On the western coast, the Church missionaries, and Wesleyans, and Americans, are at work, and here is light. God has converted many precious souls. On the east coast, also, the Sun of Righteousness is beginning to shine. Here is light. But what shall we say of the centre of Africa? Here all is dark, and the dark places are full of the habitations of cruelty. I mentioned some of the cruelties practised by sons and daughters on their own parents. This had the happiest effect. I heard the deep sigh, and now and then a groan. The tears also gushed from a thousand eyes. The sight was overwhelming. I paused, and then said, Brothers and sisters! God has done great things for you. Many of you have been converted during the past year. Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Once you were afar off, but now you are brought nigh by the blood of Jesus. Remember you are indebted for all your mercies to the gospel of Christ. Think of this, and tell me what you can do for Christ. Think of it, and tell me what you can do for Africa.' I then retired and went into my closet, and fell upon my knees, and adored the grace which had produced such an effect on my people. Monday passed, and I heard nothing about it. The next morning my servant came to my study door, and said to this effect, Two negroes want you, sir.' 'Tell them to come in.' They entered. Both of them were young, and very clever, and both had been converted during the year. One of them had become a Sunday-school teacher, and the other visited the sick and aged, reading the Scriptures, and praying with them. These were truly Christian engagements, and quite a preparation for further services in the church of God. I said to the first, • Well, what brought you here to-day? O sir, I am too much sorry-my heart is sore.' What makes your heart sore ?' The thought that so many people are living in darkness, and in the habitations of cruelty. I have not slept for two nights about that. O sir, Jesus has been a blessed Saviour to

me; he died for me; he has pardoned me; he has made me happy, and now I think I could go to my father-land, and tell my poor countrymen what a blessed Saviour Jesus is, and I am come to ask your opinion about it.' Here, my beloved friends-here is compassion for souls. Here is a poor negro, not able to sleep for two nights about the people in Africa, while millions in England have never been kept awake for half an hour about their own salvation. Alas! they care not whether they shall go to heaven or to hell." It is about these careless sinners that I wish you to feel and to act. There is abundant work for you all. And, for your guidance, take the three following directions :

First, Consider well their state.Think of the British dominions alone! 'There are one hundred millions of Pagans, multitudes of Mohammedans, many Jews, and tens of thousands of nominal Christians, under the government of Queen Victoria. O what can be done for them to lead them to repentance! Then think of your own congregation. How few members in your church. What a small proportion of the people seem preparing for heaThen come to your own family. Yes, with tenderness, and love, and faithfulness, examine into the state of your own family, and if things are not right in the sight of God, never cease thinking of it, until you feel as David felt when he said, "Rivers of water run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law," or like the Lord Jesus, when he beheld Jerusalem, and wept over it.

ven.

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Secondly, Go to prayer. Though there is much to call forth your pity and sympathy in behalf of the unconverted, yet there is nothing to discourage. Your Master has all power over all hearts, and over all worlds. dried up the Red Sea to let his people pass over. He broke down the walls of Jericho by the sound of the rams' horns. He made the worm Jacob to thresh the mountains. He converted three thousand by Peter's sermon, and his arm is not shortened that it cannot

save, nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear. O no-go to prayer. Be sure not to attempt the work in your own strength-go to prayer. Take God with you. He is a jealous God, and if you neglect him, and thus rob him of his glory, he will frown upon you, and leave you to feel your own weak

ness.

"Restraining prayer we cease to fight,
Prayer makes the Christian's armour bright;
And Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees."

Thirdly, Go to work.-Throw your whole soul into your labours, and be very anxious that your efforts may be blessed. Baxter says, he never knew a man to be very useful, who was not anxious to be useful. Cry mightily for this. Labour vigorously for this. Success in early efforts will have an animating effect on all your future days. Walter Venning, the philan

thropist, when encouraging a young friend to join the Prison Society, said, "Only succeed in reclaiming one offender, and you are a Prison man for life." Think of this; I can bear witness to the truth of it. God was pleased to bless my early efforts for the good of souls, and it has had a cheering influence on my spirits ever since. Be earnest with the Holy Spirit to assist you. Consider how easily God can touch the heart of your brother, or sister, or mother. You will get strength as you go along. The sweet experience of the love of Christ will nerve your arm, and the saving of a soul from death will fill your soul with rapture. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch aз ye know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord." RICHARD KNILL.

To the Editor of the

DEAR SIR,-At a time like the present, when clerical intolerance and bitterness so grievously abound, it is truly delightful to meet here and there with the manifestation of another spirit, imbibed from the fountain of truth and love; and I am persuaded that both you and your readers will be gratifiedyou, by inserting, and they, by perusing the following short article. It is extracted from a farewell sermon recently delivered at St. Alkmond's church, in this town, by the Rev. John Richards, on resigning his curacy, which he had usefully held for nearly twenty-four years.

The sermon, which is published by T. Ward and Co., after setting forth a full statement of evangelical doctrines, with practical reflections, proposes sundry searching inquiries, the latter of which forms the passage referred to. I am, dear sir, yours truly, THOMAS WEAVER.

Shrewsbury, Feb. 1843.

Lastly, what zeal has it (your religion) exhibited for the spread of heavenly truth in the world? Many, in their bigotry and narrowness of soul, so clog their charity, as to shut out every one from the favour of God, and the hope of heaven, who cannot use their shibboleth. These, crying, The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are we,' are literally employing themselves to bring the real temple of God to desolation. The image of Christ must be loved, by those transformed into his likeness, wherever it is

seen.

To confine it, therefore, to the Church of England, were the most culpable presumption; claiming as our own exclusive right a privilege which is possessed in common by all who 'love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.' Master,' said St. John, conversing with his Lord, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us, and we forbad him, because he followeth not us; but Jesus

said, Forbid him not, for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that shall lightly speak evil of me, for he that is not against us, is on our part.' That there are those of all denominations of Christians, who are a discredit to Christianity, who can doubt? But, because of dissemblers with God, should we withdraw our esteem and love from the faithful, whose lives are engaged in setting forth the glories of Emmanuel, and promoting the welfare of Zion? God forbid! To such, if you are the children of the Most High, you must feel attached, and say, To as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.'

"Are you regular in your attendance on the ordinances of religion, and, instead of perplexing yourselves about apostolical succession, are you praying that there may be in those who claim this distinction a greater conformity to those eminent servants of God, in the doctrines which they preached, and in the lives which they led, determined to give no countenance to any who corrupt the word of God, and who strive to rob you of your hope? It cannot be disguised, that too many of those who pride themselves on the orthodoxy of their sentiments, by uniting works with faith, in the article of our acceptance with God, too much resemble the Judaizing teachers among the Galatians; who, by joining circumcision with faith in justification, perverted the gospel of Christ, and called forth that awful denunciation of St. Paul, Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you, than that ye have received, let him be accursed.' You, who are faithful to your heavenly

Master, hearken not to those who are for turning the truth of God into a lie; preaching for doctrines the commandments of men. No, you are better instructed. You receive the gospel as it is offered to you by the holy Scriptures; you take it pure from the fountain, unimpaired by human systems, uncorrupted by carnal reason, unincumbered by tradition, unobscured by the idle fancies of men who wish to be wise above that which is written. Always bearing in mind the freeness, the fulness, the completeness, of the salvation it makes known; you embrace it as an unmerited favour, and cherish it as an invaluable blessing. Rejoicing in it from day to day, you are never tired in speaking of it and recommending it; but especially in thankfully applying its blessings to yourselves; and copying its precepts in your conversation.

66

Having found, by persevering diligence and research, the treasure hidden in the field, you hold out to others encouragement to enter upon the like occupation; giving your support to institutions, whose object is to supply means to those who need them, for the attainment of so invaluable a blessing. Bible, Missionary, and Tract Societies, especially the Religious Tract Society, which has been so extensively useful; schools for the education of the poor, founded on the religion of the Bible, with everything which has a tendency to further the present and eternal welfare of your fellow-creatures, you cordially patronise; longing to see the cause of your Saviour triumphing over that of the prince of darkness. Your prayer is, Thy kingdom come,' and your efforts used to hasten it, prove its sincerity; so that the grace bestowed upon you, 'through the thanksgiving of many, redounds to the glory of God.' You, then, who profess to have received the gospel, see what manner of persons you ought to be, in all holy conversation and godliness."

MEMORANDA

OF A SERMON

STAFFORDSHIRE.

Ir was remarked on one occasion, by a native of the South Sea Islands, that the love of Christ is like the ocean. In all ages men have been taking from its waters, yet the ocean remains full as ever; in like manner, men in all ages have been drinking of the stream of Christ's love, yet there remains a fulness that can never be diminished.

We shall consider our subject in three general particulars.

I. THE NATURE AND PROPERTIES OF THE LOVE OF CHRIST.

II. THE MANIFESTATION OF THIS

LOVE.

III. THE INFLUENCE IT SHOULD HAVE UPON US.

I.

Notice, 1st, The greatness of the love of Christ.-It is described by height and length, and depth and breadth high as heaven above us, deep as hell beneath us, long and broad as our spacious world.

2dly. Its immutability.-We often change; Christ is the same now as when he made an atonement for us by dying upon the cross. Did he change when his disciples forsook him and fled, when the cross was before him, and he knew full well its agonies and woes?

"This was compassion like a God,

That when the Saviour knew,
The price of pardon was his blood,
His pity ne'er withdrew!"

His love is now engaged in making intercession for us.

3rdly. Its efficiency.—It is a powerful love. "He is able to save unto the uttermost, all that come unto God by him." Many will believe this, who will not believe that he is willing, and many think that they have sinned beyond his mercy. His ministers are authorized to tell such, that he has

pledged himself to save all that come to him, and that his atonement is allsufficient. Imagine him seated on his mediatorial throne, and a helpless and wretched sinner at his footstool, pleading his mercy, and praying for an interest in his salvation, and the Saviour replying, "Sinner, I pity thee, but I died not for thee; my blood cannot avail for the pardon of thy sin!" Oh! can we put such language as this into the lips of our Lord and Saviour? No! Only make the experiment, and you will find him faithful to himself, faithful to his word, and faithful to you.

II. THE MANIFESTATION OF THE LOVE OF CHRIST.

:

1st, He died. He himself said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." What death did he die ? A painful, a shameful, and an accursed death nails were driven through the most sensitive parts of the body, and these compelled to bear the weight of the whole frame. The shame attached to it is as great as that belonging to the gallows in our own country; and we all know what we should feel, if any one dear to us were condemned to such a death. It was a cursed death, for it is written, 66 Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." Pain, and shame, and the curse, must we have endured in hell, had not he borne them for us. "He endured the cross, despising the shame, for the joy that was set before him." And what was that joy? Why, the joy of saving sinners! Such was his love.

But, 2nd. He died for us.-And what were we? Rebels, abominable and hateful to God, not as his creatures, but as sinners; every individual may say, "for me he died, he loved