hold of our affections than the Lord of glory; as if things temporal were more in our eye than things eternal.

We do not complain of our missionaries. They are the most beloved of our brethren; and we confess that Christianity has strong recommendations from the virtues they display, and the part they act. But we wish them all to grow to the stature of Paul. We wish them to imbibe more largely his excellent spirit. We wish them to be as forward in the race, and as valiant in the fight, as he.

We wish our young brethren, who are candidates for this holy employment, to fix their mark by the standard of Paul; to take up their cross with an equal self-denial; and to be determined in the name of their Almighty leader, to run this race with an equal speed.

Let instructors of youth in our Theological seminaries keep this model of missionary excellence before their eyes, and direct their efforts faithfully to bless the world with missionaries of this order. Let them assiduously labor to store the minds of their pupils with correct views of Christianity, as a revealed system of truth: but be at least equally concerned to inspire them with lofty views, with zeal, with an untiring patience, and, with a holy

heroism.

"The harvest is plenteous; but the laborers are few." Let us ever pray the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth such laborers into his

harvest. O, that one might become a thousand, land and ocean be traversed, the darkest places of the earth be explored, and the Gospel be preached as faithfully, as Paul preached it, to every creature. Then we might expect to hear the triumphant, universal shout, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign FOREVER AND EVER."

8

A

SERMON,

PREACHED IN NORTHAMPTON, MASS. SEPT. 21, 1825,

AT THE

Sirteenth Annual Meeting

OF THE

AMERICAN BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

FOR

FOREIGN MISSIONS.

BY JOSHUA BATES, D. D.
President of Middlebury College.

BOSTON:

PRINTED BY CROCKER & BREWSTER.

No 50, CORNHILL.

SERMON.

JOHN viii, 32.

"THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE."

MAN, viewed as a being susceptible of happiness and capable of responsible action, sustains a thousand relations, involving as many duties. Whatever, therefore, tends to increase this susceptibility and enlarge this capacity, must exalt his nature, and promote the benevolent purpose, for which he was created. Such is the tendency of well-directed education, of virtuous example, of sound philosophy; indeed, of every thing, which gives the understanding a controlling influence over the passions, without taking from them the power of excitement and the energy of action; of every thing which purifies and regulates the feelings, without diminishing their ardor, or depriving them of their appropriate objects. But of all the causes which conspire to produce this effect, none is so uniform, extensive, and efficient, as Christian truth. Indeed, without the concurrence of this cause, all others are feeble in their operations, and exceedingly uncertain in their results. The most refined education, from which Christian instruction is excluded, may be spoiled by a few licentious maxims, or a single vicious habit: may even increase the