and a spi

in the

of which to

ments of earth's heroism; and he conveyed their treasures away from hence, where moths corrupt and thieves break through to steal, depositing them safely in the heavens; where also he prepared for them a place in his Father's house of many mansions, and wrote their honoured names in the book of life.

It was a spiritual work they had to do, ritual being, therefore he disembodied (if I may so speak) strength of and spiritualized the men who were to do do celestial it. It was Faith they had to plant, therefore and spiritual work. he made his missionaries men of Faith, that they might plant Faith, and Faith alone; they had to deliver the nations from the idolatry of the Gold and the Silver, therefore he took care his messengers should have none; they had to deliver them from the idolatry of Wisdom, therefore he took care they should be Foolish; they had to deliver the world from the idolatry of Power and Might, therefore he took care they should be Weak; they had to deliver the world from the idolatry of Fame and Reputation, therefore he took care they should be Despised; they had to deliver the world from the idolatry of Things that are, therefore he took care they should be as Things that are not :-making them in all respects Types and Representatives of the Ritual they were to establish, models of the Doctrine which they went forth to teach..

After their equipment, follow their

Such were the men, and such the spiritual which are in equipment of the men, who were sent forth by Messiah, the missionary of Heaven, into all the

the same

spirit.

world, to teach all nations in his discipline, baptize them into his faith, and lay the foundations of that spiritual kingdom which is to cast down every other kingdom, and endure for ever. And the instructions which he gave them, how to proceed in the effecting of this great revolution, were after the same unearthly and spiritual strain; such as the wisdom of this world setteth utterly at naught, yet, wherein are contained the everlasting principles, by which alone the Spiritual Sovereignty over the souls of men is to be established. And when we come, in the progress of this discourse, to argue upon these premises whereof we are now making the statement, we hope to manifest. unto the spiritual man, and somewhat to discover unto the natural man, that this and this only is the strength in which the Cross is to conquer and subdue the glory and the strength · of the nations.

mission

most wor

These instructions were in the following Their com words: "Into whatsoever city or town ye en- being to the ter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide thy. till ye go thence. And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you." They were not, like poor Mendicants, to go from door to door, and from town to town, craving a morsel of bread and a cup of water; but like the Royal Ambassadors of Heaven to the place, they were to inquire who was most worthy to be honoured with their presence, and blessed with the good

tidings which they bore from the Majesty of Heaven. God thus established the everlasting connexion between natural worth and dispensations of grace, by bestowing his blessings upon the most deserving; and fulfilled the cardinal principle not only of divine but of human-government, the rule of all natural and superna tural dispensations, (for at bottom these are one,) "that unto him who hath shall be given, and he shall have more abundantly, and from himwho hath not shall be taken that he hath." Inquiré, said he, the most worthy. There was to be no stealthy progress, nor keeping in the shade, but open dealing with the most openhearted and even-minded of the people. There was to be no preference of ranks shown by these men of no rank, who counted kindred with Messiah, the inissionary of Heaven, and were God's adopted children and honoured ambassadors to the earth. They were not, like the Jesuits, to lay their artful toils around the high and noble and princely of the nations; nor like the Mendicant Friars, to go about preaching a crusade of poverty or meanness; nor were they to take their distinction by the grade of intellect or of taste, which compose, even at the best, but a fractionary part of human nature, and may exist in strength surrounded with the most dwarfish and pestilent forms of the moral, social and spiritual man: but like messengers and missionaries from Heaven, they were to take their distinction by the grade of worth, or practical goodness; to inquire,

whom the judgment of their fellow-citizens had pronounced worthy, judicious, well-disposed men; those who, like Cornelius, were devout towards God, and full of alms towards the poor; or who, like Dorcas, employed their leisure and their labour to promote good and charitable works: To whose house coming with a conscience full of heavenly purposes, and lips overflowing with blessing, and hands rich in heaven-derived powers, they were to salute the worthy household with a salutation of peace.

houses they

of Peace.

"And if the Son of Peace be there, your peace To whose will abide upon it." Before their steps pro- are ushered ceeded an invisible minister called the Son of by the Son Peace, who settled in these worthy habitations, and made the souls of the inmates ready for these Apostles of the kingdom of Peace. This Son of Peace is none other than the Prince of Peace, who sealed his instructions to his missionaries and concluded his incarnate ministry, with these words; "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world:" the same who appeared to Cornelius in a dream, when he directed him to Peter, and who advertised Peter of the approach of the messengers, after he had prepared him for their coming who directed Philip to the Eunuch while he crossed the desert, and caught him away when his work was done who appeared to Paul as he journeyed to Damascus, and afterwards in the likeness of a Macedonian, invited his blessed steps to our quarter of the globe, saying,

Their beha

viour, if well

"Come over and help us." And, to this day, wherever the true and faithful missionary proceedeth in the faith of Christ, this same Son of Peace goeth before his footsteps, and standeth him instead of sealed letters, forerunner and guide, instead of safe-conduct and welcome, and every thing else with which the prudence of men would furnish his perilous way; without dependance upon which Child of Peace, the missionary is a Vagrant and a Vagabond upon the earth; being dependant upon whom, he is the most gracious Legate of heaven, never to return to heaven without accomplishing the high and holy intention for which he is commissioned of heaven to go forth unto the nations. Being welcomed upon the strength of their received. salutation of peace, and through the predisposition of this Son of Peace, with whom God blesseth the hearts and the habitations of worthy men, the missionaries sat them down and were content with any fare, and with any accommodation. A little bread they needed to feed their natural hunger, a little water to cool their natural thirst, a little space to stretch their weary limbs; and in return, they had deep, rich and various discourse upon the moral condition of mankind, copious and faithful revelations of the grace of God, glad tidings of great joy to the sons of men and in earnest of that salvation, wherewith they were intrusted, they would heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils, and raise the dead. Every good thing which can be wrought without the mi