er interrupting their exertions.Each of these columns may be distinguished by standards some what different from those of the resteach of them may discriminate itself by some peculiarities in the ing that volume on which the foun-dations of the Church of England rest, we are injuring her foundations? Shall we be told that the weakest of her battlements is shaen, that the slightest of her orna form or in the color of its regiment-ments or the most slender of her als each of them may wield weapons in some degree exclusively its own; but they are all united in a general cause; and to each of the individual columns, that man would be the most pernicious counsellor, to the general cause, that man would be the most dangerous adversary, who should persuade one of the columns jealously to turn the line of its direction obliquely, to cross upon the course and thwart the operations of its neighbor. "When fresh inquiries into the condition of our poor, with respect to the possession of the Scriptures, are constantly bringing to light additional proofs of the extent of the deficiency: when the rapidly increasing population of the kingdom, as evinced by the parliamentary investigations, sends forth new multitudes in need of supply when the miseries of war on the Continent render the Bible more difficult to be there procured, more requisite for instruction and for consolation more desirable, more likely to be efficacious: when the very signs and circumstances of the times, render | every effort which, under the grace of God; we can make for the salvation of our fellow creatures, more powerfully impressive, more adapted, humanly speaking, to be successful-shall not we rouse ourselves? Shall not we listen to calls of duty, thus enforced by far more than ordinary considerations and incitements? And shail those among us, who are members of the Church of England, be told, that if in this sacred undertaking they give the right hand of fellowship to Christians of every other denomination, they are enemies to the Establishment? Shall we be told, that by cooperating with those, who as to some points differ from us, in circulating the Scriptures, in spread pinnacles trembles? When nineteen of the bishops and arch bishops of England and Ireland (he believed from information that he might add to the number, but he was desirous of keeping strictly within the line of certain truth); when nineteen of these prelates have stood prominent as friends, as members, or as leaders of the Bible Society; shall such an accusation be advanced? There was a prelate, now removed from earth and its concerns; a prelate, on whose friendly kindness (said Mr. G.) to myself I may be permitted to reflect with grateful satisfaction; a prelate, whose figure and countenance are yet present to the recollection of many among those whom I am addressing; a prelate, whose Christian virtues are remembered with veneration by all: there was a prelate, whose very name might be in this place sufficient to repel the charge. That prelate had cherished the British and Foreign Bible Society from its birth: he had watched over its growing youth-he had rejoiced in its rising manhood. Living, he had patronised that Society with his countenance and with his bounty; dying, he did not forget it. That prelate has now experienced how blessed are the dead who die in the Lord He rests from his labors; and his works have followed him; and among those works his good deeds in behalf of the Bible Society have their place. That sun is set: but this horizon long may glow with its reflected beams. The brightness of that prelate's example irradiates the path of the Bible Society over lanus from which he is taken away; and shines to lead other bishops of Chester, and other bishops of London, to be-what once was Bishop PORTEUS." A number of articles, of a domestic nature, which were prepared for this month are necessarily omitted, to make room for the foregin intelligence that we have given. E.D. A SERMON, preached at the Brick Meeting House, in Hartford, on the evening of October 20th, 1813, at the meeting of the Auxiliary Foreign Mission Society of the North Association of the County of Hartford, by the Rev. NEHEMIAH PRUDDEN, A. M. pastor of the Church of Christ in Enfield. REVELATION xiv. 6, 7. "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." [No. 11. He readily obeyed the heaven- In discoursing from this sub- 3 ject, some explanation of the words will be given; and the time pointed out when the angel may be said to fly in the midst of heaven. I. Some explanation of the words will now be given. It may not be improper to observe in this place, that prophecy is delivered in language either composed, or interspersed with bold and strong figures. Lest we should miss the true import, it is of high importance, that the strictest attention should be paid to the reality from which the figures are taken. For want of this care. the true and natural explanation is sometimes missed, and an erroneous one is adopted. Then the prophecy will be, of necessity, forced from its proper meaning and compelled to prove falsehood instead of truth. In a careful adherence to these remarks, the prophecy in our text will now be explained. In addition to what St. John had seen of angels, and their employment, the passage of scripture now under consideration inforins us that he saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven. Au angel is a messenger of God sent on some important mission. The apostle informs us that angels are ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation. A minister in the church, in scripture language, is called an angel. The angel, in this passage of inspired truth, may represent to us correctly a minister of the gospel, as he is influenced with a like spirit, and is engaged in the same heavenly employment.But simply on account of their being or existence, neither of them has so much a claim to the title of angel of God, or minister of his word, as from the spirit that reigns in them. When this spirit warms the hearts of God's children, and calls their attention to the same object, to disseminate the gospel among the inhabitants of the earth, it performs the same business of the angel in the text. The angel is said to fly in the midst of heaven. Heaven in this passage intends the church in this world. To fly, denotes freedom, rapidity, and power to surmount with ease every obstacle. He flies in the open heaven, or church; having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. These expressions are as ex. tensive as the habitable worldThey include all beings, every immortal soul from the rising to the setting sun. In this flight of the angel, the gospel is to be preached in the most clear and public manner. Nor will he cease to fly until this important work is done, and the name of Jesus Christ is universally proclaimed; and his dominion shall extend from sea to sea, and from the river unto earth's remotest corner. Until all such as then see and feel the light of the natural sun, shall see and feel the light of the Sun of righteousness; until the wilderness and the des ert shall blossom as the rese; and the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Then God the Father shall give to the Son, at his request, the Heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession. And Pagans and Heathen, Jews and Gentiles, strangers and home-born, the high and the low, the rich and the poor, bond and free, shall be brought to the knowledge and acknowledgment of the truth as it is in Jesus Christ; and the saving knowledge of the Lord shall cover the whole earth; when everyknee shall bow before bim; and every tongue shall confess him to be Lord, to the praise and glory of God the Father; and all shall be united in one fold under one shepherd, and abundance of peace shall remain so long as the moon endureth. Then, and not until then, will the angel's work be finished, his services accomplished, and these things completed: when he will cease to fly, and return | to dwell with God, in whom all fulness dwells, and from whom flow streams of everlasting joy to all heaven-born souls. If this be so far a just and natural explanation of these words in the text, " and I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people;" where shall be found, or can be, a more natural and exact fulfilment of this prophecy, than in that ardent spirit for missions which now glows in the hearts of so many on this, and the other side of the Atlantic? If it be imagined that it must have its accomplishment in the flight of an individual, let it be the man whose heart was first warmed with this noble and benevolent spirit, and ventured into heathen lands. But in a design of such magnitude, the same God, who moved the heart of the first, might move the hearts of others, and yet alt might be unitedly of one spirit, and strengthen each other's hands in the same cause. Hag not this spirit flowed out in dif ferent branches, like streams of water from the same parent spring? From the same spirit have so many Bible Societies arisen in Europe and America. -In both countries strong desires are expressed by their pecuniary aid and assistance, to translate the holy scriptures into the different languages on earth. There are diversities of operatious, but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and the members of each of the different societies may be said to walk in the same spirit, and in the same steps. For all their efforts of this nature do aid and assist those who fly in the spirit of the angel, to preach the unsearch. able riches of Christ, to all intelligent beings, of whatever nation, kindred, tongue and people they may be. And perhaps the period is not far distant when the different nations in the east, and the heathen tribes in the west, shall enjoy a day not altogether unlike what was enjoyed on that of Pentecost. When each shall hear the glad tidings of salvation proclaimed in the same language in which he was born. May it not now be said, and will not all, who shall be alive on that glorious, day look back to this, and say with unspeakable joy, that all these human efforts have conspired in the fulfilment of this prophecy? That this divine spirit in the missionaries sent J forth from our own country, and from foreign lands, might be said to fly in the midst of heaven, that is the church, like the angel, and on the same errand; having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and tongue, and kindred, and people. In the next words, the angel presents us with some of the principal things which he taught, saying with a loud voice, fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come; and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. This part of our subject is principally narration, and from it may be learned the manner in which those, who go forth in the spirit of the angel, are to execute their important missions. They are to commence their missionary services by presenting to them the being and existence of God, attested from the works of nature. That they might see, that the God, whom they ought to worship and fear, made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. All their illustrations of the character of God from the gospel should be so interspersed with evidences of this fundamental truth, from the volume of nature which is open before their eyes, that they may perceive the agreement between natural and revealed religion. From these things to lead their minds to a sense of the purity and spirituality of that fear aud worship which he requires of them, and of all his intelligent creatures. That the only religious services, which are acceptable to him, flow voluntarily from the heart. Missionaries are to teach their hearers that the fear of God is a filial fear, and arises from love, that all religious worship is founded in love, which is the first and great command in the law, and the gospel.. And the manner in which the gospel is preached, should be solemn and impressive, that hearers may be religiously awaked to the concerns of their souls. And all their preaching is to be inforced with the awful thought, that the hour of God's judgment is come, when he will render vengeance to his enemies, and reward them that hate him. That they might all be persuaded to improve the day of grace, to give glory to God, and escape his wrath. II. To point out the time when the angel may be said to fly in the midst of heaven. If the united spirit and zeal for missions, of such multitudes throughout the protestant world, may be considered as applicable to the flight of the angel, the time is now come. And it may be said to have commenced the moment this spirit made its appearance, by public acts in different societies for purposes of this kind. The angel was one, and the spirit of missions is one. Of the agreement between the type and the antitype every one may form a just opinion, if he will candidly notice the preceding and subsequent circumstances of this angel's flight. In the FIRST place, let us attend to the preceding circumstances. From the information given by the inspired John, he looked and lo, a lamb stood on mount Sion, and with him an hundred |