which have overtaken, in these very days, [1857] our brethren in India, we have plenty of tokens that the grace of God has shone forth bright and unconquerable in many persons, where, but for these dreadful sorrows, we should not certainly have known what spirit they were of.

Therefore, we may be sure that the Lord hath, also, His true servants here at home, who, if the fiery trial were to reach them also, would show us that they had faith, even unto death.

They think about those saints of the New Testament, as brethren, whom they soon shall join, and of their Saviour, as One whose Name they shall for ever bear.

Let us, in like manner, think of them; and, if we cannot certainly tell, on earth, who are the Lord's, may we be among them, and encourage one another to look forward to the glorious day when all shall be recognised together, that day of joy to the soul, which, in the fear and love of Jesus, hath 'made herself ready.'

404

XXX.

MISSION SERMON.

'O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee.'- Ps. Ixiii. 1.

M

Y brethren, since it has pleased our ministers to desire me to take some part in this week's mission services, I shall endeavour to discourse this evening about what will prove a very practical subject,--our relationship to God our Maker.

For your very presence here to-night seems to say to me, 'We are willing and desirous to be improved; we know that what the preachers have said on previous evenings, of the great principles of the Gospel, is heavenly truth, and that it was said for our good.'

And what, perhaps, is even more encouraging, -you have reason to believe that very many hundreds of persons have been listening to the same holy truths, who are quite in earnest, resolving, at once, to be better, and very soon happier, than ever they were before.

God may have much people in a town like Northampton, as surely as in a city like Corinth, when the love of fellow-men will bestir itself to seek and save them. (1 Tim. iv. 16.)

I hope we are here, at this time, with the feeling of those disciples of John the Baptist, who wished to be proved: I hope we are saying in our hearts, 'We accept the Gospel; what shall we do, then?' I hope there are some, both young and old, under the influence of God's good Spirit, inquiring, in view of their own age and class, 'What shall we do?'

Now, I remember the words of the Apostle St. John, 'He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?' and that if we love one another, God dwelleth in us.

And, therefore, it would seem that the second great commandment must be in us a steppingstone to the first. And that the preacher must intreat men to be more righteous, more kind of tongue, more loving to people of different ages and classes from their own; more thoughtful about every earthly good or bodily enjoyment which comes to them, whether somebody else might not have a share of it; always to be recollecting somebody out of sight; to get quite out of the habit of thinking about ourselves alone, or our own side alone, in any matter.

Little by little, Christians reach such things, for God enables them. I am sure that we ought to study these things together; and I hope we shall.

But, as I am likewise sure that your own hearts can teach you things of this sort, as you can see fellow-creatures to whom you may do a part more Christian-like than you sometimes have done, and things to deny yourselves for others' good, in which you have thought more, than your memory would willingly admit, about one solitary person: (i.e. yourself); I wish to night to speak about that higher commandment which, possibly, is more hard to discern.

You discern fresh duties to your neighbour; possibly, you may less discern your duty to God.

For, since I came here, I have met with persons professing righteousness, i. e. their duty to their neighbour; but denying religion, i.e. their duty to God.

6

Their language is: I am not to be looked at as a wicked man; I speak the truth, and do it in my dealings; I love my wife, I take care of my children; I am friendly to my own class, I am civil to others; I do my neighbour a good turn; I remember a good turn done to me, and can be grateful for it; I can respect the aged; I can forgive an enemy; I can take part willingly

In all this I

But, for acts

in anything for the public good.
desire to be what becomes a man.
which you call religion, I see no necessity.'

Let me ask you one question, brethren, about such a man: Why does his mind, his moral instinct, move him to behave in this way, if he is not religious? I feel almost sure of the answer: --that instinct tells him, that whatever he be, his daily behaviour makes him the being that he is.

It tells him that a good husband is a nobler being than a bad one; that a righteous dealer is nobler than a knave; that a temperate man is nobler than a glutton; that a forgiving man is nobler than a malicious one; that modesty is nobler than self-conceit; and quietness, than noise. And something within him yearns for self-respect,--says to him, 'Act in this way to your fellow-creatures, and you will be a man; fail of it, and you will be something beneath a man: your behaviour to others makes you this being or that.'

along with me?

Does instinct say so? Does natural conscience say so? Do you say so, my brethren, Cling to that conviction while I utter to you one more sentence, which comes out of it, as clear as daylight-oh, that I could just satisfy that unbeliever! 'Act in this way to your Creator, and you will become as an angel. He is as much a Person with whom you have to do,