clearly seen, more deeply felt, and more fully acted on, in this country: and there will be great improvements in the measures adopted for promoting religion in the world; and great increase in the efficiency of the means employed. No new truth, indeed, will be discovered in religion. That which was heard from the beginning, which the eyes of apostles saw, and which their hands handled of the word of life, will be proclaimed through every age, until Jesus Christ shall come the second time: nor will there be a discovery of any new principles of action, in pulling down the strong holds of sin, and building up the kingdom of Christ. But the disciples of Christ will just do, what the Saviour has always told them to do: and the ministers of religion will go and tell the people what the Bible means, and thus make them understand what God has said, and done, and requires. And they will so breathe the love of God, that the people will feel its heavenly warmth;-and God will honor his own word;—and it shall have free course and be glorified.

Is it presumptuous to suppose, that one great end which God had in view, in-I had almost said—revealing this country to our forefathers, and freeing it from all foreign authority, and establishing here complete religious liberty, was, that the church might be restored to her primitive purity, and have a full opportunity of learning again the true method of promoting religion; and that the Bible might recover all its lost honors? Did not God intend, by sustaining the cause of rational liberty, during the revolutions and fearful convulsion of half a century, to af

ford new facilities for discovering the entire energy of true religion; and showing by what instrumentality, and by what mode of using that instrumentality, every strong hold in the whole empire of sin is to be pulled down; and the city of God built up, in all its beauty and glory? And is not this work going on? Do we not see that, wherever liberty is enjoyed, there also is now displayed, in some degree, the energy of the Bible and Missionary cause? And that wherever men go, with the simple purpose of declaring the truth of God; and where they clearly state the meaning of the Bible, there sound revivals of religion take place? God is teaching us important lessons: and it is every day becoming more apparent, that they who are contending for the mere dry bones of theology, or the outward forms of religion, or for ecclesiastical authority, are digging the grave for their own favorite systems-while, everywhere, the blessing of Heaven attends efforts made in the true spirit of the gospel.

Providence has placed us in a situation very peculiar, in a country, where, as far as the mighty influences of religion are concerned, nothing has authority or power but the Bible. This is more and more seen, every year. And when it shall be fully understood, that among the teeming millions of our country there is nothing to regulate the awful energies of the religious principle, but the authority of the word of God, the Bible will be studied with an intensity of interest, and used with a fidelity of application, as yet unknown in these latter days. And it will carry its authority more entirely through every depart

ment of the church, than has ever been witn esed since the days of the Apostles. The truth will then go with lightning glance and electric force, from heart to heart, and from land to land-and the earth be soon filled with the knowledge and glory of the Lord. This leads to a second general proposition, deduced as an inference from the preceding.

II. IT IS PECULIARLY THE DUTY OF AMERICAN CHRISTIANS, TO ENLIST AND COMBINE THEIR EN

ERGIES FOR ENVAGELIZING THE WORLD.

1. We owe it to Him who is both King in Zion, and Lord of the whole earth, to perform our part of this service. It is his gracious providence, which has placed us in the peculiarly favorable situation which we have just considered. He has removed every yoke from our necks; separated us from every restraining influence; and given us the fullest opportunity, ever enjoyed by any people, to put forth all our strength, to show the entire power of religion, regulated by nothing but divine truth. The gospel finds us in circumstances more happy, in these respects, than those of any other people, from the time when the heavenly host sang their song of glory and of peace, at the advent of the Messiah, to this day. And we owe it all to God. The Head of the Church has ordered it so.

Now, according to the religion of Christ, every opportunity of doing good, brings with it a corresponding obligation. And as our opportunities are peculiarly favorable, so our obligations are peculiarly

weighty. We are more bound than any other people on the face of the earth, to advance the cause of the Redeemer, in proportion to our means and numbers. Heavy, indeed, will be our reckoning, and terrible the visitations of justice, should we failgreat our glory and felicity, should we feel the extent of our obligations, and bring our conduct up to the measure of duty.

2. We owe it to our country, to make her a blessing among the nations of the earth.-The world has seen enough of the glory of war, and the honor of warriors. The desideratum in the great community of nations is one people, which, without ambition and the pride of conquest, shall stand forth an example of the mild virtues of justice, mercy, and piety. Mankind have suffered enough from "wars and fighting." Smitten with unnumbered evils, the human race is sighing for the reign of peace. The world needs the moral influence of a great nation, where public sentiment is sanctified; and whence shall emanate a blessing, to be felt wherever the winds of heaven and the waves of ocean can bear its inhabitants. This will weave a garland of higher fragrance, and more unfading colors, than any which the warrior or the statesman can wreathe round the brow of his country. It will do more, too, for national security, than any thing else which the wit of man can devise. For every thing depends on national character. To this, free institutions communicate energy, activity, versatility, and great richness of resources; but nothing can purify it, and raise it to a lofty tone, and sustain it, except true religion.

When an individual under the influence of Christianity, is brought up to the determination that he will be a benefactor to his fellow-men, his character is formed according to a high standard, and is fixed on a sure foundation. So with a nation: let the great body of the people in a free Christian country resolve that they will bless the whole world—that their liberality shall send the pure gospel to all the benighted tribes of men-and the national character is elevated; a spectacle of moral grandeur is exhibited, which angels must contemplate with rapture.

3. We owe it to the nations of the earth, to send them the blessings of salvation.-Religion teaches that the human race constitutes one family. God hath made of one blood all nations of men, to dwell on the face of the whole earth. And Christianity obliges us to recognize this common brotherhood; "to do good, and to communicate." Among pagan nations, alien and enemy are synonymous terms. But the religion revealed by the common Father of men, acknowledges all as his children; and enforces, by all the sanctions of eternal love and justice, the duty of doing all the good we can, to every part of the human family. No matter what curse of color or condition has been inflicted; no matter what form of misery weighs down the sufferer; no matter how low he is sunk in the scale of wretchedness; the only question we have to ask is, Can we do good to him without injury to another? And the answer deter

mines the measure of our duty.

But if we cannot, separately, do the good which the Bible tells us must be done; we can do it collect