attended to the things spoken of Paul; and as He hath the key of David, he can open the heart which has been long shut against the gospel, and the King of glory will then be welcomed in to take possession of that throne on which the arch enemy of souls had long sat; but which the invincible power of a superior Master has wrested from his frightful domination.

3. The Lord has set before you an open door, which no man can shut. It is now about seventeen years since the Congregational Union of Scotland was formed. Let us take a short view of what has been accomplished during that period. Many doors of usefulness have been opened; thousands of our perishing countrymen have heard the glad tidings of salvation; and what is fraught with ample encouragement and great joy is, that many have believed them. It may be said, and it has often been repeated, that Scotland is an enlightened country, and does not stand in need of labourers. If we compare it with other countries, it is so; but if we bring it to the test of trial,-to the word of God,-truth compels us to confess that its character has been overrated. We have, indeed, much of the piety of the system, but we wish the piety of the heart. Our perishing countrymen anxiously demand our prayers and labours: every soul is alike precious in the sight of God; but the souls of our relatives, neighbours, and countrymen, ought to have the first claim upon our attention, and to interest us as the Jews did Paul,-" Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." Never was greater encouragement afforded to labour, to promote the vital interests and secure the final happiness of man : doors are opening in every direction, and the call of many is, "Come over and help us." Those who comply with the invitation will receive a cordial welcome, will meet with the approbation of a good conscience, and will have their minds elevated with the numbers that will assemble to hear the words of eternal life. Since the Lord has set before us an open door, and afforded us reason to believe that no man can shut it, let us attend

II. To the work to be accomplished-the preaching of the gospel. When the Lord opens doors, and leads the way to laborious undertakings and Godlike enterprises, he intends his servants to enter upon the work, and labour in his service; but this cannot be effected without preachers.

1. Preachers are necessary to carry on the work of the Lord. It is the Lord alone who can qualify men to go forth into the plenteous harvest. And how does the Apostle of the Gentiles reason on the necessity of men, thus qualified, carrying the gospel

it;

to those perishing for lack of knowledge, and increasing their means of belief! "There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek : for the same Lord over all, is rich unto all that call upon him." "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" And who are so fit to preach the gospel, as those who have been savingly converted by —as those who love their Master, and delight in his service;as those who are determined to be valiant for the truth on the earth, and to go forth preaching that men should repent? Such alone can set before their hearers the words of eternal life, expose the evil of sin, and declare the wonders of redeeming love. Others may be well versed in the gospel system as a matter of science, and a sublime subject for speculation; they may know how to defend the externals of Christianity, and may reason in a clear and logical manner in favour of the evidences for its truth; they may hold orthodox opinions, and be bold champions in the field of controversy; and yet they may be total strangers to the internal power and quickening energy of true religion :—and should they possess talent, and learning, and influence, they will only do the more injury to the cause of God. But the men whom the Lord delights to honour, are the humble and contrite, and of whom it may be said, that they serve the Lord with humility and many tears;—the men who possess deep piety and scriptural views of the gospel, who commend themselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God, and who avoid the unprofitable nature of general statements by a pointed application of the word of life to the particular cases and circumstances of men. From a general application of the gospel, little or no good can be expected, as it blunts the edge of the sword of the Spirit, is a direct preventive against its being quick and powerful, and allows the conscience to remain callous and untouched. Those preachers who go from place to place, carrying the message of mercy to sinners ready to perish, require to be plain and pointed in their address, in order to awaken deep concern in the hearts of those who hear them. It has been said by some, and it has been thought by more, that little talent is requisite for an Itinerant Preacher. We are so far from agreeing with this sentiment, that we consider the first order of talent necessary to make deep impressions at the first, to enter upon the arduous work of breaking up the fallow-ground, and paving the way for future success. Others of less influence may afterwards cast in a handful of seed, and labour till the seed spring up and produce a hundred-fold. Let none suppose that this would lower the

respectability of the members of Christ possessing the first talents. If preaching the gospel from place to place be a descent, it is a glorious one: it is like the angel in the Apocalypse who came down to bind Satan, and deliver those whom he had led captive. The messenger derives his importance from the nature of his message, and is invested with a power and authority which no other character possesses; as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"

2. The message which is to be published. This must come from the Lord. He gives the word, and he gives it that it may be made known according to his mind. The preacher must neither soften it nor change it, but must act the part of a sworn witness in telling "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." The gospel supposes men to be in a fallen state, and daily experience proves the truth of the scripture statements on this subject. Whether you believe the gospel or not, you cannot deny the fact that men are depraved, selfish, and worldly, that their actions accord with their corrupt motives, and that they mind earthly things. To account for this is no difficult matter. Man has departed from God, and become sinful and subject to vanity: "As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Sin exposes not only to suffering here, but to misery hereafter: the sufferings which are endured in time are nothing compared with the anguish and misery that will be felt before the tribunal of God. No man can deliver himself from his perilous situation: the holy law of God shuts him up under its curse, and makes no compromise in defect of perfect obedience. In this helpless condition, the gospel exhibits to our view a Saviour and a Deliverer, who came to redeem us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. His designs towards poor sinners are designs of mercy, and are intended to deliver them from bondage and death; to make them willing in the day of his power; to soften their hard hearts, and make them susceptible of divine impressions. Whenever a door is opened to preach Christ's gospel, his servants are to enter in, and proclaim pardon and eternal life to sinners ready to perish. It invites all to come to Him and take of the water of life freely, and assures the trembling sinner that him who cometh to the Saviour, he will in no wise cast out. Every blessing is freely offered to the poor and needy, in virtue of the work of Christ; and nothing but unbelief, pride, and aversion to heavenly things, can keep any uninterested in this great salvation. Every part of the wondrous plan is free from ambiguity and abstruse announcements: promises and rewards are distinctly and unequivocally stated; and the command has been given

to use means that we may be put into their possession. To encourage us to apply for these blessings, God pledges the honour of his faithfulness, and declares that all who seek him in the appointed way shall find him. That the messengers of mercy may persevere in their work, the divine decree has gone forth-" So shall my word be, that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." And whether it prove successful or not, the faithful servant shall not lose his reward, or be less honoured of his Master: the promise is, " Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Faithfulness pertains to man; success is the work of the Lord. If his honour and glory obtain a prominent place in our affections, and the salvation of souls be our perpetual aim, we shall be constrained to declare the whole truth, and keep back nothing that may be profitable. What may seem most insignificant to us, may be that which the Spirit would render most effectual; and it is a serious reflection to deprive that Divine Agent of fit occasions of carrying on his own work in the souls of his people, or in the world at large.

In the gospel, we have the picture of Jehovah's heart: it is the latest, the simplest, and clearest discovery of the Divine mind. The manner in which it is announced in the New Testament, is simple and plain: it is in such terms as these:-" God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him might not perish, but have everlasting life;""This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." In preaching these well-known, though nevertheless interesting doctrines, we must maintain the authority of the Lawgiver, as well as the compassion of the saint. The gospel teaches those who believe it to submit to the authority of Christ as King of Zion: thus they are under law to Him; and his laws, like his commandments, are not grievous. To preach this message is the primary end for which the Congregational Union was formed; and to those who are actively engaged in this work, its friends and promoters say, Arise, and work, and we will be with you:" with you in our prayers, that you may labour and not faint; with you, to contribute of our substance to your temporal necessities, that you may be enabled to carry on the work of the Lord; with you in our affections, to sympathize with you in your trials and difficulties; and with you to rejoice, when the word of the Lord has free course and is glorified.

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3. As a source of encouragement to persevere in the work of the Lord, we would advert to the success which has attended the preaching of the gospel : "Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree,

and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." That success has attended the preaching of the gospel has been confirmed by the experience of ages; it is confirmed by observation in the present day, whether we turn our eyes to the field of missionary labour abroad, or to the revivals of religion in America, where the Lord is pouring out his Spirit and converting thousands in a day, and where something like a second Pentecost is enjoyed. In our own native land, the Lord has not left us without some comfortable evidence, that we are not labouring in vain or spending our strength for nought. By our instrumentality, the poor and perishing have been led to exclaim, "What must I do to be saved?" and like some of old to say, "Whither thou goest, we will go, and whither thou lodgest, we will lodge: thy people shall be my people; nothing but death shall part thee and me."

It is difficult to determine how many receive good by hearing the gospel preached occasionally from place to place, as there may be no church formed to whom the awakened may have an opportunity of applying, and there may be but few godly persons to whom they may make their case known. Although, however, they may never have it in their power to join a church on earth, they will assuredly be admitted to the fellowship of the church above. Salvation is not confined to church membership; but " with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation ;" and "he that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life." The more that we depend upon the influences of the Holy Spirit being poured out from on high to accompany the gospel with saving effect, the more success will be enjoyed. Notwithstanding the seeming efficiency of human means, the truth remains unaltered that "Paul may plant, and Apollos water, but it is God who giveth the increase." Let us abound in fervent and believing prayer, and God will open the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing till there shall not be room enough to receive it. In the work of the Lord, we may expect to meet with opposition; our efforts would be feeble, indeed, if the enemy of souls did not oppose them. When a great and effectual door is opened, there will be many resisting obstacles to contend with, but the Head of the church ever lives, and nothing that is formed against Zion shall prosper; which leads us to the third division of our subject, viz.

III. The protection promised.

"Behold, I have set before thee

an open door, and no man can shut it."

In the original, it is more strongly expressed. There the promised