gospel, we do it at our peril.-You have heard, on a previous occasion, that "the end of heathenism is eternal death"-or that "the great body of those, who live and die without the gospel, perish forever." (See Discourse xviii.) But he, who thus awfully punishes the benighted heathen for their sins; what may he not be expected to inflict upon those, who persist in wickedness, and finally perish, from under the meridian blaze of the gospel? He, who measures the guilt of sin, and proportions its punishment, according to the light against which it is committedif he has adjudged the heathen to be "worthy of death;"" of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy, who have trodden under foot the Son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and done despite unto the Spirit of grace ?"

Perhaps it may be objected, If the heinousness of our sins is in proportion to the light against which they are committed; then it had been better to have dwelt in darkness. It had been better to have lived at some dark period, or in some dark quarter, of the world. And instead of endeavouring to enlighten the heathen, it is better to suffer them to remain as they are. But Christ, my friends, did not think as you do. If he had, he would never have appeared and labored as he did, to teach and enlighten a dark world. Nor did the Apostles think as you do. If they had, they never would have traversed sea and land, exposed themselves to such dangers and sufferings, and visited so many barbarous countries, for the purpose of promulging the light of the gospel.Every increase of light does indeed increase our responsibility. The heinousness of our sins is in proportion to the degree of light against which they are

committed.

But we are not to infer from this, that light and knowledge are undesirable. We ought to prize light; and so to improve it, that it may be to us a blessing. We have no right to sin against it. We ought to do all we consistently can to disseminate it, and to persuade our fellow men to improve it, and live. Thus shall we be followers of the wise and be

nevolent in all past ages; shall answer the great end for which life was given us; and shall be received hereafter to unsullied and eternal light, in the kingdom of our God.

DISCOURSE XX.

ON THE MILLENIUM.

Isaiah, xi. 9.

"The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.'

WE have in these words an unequivocal prediction of the future and universal prevalence of true religion. The period, when this prediction shall be accomplished, is usually denominated the Millenium. The word Millenium literally signifies a thousand years; and, in its religious application, is employed to denote that thousand years, when the gospel shall be diffused and received over all the earth. Whether the duration of the predicted Millenium will be precisely a thousand years, or a much longer period, it is no part of my present object to determine. I shall here use the word as expressive of a long and happy season, referred to in the text, when "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."-With this explanation, I propose,

I. To shew that there will be a Millenium.

II. Inquire how the Millenium will be introduced. And,

III. Offer some general remarks relative to the period of its commencement.

The evidence that there will be a Millenium, is the unfailing promise of God; or the numerous and unequivocal predictions of his word. He said long

ago to Abraham, and the succeeding Patriarchs, "In thy seed" (which is Christ) "shall all the nations and families of the earth be blessed."-He is represented as saying to his son, "Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth."-It is predicted by the Psalmist, that "all the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before him. God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear him. All kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall serve him. Men shall be blessed in him ; all nations shall call him blessed."-It is predicted by Isaiah and the prophets, that in the last days, the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be 'exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and all nations shall be gathered unto it, neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river even unto the ends of the earth."-Daniel "saw in the night visions one like unto the Son of man; and there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him. And the kingdom, and dominion, and greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High."-Our Saviour compared his kingdom in the world "to leaven hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened ;" and predicted, that after he was "lifted up," or at some

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when, at the name of Jesus and every tongue confess he is

period subsequent to his sufferings, he should "draw all men unto him."-The Apostle Paul predicts, that "the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in and all Israel shall be saved;" and that the time is coming, every knee shall bow, Lord, to the glory of God the Father."-And finally it is represented in the Revelation, when the seventh angel sounded, that "there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and his Christ, and he shall reign forever and

ever.

scenes.

Here, my brethren, we have a specimen of the predictions, or, if you please, the promises of Scripture, relative to the interesting subject before us. They have been selected from different parts of the inspired volume, to shew how the whole current of Scripture pertaining to this point runs in the same channel, and directs us forward to the same glorious Certainly the earth has never yet witnessed a time answerable in any degree to the declarations which have been quoted. We may infer therefore, with the entire confidence which is due to the promises of Jehovah, that the period is future, and will in its season be ushered in, when "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea," and when all that the Scriptures represent in regard to the Millenial glory of the Church will be accomplished. I proceed to inquire,

II. How the Millenium will be introduced.-The manner of its introduction will, I think, be obvious, if we take into consideration its distinctive features or character. The Millenium will be distinguished from all preceding periods, by an universal diffusion of christian knowledge, piety, and christian enjoy