صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

lifeless members, and regarded as unworthy of a standing among the saints.

It may be observed again, that when the Churches prosper they will be enlarged. They will be builded up with lively stones, and numbers will be added to them of such as shall be saved. By frequent revivals, frequent seasons of spiritual refreshing, the enmity of many hearts will be slain, and many will "subscribe with their hands unto the Lord," and enrol themselves among his people. Numbers will be coming forward to "stand in the gaps" which death is making; to take the places of those who are removed to higher scenes; and to "bear the burden and heat of the day" in the vineyard of their Divine Redeemer.

I have thus endeavoured to point out, under several particulars what is most necessary to the continued prosperity of the Churches. The remarks which have been made present indeed but a sketch of what might be offered on this branch of the subject. It is necessary however that I now attempt to shew,

II. In what manner the prosperity of the Churches at home is connected with the success of Missions.

This connexion plainly is a very intimate one. The Missions are in an important sense dependent on the churches. I know not but it may be said that, under God, they are entirely dependent. The connexion is that of the stream with the fountain; or that of the extremities with the seat of life. It requires no greater sagacity to perceive, that the stream must diminish as the fountain fails, than that the Missions abroad must decline and languish in proportion as the Churches at home are suffered to decay.

1. The establishments abroad are dependent on the Churches at home for Missionaries.--Melancholy experience proves, that those beloved brethren and sisters who are at present laboring in foreign regions are fast wearing away their constitutions and lives, and will soon be gone. And although native teachers in some places are already commencing their labors, and will in future be raised up we trust in great numbers, yet, these cannot, for a considerable time at least, supersede the call for laborers from home. And Missionaries from home will long be needed, not only to repair the ravages which disease and death are continually making, and to retain the ground already gained; but to form new establishments, enter on new and extended fields of labor, and make farther advances upon the empire of darkness. But how are all these laborers to be furnished, unless the Churches at home continue to prosper? Unless, by frequent and powerful revivals of religion, multitudes of our youth are brought into the kingdom of Christ-unless the spirit of religion is felt and its power exemplified in the hearts and lives of its professors-unless the doctrines of the gospel are taught and received, and the pulse of Christian feeling beats strong and vigorous in the Churches; how shall faithful, devoted soldiers of the cross in sufficient numbers be raised up, to forego the pleasures of home and kindred, of Christian intercourse, and civilized life to encounter the dangers and hardships of Missionary exertion in foreign and unhealthful climes and to stand in the places where others have fallen, and from which they have gone to their final reward?

2. The Missions abroad are dependent on the Churches at home for support. To provide for the

There

personal wants of those who have cast themselves upon our charities, and gone with the word of life to the perishing heathen-to procure for them the comforts, or even the necessaries of life-to support their dependent families and schools-to furnish them with the various means of doing good-and to send forth others, as fields of labor continue to open, and the Lord of the harvest in his Providence shall call,-to do all this, must necessarily be attended with a very considerable expense. And it must involve expense, not only at the first, but to be continued. must be continued contributions towards this great object. The stream of Christian charity must be kept constantly flowing.-But how is all this to be done, unless the Churches at home continue to prosper? Suffer these Churches to diminish and decaylet their hedge be broken down, their Pastors be removed, their discipline relaxed, and their harmony disturbed-let the spirit of religion become cold and inconstant, and seasons of revival and refreshing cease; -and where are we to look for the fountain, from - which the everflowing stream of religious charity is to take its rise? On what are the foreign establishments to depend for their necessary support?

3. The Missionaries abroad are dependent on the Churches at home for encouragement and counsel. Owing to the peculiarities of their situation, they not unfrequently find themselves in circumstances of trial and embarrassment, where they can scarcely determine what they ought to do. At such seasons, after imploring Divine light and direction, they will find a comfort in seeking the advice and counsel of their Fathers and brethren at home. And not only so, when their benevolent work is opposed, their motives impeached, and their characters vilified; or when

darkness and difficulties thicken round them, and they are ready to sink under the pressure of their cares ;—where shall they look for countenance and encouragement, except to the Churches and the dear Christian friends whom they have left behind? And with what confidence can they look to these, their last earthly resource, if they know that they have lost the spirit of the gospel, forfeited the favor of their Lord, and fallen into a declining and decaying state? With what confidence can they look to those for assistance of any kind, who it appears are not able to assist themselves ?-I add,

4. The Missionaries abroad are dependent on the Churches at home for their prayers.-Those who have devoted themselves to Missionary labors among the heathen, are probably more sensible than others can be of the inefficacy of mere human efforts, and that success must come from God alone. In the language of a distinguished Missionary, they have had to grapple with the tremendous difficulties in the way of conversion among the heathen, in addition to those which exist in what is called a Christian country. The prejudices of the natives; their superstition, ignorance, levity, and multiplied errors; their slavish subjection to the priests; the difficulties of the languages; and the terrifick deprivations following a profession of Cristianity ;-these, and many other things, added to the natural enmity, hardness, and unbelief of the heart, all lead the mind of the Missionary to feel the need of Divine help." Others can scarcely participate in the deep anxiety felt by him, relative to those influences, which render the gospel the power of God." At the same time he knows it to be a standing ordinance of the Divine

66

* Dr. Ward.

administration, that God will be inquired of" to bestow his special blessings. It is his pleasure to "connect the prayers of his saints with the accomplishment of his purposes" of grace. Thus the faith

ful Missionary is prepared peculiarly to feel the worth of prayer; and to feel his dependence on the Churches and brethren he has left behind to pray for him. Accordingly, there is scarce a letter comes to us from our Missionaries abroad, which does not contain this particular request, "Brethren, pray for us ;" and in some letters which have been received and published, this request is not only made, but urged, in the most importunate manner. But unless the life and spirit of religion is retained in the Churches, what will their prayers avail? With no heart to pray for themselves, to what purpose shall they attempt to pray for others ? And with what confidence can the devoted Missionary look to the Churches for their prayers, if they become cold, formal, divided, corrupt, and comparatively a spiritual desert?

We may see then, my brethren, in view of these. remarks, the very intimate connexion subsisting between the cause of foreign Missions, and the well being of the Churches. We may see the dependence of the former upon the latter. Obviously it cannot be of greater importance to the animal system, that the pulse of life should beat strong at the heart, than it is to the whole system of Missions among the heathen, that the pulse of spiritual life, and of genuine Christian feeling, should beat firm and vigorous in the Churches at home.

We learn from our subject, and it is a very comforting conclusion to those of us who are prevented in Providence from engaging directly in the Missionary work, that every thing which is done to promote the

« السابقةمتابعة »