for I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh!" How earnest, how intense, was his desire for the salvation of his brethren! And such is the effect of the love of Christ wherever it is possessed. It is a love that works; it is a love that warms; it is a love that instructs; it is a love that beseeches; it is a love that prays for, that bleeds for, and that dies for poor sinners, if called to it by the providence of God. If this love for Christ dwelt in the hearts of professing Christians as it ought; if it existed in our churches to the extent we have reason to believe that it should; how differently would they act! Oh, if we possessed this love, there is not a street in London, there is not an alley, nor a lane, in which the voice of tearful and warning expostulation would not be heard. We should seek out sinners, we should weep over them; we should warn them, and "compel them to come in." Oh, there is too little sympathy with the compassion of Christ in our churches; they are lukewarm, they are lifeless and dead. Zion is at ease; and you, her members, are willing to go home to your lovely families, to your well-furnished houses, to your cheerful fire-sides, and to your well-spread tables, and see your neighbours going to hell, without so much as an effort to effect their escape. When I say you, I mean myself. O this insensible heart! how little does it weep over sinners! how little does it bleed for their woes! And is it better with you? Oh, to have the compassionate mind that was in Christ! The want of this makes us feel our want of the Holy Ghost.

THIRDLY, If the Holy Ghost should come as we desire and have prayed for, I will tell you how he will come,Sinners will flock to your sanctuaries until you have not sufficient room to hold them.

How different is the preaching of ministers in a time

of revival! The world hears of the change, and comes to listen to them. The world says, "This is the kind of preaching that will do us good." Yes; and they are better judges of this matter than some of you may be ready to think. I have heard men during a time of revival, who, by the strength of their language, and frequency of their appeals, have so galled and offended the impenitent, that they have gone out, condemning the preachers, and saying that they would never come again; but these same persons have been found in attendance on the next sermon. Whether they love or hate the preaching, they will come to hear it; and God will humble their hearts, make them bow down to truth, and bring them to himself. The apostle Paul said, “Brethren, pray for us, pray that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified;" and we, his uninspired successors, say, PRAY FOR us, that we may be faithful to our trust, and successful in our work. We cannot do without your prayers. The arduous nature of our work, and the opposition we have to encounter, demand your prayers. Pray for your minister, brethren; and pray for us, that we may have the Holy Ghost in our hearts; and shed abroad the spirit of prayer.

The melancholy termination of every revival has been caused by the withdrawal of divine influence, and that by the sins of the Church. The efforts at first were great, and great good has been effected. But in a short time there has been lukewarmness of heart, and they have again settled down upon their lees. I hope there will be such a revival of religion here as will continue to the end of time. We do not want periodical revivals; but we want a revival for this year, for the next, and for all the periods of future time, to continue till the blast of the archangel's trump is heard. To secure this we want the Spirit of God as a spirit of prayer. As Jacob, who wrestled

with the angel, "till the morning light," we must say, "I will not let thee go except thou bless me." And this must be not the transient impulse of the heart merely, but it must be one continued and persevering determination. If a revival should be granted, and we should then turn aside, the blame and the sin will rest with ourselves.

There is often much in a revival of religion that no eye can see. Some poor, but consistent, mother in Israel, perhaps, has great power with God in her closet. The state of those around her affects her heart, and she retires to her closet and pours out her heart in prayer. She prays for her minister; and she makes him powerful by the prevalency of her prayers. The world sees his power of persuasion, and his increased earnestness and success in his work, but they know not all the links of the golden chain. Ye aged mothers in Israel, we look to you for your prayers! Forget us not when you retire to your closets! Pray that our hands may be strengthened by the Almighty God of Jacob.

I have one more reason to offer, to show the desirableness of our praying for the outpouring of the Spirit, and that is:

That if the Spirit should descend in answer to our prayers, there will be a great awakening of sinners to a sense of their danger.

In the midst of some of our revivals in America, it is astonishing what effects have been produced: Convictions, of the most astonishing kind, have been brought under our notice. When the Spirit of God has moved upon the hearts of a community in answer to prayer, a single passage of Scripture, or a single warning or exhortation delivered at some former period, has come with overwhelming power to the minds of the impenitent. I remember a remarkable instance, which may serve to illustrate my meaning. The young man related this story

to me himself. His father and mother were going to a protracted meeting for a revival of religion in the neighbourhood, and they desired him to accompany them. He had no desire for such meetings, and determined not to go. His parents then went, and left him at home; but you may be sure they did not neglect to pray for him. After they were gone he began to feel uneasy, and wished he had accompanied them. He determined, however, to drive away the thought, and tried to amuse himself, taking up first one thing and then another. He still felt a dreadful chasm. He then thought he heard a voice saying to him, "Come, and let us reason together," &c. He tried to get rid of it, but in vain. The voice seemed to say, "It is thy God who says it; if you have any thing to say, answer your God; come. Is it not reasonable that you should love him?" He again tried to get rid of it, and went into another part of the house for the purpose, but, "Come, let us reason together," &c., still sounded in his ears, and so continued to follow him, that he at last cast himself on his knees, and cried out, "My God, I have no reason; I am a most unreasonable sinner." He arose from his knees, went to the protracted meeting, and placed himself beside his father and mother, to whom he related what had occurred. This was the beginning of the work of the Spirit on his soul, which resulted in his conversion. Many such things as this may occur among you, if the Spirit of God should now come in answer to our prayers. If not, we may abandon our meetings and return to our worldly avocation, or rather humble ourselves and wait upon the Lord until he come. Impenitent sinner, we want the Spirit for you, to convince you of your danger, and to lead you to fly to Jesus Christ as the sinner's friend. Oh, let us, my dear brethren, pray for the Spirit; and let us determine to give God no rest until the day-spring from on high has visited us!

ADDRESS IV.

EXTRACT FROM AN ADDRESS ON THE EFFORTS OF THE AMERICAN CHRISTIANS FOR THE CONVERSION OF THE HEATHEN.

I MAY here remark, that the accounts of those dear Baptist brethren-Fuller, Ryland, Carey, and othersas to the destitution of the East, laid the foundation of missions in America. It is strange to find, however, that the spark which had thus been blown, should have been so long in kindling among us. About the year 1810, there was a little band of men-four, I believe, in number-among whom was the future husband of Harriet Newell, as also, Gordon Hall, names with which I have no doubt you are all acquainted. These young men read the accounts forwarded to them from time to time; they heard of the prevalence of infanticide in the different parts of the globe; they beheld the iron sceptre of paganism swayed over the souls of millions of their fellow-immortals, and they wept; for the feelings which brought the Son of God from heaven to earth, had taken possession of their breasts. Though they loved their country, their homes, their literature, their civil and religious privileges; yet, following the example of him who, though he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, they were found ready to abandon all, and to become as poor as their Master, if thereby their fellow-creatures might be made rich.

I love to look back to the origin of missions, and to trace the progress they have made; because I now find that infidels are beginning to look upon them with respect. We have given to a whole nation language and literature ; improvements in the arts of civilized life; civil and reli