the charter of the commonwealth of Israel, is inferior to the constitution of the nations and kingdoms of this world in clemency and mercy? No; you shudder at the thought. You would not even admit that the dispensation of this covenant in the New Testament is behind, in clemency, the same dispensation as it respected the church in the wilderness, or as it was displayed in the ecclesiastical establishment of God's ancient Israel. Admitting this then, can you doubt that the blessing of Abraham should visibly descend upon the seed of the Gentile Church ? This way of arguing will, I know, have no influence upon your conduct, if you believe the caxils af half bred deists, who deny and ridicule the first and largest part of the Bible; if there was no covenant of grace nor Church of the redeemed till the commencement of the present era, then we must admit that from the scriptures of ancient times and the dispensation of God toward the fathers, nothing can be learned. If Christ came to destroy the law and the prophets, to abrogate, while sojourning in the flesh, and suffering on the cross, the promises which were before confirmed of God in Christ to the fathers, then indeed we shall despair of influencing you any thing by our plea in behalf of your own rights and the rights of your descendants. If you can believe that the promise "He will be your God and the God of your seed" meant nothing more than that" if they behave well according to the political statutes of this time, they and their's

should possess the land of Palestine, I shall, indeed despair of effecting any thing by my arguments. If, on the contrary, you should take a view of the God of Israel as the same merciful God, with whom the members of the Church have yet to do, of Jesus Christ as the same yesterday, to day and forever, of the covenant of grace as the covenant which was established upon a basis more permanent than the mountains which may be removed, then we shall hope, that you will believe that the promise is to you and to your children, and that you will be baptized with all yours straightway, resolving that whatever others do, as for you and your houses you will serve the Lord. You need not be afraid of calculating too largely upon God's constant and consistent clemency. He proposes to you now the same covenant that he proposed by Isaiah lv. chap. "I will make with you an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure, for it was even the sure mercies of David." As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are his ways and thoughts higher than ours. You may see what these sure mercies of David are by turning your attention to the lxxi and lxxix Psalm-“ O God, thou hast taught me from my youth; and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also, when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not, until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come." "But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him, and in my name shall his

horn be exalted. I will set his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my son, and the rock of my salvation. Also I will make him my first born, higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him forevermore, and my Covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven-Once have I swore by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me." If this gracious and everlasting covenant be all your salvation and desire, you will no doubt desire to have it sealed in the most decent, expressive, and scriptural manner. You will remember that it was really sealed by the effusion of the blood of Christ. Although the system of your parents has hindered the early application of the symbol, the promise yet continues to address you. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thy offspring.* However men and systems may do for a while, God will accomplish his word, and will proselyte the nations in that way which shall commemorate best the great deed of the Redeemer's death, when his face was sprinkled with blood running from his temples, pierced

Isa, xliv. 3.

Y

with the thorny crown: "As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: so shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him; for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they conside er.* In these happy times there shall be one great ecclesiastical establishment, which will embrace the world, young and old, the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of Christ. He will then reign over his saints in Jerusalem and to the ends of the earth. It is true children shall then have an admirable maturity of understanding and perhaps none of them will be called hence in infancy. Then "they shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, AND THEIR OFFSPRING WITH THEM." In that happy state of society the Church shall have no more trouble with the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts, they shall then be rid of strange children; yet for the building and ornament of that spacious and glorious temple of the Millenial Church, sons shall be plants, and daughters fair carved stones. "Rid me and deliver me from the hand of strange children whose mouth speaketh vanity, and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood, that our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones polished after the similitude of a palace; that our

Isa. li 14, 15. † Isa. Lev. 23,

garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets: that our oxen may be strong to labor, that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets. Happy is that people that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people whose God is Jehovah."*

To the second class, who have been brought up to no religion at all.

There is one thing of which all of this general class should take diligent heed, viz. That they do not consider points which are made matters of controversy, to be therefore indifferent. Upon this principle, what could be considered essen

tial?

Not only the truth of the scriptures, but also the being of a God has been questioned. Whether they are practically and pretendedly Atheists, or also speculatively and in their deliberate opinions, may itself be matter of controversy, and upon this men high in the estimation of the Church have already decided different'y: but, that they are Atheists their words and their works conspire to prove. Men too have had different views-hot and bloody controversies about the best mode of civil polity. Does this prove that there is no difference what kind of government men adopt, or that they may do as well without any, and live in a state of confusion and anarchy ? Such differences may render delay necessary; because the discussion may require time; but no

• Psalm cxiv. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.