the service of God in the ministry of his Son; then our preaching will not be a thing of set times, or formal exhibitions. We shall not, indeed, despise the established order of christian worship; the principle that actuates us will lead us to become "all things to all men, if by any means we may save some." We shall thus be glad to seize those opportunities when the commandment of God, and the laws and customs of our country have assembled many together for the purposes of religion; but our preaching will not be confined to the public exercises of the Sabbath, but according to the very solemn charge of the apostle, we shall be instant in preaching the word, in season and out of season, and in imitation of his example we shall not only speak as we have opportunity in the public places consecrated to devotion, but also from house to house. And even the ordinary intercourse that we carry on with our fellow-men, -our correspondence with friends at a distance, and our conversations with companions who are near, will alike be consecrated to these grand objects to which our own selves are devoted.

But our motive will not only regulate the times of our preaching, it will also determine the mode of our preaching.

If we believe that the great object for which the gospel was sent into our world was, to effect the pardon and moral renovation of man; and if we believe what the Scriptures assure us, that this is chiefly to be effected by faith in a few simple

elementary doctrines, we shall dwell much upon these doctrines, and ever make them the theme of our discourse.

If we are assured that he who believes in Jesus Christ shall be saved, we shall determine, like the early promulgators of the faith, to know nothing among men, but Jesus Christ, and him crucified : we shall not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves the servants of all, for Jesus's sake.

If, again, we believe that the same Spirit which breathed life into the dry bones of the prophet's vision, must still exert his vivifying energy, ere a single sinner can be raised from a death in trespasses and sins, to newness of life; and if we farther believe that the Spirit is the gift of prayer, we shall be ardent in our supplications at the throne of grace, for the outpouring of that mysterious influence which, though itself unseen, is so visible in its effects, and without which the most splendid eloquence and the most cogent reasoning can absolutely effect nothing.

Finally, our motive will also, to a certain extent determine the sphere of our labours.

If we believe that there is one broad line which separates men into two distinct classes;-those who believe, and those who do not; those consequently who have obtained pardon, and those who are still under condemnation: we shall esteem it a matter of infinitely greater importance to lead an individual across that boundary, than to lead an individual who has already past it a few steps

farther on in his progress. The building up of believers is, no doubt, a most important work; but still we cannot help thinking that it must yield in importance to the work of conversion.

I do not know whether the writer of this admirable discourse ever saw the Hints on Missions, by Mr. Douglas; but there is a passage in that little work so applicable to the subject of the preceding discourse, and so important in itself, that I shall here take the liberty to introduce it :

"While belief is connected with truth, we shall never want converts; and while the belief of truth impels to the communication of truth, we shall never want preachers.

'I believed, and therefore have I spoken.' Here is a measure derived from heaven to judge of the sincerity of belief. The laws of the human mind are not circumscribed within degrees and parallels. He who has no desire to proclaim the gospel abroad, has none to proclaim it at home, and has no belief in it himself: whatever professions he may make, are hollow and hypocritical. Bodies of christians who make no efforts to christianize others, are christians but in name; and the ages in which no attempts are made to send the glad tidings to heathen countries, are the dark ages of christianity, however they may suppose

themselves enlightened and guided by philosophy and moderation.

The ages of christian purity have ever been the ages of christian exertion. At the commencement of christianity, he who believed in the gospel, became also a preacher of the gospel. We believe, and therefore we speak.' The effort was correspondent to the belief, and the success to the effort. Christians grew and multiplied, and their very multiplication insured a fresh renewal of their increase. The primitive prolific blessing was upon them, and one became a thousand."

If the subject of these memoirs borrowed the hint from the above passage, of which I have no evidence, it is very clear that he has duly improved upon it. His discourse exists but in the first rough draft, and appears, therefore, under disadvantage. I have not altered one sentence, and scarcely corrected even a word; yet with all these drawbacks, it affords evidence that it is the production of a master-mind. The argument is exceedingly ingenious, and is sustained with a degree of ability and felicity of illustration which reflect the highest credit on the powers of the author. The simplicity of his own views of religion, and the deep earnestness with which he pleads for the full practical influence of christianity, are truly delightful. How happy would it be for the individuals themselves, for the church, and the world, did all who enter on the office of the ministry feel the force of the high and hallowed views which are here stated!

several of his popers,

The references to natural religion, as it is called, contained in the above discourse, induce me to introduce an essay on that subject, which he wrote as a class exercise at the close of the session. The subject is one on which a great deal of ignorance has been discovered, and a vast portion of error propagated. The religion of nature will, I fear, go a very little way to inform the understanding, still less to regulate the affections, and no way at all to satisfy God, or pacify the conscience of a sinner. Whether unassisted reason be capable of accomplishing all that my young friend, with many others, contends for, is not perfectly clear; but no one can doubt the admirable and beautiful manner in which he conducts his own argument, and the justice which he does to the claims of the revelation of God.

ON

NATURAL RELIGION.

In the Bible we are told, that at the final judgment, all men will be made the subjects of an equitable moral reckoning. But we know, from the history of our species, that there have been and that there still are in the world, thousands who have never had access to that revelation from heaven with which we have been favoured. becomes then an interesting inquiry, how far the

It