which the human mind ever proposed or conceived. The man, who admits the Gospel to be a blessing, must wish that blessing to be universally diffused, or he transgresses the most undoubted dictates of benevolence. What he sincerely wishes, be will, if consistent with himself, strive to accomplish by all suitable means and opportunities. The conclusion is unavoidable. The zeal and energy, however, the sacrifices and self-denial, which will be thought well applied to this cause, must depend upon the views, which are entertained of the magnitude of the blessing to be communicated. The man, who values the benefits resulting from civilization and the arts, from commerce and the security of a well regulated government, ought to know and to feel, that the Gospel is the only agent, which has thoroughly tamed the ferocity of savages, and which provides for the quiet and rational enjoyment of temporal good. He, who delights in the progress of science, and the cultivation of the intellectual powers, ought to know, that Christianity is most favorable to the developement of all that is noble and dignified, in the constitution of the human mind. But, above all, he who is fully persuaded, that the Gospel is the power of God and the wisdom of God to every one that believeth; that the name of Christ is the only name, by which men can be saved; and that the souls of all the human family are equally precious, equally capable of endless enjoyment, and exposed to endless suffering; such a man must earnestly desire the promulgation of Christianity in every region of the globe.

It is one of the most mysterious dispensations of God, that the knowledge of the true religion should have made so little progress in the world. Notwithstanding the abundant provision for the salvation of mankind,and the benign influence, which the Gospel exerts on all the interests of society, the vast majority of the human race are still left in ignorance of all, that it most concerns them to know. And, what is astonishing beyond all power of expression, Infinite Wisdom and Goodness has permitted total apostasics from the Christian faith, throughout large and populous regions, which had once been evangelized. In the contemplation of these facts, we can only say, Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. Let no one complain of mysteries in the doctrines of Revelation, when he finds such inscrutable dispensations in the providence of God.

It has always been the duty of Christians, however, to send the Gospel to every human being; a duty, not only deducible from the very nature of Christianity, but expressly enjoined by the Savior himself. To the performance of this duty there have always been sufficient inducements, beside the authority of the Supreme Lawgiver. Whenever it has been seriously and prayerfully attempted, a divine blessing has accompanied the attempt; souls have been enlightened, sanctified and saved; churches have been formed and enlarged; angels have rejoiced; and the Redeemer has been glorified.

When the reflecting Christian examines the history of the past, and considers the proneness of men to relax their exertions, he feels peculiarly grateful for the assurances of prophecy that a new age shall come; a brighter day shall arise upon the church; Christ shall be acknowledged as the Savior and the rightful Sovereign of the world; and the reign of peace and love shall be universal.

In the fulness of these delightful anticipations, the preacher selected Joshua xiii, 1, for his text; And there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.

After explaining the occasion and circumstances, as they existed when this sentence was uttered, and applying the words to the present condition of the world, in a spiritual sense, the preacher discusses the following propositions in their order; viz.

1. "That immense regions of the earth, which belong to the church are still un subdued.

2. That the ultimate conquest and possession of all these is certain.

3. That, although the excellency of the power is of God, this great work is to be accomplished by human instrumentality.

4. That but for the lamentable and criminal apathy of the Church, it might have been accomplished ages ago.

5. That as Christendom now possesses ample resources and ability, she is solemnly bound in the name of God, and with the least possible delay to set up her banners in every heathen land. And,

6. That the aspects of Divine Providence are peculiarly auspicious to the missionary enterprizes of the day." p. 6.

Under the first head, a brief survey is given of the four quarters of the globe, in reference to the ignorance, idolatry, and superstition of the people.

"But alas! how limited hitherto, have been the conquests of the Gospel! How large a part of the land of promise remains yet to be possessed! How vast and powerful and populous are the empires of Pagan darkness and Mahometan delusion! How much ground has the Church even lost, both in Asia and Africa, since the days of the apostles and their more immediate successors! And to speak of later times, how slowly since the Reformation, have the boundaries of the Redeemer's kingdom been extended! How few and scanty, in comparison with what remains to be possessed, are the acquisitions which have recently been made! How few even now, are the instruments, and how inconsiderable are the means employed in the missionary service!” p. 7.

The ultimate triumph of Christianity is described in animated language.

II. "The ultimate conquest and possession of all the heathen lands is certain. The heathen themselves may rage-Satan may come down with great wrath, and in his convulsive struggles for empire, may yet shake the foundations of the earth; but the promise cannot fail. In spite of all his efforts to prevent it, Zion will arise and shine, her light being come, and the glory of the Lord being risen upon her. How animating to the Church in her darkest hours and most oppressive despondency, must be the encouragements which are poured into her ear by the evangelical prophet. "The Lord shall rise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.”

"The darkness of a hundred ages is to be pierced and scattered, by the all pervading light of the Sun of Righteousness. "The strong man armed" is to be ejected as a cruel usurper. Unnumbered millions of captives are to be set free. Jerusalem and the holy city are to be rescued from the hands of the infidels, "not by might, nor power, but by the Spirit of the Lord." The river of the water of life is to flow in a thousand new channels, bearing upon its unruffled current, the blessings and the triumphs of the Cross. Those who are scorched in the equatorial deserts will "sit down under the shadow of Christ with great delight," while all, who shiver amid the ice of the poles, will be warmed into

spiritual life. The effeminate Hindoo and the degraded African will be raised to the dignity of men and of Christians. The habitations of cruelty, in far distant continents and islands, will be enlightened by the Gospel and possessed by the Church. The wild men of the American forests will be tamed, and all the wilderness will become the heritage of Zion." p. 10, 11.

As a fair specimen of the sermon, and a clear and unanswerable statement of the duty binding upon Christians, we extract the whole fifth head.

V. "As Christendom now possesses ample resources and ability, she is solemnly bound in the name of God, and with the least possible delay, to set up her banners in every heathen land. She is able; she possesses the means of doing it. This has been too often demonstrated, to leave any shadow of doubt upon the benevolent and candid mind. If Great Britain alone could raise four hundred millions of dollars, in a single year, to carry on the war against her great continental rival, how easily might she support an army of ten thousand missionaries. How soon might she furnish half mankind with the Bible. Let her for twenty years to come, do but half as much to spread the glad tidings of salvation, as for twenty years past she has done, to chase all hostile competition from "the mountain wave" and "bear her thunders round the world,” and how soon, by the blessing of God, would the earth be filled with his praise! The mere cost of powder and cannon balls for one battle, would comfortably support all the missionaries now in service, for ten years. But not to carry you too far from home, nor detain you too long in foreign parts, how much more might be done by our American Israel, than has ever yet been attempted. To all her hundreds contributed for religious purposes, she might add thrice as many thousands. For one Bible which she now puts into the hands of the destitute, she might distribute fifty. For one school at Bombay, or Ceylon, she might establish and maintain a hundred. For one missionary expedition, like that which is now preparing for the Sandwich Islands, she might fit out at least two from every considerable port in the United States. She is able to bear her full proportion of the necessary expense of converting the world. This might easily be proved, for the hundredth time, by the plainest and most unexceptionable calculations. But why should I trespass upon your time and patience? Let me rather refer you to sermons and tracts which are already before the public; especially to the animated and able appeal of Messrs. Hall and Newell to the American Churches.

"The question of ability, then, being decided in the affirmative, that of duty next presents itself for our consideration. Is the Church bound, with the least possible delay, to give the Gospel to the heathen? This, my brethren, is one of the few questions which will not bear argument. What if the preacher should undertake to prove, that every express command of the Savior is obligatory? Would not the time and labor be worse than lost? What if he should gravely attempt to demonstrate that two and two make four? Would you hear him? What if thousands of your fellow men were now famishing in the streets, would your humanity suffer me to argue for one moment upon the duty of relieving them? Or what if some frightful plague were now ravaging three quarters of the globe, and the people of this country were in possession of the only cheap and infallible remedy, who that should attempt coolly to reason upon the duty of sending out as many ships as might be necessary to convey relief to the dying millions, would not be interrupted by a hundred voices at once, exclaiming, "This is no time for proving what is self-evident. Under different circumstances, it might be amusing enough to hear your arguments; but in the present case we cannot be hindered a moment, as every hour of delay may cost thousands of precious lives."

"Thus it is, dear brethren, in the case before us. The command of Christ is, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. The most terrible and fatal of all plagues is ravaging all the heathen lands. There is no remedy but the Gospel. This remedy, God has sent to us, and shall we, or shall we not, manifest our gratitude and benevolence, by sending it to the perishing? My appeal is not so much to the understanding, as to the conscience:

and even this must be brief. I must not retard your preparations by much speaking:-for while you sit here, the cold hand of death is upon many for whom I plead. O how they cling to life, and shudder as he tears them away? How they shrink back from the darkness of the grave, from the tremendous uncertainty of a hereafter! The duty of the Church is written in sun-beams. Let her read and obey." pp. 16-19.

Among the favorable indications of Providence at the present day, those which led to the Sandwich Island Mission are particularly noticed. They can not be otherwise than interesting to our readers; we therefore extract the principal part of what is said on this subject.

"I know not where the hand of God has been more distinctly visible, even in this age of wonders, than in the events connected with the present enterprize. Unbelief itself, one would think, must at least be confounded at the recital. A poor heathen orphan boy, weary of life in his own native isle, resolves to leave it for some distant country, where he may, if possible, forget the bloody scene that broke his heart and made him utterly desolate. He flies, but he knows not whither. He is brought to a strange land. Numbers before him had come and gone, and no one "cared for their souls." Why does not he also return and die a heathen. Led by an unseen hand, Obookiah seeks for instruction. At first he seeks in vain, because all the treasures of knowledge are locked up in a language which he does not understand. But at length, the orphan's tears excite both curiosity and compassion. Christian charity takes him by the hand, and assures him that he shall not want a friend. It is soon found that he has an ardent thirst for knowledge. The wonders of redeeming love are unfolded to his view. He listens with astonishment, is awakened, convicted, hopefully converted. Christians become more and more interested in his story. His companion, who came with him in the same ship from Owhyhee, is found and shares with him in the benevolent regards of the church. It is soon ascertained, that other natives of the Sandwich Islands are in this country. They are gradually collected. The establishment of a heathen missionary school is contemplated. But where and how are questions not easily solved. Providence however removes every difficulty. The Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions extends its fostering hand. The friends of the school are animated and "in the name of their God" proceed to "set up their banners." All eyes are turned upon Obookiah, as eminently qualified to carry back the news of a Savior to his benighted countrymen. But God has better things in store for him, and we trust for them. He is not permitted to return. He however speaks from the grave to the American church in just such a voice as was needed to rouse her energies. A mission is soon projected on a more extensive plan than had before been contemplated. Neither means nor instruments are wanting. When the question is asked, "Whom shall we send," the answer that had been waiting for utterance upon many a tongue is, here are we, send us. Numbers are ready to go.

"We are met this day to witness a renewal of their solemn engagements; to see some of them consecrated to the work of the ministry, in the islands, and to "bid them God speed" in their great undertaking. In the mean time, the hearts of thousands who cannot be bodily present are with us, while their prayers are ascending to heaven, and their hands are diligently employed in behalf of the mission. Such is the ardor of Christian feeling on this subject, that could the offerings of the church all be conveyed to the ship, I am persuaded there would “not be room to receive them."

"Add to all this the friendly character of the Sandwich Islanders; the progress which they have begun to make in civilization; their ardent desire for further instruction; their high regard for European settlers; the mildness of their climate, the fertility of their soil and other favorable circumstances;-and can it be questioned that the aspects of Providence towards the present mission are peculiarly auspicious? The Sandwich Islands are a part of that goodly heritage, which the church ought long since to have claimed in the name of her King; and while she lingered, some of the benighted islanders themselves, as if impatient

of her delay, come over to America, and earnestly invite her to take immediate possession. The church manifestly is roused from her slumbers by this singular call in a strange language; preparations for the enterprize are in great forwardness, and as the cloudy pillar is now rising from the tabernacle, and these our beloved friends are preparing to follow where it leads, methinks I hear them say, "We are journeying to the place, of which the Lord said, I will give it you: come thou with us and we will do thee good, for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel." pp. 22—24.

In his address to the Missionaries, Mr. Humphrey takes occasion to remind them of the evils to which they are exposed, of the disappointments which they may experience, and of their need of divine support. These admonitions cannot be too deeply impressed on the minds of all who love the missionary cause.

"But ah! my dear brethren, this after al! may, perhaps, be no more than a bright and lovely vision. It is not every morning without clouds, that gives us a fair day. Nothing like certainty can be written upon human hopes and prospects. All that now appears so promising may be turned into bitter disappoint ments. Satan is not yet bound, and he will not yield the empire of the Sandwich Islands without a struggle. He will instigate his emissaries to oppose all your benevolent plans and efforts;-and how far he may be permitted to prevail for a season, we know not. The Owhyheans may meet you with dark and lowering suspicion, and turn away from your instructions with contempt. After years of labor and peril and sufferings, you may find yourselves constrained to exclaim, "Who hath believed our report, and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?"

"You will find much occasion for watchfulness and prayer in the beginning of this enterprize, lest the very smiles of Providence which brighten your path, should throw you off your guard, weaken your sense of dependence upon God, and thus defeat the object of vour mission. Should the winds and the waves all be propitious; should increasing hope animate every countenance as you approach the scene of your future operations, and should something whisper, these must be sure indications of immediate success and of a speedy conquest;-think of the Duff when she first visited the Society Islands. Think of the cloud which sɔon darkened the bright prospects of the missionaries there, and hung for so many years over all their perilous labors. Think of the persecutions which they endured; of the ground stained with missionary blood, and then bring home the case of those afflicted brethren, to your own little company. The promise, "Lo I am with you alway," does not of course exempt you from disappointments and sufferings. You may be persecuted even unto death,-you will be opposed by the powers of darkness. Prepare yourselves therefore, for whatever may await you. "Endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ." "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life." Let the words of your divine leader comfort your hearts in every conflict. "He that overcometh, shall sit down with me in my throne, even as I have overcome, and am set down with my Father in his throne." pp. 26, 27.

The Charge and the Right Hand of Fellowship are solemn, tender and impressive.

It is superfluous to give a character of the sermon, after the extracts which have been made. Those, who are acquainted with the other published sermons of Mr. Humphrey, will find this to contain a genuine exhibition of the same good sense, and vigorous intellectual faculties, which have distinguished its predecessors.