the Apostles: "They taught and preached Jesus Christ;" "Christ crucified and Christ glorified;" "the sufferings of Jesus, and the glory which followed:"-not his humiliation only, but his ascension and glorification-seated on high on his Father's throne-and to return in power and majesty on a future day. One is incomplete without the other: he had died in vain if he had not risen again;-but now from his high throne he sends down his gifts and Holy Spirit. Whether to Jews or Greeks, this was the only proclamation. (1 Cor. i. 22-24.) 2. This is the one and only remedy applied by modern missionaries to the maladies of the heathen world: "we know nothing among them but Jesus Christ and him crucified." The philosopher and the wise men of this world laughed us to scorn, because we would convert the nations with a doctrine! They bade us civilize first, and then we might preach. This was man's device; but we obeyed God rather than man: and the result has proved that nothing so civilizes as Christianity-that the simple preaching of Jesus has power to soften and reclaim the barbarian, and to civilize while it saves him!-thus shewing that the "foolishness of God is wiser than man," &c. The cross of Christ has not lost its power. 66 IV. THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS WHICH FOLLOWED THE APOSTLES PREACHING:- some mocked"— others said, "we will hear thee again" and "certain persons [a few individuals] clave unto him!" 1. How unlike the pictures often drawn of the early progress of the Gospel! We should fancy that thousands received the Apostles as soon as they heard them; but it was not so: neither in Thessalonica, (ver. 4, with 5, 6, and 8, 9); nor at Philippi; nor at Corinth, (ch. xviii. 5, 6); nor at Ephesus, (ch. xix); nor at Lystra, (ch. xiv. 19); nor anywhere else. Persecution, opposition, ridicule, assailed them everywhere; and whether the message was welcomed by many or by few, it was only as many as were ordained to eternal life who believed." This success satisfied apostles, though it seems not enough to us. 66 2. Modern missions will bear comparison with those of apostolic times. All things considered, God's blessing is as palpably resting on us as on them. Without miracles, without the gift of tongues, and opposed by many obstacles, the Gospel has made its way: many heathen have been converted, and have glorified God in their life and in their death. The Church Missionary Society (now patronized by the Archbishop of Canterbury and others of the Episcopal bench) has been eminently favoured of God, as may be learned from a perusal of their Reports. In India, in Australia, in the West Indies, and in Western Africa-in Ceylon, and in NorthWest America, churches have been planted, and numerous congregations have been formed; and every christian grace shines forth in those who were once deluded heathens and barbarians. The state of the heathen is the same: the Gospel is still efficacious; God is blessing it. Oh for the zeal of a Paul, that we might go or send, " to tell it among the heathen that the Lord is King!" Let the zeal of the Athenian idolaters provoke us to jealousy: "they were wholly given to idolatry." 1. Are you "wholly given" to the service of Christ? Oh that we served the true God as cordially and devotedly as they served their idols! "with all our heart, and mind, and soul, and strength," &c.; keeping nothing back from him-loving him, delighting in him, "glorifying him in our bodies, souls, and spirits, which are his.' There is no salva tion to those who do not follow the Lord wholly. 2. If we have so learned Christ, we shall be anxious for the salvation of others : -"our spirit will be stirred," &c.: we shall labour, strive, pray, and cheerfully and liberally contribute to the holy cause of missions. The poor heathen seek the crumbs which fall from our plenteous table! We have all, and abound; they have nothing! We have Sabbaths, sacraments, the preached and written word. Oh let us send them of our abundance; so shall we be enriched yet more abundantly ourselves! XXXI. THE PILGRIMS OF ZION. Psalm lxxxiv. 5-7. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength; every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. AS a devotional composition, expressive of David's deep attachment to the sanctuary and its holy services, this psalm has ever been esteemed unrivalled, even among the writings of the sweet psalmist of Israel himself. In the text, a graphic description is presented of the congregating tribes of Israel resorting to the tabernacle from all parts of the Holy Land: "The ways," the ways of the Lord which lead to his temple, are " in their hearts;' the distance may be great-the journey fatiguing—their path may lie "through the valley of Baca" or misery; but "their strength" is in "the Lord"—and he opens refreshing "wells" and "pools" for his thirsty pilgrims:-hence "they go from strength to strength," until at last they every one of them appear before God in Zion!" A beautiful sight-" Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord." (Psalm cxxii. 3, 4.) 66 Thus the village Christian Church presents, as it were, a miniature of this beautiful spectacle, when, from every cottage and glen, and through the fields and meadows, the pious rustics are seen wending their way to the house of God on the Sabbath-day, to worship him and hear his holy word. But as Jerusalem itself was a symbolic city, emblematic of "one above, which is free and the mother of us all," (Gal. iv. 26); and as the ancient Israel was typical of the Israel of God in all ages, I scruple not to consider this glorious passage as applicable to the whole Church of God on its journey to the heavenly Jerusalem-travelling through the wilderness-encountering difficulties— strengthened and refreshed by God-pressing on continually-and at length appearing every one of them before God in glory. glory. Thus viewed, may we derive from these words abundant instruction and consolation! I. BEHOLD THE HEAVENLY PILGRIMS COMMENCING THEIR JOURNEY ZION-WARD! "in whose hearts are the ways" of God. 1. These ways are not in the hearts of most men :—their hearts are in ways of gain, of pleasure, of vanity, if not of vice and wickedness. The face of the unconverted is turned towards the world-stedfastly set after its pursuits, its gains, its honours, its applause. Their back is turned on God, on heaven, on the word, the house of God, or on the holy sacraments of his love. Think of the bold impiety of turning our back on the Almighty! Yet this is practically done by all who forget him: “ every one turneth to his own way," (Isaiah liii. 6); and that way is not God's they daily and hourly walk on towards perdition, step by step. way: and 2. See the pilgrims of Zion-" in their hearts are God's ways:" -they are converted; that is, turned round. This is con- 3. Observe, there are but two ways, and they lie exactly in opposite directions. As a man cannot walk in two opposite directions at once, nor even set his face in them, so neither can we at one and the same time walk in the ways of the world and in those of God! We are all at this moment pursuing the one route or the other; our steps lead us daily towards heaven or hell! Every breath we draw, every pulse that beats, every second of time, marks our progress to the deepest of all misery, or towards unutterable bliss and glory! II. THE WAY OF ZION'S PILGRIMS LEADS THROUGH MANY DIFFICULTIES, TRIALS, AND AFFLICTIONS. This is intimated in the text by the valley of Baca. This word is of the same derivation as that which occurs in Judges ii. 1-5: "the people lifted up their voice, and wept; so they called the name of that place Bochim;" that is, weeping. Hence the prayer-book version reads, "the vale of misery:" and very correctly. From whatsoever part of the country the Israelites came, they must pass through the vale of misery or weeping! 66 -Apt emblem of the Christian's course: it is " through much III. DIVINE STRENGTH AND HEAVENLY CONSOLATION ARE PROVIDED. 1. Here is the strength of God: "Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee.” The difficulties of the way and our feebleness are represented only that we may look to God for sufficiency. When was St. Paul "strong?" "When he was weak!" Until we understand this paradox, we shall never be strong; we must painfully learn that "our strength is perfect weakness," or we shall never lean only upon God's help. Nothing short of the strength of God or omnipotence can suffice us to overcome the smallest temptation. Our foes are superhuman, and superhuman must be our strength. "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." (Ephes. vi. 10.) "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." (Prov. xviii. 10.) "In the Lord have I righteousness and strength," &c. (Isaiah xlv. 24.) 2. Refreshment is also provided for the weary: heavenly consolations. There is "a well in the valley of Baca; the rain also filleth the pools;" that is, God opens unexpected fountains of comfort in the bitterest trials, and consoles and cheers his pilgrims in the most thirsty, dreary, and desolate part of their journey: "I will open rivers in high places," &c. (Isaiah xli. 17-19.) Even more than this; they who pass through the vale of misery make it a well;" they actually make the vale of sorrow a source of consolation: their tears and sighs and bitterness are so sanctified to them, that they 66 |