reason the ufe of food and medicine, as means of preferving life, may be discontinued, becaufe God hath interpofed by promite for the prefervation of it as long as he fees meet. So that wherever the end is fecured, the fecurity of the mean must be implied.

By this obfervation we would not be underfood as prefuming to fet bounds to divine fo vereignty. Where accefs to gofpel-knowlege in the ordinary way cannot poffibly be had, it would be rafh to affirm that, in no inftance, finners could ever be brought to the kingdom of heaven.

Might it not rather be admitted, that as to particular heirs of promife, God, by immediate fupernatural influence, may communicate the faving knowlege of himself; and that the degrees of fuch gracious influence may fupply the want of ordinary means to fuch fouls? Without a conceffion of this fort, (which is perfectly confiftent with the doctrine in general of a connection between the mean and the end), would not the falvation of idiots and infants, even in the Chriftian world itfelf, be a hypothefis frequently clogged with infuperable difficulties?

This conceffion, in its utmost latitude, will no more conclude againft the propagation of Chriftian knowlege, as neceffary to falvation in general,than the prefervation of Elijah for forty days without food will juflify men, in ordinary cafes, to repeat fuch an experiment, and expect the fame iffue.

That God's promifing to furnish Gentile finners with the means of falvation, is a most powerful argument for our exerting every poffible endeavour

deavour toward the propagation of Chriflian knowlege among them.

Nothing can direct us with certainty and precifion, in the choice and performance of duty, but the will of God,-revealed in fcripture, or made known by providence. Where the divine will appears from either of thefe, our duty may be fafely inferred; but where both point out the fame thing, the duty arifing from fuch difcovery can admit of no diípute.

By the written word it appears, that God willeth to fend the gospel among the nations; --and in his adorable providence, opportunities of contributing toward it are intrufted with us:- What then re mains, but that we do whatever our hand findeth with all our might?

The conflitution, my brethren, and defign,the diligence and fuccefs of this honourable and worthy fociety are fo well known, and fo frequently told, that we need only direct you to them, as a proper channel through which the moft liberal donations may chearfully be conveyed.

--

Though their attention were confined to our own Highlands and iflands, all the contributions they have hitherto got the management of, would fall vaftly fhort of furnishing many thousands of our countrymen with the means of falvation. After a series of nfeful endeavours, for upwards of three-fcore years together, the proportion of labourers to the harveft continues, but fmail. And though at prefent. 178 teachers are fupported, and about 7100 children educated under the eye of our fociety, the number of precious fouls to whom the effects of their beneficence have, not reached, is prodigious.

But when their more extenfive plan is taken into the account, the propriety of repeated applications to the charitable and humane, muft appear in

a ftrik

a ftriking light. The American world, my brethren, and other dreary haunts of Pagan nations, have challenged their attention feveral years ago; and are now prefented as proper objects of yours.

The extent of thefe defarts,-who knows?The number of those inhabitants, who can tell?— In countless fhoals, fee how the fwarthy people traverse their native wilds!-Ignorant of God,--unacquainted with themfelves,-their reafon, like their fields, quite uncultivated, they are diftinguished from the irrational tribes, amongst whom they roam, by little elfe than their erect attitude and man like poflure.

Among thefe favage herds, two miffionaries have for fome confiderable time been imployed by this fociety. Nor has the voice of God's fervants, crying in the wildernefs, been in vain. Their journals teflify, that many are gathered from the immenfe defart to the fellowship of the gofpel ;many, who worshipped devils themfelves, now juftly admitted to the diftinguifhing privileges of the New Teftament church.

With your substance, therefore, as well as prayers, this generous, noble, and God like work should be encouraged and promoted. No fpecies of charity can rife to the elevation of this. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked,, miniftering to the fick, and contributing toward the release of captives, are facrifices of true value in the estimate of heaven; but compared with reafonable and fcriptural endeavours toward the propagation of Chriftian knowlege, whereby ftarving, perifhing fouls may be directed to fpiritual food, cloathing, medicine, and liberty, --even fuch labours of love are as the chaff to the wheat.

Could no price lefs valuable than the precious blood of Chrift procure falvation for guilty men ?

and

and can filver or gold be too much, as a mean of tranfmitting the knowlege of that Saviour to your fellow finners Did Jefus, who was rich, become poor, that through his poverty enemies might be made rich!-and can it be thought too much for you, to bestow part of the abundance which God hath given you, that your brethren may partake of durable riches and righteoufnefs!

This argument will be particularly poignant with those who are the fubjects of distinguishing grace themselves. When in your blood, did God fay unto you, Live?-When you fcarce more defired, than deferved it, did he refcue your fouls from the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity; -when you were in danger of hell-fire, did God, even your God, pluck you as brands out of the burning? What communications, then, of your creature-affluence toward furnishing other fouls, equally precious, with the means of converfion, can be too liberal, as expreffions of gratitude on your part for redeeming love!

But though gratitude for redemption should be a motive you are now unacquainted with the force of-intereft might be urged as a moft nervous argument. The prayers of fuch converts, as your charity fhall furnish with the means of grace, may draw down manifold bleffings, even of a temporal nature, upon you and your feed after you.

Nay, my brethren, according to this reafoning, -while your charity contributes toward the converfion of others, their prayers may contribute toward your own converfion.-Or, who knows but future accounts of God's dealings with fuch hopeless like creatures, may, in his providence, and by his grace, be a mean of laying you under a

concern

concern about falvation, that shall have the moft delightful iffue?

Purfue this thought a little farther, and only imagine what a tranfporting circumftance both in your heaven and theirs, this will prove. Here's the dear man, fays the converted Pagan, to whofe generofity, as a mean, I am indebted for my first acquaintance with the joyful found. And there's the bleffed perfon, say you, to whose prayers, and the account of whofe converfion, my repentance unto life was happily owing. He will praise God that ever you was born at all ;-you, that ever he was born again; and both will join in one anthem, for this furprising, this ravishing interview, in the realms of falvation.

Nor is it poffible to fay how much, in the courfe of providence, your posterity, in future generations, may be indebted to fuch contributions as you are now called to. May not fome of them, from choice or necessity, fojourn in distant lands? May *not their lot be caft in the very places to which our fociety with, and, according as you enable them, will endeavour to fend the means of converfion? May not God accompany thefe means with such a bleffing, that churches fhall be planted where Satan now hath his feat; and churches in whofe future increase and glory your offspring may greatly rejoice? For though, in our day, the people we have in view, through ignorance, fuperftition, and horrid cruelty, are black as the tents of Kedar, may not the children unborn fee their pofterity, through gospel light, life, and righte oufnefs, beautiful as the curtains of Solomon?

If, therefore, you love yourselves, or have any bowels toward your children, and childrens children; though love to God and the fouls of other men fhould have no influence, the argument for

your