pofe thoughts arifing in his heart which poffibly never were there?

I am confident that there is no one in thefe lands, impreffed with a juft fenfe of the ineftimable treasure of God's most holy word, contained in the Books of Mofes and the Prophets, and in the Books of the New Teftament, who does not rejoice in the great fuccefs attending the exertions of the British and Foreign Bible Society. I am perfuaded that there is not a member of the Society for the Promotion of Chriftian Knowledge in Foreign Parts, who does not rejoice at any fuccefs of the miffionaries fent out by the Misfionary Society. I fhould however think it very unadvifable to inquire what may be the opinions of the Jews upon this fubject; yet would it not be more charitable to prefume the very reverse to that which you do in the inftance of the English Ifraelite. The Jews do highly prize the Books of Mofes and the Prophets; do they wish to confine the great and glorious truths contained therein exclufively to their own nation? By no means! They know that they are to receive great fervices from the preserved of the Gentiles, and I fhould therefore think that they must behold with an eye of complacency the diftribution of the Books of Mofes and the Prophets, in almost every language, and among almost all people, by the British and Foreign Bible Society. I fhould think that the eagernefs with which they are fought and perused in all languages, muft be gratifying to their feelings. They know that one of the fure and certain figns of the approach of that bleffed time, in which

they

they will be restored to their long loft inheritance, is clearly defined in the Books of Mofes and the Prophets to be the GREAT CHANGE which will, by the bleffing of JEHOVAH OF HOSTS, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, take place in the difpofition of mankind towards them, Deut. iv. 6-8. Zech. viii. 20-23. Ifa. xlix. 22. lx. lxvi. They muft fee that there has been a great progrefs already towards this change; that it began with the reformation, and that in proportion as the Books of Mofes and the Prophets have come to the hands of the people, in like proportion hath this great change proceeded; for thofe who are capable of reading the Holy Scriptures, and are permitted to read them, will draw their own conclufions from the plain and obvious meaning of the text. By-the bleffing of

God, not only printing has been carried to fuch perfection, that copies may be multiplied to almost any extent, but also, by the bleffing of God upon charityfchools, funday-fchools, and various other fimilar inflitutions, ability is given to the rifing generation to avail themfelves of the most righteous, religious, and truly charitable exertions of the British and Foreign Bible Society in particular. It is pure water, water drawn from the fountain head, that they diftribute; and to this I attribute that great fuccefs which it has pleafed the Almighty to grant to their endeavours. "Ho, every one that thirfteth, come ye to the waters, "and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and “cat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." Ifa. lv. 1.

It is not confined, either as to its members or operations, within the narrow pale of one branch of the Chriftian family, but embraces all the inhabitants of the earth, as children of one common father; as creatures of the fame gracious and merciful creator, who "maketh his fun to rife on the evil and on the "good, and fendeth rain on the juft and on the un"juft." Matt. v. 45.

I think that to every reflecting Proteftant it must afford fome degree, not only of furprise, but also forrow, that such a confiderable time elapsed between the reformation and any confiderable exertions being made to fpread the glad-tidings of falvation among the heathen nations; and I cannot but afcribe this circumstance to thofe divifions and contentions which have formerly fubfifted among them. They have in former times been too much like an houfe divided againft itfelf, which cannot ftand, (Mark iii. 24, 25) and it is entirely to the mercy of God that we are to afcribe the fact that our houfe is not yet left unto us defolate.

In former times there was not fo much of that liberal and truly charitable spirit of forbearance towards each other, as hath become the prevailing fentiment of the prefent day; even Proteftants, a century or two ago, were too much difpofed to think like those from whom they had separated, that the fincere friends of true Chriftianity were only to be found within the pale of their own communion; they overlooked the fact that they were feverally no more than branches, and that the fame root that afforded nourish

ment

inent to them, was capable to afford nourishment to millions of other branches alfo. It feems to me that' this conviction hath been increased by many events which have occurred within a few years, and that there are not now many Proteftants who are difpofed to contend that the church, or branch, to which they are united in communion; whether it be the established church of England, the established church of Scotland, the established church of the German Proteftant ftates, or the established church of Geneva, or any of the churches which feverally diffent from all thefe establishments; I fay there are few of them who are now difpofed to contend that the true friends to Chrif tianity are confined within the pale of their own communion. Events have occurred which have tended to bring this narrow way of thinking into disrepute. I am happy to fay, that I believe the hardeft blow" that this narrow way of thinking ever yet experienced, has been given to it by the formation of that excellent inftitution, the British and Foreign Bible Society. I confefs that my foul has "rejoiced in God my "Saviour," when I have heard, and that tears of joy ftart into mine eyes when I reflect upon this fact, that bifhops and minifters of the church of England, minifters and members of the established church of Scotland, and diffenters of the various denominations; that these ALL fhould be affembled in ONE ROOM, with ONE INTENT, fhould each as it were confent to lock up their peculiar opinions in their libraries, and at the ftriking of the clock all turn their faces to one' given place, and calmly, kindly, and lovingly greet

each

each other with the fmile of benignity, and proceed to confult how they can beft proceed to the accomplishment of their united object, the spread, the extended diftribution from eaft to weft, from north to fouth, from pole to pole, from the rivers to the very ends of the earth, of that great treasure, that ineftimably precious gift which it has pleased the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth, the God of Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, to bestow upon the world by MEANS of the Jewish nation.

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Yea, by MEANS of the Jewifh nation, the children of Ifrael, the children of Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob; even that nation whom he hath diftinguished by the title of his Son: "Thou fhalt fay unto Pharaoh, Thus faith JEHOVAH, Ifrael is my son, even my FIRSTBORN and I fay unto thee, Let my fon GO, that he may SERVE ME: and if thou refuse to "let him go, behold I will flay thy fon, even thy "firftborn." Exod. iv. 22, 23. I repeat, that this ineftimable treasure hath been given unto us by JEHOVAH, God of Ifrael, by MEANS of Ifrael, his people; yea, that people whom he calls his son, even his FIRSTBORN. In faying this, I do not confine myself to the Old Teftament, it is equally applicable to the New; and I again affert, that we, of the Gentile nations, have not one fhred of true religious knowledge that we do not poffefs by MEANS of the Jewish nation. The apoftle of the Gentiles himself, not only admits, but afferts the fact, that "unto THEM were committed the oracles of God." Rom. iii. 2.