Millennial light and glory; but she looks for it in vain without that action which God has enjoined upon her. And that work is to be done in the detail. We raise large sums of money, and send abroad our missionaries in companies of five and ten, but those missionaries must at last come down to minute and specific labour, or they accomplish nothing. So must we here. And are objects around us too abundant? We propose, as the end of our labours, the diminution of temptations to profligacy to both sexes to defend the innocent and unsuspecting-to expose the snares of the destroyers-to spread the knowledge of the gospel among those who will not come to its regular ministrations-to diminish the amount of public crime and mendicity, and to advance the general information of human minds. In a word, we hope to be the honoured, though unworthy, instruments, in God's hands, of banishing much actual misery, of preventing still more, and of pointing, successfully, many a perishing soul to the Lamb of God. Yes; we indulge the hope of meeting-when the toils of life are ended—many, very many, whom God will give us as the seals of our labours, rejoicing in his immortal glory. We aspire even to the issue of seeing immortal spirits rescued from ruin, and obtaining the bliss of heaven for others, and the rewards of grace for ourselves--for we believe the hand of the Lord is in this enterprise.

Brethren, the Church has too long rested in a general acknowledgment of this enormous evil; she has too long doubted the mercy and the promises of God. We must no longer stand by and see Satan's ravages-beholding the wreck of the dearest human interests, and yet do nothing. If there is malice towards man in hell, there must be love on earth; if there is activity there, then we must have energy. Nay, if human agents are doing the work of darkness, then human agents must oppose them

with the weapons of light. If there is organization here for destruction, then we must meet it with organization. for defence and deliverance. Our work is improvement, prevention, cure-all are feasible under God's approbation and blessing. With this general exposition of the objects of the Society, you will then allow me to state the several branches of its operation.

I. The Instruction of Mothers. To effect this a matron is selected, of the requisite qualifications for gaining easy access to families, for adapting herself to their circumstances, and for instructing and counselling. It will be her object, first, to find a sufficient number of mothers who are willing to receive instruction, to form them into sections for the sake of convenience, and then to enlist some benevolent and experienced person, of her own sex, to take the particular charge of a section. After forming several such sections, she will make a uniform system for the whole, so far as is necessary, and superintend and direct the whole enterprise of these maternal meetings. In these meetings the obligations, the duties, and encouragement of mothers, will be explained and enforced. Children will then be made the subjects of special prayer; but more of the details of the plan will be communicated by the Committee than we can properly introduce here. But one subject of especial importance we may add in this connection. Poor and ignorant mothers must be taught the nature and extent of their children's danger. There must be excited in them a more lively abhorrence of the first step towards ruin, and they must be made acquainted with the snares of the wicked. They must teach and warn their daughters. They have a peculiar commission from God to do it, and the discharge of that trust must be urged upon them.

II. Young Females. We propose to begin with the most ignorant, and to aim at improving their mental con

dition, guarding them from dangers, and to labour for their eternal salvation.

III. Young Children. We do not wish to interfere with the systems of public charitable instruction; but there is a wide field of usefulness left unoccupied after they have done all that they undertake. If other Institutions are accomplishing all that is necessary, we shall then be able to direct our energies to the other departments; but we are sure that, after all which has been done to secure the religious education of poor children, the field is yet white, very wide, and inviting a multitude of labourers.

Where prevention There are hundreds

IV. Females of Bad Character. comes too late, we attempt a cure. of these wretched beings who can yet be persuaded to return to the paths of virtue. The Society has employed another matron, devoted entirely to this department. Her duty is to visit them; to converse with them; to distribute such tracts as are adapted to excite their fears, and to encourage them to abandon their destructive ways. Besides those, it has become evident that there are numbers who need no exhortation; they want direction. They are weary as galley slaves of their horrible bondage, but their circumstances chain them. They know not how to change, nor where to go. They would fain return to their friends, but the door is closed against them there. They would return to society, but society despises them. There is, then, a most important part for Christian kindness to act. We may intercede delicately with friends, and we may have, in future, the same cheering success which has crowned our past efforts. hearts of anxious parents have been relieved-their prayers answered-the dead has been brought to life-the lost has been found. This should be the great object of solicitude--to have them restored to the friend

The

ship and guardianship of their own kindred. But, where this is impracticable—as, in too many cases, they have no friend, no parent, no home-we must resort to the established method of forming asylums, with but one important modification-the restriction of the size of each asylum—not allowing more than twenty or thirty to live together.

Such are the objects of this Society, and such its proposed plan of usefulness. Its limited means have necessarily limited its action. But every stage of its infant history is marked with the encouraging impress of Divine goodness. We solicit the aid of the Church of God of the friends of mankind-of all who desire the welfare of their fellow creatures. Surely the Saviour meant to embrace these very classes in his memorable description of the judgment. Surely he will recognise our efforts in this behalf, when we make them with reference to his glory.

SERMON VIII.

THE TEMPERANCE REFORMATION CONNECTED WITH THE PROGRESS OF RELIGION.

"The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God; every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."-Isaiah xl. 3-5.

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IT has been announced, that the subject of discourse this evening would be the connection between the Temperance reformation and the revival of Religion. I venture to expand the idea a little beyond the notice, and say that it is the connection between the Temperance reformation and the Millennium.

Isaiah, in the striking and beautiful passage which has been quoted, spoke of John the Baptist. Our authority for this assertion is the direct declaration of the Spirit of God; the record is contained in Matthew, the third chapter, the first three verses- -"In those days came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; for this is he, that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." He spoke of this eminent man, under the figure of the herald