consecration.

the powers of darkness, who hate your mission, are of themselves a host against which you have to contend. Yea, the very thought of the associations you have broken up, of the privileges you have forsaken, of the prospects you have forfeited, of the home, and the kindred, and the country you have left, may raise a conflict in your bosom, and make you find it hard to hush the rising murmur, and to go forth in a spirit of perfect freedom and of unreserved And, more than all that, in the land of your adoption you may have your soul vexed from day to day with the sight of the unrighteous deeds that are done in it; you may lose your vivid impressions of the offensiveness and moral turpitude of the lying fables and monstrous rites to which its people are given up; you may be dispirited by the tenacity with which they cling to their idolatry and their sins, by the slowness with which they yield to the light and appeals of the gospel; you may be sorely tried by the unsteady walk and the unholy life of those whom you reckoned converts of righteousness; you may be borne down by the thought that you are all but standing alone, little more than a solitary sentinel on a distant outpost, looking abroad on a desolation that sickens your heart, that seems to mock your exertions, and to weary out your hope, and having none to encourage you, and none to rouse you to action.

But whatever these things be, whatever be the exigencies and dangers that thicken around you, be it yours to meet them in the spirit of the Apostle, when he said, "None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto me, that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." Have faith in God, who will never leave you nor forsake you, who will make his grace sufficient for you, and make his strength perfect in your weakness. Have faith in the securities of the everlasting covenant. Have faith in the sufficiency of the word of God for encountering every shape of evil, for overcoming every form of error, for proving a hill not to be commanded, a hill which shall never be commanded, which rather shall itself command all other heights and eminences of the spiritual and intellectual world. Have faith in the power of the Holy Spirit to dispel every cloud, to surmount every prejudice, to cast down every barrier, to awaken the dullest conscience, and to cleanse the unholiest heart. Have faith like that which gave to the preaching of the first ages all its resistless power, which bore the apostles and primitive evangelists along as on a march of triumph, amidst the scoffing and the mocking of the world. Have that faith of which it may be truly said that it outstrips the speed of ages, leans on the arm of Omnipotence, brings the distant near, and turns the invisible into a present substance, rears us up from the dust, and teaches us, while halting and wearied in the contest, to say, "I will not let Thee go except thou bless me." And then you will be strong in the Lord, strong to labour, and strong to endure. Then, though you should sow in tears, and see no fruit of all your toil, you will believe in the time to come when you shall gather sheaves with joy, when the land of Sinim shall be the Lord's, when all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God. Fear not, therefore, neither be discouraged. Be faithful unto death, and Christ will give you the crown of life. Although you know not what forces may combine against you; although you may know not what doors may be open for you, and what shut; although you know not what lying wonders and false glories may rise up to delude the people you are fain to save; although you know not through what vicissitudes or baptisms of fire the Church of Christ may have to pass ere the kingdom be delivered up to the Father; yet this issue is sure, that if you keep the faith and finish your course, there is laid up for you a crown of righteousness, that the Lord the righteous Judge will give you at that day. And if the prospect of a corruptible crown will fire another man's soul, and wing his footsteps; if it will brighten his eye and expand his breast; if it will nerve him to climb the steepest ascent, to face the direst hazards, and to turn aside from no barrier, surely the prospect of a crown that is incorruptible and full of glory may well inspire you with seraphic ardour, and keep you steadfast and immovable in the midst of all your toils and conflicts, until you join the company of faithful men that have gone before you to the better country, until you hear the gracious words, "Well

done," receive the condescending smiles of your blessed Master, and enter into his joy.

Go forth, then, dear brother, to this work, and to this consummation. Go in the strength of the Lord, making mention of his righteousness, even of his only. Go forth as the herald of salvation, as the messenger of mercy, remembering that though we now bid you farewell, we will not be forgetful of you when in the land of strangers; that you carry with you our sympathy and our confidence; and that it is our heart's desire and prayer to God that peace and joy may attend your path; that the dearest blessings and best gifts of our heavenly Father may come down and rest upon you; that you may be kept safe from the devouring pestilence and wasting disease, from the arrows of the destroyer, and the snares of death; and that when your work is over and your pilgrimage ended, you may find acceptance of the Lord, and on the great day see many of the sons and daughters of China clothed in shining garments, whom you were instrumental in persuading to wash their robes, and make them white in the blood of the Lamb.

And to you, Christian brethren, here assembled, I would only say one word. Our brother goes forth as your representative, and the representative of the Church, that he may tell what the gospel has done for you; that he may declare what you wish the gospel to do for others; that he may supply your lack of service; that he may act for you in the high task of combating the powers of darkness. You have therefore a personal interest in him, and a sacred relationship to him so close, that you may well regard his labours and achievements, his difficulties and his trials, his joys and his sorrows, at his post afar off, as your own. Nothing that affects him and his work can be of no concern to you. Bid him God-speed then on his errand. Go after him with watchful solicitude. Follow him with the deep affection and the lively hopes of living sympathy. Hail with delight the tidings of success he may send you home. Hold up his hands by the power of your prayers. Be mindful of him in your supplications, and labour always with him in your prayers. And let your prayers for him be enlarged, let your hopes of him and the eause committed to him be confirmed by the fact that he is going out from the midst of us to a strange and mysterious land, at a time when great grace is descending upon the churches, when showers of blessings are watering the heritage of God, when the word is with the Holy Ghost and with power, and great multitudes at home and abroad are becoming obedient to the faith. Cherish more deeply that missionary spirit of which he is one of the living fruits, and go forth each individual apart to a more cheerful and determined doing of all that the Lord who bought you would have you to do for the salvation of souls, and for the coming of his kingdom. And do all this, remembering that the work is the Lord's, that the brightest visions of light and peace which his word unfolds to you shall be realised, and that the time is hasting on when the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea, when men shall be blessed in Jesus, and all nations shall call him blessed.

Miscellaneous Papers.

(Original and Selected.)

SPEAKING THE TRUTH.

BY THE REV. WILLIAM C. BURNS.

conversion, and some among the unconverted are anxious for it too: they want (From a Hearer's Notes.) to be converted." Ah, I told him I did THE deceitfulness of the human heart was not think so; no: and we agreed on this brought before my mind strongly to-day, point also. My dear friends, the unconwhen conversing with a minister about the verted may think they wish it, and say so work of God; and we agreed about it. too, till it comes; but, ah, they would flee But first, he said, "I believe that the then, unless Divine sovereign grace arpeople of God are anxious for a time of rested them; for "who shall abide the

day of His coming, and who shall stand Himself does come near, they shrink back, when He appeareth ?" The people of God do and say, "This is not what we were exnot know how unwilling even they them- pecting!" Ah, I can say this feelingly. I selves are for it. Few desire it in reality. know for myself, that nothing, nothing It requires too great a measure of heart- but the pull of an Omnipotent arm would purifying and of the abolishing of idols to keep me at the work; nothing but His be desirable to many. Few ministers de- resistless arm could lead a poor worm up, sire it; few elders desire it; few people, as it were, into the midst of the conflict even among believers, As a Church, we that there is among principalities and profess to be seeking it; in our assem-powers when a multitude of sinners are blies it is spoken of; in our Sabbath escaping from the bondage of Satan unto prayers it is mentioned; but, ah, with what God. Such a day as that, is, I believe, sincerity? I believe that what is bring- the most solemn day in man's history. ing a curse upon Scotland now may be the There is one other solemn day, the day of way in which the Lord's work has been in judgment; but that is, perhaps, even less times past regarded by many professors of solemn, though more natural feeling may better things. Ah, when the Lord, un- then be excited. Still that will only be bidden and unsought, made bare His arm the coming forth of each sinner to hear gloriously some years ago, few, few could his final doom, irrevocably fixed long beabide His coming then. Few ministers fore in the case of millions. confessed it. Many among them who profess to be on the Lord's side, said as much as that they thought they were doing God a favour when they did not speak against his work openly! and some there were who did speak against it. Aye, there were some that did that among ministers! Elders did that; and many a professor did so too; and yet all unite now in saying they desire it, and the very same men will pray for the outpouring of the Spirit! They will stand in the pulpit and ask this; and when it comes, because God does not work just as they would like, they do not acknowledge that He is working at all! There has been much of this already; and I believe that, were the Spirit to be poured out again, many a minister, and elder, and member of the church would reject the Lord's work again.* The Lord, He is the Judge. He will judge me by the words of my mouth, and purify or condemn me accordingly; and if I have been unfaithful, I must and ought to go to hell; and you must agree that it is just and right. I shall be judged before your presence, and you before me; therefore let us not deceive ourselves. There are many of you who think you are anxious for a time of converting power, and ministers think they are willing for it; but ah, is it so ? When the Lord and hear the clock strike, or when you hear

But it is otherwise now; for in a time of His power on earth He draws near to all men. He tells us where and what we are now, but He also tells us where and what we might be even now; tells us what Satan has done to ruin us and also tells what His grace can make us, and where His right hand is willing to place us-even among the sons of God. Ah, will any say that a passing day of grace is not an awful time in a lost sinner's history? And then the madness in which men make their lying excuses, that they cannot think of giving up the world, of becoming separate, of saerificing earthly interests! Oh, friend, what are you doing? for you thus mean to say that you cannot think of giving up to hate God! Ah, is this true or false? and if true-as true it is-oh, sinner, is that a bed to sleep upon? Don't say He is unwilling to save you; or that, if you persist in remaining unsaved, He will be unwilling to destroy you; for you either mean thus to make God a liar, or to act in defiance of him.

Fellow-sinner, do you believe that the Son of God is at this moment willing, able, and at hand to save you? Do you believe that at every one moment, since you entered this place, a fresh offer has, as it were, been made you of salvation? Ah, when you sit within your house at home

*This experience of our dear friend nearly twenty years ago has been the experience of many of the Lord's people during the memorable year just past.

the pendulum move to tell that another believe no man, no believer, is willing or second is gone for ever, think you hear it ready to make the sacrifice which God's say, "Now is the accepted time." While coming into the midst of us would require. time lasts, remember a perpetual "now" Don't make the excuse that you are unable stands written, and every moment you put to deliver yourself from Satan's yoke or off you are in danger of falling into hell. from carnal care-though this is in one Brethren, brethren, are you willing to run sense true. If I were to fall into a deep the risk of dwelling with devils in hell? If mire, surrounded by high perpendicular men but believed the immediate and con- banks, with no means of escape, it could stant danger of this, it would make a sensa- not be my work to get out thence; but were tion in the city. Yes, were the real state of a friend to cast in a rope to save me, and I things to flash across the mind of the city were to persist in saying still, I cannot but for a moment, oh, how things would escape, it's not my work to deliver myself; change! The rich, the great frequenters of and if I allowed the rope to dangle hither the temple of Satan, or of balls and scenes and thither above my head, neglecting to of folly, those who merrily take their place touch it, then I would be to blame, and my in the parties of dancing and of pleasure, ruin would rest on my own head. We are would rise, and rise together, and flee from by nature sunk in sin; we cannot, God the wrath to come. And the poor too- knows it, escape of ourselves; He does not those who are frequenting the taverns, and wish us to attempt it; He lets down the clubs, and public-houses of the town-oh, long golden chain of his eternal love, just if they believed it, if they believed that the to where you are lying in your sins; and if narrow thread of life has but to be cut, and you choose to put it away from you, and they in one moment would find themselves choose still to say, "I am lost, I am beyond in eternal darkness! ah, if this were be- hope," and so refuse God, then that is your lieved, no church would hold the crowds of own doing. Evidently and indisputably, worshippers; there would be terror and God's word is, "Him that cometh unto Me weeping in Perth to-night, and there would | I will in no wise cast out ;" "As I live, saith be holy joy among God's people; for it is the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of music in a believer's ear to hear a man ask, him that dieth;" and even when hardened "What must I do to be saved?" There is sinners, finally refusing to hear His voice, nothing so sweet as that; and yet-mark and turning their back for ever on eternal the deceitfulness of the heart-I may be life, go away, He only says of them, "Oh very anxious and very willing, as I may that they were wise, that they understood think, to see men saved, and yet very un- this, that they would consider their latter willing to be made the instrument of it- end!" Sinners think that the Lord has no willing to be mocked and despised for it. love for them! but that is only because they wont attend or listen when he says, "Oh that my people had hearkened unto me... I should soon have subdued their enemies!" You say, "There is a lion in the way;' Satan has me in his hand, and I've many sins that I can't give up." Well, He knows that, He has provided for that, and it is therefore He says, "I should soon have subdued their enemies." Yes, only trust Him; the Lord will make short work with your enemies; He'll soon subdue them. If there be a man here tied with all his lusts, the Lord can free you. Yes! even you, children, who are full of imprecations, and the curses by which you make so free with hell; even you, will He cleanse; get your soul washed in his precious, sin-atoning, soul-cleansing blood; and then be a swearer still, if you

Think you that it is a small matter to give up the race for eternal glory? You seemed for a time to run, and you would be still found seeking God were it not for that companion, that idol, that dashing sin, that love of the world that comes in between you and God. These things have made you hardened as the deaf adder, that will not hear the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely. You cry out for salvation; or believers, who have got salvation, cry for | a work of God in the city; but whenever the Lord draws near, you cry "Not yet, Lord! not yet!" Whenever he would lay His hand on some cherished idol, you shrink back and start at the idea. Ah, is the Lord making you willing to part with all for His name and for His glory? I

can. Ah, impossible! impossible! Who- rod in his hand! One so feeble of speech ever you be and whatever you have been, that he required Aaron to speak for him! liars, drunkards, atheists, if you will but This was he whose word was to defeat the hearken unto Him, He will subdue your counsel of hundreds of thousands of armed iniquities and all your enemies too, of what- men. Ah, but the LORD was the Head of ever kind or power they be-magistrates or Moses, and of Israel too. There was a rulers, potentates and governments-nothing power that was omnipotent hidden behind can harm you while God is your defence.