en regions of the North, and to the burning climes of the South; to the populous realms of the East, and to the sayage wilds of the West; to every continent and to the isles of the sea. The waste places of Zion have been comforted; "waters have broken forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert ;" and "to them that sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.'

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All this, however, is but the opening of the scene; the dawning of the day. It is the commandment of the everlasting God, that the gospel should be published unto all people. It is his sure promise, that it "shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations :" that "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased:" that "the gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens :" that "every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill be brought low; the crooked be made straight, and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God:" that "all the ends of the world shall remember, and turn unto him, and all the kindreds of the nations come and worship before him.

The commandment will be obeyed; the promise will be fulfilled. All the families of the earth will be converted from their vanities unto the living God: and their conversion will be effected by means of the universal publication of the gospel. "For how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent ?"-A competent number of christian ministers and teachers then, must, and assuredly will, ere long be sent forth into all lands; having the Bible to distribute, and to preach, unto all that dwell upon the earth. And for this purpose the liberal shall continue to devise liberal things; devoting themselves and their substance to the service of the gospel; increasing the number of ministers and teachers, and supplying the requisite means for their

support and their work; until the lively oracles of God shall be possessed by every family, and his sacred ordinances shall be enjoyed in every place, under heaven.

The prophetic word to this effect is sure. "Arise," says Jehovah to his church, "Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Then thou shalt see and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; when the riches of the seas shall be poured in upon thee, when the wealth of the nations shall come unto thee.* The multitude of camels shall cover thee; the dromeda ries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall show forth the praises of the Lord. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee; the rams of Nabaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar; and I will glorify the house of my glory."-"The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba, shall offer gifts.”—The daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift :" and "her traffic and her gain shall be holy to Jehovah; it shall not be treasured, nor shall it be kept in store; for her traffic shall be for them that dwell before Jehovah, for food sufficient, and for durable clothing."+"And in that day there shall be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS TO THE Lord."

So clear and so striking are the divine predictions of a mighty and glorious rising of the church, for the spread of the gospel, and the conversion of the world; and of the extension and exuberant liberality, with which the means for this vast and momentous work shall be supplied. Different realms, and nations, and tribes, kings, and merchants, and shepherds, with the various intermediate* Isaiah Ix. 5. Lowth's Translation. † Isaiah xxiii. 18. Lowth's Translation.

ranks and classes of men, will unite in the beneficent design; their gold and silver, their flocks and herds, their treasures and possessions of all kinds, will replenish the sacred fund; commerce and navigation, husbandry and the arts, the various pursuits and occupations of life, will all be consecrated to the holy service.

What, in that effulgent day, will be thought of those, who stand aloof, and bear no part in this heavenly beneficence? Of those who exclaim with fastidious indignation, "To what purpose is this waste ?"-Of those who sordidly hoard their treasures, or apply them only to purposes of earthly splendour or renown? whose missnamed charity begins at home, is always confined at home, and never lifts itself up from the earth?-Of those, in fine, who would “make empty the soul of the hungry, and cause the drink of the thirsty to fail :" who "utter errour against the Lord, and devise wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words;" to cause hundreds of millions of fellow immortals to be left to perish for want of the bread and water of life! Surely the time will come when the vile person shall no more be called liberal; and the niggard shall no more be called bountiful. FOR THE LIBERAL

SHALL DEVISE LIBERAL THINGS; AND BY LIBERAL THINGS

SHALL HE STAND.-The latter clause of the text is yet briefly to be considered.

II. By liberal things shall he stand, abide, be established, rise, increase. The original word has all this extent of meaning.

The truly liberal are joined to the Lord in one spirit, and will stand in his strength, and in his love forever. In obedience to the gospel, with a renovated heart of penitence, faith, and love, they have given themselves to him; have presented their bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable, and consecrated all that belongs to them, to him and his cause. This was their first truly liberal act; and

by this their character, and their destiny, was determined for eternity. By this decisive act, their feet were fixed upon a Rock;-upon the sure foundation, which God hath laid in Zion ;" and on this Rock they will abide forever. By this act they obtained a standing in the everlasting covenant of grace, as heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ in that kingdom of righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, which shall never be shaken ; but shall rise in excellence, and blessedness, and glory, through interminable ages. In this divine kingdom their inheritance lies. Here their treasures are deposited; and here their hopes are fixed :-treasures, which shall never fail; hopes, whose consummation is sure.

By the liberal things, which they are continually devising and performing, pursuant to the first dedication of themselves and their all, they increase in favour with God, grow in likeness to him, advance their interest in his promises, and augment their treasures in his kingdom. "With such sacrifices God is well pleased;" and his promises of reward are rich and sure. "The liberal soul shall be made fat; and he that watereth shall be watered also himself." " If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men ; especially unto them that are of the household of faith." "But this I say, he that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. For God loveth a cheerful giver." "And God is able to make all grace abound towards you; that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work; being enriched in every thing to all

Bountifulness. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed toward his name."

Surely then the liberal by liberal things shall stand; "surely he shall never be moved. He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness endureth forever; his horn shall be exalted with honour." He shall stand, during his sublunary course, through good report and evil report; in prosperity and adversity; amid the fluctuations of life and the commotions of the world; "steadfast and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord," and rejoicing in the confidence, that under the administration of his exalted Saviour, all things are advancing to the most glorious consummation.-In" the valley of the shadow of death, he will fear no evil,” for God will be with him; and cheered with the light of his countenance, he will gratefully and triumphantly sing, "My heart is glad; my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope. In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand are pleasures forever more." In the final day, he shall stand :-stand amid the terrours of a burning world, without dismay; amid the awful solemnities of the judgment seat, with unspeakable joy. And in the great city, the holy Jerusalem, amid the countless myriads of the redeemed, out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, in promoting whose salvation he was permitted to bear a humble part, he shall stand before the throne of their adored Redeemer; and walking with them in His light, he will "see the good of His chosen, will rejoice in the gladness of His nation, and will glory with His inheritance, with ever fresh and ever increasing wonder and delight, forever and ever.

My friends, you are all invited to bear a part in this work, and to secure a share in this glory. To promote the one and the other, is the special design of this meeting,