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in multitudes. He can send his ravens to feed them, as he did to the prophet; or rain down manna from heaven for them, as he did for his ancient people. It is an important, a glorious fact, that Christ can do all this. But what has this fact to do with our présent subject"? He has left us an Institution to observe-has left a solemn duty for us to perform; and does it become us to inquire, before we consent to perform it, whether our Saviour cannot accomplish his work without us? Does it become" the servant, when his task is set before him," to stop and ask, whether his master cannot accomplish some part or the whole of it, without his assistance?

It may be urged still farther in opposition to Missions, that the expense of them is so great as to be dangerous to the country. The burthen of supporting them is so heavy, that the people cannot and ought not to bear it. But what is this enormous burthen?"The amount of all which is paid by the different Foreign Missionary Societies in the United States for the spread of the gospel among the heathen, does not exceed one hundred thousand dollars annually." Average this sum upon our whole population, and we have the appalling tax of nearly one cent for each individual. It is certainly ridiculous to speak of such a sum as a burthen.-But grant that the expense of Missions were a real burthen to the country. Who among us would have any reason to complain? Is not "the earth the Lord's, and the fulness thereof"? Has not the Saviour of the world a right to impose burthens on his people? And has he not a right to expect that they will be cheerfully borne ?

After all, it may be urged, that Missions to the heathen are attended with very little success.—It

might be shewn, in the first place, that this assertion is not true that, on the contrary, all the success in this work has been realized, which the most sanguine friends of Missions had reason to expect.-But suppose it were true; this would not alter the case, as it respects our duty, at all. "We are no where commanded to be successful." The Institution of Christ does not run, that we are to convert all nations; but that we must use the appointed means, and declare to them the gospel. And this Institution it would be incumbent on us to observe this command we should be bound to obey, even were we favored with no success at all.-In fine, if the work of Missions is a Divine Institution, then no good reason can be given why it should not be vigorously prosecuted.

The precept enjoining it is plain, imperative, and unconditional, and no objection can stand before it. "It answers every question, solves every doubt, sweeps away every obstacle. Bring up any excuse or apology you please for neglecting the heathen, and it passes over them all, as fire over the wood and hay and stubble."*

5. If the work of Missions is an Institution of the Saviour, then it becomes all his followers to understand it and observe it. An observance of this institution does not imply, that we all become literal Missionaries to the heathen, or that we all become public teachers of religion. We know not but James observed it as really as any of his brethren, though he laboured in Jerusalem till the day of his death. The Institution under consideration requires of us, and this is all it requires, that we love and value the cause of Missions, and that we do every thing we

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* For these quotations, and several preceding ones, I am indebted to Miss. Herald, Vol. xix. pp. 68-70.

consistently can do to help it forward. If we are called in providence to go personally to the heathen; we must be willing to obey. Or if we are called in providence to contribute of our substance; we must cheerfully do it. Or if we are called in providence to contribute of our time, or labour, or any thing else; we must not withhold. If we can do no more for the cause of Missions, we certainly can pray for it; and this is a duty which we all are under obligations to perform. Whatever we bestow, we must follow it with our prayers; and if our circumstances are such that we have nothing to bestow, we must follow with our prayers the endeavours of others.

The cause of our Redeemer at the present time demands that every christian should be at his post. Indeed I believe the period is near, when every true christian must be at his post. When the season had arrived for the primitive believers, who fondly lingered about Jerusalem, to be scattered abroad for the spread of the gospel; persecution was employed as the instrument of scattering them. And those Churches and believers now, who cannot be made sensible of their duty in any other way, must expect to be aroused to it by afflictions and stripes. O my brethren, let us save ourselves this painful necessity. Let us study to know, and be willing to do, whatever our dear Redeemer has required. Thus only can we expect his favor and blessing, in thislife, in death, and in heaven forever. Amen.

DISCOURSE II.

PAUL A MISSIONARY TO THE HEATHEN.

2 Corinthians, i. 1.

"Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God."

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THE literal, etymological meaning of the word Apostle is, one who is sent forth; and when used in a religious sense, as it is in the text, it signifies one who is sent forth to preach and propagate the religion of Christ. In precisely this sense, we find the term used by our Saviour and the Evangelists. Matthew, after mentioning the giving of this name to the twelve disciples, immediately adds, These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; and as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand."-Mark's account of the same or a similar transaction is as follows: "And Jess called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth, by two and two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. And they went out and preached that men should repent. And the Apostles," those who had been sent forth to preach, when they returned, "gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught."-Luke also introduces and uses the word Apostle in the same sense. "And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples,

and of them he chose twelve whom he also named Apostles. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God."-It is plain, therefore, that the word Apostle, in its literal and primary acceptation, signifies one who is sent forth to preach and propagate the religion of the Saviour.

But this is precisely the import of our word Missionary. This word, whether we regard its etymology, or its general use, signifies one who is sent forth from the Churches, to preach and propagate the religion of the Saviour.-These words therefore, the one of which has been received into our language from the Greek, and the other from the Latin, are of the same import; and were it not for a kind of sacredness which we justly attach to the primitive Apostolic character, they might without impropriety be used interchangeably the one for the other. The words of my text might be rendered with equal verbal accuracy, "Paul a Missionary of Jesus Christ by the will of God."

Several of the primitive disciples it seems were domestic Missionaries. Their labors were confined principally to Judea, their native country. But Paul was more properly a foreign Missionary. He is customarily spoken of as "the Apostle of the Gentiles." While others were sent to "the circumcision," he was instructed and destined to " the heathen."

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In order to remove, if possible, ever doubt as to the missionary character of the Apostle Paul, I shall proceed, in several particulars, to point out the analogy betwixt Paul the Missionary, and the Missionaries of our own times.

1. Missionaries at the present period usually receive ordination previous to their going forth to preach

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