inculcated. As the Minister of Christ, preaching to you His express commandment, and appealing to you by the Sacraments of His Church, I cannot address myself to any secondary or worldly motive. We take our stand on higher ground. We display before you the banner under which you were enlisted in your infancy, and whose sign you yet bear upon your brows. We sound in your ears the Gospel trumpet. We show you your brethren, the Apostles and Saints of the Universal Church, pressing forward at the high and holy call. We point you to Jesus himself, the Captain of your salvation, at your head, and we say, SOLDIER OF CHRIST, FOLLOW HIM! We say it not only to the rich, but to all alike, high and low, rich and poor. The offering which is precious in God's sight, and dearest to his saints, is what all may abound in. is the contribution of your kindly interest, your Christian sympathy, your earnest and believing prayers. And then, whatsoever GoD putteth into your hearts to do, do it faithfully-do it cheerfully-do it promptly. "GOD is It not unrighteous that He will forget your labour of love." Though we bribe you not as mercenaries to the service of your liege Lord and Master, yet think not we have no reward to proffer you. We offer you a share in the joy "that is in the presence of the angels of GOD, over one sinner that repenteth." We bid you to the work for the exceeding rich reward, of which the SON OF GOD himself was content to suffer and to die. We call you to the joy of His presence now. And if this be not enough, we summon you to that hour of triumph and bliss ineffable that is to come; when all the countless legions of the angelick host shall stand with thousands and tens of thousands of glorified saints before Messiah's throne, to celebrate his victory over all his enemies! Where, if one blissful sight can be imagined dearer than another, it must surely be the spectacle of those happy souls "singing the song of the Lamb and his redeemed," who but for our humble instrumentality might have been defiled with eternal blasphemies. And if one sound can there be heard more ravishing than heaven's eternal hymns, oh! shall it not be this? when the King Himself in all his glory "shall answer and say, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these MY BRETHREN, YE HAVE DONE IT UNTO ME!" THE END. BAXTER, PRINTER, OXFORD. "THE SUN SHALL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS:" RECTOR OF PATCHING, AND VICAR OF WEST TARRING, SUSSEX; HONORARY MEMBER OF THE SCANDINAVIAN AND ICELANDIC LITERARY SOCIETIES, AI COPENHAGEN. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handywork."Psalm xix. 1. "If we would indeed have our knowledge thrive and flourish, we must water the tender plants of it with holiness."John Smith's Select Discourses. "Solis item quoque defectus, lunæque latebras, Pluribus è causis fieri tibi posse putandum 'st."-Lucretius. LONDON: PRINTED FOR J. G. & F. RIVINGTON, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD, AND WATERLCO PLACE. PALL MALL. 18 |