It Does it not increafe the weight of every burden, and prolong the period of fuffering? While it obliterates the remembrance of ancient mercies, it infufes bitterness into every exifting comfort, and leaves the murmurer himself without ballaft and without compafs, expofed to the mercy of an unknown tempefluous ocean.

Mofes, although defpifed and condemned by the people committed to his charge, became their interceffor at the throne of grace. In all their afflictions he was afflicted. He was not feen rioting in luxury, while they were perifh ing in want; and it was well for them that he was a man of another fpirit; that he was fuperior to the provocations of peevishness and enmity; that he forgot his own fufferings, and could fo readily forgive their infolence, in the confi dence of his integrity, and the hope of Jehovah's interpofition. How wonderfully the talents and tempers of men are adapted to their stations! and with what exactnefs, grace is proportioned to their trials! No man, not poffefling the wisdom, meekness, and devotion of Mofes, could have maintained his honour or his ufefulnefs with fuch an untoward generation. So conformed to the will of God, and fo exalted in his favour,-fo dead to every confideration but his glory, and the happinefs of Ifrael, our admiration of his character can only be interrupted by our deteftation of the fottifhnefs that could treat that character with fuch indig nity. In thefe, and various other particulars, our Saviour was a prophet like unto Mofes. He was reviled without re taliating; the wonders he performed were degraded by no oftentation; his forbearance and magnanimity overcame all the obstacles thrown in the way of his miniftry; he patiently endured the crofs, and uniformly defpifed the fhame, In life and in death he was wholly devoted to the best interest of an indignent, murmuring, rebellious, barbarous people.

How happy it was for this guilty generation, that the man ordained of God to be their leader, was in temper and conduct fo unlike themfelves! a man meek in fpirit, ftrong in faith, fervent and powerful in prayer! When Mofes cried to the Lord, the Lord immediately fhewed him a tree, a part of which he was commanded to caft into the waters, and the waters were made fweet, palatable, and wholesome. While the infidel, to deftroy the miracle, afcribes the healing of the waters to the natural virtues of the tree; and while the Jew, following vain traditions, and proud of the miracles wrought in favour of his nation, afferts that the tree VOL. II.

Y

itself was bitter, the child of light will humbly adore that omnipotent Spirit of God, who first moved upon the face of the waters, and by whofe fovereign influence this aftonishing change was effected in the waters of Marah :-that God the Spirit can never be at a lofs for inftruments to accomplish his works; that for the encouragement of our attention to ordinances, he employs means in fulfilling his designs, when his arm alone is adequate that in fituations the most unpromifing and diftreffing, he, according to his word, will appear for the fupport, confolation, and deliverance of his people. Of thefe truths we fhould never lofe fight; these truths fhould be deeply engraven upon our hearts.

We have a greater Advocate with the Father than Mofes : even Jefus, who is gone into Heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities, and powers being made fubject unto him, An intereft in his love will reconcile us to every difappointment; believing views of his cross will sweeten every affliction; the profpect of that pe riod when the Lamb in the midst of the throne shall lead them unto living fountains of water, and wipe away all tears from their eyes, will elevate their thoughts and affections far above thefe troubled fcenes, and increafe the ardour of their defires to depart, and to be with Chrift. Our prefent fecurity refts upon no legal conditions; our full redemption upon no mere probabilities. The Lord Jefus is our furety, our guide, our defence, our fulness; and he is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. We may be in want of temporal comforts; we may be exercifed with many calamities; we may walk in darknefs, and have no light; but faithful is he who hath called us; and he will never gather our fouls with finners. Let us then ceafe to murmur, let us live by faith, and let us daily, anticipate the glories of that reft which remaineth for the ranfomed of the Lord.

P.

CIRCULAR LETTER FROM THE DIRECTORS OF THE

MISSIONARY SOCIETY TO THE DIVINITY STU

DENTS IN THE VARIOUS BRITISH SEMI

NARIES.

BELOVED BRETHREN,

THE

HE Directors of the Miffionary Society, formed for the spreading of the glorious Gofpel in heathen and other unenlightened countries, falute you with much affectionate refpect. We venerate the heaven-born piety of your minds, while, declining to enter the path to which the love of this world's wealth and honour would lead you, we behold you confecrating your powers and faculties to the facred caufe of God and of Jefus Chrift, whom he hath fent. Our prayers afcend before the throne of grace in your behalf, that the Eternal Spirit would enrich your understandings with profound knowledge of the mystery of godlinefs; that he would animate your hearts with ardent love to the Son of God; and that he would infpire you with well-directed zeal for the extenfion of Chrift's fpiritual kingdom among men. This object, fo defervedly near to your hearts, hath alfo united ours; the churches of the faints have entrusted, in liberal measure, to our management their filver and their gold: we feel the high refponfibility in which their confidence hath placed us; the inhabitants of extenfive regions fitting in darkness, and in the fhadow of death, lift up their eyes, and demand of us the means of inftruction, of fpiritualhealth, of falvation. In the populous countries of Indostan, in the kingdoms beyond the Ganges, in the fouthern parts of Africa, in Canada, in the British West India colonies, and in the numerous iflands of the Pacific Ocean; in all thefe places, the profpect of introducing or extending the knowledge of Chrift, is encouraging: in feveral of them, the Society has miffionaries, who are now engaged in the facred work. But their numbers are neither equal to their fituations, nor to the means of exertion which the Society poffeffes. We feel it to be our duty, therefore, beloved brethren, to come forward, and, in the bowels of Jefus Chrift, to addrefs ourselves to you.

The command of our exalted Lord is not confined to apoftolic man. "Go ye into all the world, and preach the "gofpelto every creature." Its obligation lies onthe church, till, in the fulleft fenfe, "the kingdoms of this world be "come the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ;" till, "from the rifing of the Sun, even unto the going down of "the fame, his name fhall be great among the Gentiles; and "in every place incenfe be offered unto his name, and a pure "offering." But hath the Chriftian world duly felt the weight of God's authority in this command? What proportionate efforts have been made, especially among Proteftants, during these two laft centuries, to carry the word of life beyond the boundaries of Europe? How will men, to whom the God of nature hath imparted rich endowments; men, whom the Spirit of God hath fitted, and called to the Christian miniftry; men to whom Divine Providence has opened fair fields of extenfive usefulness in unenlightened countries, answer to the Son of God for their fupineness and neglect of his facred command?

Have you, beloved brethren, yourfelves paffed from death to life? Do you enjoy peace with God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift? Do your fouls triumph in the prospect of immortal ble fiednefs? Hath God beautified your minds, dignified your characters, with the lovely difpofitions and tempers of Jefus Chrift? Turn your eyes to the deplorable ftate of human nature in heathen lands. "Their understandings darkened; alienated from the love of God, through "the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of "their heart; paft feeling, given over to lafcivioufness, to "work all uncleannefs with greedinefs, changing the glory of "the incorruptible God into an image made like to corrup"tible man, and to birds,and four-footed beafts, and creeping "things; filled with all unrighteoufnefs; taken captive by "the Devil at his will." Are not all the fympathies of your renewed hearts awakened? Doth not the fire burn while you mufe on the neglected miferies of millions of your fellow men, who "have no hope, and are without God in the world?" Do not your fouls feel a generous ardour to impart to them the means of that bleffedness of which you yourfelves fo richly partake?

The Son of God left the realms of glory, funk into our nature, and in that nature encountered poverty, fatigue, the fcorn of proud men, and the infults of the mean; reproach, virulent oppofition from earth and Hell, and at last all the shame and pain of death on the crofs. These ills he encountered and endured, from a principle of love to your

fouls: Is there any return then which he may require of you; any facrifice of care, of earthly profpects, of friend thips, of the charities of dear and valuable relations, too great to be made for him? Are there any dangers from forms and tempefts, from a vertical fun, or a howling wildernefs from the unbridled paffions of men, or the fnares of the Devil, too formidable to be met by you, for his fake, who, in the caufe of your falvation, fet his face like a flint against all oppofition, remained stedfaft and immoveable, till, in triumph, he exclaimed "It is finifhed!" In truth, a life of antediluvian extent, of apostolic activity, and darkened by all the gloom of prifons, banishments, tortures, and deaths, which diftinguifhed the ages of perfecution, would be but a poor return on your part to the Son of God, for what he endured in your behalf.

Confider, beloved brethren, the importance of the object to which we would draw your attention; the introduction of the light which came from and leads to Heaven; the tranflation of men from the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of God's dear Son; the laying of the foundation of a building, which fhall grow into an holy temple in the Lord; the fowing of the feed of the word in fields, which may produce harvests of chriftian tempers and good works, in perpetual fucceffion, till the confummation of all things; the falvation of immortal fouls, for which the Son of God laid down his life, in which the Spirit of God deigns to dwell, and for which bleffedness is in Heaven prepared, confummate in its nature, and everlafting in its duration. Thefe are objects, great and good, calculated to aroufe and ftrengthen every active principle of the renewed mind. In the contemplation of thefe objects, we eafily enter into the juftness of St. Paul's feelings, when he thus fpake: "Yea, "and if I be offered up on the facrifice and service of your "faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. From Jerufalem, "and round about, unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the "Gospel of Chrift: yea, fo have I ftrived to preach the Gofpel, not where Chrift was named, left I fhould build "upon another man's foundation."

The men of the world, in the mere prospect of obtaining wealth or fame, leave, without a figh, their native fhores, encounter storms, and fhipwrecks, go to the uttermoft parts of the earth, rifque their lives in unhealthy climates, or in the field of battle; and all for an object, the obtaining of which is as uncertain as the enjoyment of it, when obtained is unfatisfying! Shall then a difciple of Jefus, who, like you has devoted himself to the crofs, hefitate to follow the