fpirit of fear, but of power, and fuffer nothing to difconcert or difcourage them; they may reft fully affured, that the spirit of that religion which it is the end of their affociation to promote, is the power of "God unto "falvation to every one that believeth."

Our Saviour himself has plainly intimated, that the gospel is the great mean which the wisdom of Providence has chofen to enlighten, to fanctify, to blefs, and to fave mankind. "No man," fays he, "knoweth the "Father fave the Son, and he to whomfoever "the Son will reveal him." At another time, he declares, in like manner, "That

no man cometh to the Father, but by him." And, on other occafions, he affumes to himfelf the glorious character and office of being "the light of the world." The hiftory of the world for near eighteen hundred years, confirms the truth of thefe declarations: for, in fo far as any juft and worthy ideas of God, of Providence, of a future ftate, and of pure morality, are yet to be found among the nations of the world, they are derived from the gofpel of the Son of God. Even Mahometan countries are no exception to this; for whatever is good and pure in that religion, is manifeftly borrowed from the facred writings of the Jews and Christians. Now, from

what is paft, and from the predictions of fcripture about what is to come, we have reafon to think, that the fame divine religion shall be the chief mean henceforward of fpreading thefe

thefe bleffed doctrines, till the knowledge of God, and of Jefus Chrift his Son, cover the face of the whole earth. Government and laws, philofophy and arts, may give their aid; but the fpirit of Chriftianity must be the infpirer and conductor of all other means of civilization and improvement. No ftronger incitement furely can be given to a fociety which have chofen for the object of their af fociation the propagation of the religion of Jefus, than this, That they are co-operating with the grand fcheme of Providence, laid before the foundation of the world, "to turn

men from darknefs unto light, and from "the fervice of fin and Satan, to the fervice "of the living God."

The fuccefs which this noble undertaking hath already had, and which appears to the conviction of every one, from the number of schools, no less than 172, which are fupported by it, and in which 7270 scholars are inftructed in reading, writing, and arithmetic, must prove a new and powerful excitement to the Society itself to perfevere with zeal and alacrity in their labours of love.

Befides these schools for acquiring neceffary knowledge, there are twelve fchools on a fecond patent, in which girls are taught and trained up to industry in fuch kinds of work as are fuited to their fex, and the condition of life for which they are defigned. It may furely be expected, that the view of thefe bleffed effects which this worthy inftitution

has

has already produced, and is daily producing, will excite and encourage all the true friends of religion and humanity, to contribute, every way in their power, to the fupport and advancement of a defign fo manifeftly calculated to promote both the temporal good of fociety, and the eternal interefts of immortal fouls,

SER

SERMON XVI.

The Subject continued.

By WILLIAM LEECHMAN, D. D.

2 TIM. i. 7.

For God hath not given us the Spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a found mind.

I

Now proceed to confider the SECOND ingredient of the Chriftian spirit, mentioned in the text, viz. the spirit of love.

As love, in the New Teftament, when fpoken of in general, ufually fignifies the love of our brethren, we fhall, in what follows, principally treat of it in this fenfe: first, By fhewing, that love, tenderness, and humanity, is most certainly the genius of Christianity; and, Second, By endeavouring to point out the excellency of this fpirit, in the degree and to the extent in which the gospel defcribes and enjoins it.

Now, the first of these, That the genius of Christianity is love, furely needs no long or laboured proof to a Chriftian audience. The primary doctrines of this religion are, That

God

That the

:

God is love, and dwells in love: That the whole fyftem of his government is kind and benign: That the fcheme of redemption took its rife from the original benignity and of the great Father of all: mercy great Redeemer was animated with the fame fpirit of benignity and compaffion, in undertaking, and in executing every step of it: And that the confummation of this glorious plan will be the total deliverance of many myriads of the human race from fin and death, and their final establishment in a state of perfect virtue and of immortal felicity and glory. It cannot be contefted, that thefe doctrines favour and encourage the spirit of kindness and beneficence.

And when we attend to the preceptive and fentimental parts of the gofpel, we find, that the fpirit of love breathes in all of them. That the precepts of Christianity tend to reftrain and fupprefs all the malevolent paffions, and to promote the culture and improvement of the kind and friendly ones, can admit of no doubt That Chriftian morality ftrikes at the root of that selfish and worldly temper which ftands in direct oppofition to the spirit of love, is evident from the whole strain of the doctrine of its great Author and his apostles, as well as from the fhining examples they have given of generofity and dif interestednefs in their own lives.

:

Further, That the religion of Jefus not only aims at fuppreffing and extinguishing the VOL. III. felfish

D d