an opiate to ease the mind under failure. Without boasting, it may be confidently said, that the doctrine has not had any such paralysing effect; but, on the contrary, those who hold it say that it is a strong and healthy stimulant to exertion, providing (instead of an unwarranted hope) motives both solemn and glorious, growing out of coming judgments and a coming Saviour, which those cannot feel who expect to slide gradually and comparatively at ease into the millennial glory. Those who feel these motives do not wish to be excused from any service which their great Lord assigns to them, nor can they make use of the doctrine so dear to their hearts to extenuate their own shortcomings, and to comfort themselves under sinful neglect or failure caused by their own negligence.

It is proposed in these papers to inquire whether the Church ought not to take blame to herself for the present low state of things and her own comparative inefficiency, while acknowledging that all power is of God, that the present condition of the world is such as is predicted in the New Testament, and that there is no reason to expect universal conversion until He returns who "shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth."

It has been repeatedly asserted from the pulpit, on the platform, and by the press, that if the professing Church had been faithful to her charge, the success of the gospel would have been much greater, many more souls would have been converted, and many countries now overspread with the darkness of heathenism would have been rejoicing in the light of the gospel. By the Church being faithful to her charge, four things are intended-spirituality, liberality, prayer, and zeal; and the accusation brought supposes that there has been a great deficiency in all these respects, that the Church has been comparatively worldly, covetous, careless, and prayerless, and that this state of things has hindered the gospel, and caused the Holy Spirit to withdraw his presence from the Church, and to withhold his power from her efforts.

On the other hand, these accusations are met by remarks of an opposite character. It is said, All the souls have been saved whom God appointed to salvation, and who were redeemed by the blood of Christ; and that for any one to assert that more might have been saved than have been saved if the Church had been more diligent, and that souls have been eternally lost by the negligence of others, is contrary to sound doctrine, and subversive of the first principles of religion.

Let us suppose, on behalf of both these parties, that they mean well in what they say. The first class look chiefly to

the commands of Christ, and their own responsibility; they glow with love to souls, and pant to save them. The second class enter their protest against the sentiments of the first, because they fear lest the honours of divine grace should be reflected on, the eternal purposes of God overlooked, and the work of the Holy Spirit denied.

Let us look calmly at these opposing views, in connexion with certain evident facts, and endeavour to come to some conclusion on this important subject. The question I propose to discuss is the following:

Seeing that things are not with us as they ought to be, either as regards holiness or usefulness, is it wrong to lay the blame of this low state of things upon the people of God, and ought they not to be greatly troubled on these accounts? Or, in other words,-—Is it wrong to tell the people of God, that if they had acted differently, their spiritual condition would have been better, and their usefulness greater?

I shall first search out some facts which Scripture and the history of the Church furnish, and then we may be prepared to deduce some inferences.

1st Fact.-Christ gave his apostles and disciples the most plain and express command to promulgate his gospel as extensively as possible. The terms he uses are, "all the world," "all nations," "every creature."

2d Fact. Those to whom these orders were given acted upon the command of their Lord, and were eminently successful. Their success was achieved against the greatest and most fearful opposition, and has never yet had a parallel in the history of the Church.

3d Fact. Those servants of Christ on whom this high honour was conferred were men of a peculiar character, they had many holy gifts, and much heavenly grace. They were devoted wholly to their work. They were unsecular and unearthly men, having little to do with this world's politics, honours, or professions, living much in the element of communion with God.

4th Fact. We learn from the writings of these honoured men, that they were tremblingly alive to the interests of the cause in which they were engaged. Though most dependent, and very sensible of their own insufficiency, they acted as if the prosperity and advancement of the cause of Christ might be hindered by their unfitness and unfaithfulness, or by the sinfulness of the professors of Christianity. We never find them falling back on God's decrees as an excuse for failure, or a reason for ceasing to make use of every means. These

various assertions admit of proof, which had better here be adduced.

1. It is evident that Paul feared lest the gospel should be hindered by his unfitness or unfaithfulness. "We suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ" (see 1 Cor. ix. 19-27). In the same Epistle he says, "Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel; not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect " (1 Cor. i. 17). By this expression he evidently means the preaching of the cross. The idea conveyed is, that if he preached it with wisdom of words, with human eloquence, or with a view to human applause, instead of doing it with simplicity and with a view to God's glory, he would preach in vain-God would not work with him; and surely he would be greatly to be blamed, and would be guilty of that which he was so afraid of doing, "hindering the gospel of Christ.”

2. There is a connexion traced between the consistency, prayerfulness, and liberality of the primitive professors of the gospel and the extension thereof, as also between their inconsistency and its being retarded in its course. In many places the apostle connects together the prayers of the saints and the extension of the Saviour's cause (Phil. i. 19; 2 Thes. iii. 1). In one place, at least, the progress of the truth and the liberality of the saints are identified-" Having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly to preach the gospel in the region beyond you" (2 Cor. x. 11-16). The connexion between the zeal and consistency of the Church and the success of the gospel is set forth in Phil. ii. 15, 16:-" Shine ye [see margin] as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain, nor laboured in vain." Holy John also says to his beloved children, "Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.” Paul also speaks of the subverting of the hearers by certain doctrines (2 Tim. ii. 14), and of "God's word not being blasphemed" (Titus ii. 5), which implies that it would be, and souls stumbled, unless his advice was taken.

3. As regards the decrees of God. I can find no instance in which they are used as a palliative, excuse, or plea for indolence; but I find one who had deep insight into them, and who bowed adoringly before the wisdom and sovereignty displayed in them, so acting as to leave us, who have not his prophetic foresight nor doctrinal knowledge, a pattern well worthy of our imitation. Paul was informed by the Holy Spirit con

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cerning the apostasy and rejection of the Jewish nation, and yet this did not hinder his exertions on their behalf. After having, in Romans, 9th chapter, shewn that they were, as a nation, about to be rejected and expelled, he immediately, in Romans x. 1, cries out, "My heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they may be saved." This desire does not refer to the called remnant, according to the election of grace," but to the nation. His whole conduct towards the Jews as a nation, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, shews that his actions were not influenced by his views of God's decrees, but by love to the commands of Christ, and faith in his promises. He preached everywhere "first to the Jew." He invited all; he prayed for all; he left it to the Lord to fulfil his own decrees, and he laid the blame of the rejection of the gospel, even by the rejected nation, at their own door (Acts xiii. 46). In thus acting, Paul resembled Moses, who, though he knew what would be the conduct of Israel, and the consequences thereof, used every means to prevent those things coming to pass which he had positively predicted (see Deut. xxxi. 28, 29). The light of prophecy did not lead either of these holy men from the path of duty; in that part they persevered, and in thus acting they imitated God, who, though he knows the end from the beginning, and has arranged all things with a view to his own glory, addresses his creatures with various exhortations, warnings, and threatenings, suited to their circumstances and talents.

Passing on from the days of the apostles, we come to a— 5th Fact.-When that devoted spirit which characterised the days of the apostles left the Church, and error and worldliness prevailed, the cause of Christ retrograded rather than advanced. When the Church ceased to be prayerful and spiritual, instead of Christianity gaining upon heathenism, the opposite was the case, until the great apostasy stood forth to curse the earth, instead of a living Church to bless it.

6th Fact. No one I expect will question that the commission of Christ stands in all its force at the present moment. All will allow that the Church of Christ is as much bound "to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature as the apostles were; and that we sin against Christ in refusing to go forward in his work, as much as the apostles would have done had they refused to do so. Further, if the command is still binding upon us, have we not every reason to believe that the promise of help belongs to us, and should we not seek to honour God by expecting his presence and blessing?

7th Fact. It is well known that, during several generations,

the Protestant Church did almost entirely neglect the Lord's command to spread the gospel. During these ages of inaction and cessation from missionary work by the true followers of Christ (the false Church was still aggressive), God did not interpose by any display of miraculous power, nor give any new commission to his people. The result was, no further extension of the Saviour's kingdom took place; but Popery for several years gained upon Protestantism, and recovered in France, Bohemia, and other places, much of its lost ground.

8th Fact. That when the Church did again arise to this work, success attended her efforts, and no efforts made by any real Christians of any orthodox denomination have been in vain: some souls have been gathered by all missionary efforts. A close examination of the results of modern missions would, it is believed, also lead to the conclusion that in proportion to the prayerfulness, liberality, and dependence of those engaged, has been the success granted.

It does not appear to me that either of these eight facts can be contradicted. Looking at them in connexion with the requirements of God's Word; the obligations under which Christians acknowledge they are laid; and the means, talents, gifts, and property which God has intrusted his people with ;— I infer the following things:

1. That the Church has not done what it ought to have done, and what it could have done; that is, the Church has not faithfully used the means which God has provided, and which he has promised to bless; yea, which he has already owned. The Church could have given more largely, have sent out more missionaries, have offered more prayers, and have sought to be more efficient in every department of Christian labour.

2. If the Church had done what it could have done, and ought to have done, are we not warranted in inferring that God would have granted a richer blessing? Are the words of James, so true personally, totally inapplicable in a relative sense,- "Ye have not, because ye ask not, or because ye ask amiss"? God has always worked when his people have laboured; and might we not expect, that had she done more, God would have have done more by her?

3. Surely it cannot be wrong to reproach the Church with unfaithfulness, under such circumstances, especially seeing the useful ends which are answered thereby. God's character is vindicated. He points to our negligence, and says, "Therefore the showers have been withholden." We hear him "Arise and work, and I will be glorified." saying,

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