or Mahometan darkness. Ought so great a part of a world, which Christ has redeemed and owns, to continue in the hands of his enemy? If the suffrages of nations were to be collected, what would a redeemed race say? To whom would they assign a world given to Christ for redeeming them? Would they resign it to his enemy, who has despoiled it of its Eden, and covered it with briers and thorns, and turned it into a great charnel-house? or would they give it to him who came to rescue it from the hands of destroying devils, and died to save their souls? What is the vote of a redeemed race on this subject? If human instrumentality is wanted to drive the usurper from his seat, shall not a whole race rise up to the effort. Christ could have conquered his enemy without instruments; but he chose to bring in the nations in a way suited to moral agents, by instructions, so conveyed as to favour calm reflection, that is, through human organs and he chose to employ men as co-workers with him, that he might train them to benevolent action. He is not dependent on us for his happiness. It is the height of benevolence that he is willing to consider the rescued nations as his reward. It is like one who, in the division of spoils, selects a captive for his portion, and makes the release of that unhappy one the gain most welcome to his heart. And vast indeed must be the good that can satisfy the benevolence of the Son of God, and be an adequate reward for his wonderful obedience" unto death." Let him have the infinite joy. And if human instrumentality is wanted, let the whole mass of Christendom rise up to the work. Is there a wretch so withered and debased that he will not do all in his power to push things forward to this glorious issue?

The Redeemer began his triumph when he ascended from Olivet. At the moment of parting from his disciples, he was surrounded with no outward lustre. Perhaps the bright cloud, which received him, contained the habiliments of glory, with which he was ever afterwards to be arrayed. Decked thus in his regal robes, he began his triumphant march; returning in state like a glorious conqueror to his royal city. I see him attended with "thousands of angels" and "twenty thousand" "chariots of God," leading " captivity captive,”* with death and hell chained to his chariot wheels. I hear them shout, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord

*Ps. xviii. 17, 18,

strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. [The Lord who has returned with glorious scars, a Conqueror from his wars.] Lift up your heads, O ye gates, even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in."*

His trophies

Early too he commenced his triumph on earthi. In the wonderful campaign he went forth single handed against two worlds. He girded his sword upon his thigh, and marched directly into the heart of Satan's kingdom. Wherever he went he conquered. At his approach temples and altars fell; oracles grew dumb; the Roman empire, the chief seat of Satan's visible kingdom, shook to its centre, and afterwards opened to the Conqueror, and fell prostrate at his feet. He marched through the nations, breaking down the prisons which Satan had reared to confine his wretched captives. Millions, who had been immured in dungeons from their birth, were brought forth to the joyous light. Wher ever he came, freedom and joy sprung up around him. were not wasted provinces, but souls delivered from the destroyer. The high-minded spirit of chivalry celebrated the feats of disinterested knights, who roamed the kingdoms, as imagination feigned, to deliver oppressed females from enchanted castles, or from the grasp of giants and genii: but how much more benignant a deliverer is here; march ing through the nations, and rescuing those who had no helper, from the tyranny of Satan. God speed thee, thou glorious Conqueror: Go on and prosper and may the blessing of millions ready to perish, come upon thee. We will follow the wheels of his triumphal chariot, and shout as we go, "Hosanna to the Son of David: blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest."

His triumphant kingdom commenced among the Jews at Pentecost; and among the Gentiles at the baptism of Cornelius. From that time it spread like lightning through all the countries from Spain to India; and from Scythia to Ethiopia, until in three centuries it mounted the throne of the Cesars. But after it had breasted an embattled race for three hundred years, and had placed its foot on the neck of a subjugated world, it fell by luxury and pride,-by an assumption of lordly dominion, and by ingrafting upon the simple institutions of Christ the pomp and pageantry of pagan rituals; until in punishment one half of the dominions which had been rescued from the prince of darkness was

* Ps. xxiv. 7—10

+

given back into the hands of Mahometans, and the rest sunk under the tyranny and mummeries of Rome, until it lay conquered and besotted at the feet of the man of sin.

But this and every other enemy shall be destroyed. To complete the triumph of the Redeemer on earth, Satan must not only be again expelled from the Roman empire, but be bound "a thousand years," that he "deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years-be fulfilled."

And when all his elect are brought home and displayed in one happy family around the throne, with what infinite joy will he bend over his redeemed Church, and contemplate their blessedness, and hear their praise. And what glory and honour and blessing will their bursting hearts for ever ascribe to him.

John had a vision of this scene and makes the following report. "After this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne and about the elders and the four living creatures, and fell before the throne on their faces and worshipped God, saying, Amen: blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen."* At another time he saw a grand jubilee held in heaven in honour of the Lamb; the redeemed first beginning the song, the angels then striking in, and before it was done the whole creation employed in the bursting praise. "And when he had taken the book the four living creatures and four and twenty elders [the representatives of the whole Church] fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, and hast made us 'unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and [about] the living creatures and the elders; (and the number of them was ter

* Rev. vii. 9-12.

thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands,) saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing. And every creature which in is heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I say. ing, Blessing and honour and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four living creatures said, Amen; and the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.”*

How delightful to contemplate the honours which encircle the Lamb in the midst of his Father's throne. After wandering an exile from heaven for more than thirty years for our revolt, how joyous to know that he has found a home. After the crown of thorns, we are happy to see him wear the diadem of the universe. After depending for bread on the charity of his female followers, we are glad to see him the Heir of all things and able in his turn to impart to others. After being so long neglected and despised by men, we rejoice that he has found those who know how to honour his worth; we exult to hear the shout of all heaven in his praise. After the agonics of the garden and the cross, we sing and shout for joy that he has found infinite and eternal delight in the glory of his Father and the salvation of his Church. Let him have his happiness and his honours. Amidst all the sufferings of life it shall be our solace that the despised Nazarene has found his throne, -that the man of sorrows is happy at last. Of all the luxuries that ever feasted the human soul, the sweetest is to see the Lamb that was slain in the midst of his Father's throne. We will embalm his name in our grateful hearts. We will embalm it by our praise, which shall live while we have breath and sink away upon our dying lips. And we will embalm it among the songs of the upper world. If we are permitted to come and stand where the elders bow, how will we bow and sing. When we shall look down to hell and see our old companions there, and then back to Calvary, and then look up and read the touching traces of love in those melting eyes and among the prints of the nails and the thorns, we will embalm his name if love and songs can do it. We will tell all heaven of his love. If ever new inhabitants should come en from other worlds, they shall hear the story of Calvary. If commis

Rev. v. 8-14.

We

sioned in remote ages of eternity to visit other systems, we will carry the amazing tidings to them. We will tell them to all we meet. will erect monuments of the wonderful facts on every plain of heaven; and inscribe them all over with the story of the manger, the garden, and the cross. While gratitude and truth remain, the name and the love of Jesus shall never be forgotten.

And now, my beloved brethren, I invite you to go with me and look for a moment over the interesting scene which is opening on earth. For many years the Christian world had been sunk in a profound slumber in regard to this duty; but for the last four and thirty years they have been waking up. He who has engraven Zion on the palms of his hands, who never wants means to fulfil his promises,—has sent his heavenly influence to rouse the Christian world. He beheld the desolations of Zion and has come to rebuild her ruined walls. He heard the groans of his people as with harps on the willows they were weeping "by the rivers of Babylon," and has come to bring them again "to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads." Eternal thanks to God for what our eyes have seen and our ears have heard for the last four and thirty years. Eternal thanks to God for the increasing wonders which are rapidly opening on the world. And O can we restrain the bursting emotion? for ever blessed be his great and glorious name for what we have begun to see in our own land. It is more than thirty years since the Christians in Great Britain awoke; and they have been holding on their way with increasing majesty and glory, until that little island bestows annually more than a million of dollars upon strangers. It is fourteen years since New England broke her slumbers, and now the mass of her population seems drenched in the missionary spirit. I saw the day cover the plains of Europe. I saw the westward-travelling light spread itself over these eastern states. Nine years ago I saw the rays of the morning tip our Presbyterian horizon. I saw the dawn blush deeper and deeper. I knew it would not all return again to midnight. I knew the sun would rise. At length I saw his golden limb above the eastern woods; and from the course of day I knew that soon the heavenly flood would cover all the plains to Arkansas and the Paci fic. Already the influence of heaven has dropt upon the wilderness and the yell of the war whoop is changed to notes of praise. We must not stop till every Indian tongue has joined the general song. We must not stop till our influence has cheered the whole extent of South AmeriAnd then we must go forth to the islands. and hold on our way

ca.