There is not perhaps a darker chapter in the book of divine providence, nor a meditation which calls for a more abfolute fubjection and fubmiffion to the holy will and unfearchable wisdom of God, than this. The first spread of the gospel proved it to be a divine expedient, fully capable of producing all the great purposes which the prophets had foretold, and which the ftate of the world required. It reconciled men to God, to themselves, and to each other. It fubdued their paffions, regulated their affections, freed them from the guilt and bondage of fin, from the love of the world, and from the fear of death. Wherever the doctrine of the cross was preached, it produced that falutary change of conduct, which philofohpy had long attempted in vain; and raised men to that life of communion with God, of which philofophers had no conception. Such was the bright morning of the gofpel day. But in time, yea, in a little time, dark clouds obfcured its light, its progrefs was impeded, and in a manner stopped. On one hand, the profeffion and name of the gofpel, gave occafion to mischiefs and abo tions, which had been unknown among the the heathens; so that the part of the world which received the name of Christendom, was little diftinguished from the rest, in a religious view, but by a fierce and rancorous fuperftition which tyrannized over the confciences, liberties, and the lives of men. On the other hand, as I have obferved, the very name of chriftianity, was restrained to a small portion of the earth; many nations have not heard of it to this day, and many who once profeffed it, have renounced it long ago. Thus the fact ftands. We cannot deny it. But how shall we account for it? Infidels and petty-reafoners think they here find an invincible objection against the truth. They fay, "If the gospel you speak of, be "fo falutary and neceffary, if it be indeed. "the greatest effect of the divine goodness, "why has not God, who is the common "Father of mankind, afforded it to all the "nations of the earth? And why is it re"ftrained to fo few?" But I think we may retort the question, and let them who propofe it, give fuch an answer (if they can) as fhall not amount to a confeffion of the obstinacy and ungrateful folly of mankind. When the world world faw the happy tendency and effects of this gospel in the age of the apoftles, why did they not universally receive it? We know that when the use of the mariner's compass, the art of printing, and many other inventions that might be named, were discovered in one country, they were presently adopted by the furrounding civilized nations. Even the recent attempts to venture through the air with a balloon, hazardous as they certainly are, and infignificant with respect to real usefulness, are likely in a little time not only to engage the notice, but to excite the imitation, of Europe. Why then was the gofpel, the most beneficial and important discovery the world has been favoured with, the only one that has been treated with general contempt? Certainly, our Lord has affigned the true reason, Light is come into the world, but men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil *. They hate the light, they will not come to it, nor will they permit it to come to them if they can poffibly prevent it. pel of the bleffed God, fhunned and dreaded, and every * John iii. 19. This glorious gofhas been and still is human pre caution Caution and exertion has been employed to withstand and fupprefs it, as though, like the peftilence, it was baneful to the welfare of fociety. May we not fay, fpeaking after the manner of men, that the Lord has done enough to confirm his own express and folemn declaration, that he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked may turn from his way and live *! He has raifed up a fucceffion of faithful fervants, from age to age, to publish these glad tidings. The reception they have met with, not only from the heathens, but from nominal christians, is well known to those who are acquainted with ecclesiastical history; which contains little more than a detail of the arts and cruelties, by which the civil and ecclefiaftical powers of almost every kingdom where the gospel has been known, have endeavoured to fupprefs it. The nation of Great-Britain, in particular, has but little right to afk, Why the gofpel of Chrift has been spread no farther among the heathen? The providence of God has favoured us with peculiar advantages for this fervice. Our arms and commerce have open* Ezek. xxxiii. 11. I VOL. II. ed ed us a way to the most distant parts of the globe; and of late years, the enterprizing fpirit of our navigators, has added almost a new world to the difcoveries of former times. How far have our plans been formed with a fubferviency to the great defign of evangelizing the heathen? How much have we done to promote it in Afia, where our influence and opportunities have been the greatest? What impreffion of the name and spirit of christianity has our conduct given to the inhabitants of India? But I forbear-Facts are too well known to need recital; too glaring to need a comment. It is true, we have an incorporated fociety for propagating the gofpel in foreign parts, and we hear of miffionaries; but of the good effects of their miffions, as at prefent conducted, we neither hear, nor expect to hear. While America was ours, the efforts of a few individuals from the northern provinces in the laft and present century, were not without fuccefs. But I fear this is all the honour we can claim. Some good has been done by the Danish mission to Tranquebar, but I believe our influence in it, has been rather nominal than effective. The extent and effects of the labours of the |