disputes and divisions in the Church of God, and the 600,000,000 who
have never heard the name of salvation by the blood of Jesus declare.
Let the Agents of our Societies declare, who travel from one end of
the land to the other, to gather a scanty pittance from
half-reluctant Christians--nay, who are often led to sharpen their
goads at the Philistines' grind-stones, to the dishonour of the cause
of God. What then is the ground of evasion? Why, that those were
apostolic times and apostolic men. Could there be a stronger reason
urged for following their steps? Their having supernatural aids, in
addition to moral, makes the obligation to use moral more imperative
on our part, if possible, than on theirs; for we have now only the
silent and unobserved influences of the Spirit of God operating by
them. Those, who may be inclined to ask--Were not the miraculous
powers, entrusted to the Apostles for the advancement of
Christianity, also subservient to their personal comfort, amidst
their want and pain and distress? We would refer those who enquire to
the words of the Apostle Paul. "Even unto this present hour," says he
(1 Cor. 4. 11 and 2 Cor. 11. 27), "we both hunger, and thirst, and
are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place. I
have been in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger
and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness." It was,
indeed, the very ground of the Apostles' glorying and rejoicing--that
they were counted worthy to suffer for the sake of Him who had died
for them; and it was these very sufferings which they endured, and
sacrifices which they made, that proved most effectual in converting
others to the faith, by drawing their attention to Him whom they
loved, and for whom they suffered gladly the loss of all things. They
felt the beneficial effects of suffering on their own souls, and they
saw it blessed to the conversion of the souls of others: and, looking
beyond things which are seen and temporal, they beheld that
"exceeding and eternal weight of glory" which their sufferings were
working out (2 Cor. 4. 17);--they knew that, if they suffered with
their master, they should also reign with him. Considering the
preceding remarks to establish the sense, in which the Apostles
received the command of our Saviour in regard to giving up all, as
well as the meaning of our Saviour Himself; it may appear superfluous
to state anything farther; particularly as my only desire