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mentality of his people, that he purposes to save the world. Christians! realise in thought the dignity of your office. You go to God as the earthly representatives of mankind, as intercessors for the world. pass to the throne of grace, through multitudes-myriads of human beings. Do you not hear them, as you go, imploring a place in your supplications? Do you not see all Africa assembled in your path, urging you to go to God for them, to describe their wants, to ask for the blessings of the reign of Christ for them? And before you have done pleading for Africa, China comes with its untold myriads entreating you to intercede for them. And while yet you are pleading for China, India comes with its tale of lamentation and woe, and entreats you to speak for it; and can you refrain? And when you grow faint, they all combine their entreaties that you cry to God for them louder still; that you call in help-more intercessors and more still, till all the church be prostrate in prayer. And when you move to quit the throne of grace, they all in effect entreat you not to leave them unrepresented before God. Oh! if there be a God,' they say, ' and if prayer can reach him, do not leave us thus, or we perish our only hope is in the God you worship, the Saviour you proclaim; pray that the blessings of his grace may speedily be extended to us.' Brethren, realise your office thus. Let this be " а house of prayer for all people ;" and you will be hastening the day, when the world shall be given into the hands of the church, and the whole shall cast themselves at the feet of Christ.

Here then, in this place, (and oh! that it might be so from this day!) let a period of enlargedness commence, in your views of the kingdom of Christ, and in your endeavours to realise them. Imagine that a new page is opened to-day in your history; let it prove a fairer page, than any in the past. Review that past; ascertain in what respects it admits of improvement-whether in the regularity of attendyour ance on the means of grace-in the attention, serious

ness and self-application, with which you hear the word of God-in the amount of your pecuniary contributions to his cause-in your personal activity in his service-or in the fervour and comprehensiveness of your prayers: and in whichever it may be, ask God to record to-day, in the book of his remembrance, a holy resolution of instant amendment. Especially see whether you ought not to take a loftier stand than ever, in relation to the great interests of the kingdom of Christ. Has he made you partakers of his grace? Then he has taken you (and often takes you still,) to a height, which commands a view of eternity, and bids you take a comprehensive view of existence-to regard it as a whole-to live for eternity; and having taught you this, as essential to your own personal happiness, he next takes you to another mount of vision, which commands a view of all mankind, and he bids you to pray for them all-to open your heart and embrace them all-to live for the universe. Let this house be to you that mount of vision.. The present is a day of more extended views, than the past—a day of greater designs and of more generous endeavours; let this be a house for the day. My young friends— you whose eye is kindling at these designs, and whose hearts beat high at those endeavours-be you, as men of God, men of and for the day. Louder voices urge you on, than your predecessors have ever heard; and more splendid achievements await your advance. Take enlarged and comprehensive views of duty; devise liberal things; design for the universe and for eternity. The Lord of the church himself is your leader; angels witness the scene; and the world is waiting to be blessed by your instrumentality. But when shall you begin? this place, signalized as it is in here by your beginning now. temple was distinguished by the prodigious number of the sacrifices offered, and by the solemnity, spirituality and comprehensiveness of the dedication prayer; shall

Let the re-opening of heaven, be signalized The opening of the

not the re-opening of this place be similarly distinguished? Some of you, I know, have already, last year, contributed-contributed of your property liberally; "well done, good and faithful servants;" but oh! let us hear, as we do of the churches in Macedonia, not only of your liberality, but of the continuance, the habit, "the riches" of your liberality. Give, as God gives. Give under the expanding and exhilarating recollection, that you are giving in a house, where you come to ask God to give you heaven and eternal life—that you are giving towards "a house of prayer for all people," for all people for whom God hath given his Son, his only-begotten Son. Give under these impressions; and you will so give, that in eternity you will bless God for disposing you to act so much like himself.

Prayers, too, have been offered-solemn prayerscomprehensive prayers-prayers, which the angel having the censer hath presented, and which he, who sits on the throne, hath heard. But has each one present joined ? Let inquiry be made-have all prayed? What! is there one present, whose heart has not united in the general supplication-one, who has never yet begun to pray-who, in the very house of prayer, while every one around him was engaged in prayer, has yet kept aloof from the throne of mercy? Is he not pointed out, at this moment, by invisible beings? Are they not gazing at him with pity and with wonder? Ought not all present to gather about him, and to pray for him? My friend, do know what you do? Shall we pause, while you do pray? Suppose we were now to say to this assembly, in the language of the prophet, "Come now, and let us join ourselves to the Lord, in a perpetual covenant," and let all, who are ready to comply, give a sign; would you alone give no sign? If all the rest were to join, would you be the only one to remain out of the holy confederaShall we pause, then, while you now pray? Shall we wait, while you now offer your first entreaty

tion ?

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for mercy? Yes, now; it will gloriously signalize the morning service. Now; the news would be conveyed to heaven; it would be hastening on the day, when all flesh shall be seen prostrate before God in prayer; it would be preparing additional lustre for that day, when all the crowns in the universe shall be cast at the Saviour's feet-for then your crown would be amongst them.

CHRISTIAN EXCELLENCE:

A SERMON

DELIVERED ᎪᎢ

HOLYWELL-MOUNT

CHAPEL, CHAPEL

STREET, CURTAIN ROAD, LONDON, APRIL 28, 1839.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (or venerable), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. PHILIPPIANS iv. 8.

ON reading this remarkable language, one is almost unconsciously led to exclaim, How noble and ennobling a system is the Gospel of Christ! how triumphantly does it sustain a comparison with every other religion! how effectually does it eclipse, how gloriously transcend them all! For poor humanity has had its systems-systems of philosophy, morality and religion-systems which for a time resounded through the world-systems which were to bring heaven down to earth, or to raise earth to an equality with heaven; it has had them by hundreds, if not by thousands.

Of all these, however, the system of Plato, I suppose, by aiming at what he called the true, the beautiful and the good, is to be regarded as approaching nearest to the surpassing excellence of the Gospel. To that system the apostle is supposed by some to refer in the text; for it is professed to be composed chiefly of whatever things were true and valuable in the various systems which had preceded it. But this character he claims in an infinitely higher sense for