course.

of Christ's kingdom is the subject of the present disI will, first, show, in a few words, what progress has hitherto been made in establishing this kingdom; and, secondly, what accessions it may be expected to receive in future ages.

I. It appears from ecclesiastical history, and from ancient heathen testimony, that, as our Saviour had predicted, the gospel, before the close of the first century, was preached in every country, where the Roman power prevailed. It thence by degrees extended its influence among many of the surrounding independent nations. In the fourth century, it gained a complete triumph over paganism, and became the established religion of the state. As the Roman empire declined, it subdued the barbarous nations which broke that colossal power: so that, before the end of the sixth century, it flourished on all the shores of the Mediterranean, had reached Ethiopia, had penetrated deeply into Asia, and into the middle regions of Europe.

In the following century, the kingdom of Christ was abridged by Mahomet and his followers; but whilst it lost ground in Asia and Africa, it continued to make progress in Poland, Russia, and Scandinavia; so that in the thirteenth century it was the established religion of every part of Europe, except the countries, which had submitted to the Mahometan arms. Thus were the kingdoms of this world, according to the prediction of St John, and probably in the sense in which he understood it, made the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ.

At the revival of learning, and in consequence of the spirit of enterprise which it introduced, countries before unknown were laid open to the knowledge of the Europeans. The

love of power and the love of gain carried menin to the remotest parts of the earth; but whilst their hearts festered boasted that they were

with ambition and avarice, they erecting the kingdom of Christ. Attempts were made to christianize the newly discovered nations; and the gospel was preached on the shores of Africa, in India, and China, and in many of the regions of America. But its triumphs no longer resembled the conquests of the primitive ages for it was for the most part proclaimed by heralds, who were not worthy to bear the heavenly tidings; or it was announced to savages, who were so deeply sunk in ignorance and barbarism, that they were not qualified for its reception. On the whole however the kingdom of Christ has been advanced since the revival of learning; converts have been made; and the number of Christians, by the increase of the nations, who are the subjects of the Messiah, has been greatly augmented.

II. I proceed, secondly, to consider what accessions the kingdom of Christ may be expected to receive in future ages.

Europe is a well-settled country; but it is still capable, particularly in Spain and Russia, of affording a subsistence to many additional inhabitants. If the nations of that important quarter of the globe could be persuaded to suspend for fifty years their sanguinary wars, which have laid waste so many of their fertile fields, and overwhelmed so many of their flourishing cities, the destruction of human life would be diminished, and the population, as well as the happiness, of those countries would. be vastly increased. Will not nations, who call themselves Christians, in time be mindful of the principles of

their peaceable religion? Will not they, who have gone so far, as to abolish the African slave trade, be willing to go one step further, and to abolish war? The hopes of peacemakers, who pray for the enlargement of the kingdom of the Messiah, have so often been disappointed, that they should not be too sanguine in their expectations but during the last three centuries, so much has been done in favor of the rights and happiness of man; the Christian religion is so much better understood, and, we may venture to say, its benevolent precepts are so much more frequently practised; and the inhabitants of Europe are so much more numerous, than they were in the dark and barbarous ages; that there is no presumption in anticipating, that their progress toward perfection will not be arrested; and that each new century will see the addition of a large and faithful body of subjects to the kingdom of Christ.

In the meantime the Mahometan power which has long oppressed the countries, where the gospel was first propagated, is apparently declining; and a revolution, which would cause Christianity to become again the predominant religion in Greece, Asia Minor, and Syria, would not be unexpected, or exceed in wonder several others, which have lately taken place in the world. Those delightful regions want nothing but the restoration of the kingdom of peace, to render them as populous and as prosperous, as they were in ancient times.

As to America, there is one part of the prospect, which is discouraging. The attempt, which has been made to introduce its savage inhabitants into the kingdom of the Messiah, has been attended with so little success, that sober and experienced men are now ready to abandon it in despair. Not that many of the natives have not become

Christians; but the melancholy fact is, that it has been found impracticable to preserve or continue the race. Like the wild beasts of the forest, they have disappeared at the approach of the civilized man; and they have been, during so long a time, and in so many places, wasting away, that it appears to be an established law of divine Providence; and no person, who possesses a knowledge of their manners and history, has now a doubt, that they will soon cease to be a people. But this expectation, gloomy as it may be at the first view, is more adverse to the extension of the kingdom of Christ in semblance, than in reality. The red man disappears, but the white man takes his place; and where ten of the former roamed, a thousand of the latter dwell in secure habitations. This way of enlarging the dominion of the Messiah was not anticipated by the Christians of former times. But God does not always effect his purposes by the means, which men would prescribe: when however we have seen the event, we are convinced, that it is by better means. Who now can doubt, that this vast continent, filled with civilized Christians, affords a more glorious spectacle in the sight of Heaven, than a few churches of savages, scattered over the land, at immeasurable distances from each other?— America seems destined to become the largest division of the kingdom of Christ. If the causes, which have hitherto multiplied its population, should continue to operate, at the end of a few centuries it will contain, in its two continents, above a thousand million of white inhabitants, all of whom will call themselves the subjects of Jesus. Whilst the uttermost parts of the earth are thus given to him for his possession, though we lament the melancholy fate of the original inhabitants of America, we should not be sur

prised, that the Author of nature is producing his important ends, not by supernatural, not even by extraordinary, means, but by the operation of second causes, and in the usual course of his divine administrations.

In several parts of Asia and Africa zealous missionaries are now attempting to diffuse the knowledge of the gospel; but the success, except in the islands of the Pacific Ocean, does not appear to be great, nor to correspond with the exertions of the Christians, who conduct the work. Every good man, however, must applaud the benevolence and piety, by which they are actuated; and every candid man must approve the pains, which they have taken to communicate the Scriptures to the inhabitants in their own languages. Possibly the experiment may fail at last; but it ought not to be abandoned, till after a trial has been made during a number of years, nor till it is found to be absolutely hopeless.

If the Divine being should not see fit to add these parts of the earth to the dominion of his Son, the believer may console his mind with the prospect, that a new field will probably be opened for the triumphs of the kingdom of Christ. On the southeast of Asia lies a continent, in a temperate climate, accommodated to the habits of civilized man. It is already begun to be settled by Europeans; and judging from past events, we may conclude, that in a few centuries, it will contain many millions of Christian inhabitants.

Such are the accessions, which, without having recourse to the supposition of anything supernatural, the kingdom of Christ may be expected to receive in future ages. God may make use of other natural instruments, which are at present unforeseen by us, as the means which I have pointed out were by our ancestors. But