miserable lack of energy in the great work of saving a ruined world? If such there are, and I cannot doubt there are many such, prepared for the work, by the all-pervading spirit of holiness and truth, I would adjure them by the love of God, to make their feelings known. To write, and speak, and preach on the subject, to enlist in this cause the papers and periodicals of the day, and, in every possible mode, to arouse the public mind. Men are excited on every other subject, and shall they slumber on this? Unholy feeling is abroad; shall it not be encountered and rebuked by holy emotion? The public mind is agitated, excited, feverish; and this subject alone can restore it to a healthy state. Will you not speak of it? An alterative influence is needed in the body politic. Will you not help to produce it? A few voices are not enough. We need the united voice of holy men in every land—a voice that shall thrill in every ear, and act with vital energy on every soul.

5. Let the principles of this subject regulate all the discussions of the age. This is pre-eminently an age of discussion, and all efforts to avert it are vain. The human mind has been aroused by the Spirit of God, and the great events of the age, and cannot be put to sleep again. Nor is it to be desired. The work of free inquiry has begun, and it ought to go on, till all errors are exposed, and the eternal principles of truth alone retained. But if discussion cannot be avoided, our only alternative is this: to discuss in a low state of piety, and in an unholy frame of mind, and rend the church, and agitate and divide the nation, or to produce a public sentiment, which shall require of every man to speak and write in a holy and heavenly frame of mind, and take no excuse for a failure. Men feel keenly now the exposure of unsound arguments. But a state of public sentiment ought to be produced, which would make it a mere trifle, to be proved deficient in logical skill, in comparison with the exhibition of a bitter, angry, or resentful spirit, or any form of unholy emotion.

Now this can be done. To stop discussion we cannot hope, and ought not to desire; but it is possible to require all men to discuss in a holy frame of mind. What an entire revolution would this make in all the leading discussions of the day! Men under the constant influence of such a public sentiment, and of a sense of the presence of God, would soon find that they could control their language and their feelings, just as easily as if they were writing or speaking amid the holy society of heaven. And ought any man to speak or to write so that he would be unwilling to exhibit what he has written or spoken, before the throne of God, and in the midst of angels and the spirits of the just? It must at last be seen in the light of that world. Why then not write and speak as if we were already there? If any say this is a strict and a severe standard, I reply, even if so, it would be a duty; for God demands it. But it is not so. It is the easiest and most delightful of all modes of writing, if we could but once learn it, and by the aid of God we can. Is it not then worth an earnest and deliberate effort to learn thus to speak and write? Thus wrote Paul. Thus have written other holy men; and to write thus we can learn. And when would the intellect be so clear, or the affections in a state so delightful-when all the powers of the mind in a frame so adapted to gain their end, as when writing as if in the society of heaven? Ought not then all discussion that indicates another frame of mind to be exiled for ever from the Christian world? Sarcasms, sneers, suspicions, inuendoes, and excited unholy controversy, have been tried long enough. It is high time to try the full power of kindness, candor, mutual confidence, and a fair and ingenuous comparison of views. Oh, if the church would but be holy, with what ease would she go through discussions which now agitate her to the very centre, exhaust her energies, shed her life's blood, and that almost with no auspicious results.

6. Such humble confession ought to be made by the people of God, as shall counteract the pernicious influence of their past sins on the world.

It cannot be denied, that the present low state of piety in the church, is a

sin deeply to be lamented before God: a sin too, in which the whole church is involved. And that by the sins, and divisions, and strifes of his people, God has been dishonored and his cause injured before the world. The moral feelings of the globe have been deeply depressed by them, and immeasurable calamities have followed in their train.

Now, the moral effect of the past example of the church can be done away only by confession, humiliation, and repentance, as general and open as her guilt has been. And no analogy of God's providence authorizes the hope of pardon and the full and free enjoyment of the smiles of God, till it has been done. Deep and heartfelt confessions were required of the church in her captivity in Babylon, before she could return to her own land; and they are left on record as examples to us. And did we know nothing of the future, yet the nature of the case would teach us, that before the church can fully enjoy the presence of God, she must deeply mourn over her past guilt. But the same truth is confirmed also by the voice of prophecy. By it we are clearly told, that the final day of prosperity to the church will be preceded by a general season of bitter mourning for past sins among all the people of God. Whether a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer could now be fixed upon by the voluntary agreement of all Christians on earth, and whether the state of feeling in the church is such, as to render it probable that it would answer a good purpose, I shall not attempt to decide. There can, however, be little doubt, that the church will at length keep such a day, or a succession of days, until there is a deep, general, and heartfelt humiliation of the people of God for past sins. And whenever such a season shall be properly observed, its influence in elevating the tone of holiness will be immense. The world will feel its power; and in the church the foundation will be laid for a full restoration to mutual fellowship and harmony with each other and with God. The true relations of Christians to each other, and to God, will be more clearly seen and deeply felt, and the prospect of a speedy restoration of the favor of God, and of union, and mutual love, and confidence among all Christians, will give rise to sentiments and emotions, peculiarly delightful, majestic, novel, and sublime.

7. In the next place I would add, that in order fully to carry out this enterprize to its great results every Christian should give it the first place in his heart, render all else subservient to it, and see all other subjects in its light.

By this I mean not that we should undervalue or neglect any other plan or object. Indeed supreme devotedness to this enterprize cannot produce such a result. Its inevitable result will be new energy in every other good cause. I mean only that we should ever remember that all other things are valuable only as they tend to promote the great cause of holiness; and that we are under solemn obligations to make all our plans subservient to it.

That this is demanded by God, is beyond all doubt. To multiply quotations from the scriptures, were an endless task. It is the standing testimony of his whole word. Its uniform representations are, that of all things he most hates sin, and loves holiness: and that it is his great end in all he does, to bring all his holy kingdom to feel on this subject as he does, and that he will never be satisfied until this end is secured. The high end of Christ and his glorious reward was to secure for himself a holy church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and without blemish. For this he gave himself to death, and never will he be satisfied till he has secured this end: for its absence nothing can make amends. In vain are the tongues of men and of angels, the knowledge of mysteries and prophecy, faith to remove mountains, the giving of all our goods to feed the poor, or of the body to be burned, if the all-controlling power of love is absent. On this point there is no doubt. Whatever else may be uncertain, all is certain here. The whole heart and soul of God are engaged in this work, and will be so till its glorious consummation; and he will please him most who enters most deeply into his feelings in this respect, and looks at all other subjects in the

light of this one. Indeed this is absolutely essential to the highest and most perfect degree of communion with God. He made, and upholds, and governs the universe, to promote this cause; and we can never enter into his feelings, until we give to this subject the same place in our hearts that it occupies in his, and labor to promote it with the united energy of all our powers.

8. Give great and decided prominence to the agency of God, as essential to secure the desired result.

By this I intend, not only that we rely entirely on God, as the great efficient Agent, by whom the work of renovating the church and the world is to be done; but also that we take more enlarged views of what he is able and willing to do, and what we have reason from his promises to expect that he will do. This is essential to authorise a cheering and invigorating hope of success, without which no resolute and decided efforts will be made. For, indeed, when we look at the strength of human depravity, and the very imperfect sanctification of good men, and then mingle in the excitements of life, and see how soon and easily they are thrown off their guard, and reflect on the blinding influence of passion and prejudice, and the vast amount of self-flattery and self-deception, which is practiced by good men, and the thousand circumstances that lead them away from holiness and communion with God,-when we look at these things, and think of raising such Christians to such a standard of holiness, we might almost despair. And indeed, if it were the work of man to arrest the attention, and subdue the evil passions of such hearts, there would be ample and abundant reason for despair. And moreover, if there were to be no more sense of the presence of God in this world than there has been, as a general fact, in ages past, and no higher degrees of influence than he has hitherto exerted on the minds of men, still our hopes would be vain of securing the end at which we aim. Nothing but a full manifestation of the presence of God can accomplish the work in question. A manifestation, such as the world has never seen, and such too, that the church shall be unable to throw off or to resist its power. After all that has been said on this subject, the church, as a general fact, has a very faint and feeble sense of the presence of God. Their levity, and worldliness, and sinful passions, and unholy and bitter controversies, show it. A holy awe and reverence of God is not the prevailing habit of their minds. They think of him as distant, and are affected but very imperfectly by a mere theoretical belief that he is omnipresent. That he is near they do not feel. But God will come nearer to the world, and his people will feel his presence, and be filled with holy awe. So it is predicted in the word of God. His terrors shall fall upon the wicked. They shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. And on his people he will arise and shine with the splendors of the noon-day sun, and their sense of his presence will be constant and habitual. For it is said of the church, even on earth, that her sun shall no more go down, neither shall her moon withdraw itself, but the Lord shall be her ever lasting light. And there is no doubt that a vivid manifestation of the presence of God will be the great means of reaching the heart of the church, and causing the conviction that she must feel on this subject; for God insists upon it, and she will encounter his holy and indignant rebuke if she refuses. The great thing then to be done in this work, is to give prominence to the idea of the presence of God, and to pray for a full, powerful, and irresistible manifestation of his feelings, wishes, plans, and purposes to his church; so that they shall come under the full influence of the almighty energies of his mind. He can make them feel and act, however sinful and dead they are; and for such a manifestation of God, by and through the Holy Spirit, should his people earnestly pray.

This is the hope, the only hope of the church and of a ruined world. Did we trust to human zeal, how dark our prospect! I know indeed, that, in comparison with none, there is much love of God on earth.

But

Oh, in comparison with the exigencies of the age, and the mighty work to be done, there is none at all. Well may we say with Daniel, Oh Lord, the great and dreadful God, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us shame and confusion of face.' And with Isaiah, We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away. And there is none that calleth on thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee. For thou hast hid thy face from us, and consumed us because of our iniquities.' But there is hope in God, he can plead his own cause, and when the help of man fails, his own arm can bring salvation.

Let us then implore him to do it ; to exert his own energy and put forth his almighty power. To rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains may flow down, and the nations tremble at his presence. To reveal himself in noon day splendors, rebuking his church, and thoroughly purging away her iniquities, restoring to her new life, and clothing her in the garments of salvation and robes of praise. Then shall Zion arise and shine, her light being come and the glory of the Lord risen upon her. Then shall kings behold her light, and gentiles the brightness of her rising. Then shall all the glorious things that are spoken concerning her be in all their extent fulfilled. Then snall the sun no more be her light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto her, but the Lord shall be unto her an everlasting light, and her God her glory. Her sun shall no more go down; neither shall her moon withdraw itself, for the Lord shall be her everlasting light, and the days of her mourning shall be ended.

In view then of results so glorious, is it not your duty and your privilege to devote yourself with all your powers to this great enterprise? Look at the signs of the times. Do not all things proclaim that the kingdom of God is at hand? Is he not reproving the apathy of his people, and holding up before them the wants of a dying world? Does he not demand new energy, new devotedness, new zeal, in the great work of saving a lost world? And will you not rise at once to the effort? The path of duty is plain. There is a mighty work to be done, and each can do his part. Those to whom God has given intellectual power over the public mind, can throw all their energies into this enterprize, and hold it up in every form. Others can circulate sermons, addresses, and tracts on the subject, and enlist the whole power of the press in the glorious cause. And the work can be done. God is for it; all Christians can unite in it; earnest united prayer can be poured forth; and the whole energy of the church be called into action. And shall it not be done? Yes, it will. Whoever may slumber, God will not. Whoever may refuse to come up to the work; it will go on. But if any do refuse, let them not hope to escape the rebuke of God. He is not, and will not be indifferent to apathy on this subject. He requires, nay, he demands the aid of his people; and all who refuse it, will incur his indignant rebuke. Soon will he reveal himself in awful majesty and power, to expose alike the crimes of his enemies and the sins of his friends; and judgment will begin at the house of God. Let then all beware lest he take them by surprise. His advent is near; let all ponder his warning words,-Behold, I come as a thief: blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame!

But would you escape the shame and terror of such an hour, and have part with God, and with rejoicing millions, both here and hereafter? Obey then, at once, his spirit-stirring call-Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

FROM THE PRESIDENT OF YALE COLLEGE.

"Allow me to express my decided approbation of the object and plan of the Na-' tional Preacher. It has opened a new channel for the religious influence of the press. It gives a durable form to a selection of able discourses; and probably gains for them a more attentive perusal, by distributing them, not in volumes, but in smaller portions, at regular intervals of time. The execution, so far as I have observed, is such as to satisfy the public expectation."

FROM THE REV. ASAHEL NETTLETON.

"I have read, as I have had opportunity, the Numbers of the National Preacher with great satisfaction. I regard it as a work peculiarly desirable to Clergymen, and, at the same time, as worthy of a place in every intelligent family."

FROM THE PRESIDENT AND PROFESSORS OF AMHERST COLLEGE.

"Mr. Dickinson has a clear and discriminating mind; and is himself at once an able writer and preacher. Having spent four years at the South and West, and become extensively acquainted with Ministers and Christians of different denominations; and having at the same time, an intimate knowledge of the religious state and wants of New England; perhaps no man is better qualified to make a powerful and salutary impression on the public mind, by combining (and in a sense directing) the talents of our most eminent divines in his Monthly Preacher. "Most sincerely do we wish him the co-operation of those whose name and influence may make the work a blessing to many thousands."

FROM PROFESSORS IN PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.

"The plan, proposed by the Rev. Austin Dickinson, of publishing a Monthly Series of Sermons, from the pens of respectable ministers of different denominations of Christians in the United States, is one which, in our opinion, may be rendered highly interesting, and extensively useful. We do therefore willingly recommend the undertaking to the patronage of the Christian community."

FROM THE QUARTERLY CHRISTIAN SPECTATOR.

"We do not hesitate to say, that Mr. Dickinson has adopted one of the happiest expedients hitherto devised, for eliciting that diversity of gifts,' in the Christian ministry, which infinite wisdom and benevolence have bestowed for the edification of the body of Christ, and for bringing sinners to the foot of the cross."

FROM THE NEW YORK OBSERVER.

"This periodical has, from its commencement in 1826, been regarded as a standard work; and, afforded as it is at the low price of one dollar a year, and sustained by some of the ablest writers of our country, we should expect it would continue to have an extensive and increasing circulation."