peace and go to glory, because acquainted with it, think you he intended they should let all the nations around remain in absolute ignorance of that incomparable treasure? Shall it be said the boon of almighty love lay idle in their hands, and they will not, nay, and multitudes will not, make that gospel known to their fellow-sinners? Yet it is a mercy that this nation has been called to take the lead in the work; the nation at all times the most able to do it has, also, through divine goodness, received the greatest disposition to do it, and its value being estimated by its unparalleled circulation among ourselves, therefore numbers have now combined to make it known to the ends of the earth. There is no other nation which has so wide a commerce, which has so much wealth at its command, whose children are so widely dispersed through the world, and therefore possessing opportunities of translating the Scriptures to such an extent, and to make the tribes of the earth acquainted, for the first time, with the revelation of their Maker's will. But, brethren, as the Church of Christ is but half awake to this and its other duties, how anxious we should be not to lose our little part in the accomplishment of this great work in the welfure of our fellow-men.

The Society for which I have now to plead before you has been privileged by God to effect an important commencement of that work which must cover the earth eventually" with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. It has been permitted by God to bring into circulation ten millions of copies of his word; it has been permitted to expend an income of £103,000 in the last year in the undertaking, which, at first sight, might seem to go far to supply the world. But, my brethren, the slightest consideration will show it is not saying too much when I assure you the work is only at its commencement; for of those ten millions of copies of the Scriptures, in whole or in part, above six millions have been distributed in the English language alone,-six out of the ten, intended for the world, have been distributed in the English language alone. And of that £103,000 which formed their income for the last year, how very large a part was there not given in free contributions

to diffuse the gospel through the world; so that the disposable income of the Society is very far beneath that sum which I have mentioned. And then, again, of those free contributions, a considerable part returns to those who made them, or to others engaged in the work of distributing the Scriptures at home. Therefore there is still a further reduction. It has a very small income, especially considering the fact, that all who profess the Christian name are invited to join in this great work, so favourable for the purpose of diffusing the Scriptures throughout the world. And yet much has been done, through the mercy of God, since you may find by this paper put into my hands-by the last page of that paper that there are 105 new translations of the Scriptures which have been printed by the Society, and the total number of Languages or Dialects in which the Society has directly or indirectly circulated the Scriptures, is 135. But let your minds here rest on the fact that 105 New Translations have been made in connection with the Society, and you will see the incalculable good of which, under the Providence of God, it may eventually be the author. Recollect that one single version of the Scriptures, one single new version, introduces this precious revelation of the will of God to a nation more populous by one-half than all the nations of the earth together. The translation of the Scriptures into the Chinese language introduces the knowledge of the revelation of God's will to 350 millions of our fellow creatures. What, then, has been the value of those 105 new translatious never before printed, which the Society has put into circulation? But it has not overlooked the wants of Home: it has furnished many copies of the word of God in this Metropolis. It has furnished those Societies labouring for the welfare of Ireland with above 200,000 copies of the Scriptures, if I remember right. It has furnished the Sunday School Society for Ireland, the London Hibernian Society, the Irish Society at Dublin, the Scriptural Education Society, and the Baptist Irish Society, I think, with above 200,000 copies altogether, It has furnished the Principality of Wales, and the wildest parts of Scotland, with the Scriptures in their own languages; it has not neglected a single

village of this country where a demand has been made for the Scriptures; and it has also gone to the extremities of the earth, fulfilling our Lord's command, "to preach the Gospel to every creature." And, therefore, above 200,000 copies of the Scriptures, in whole or in part, have been circulated in the British possessions; and there are translations of the word of God made to the whole of the Indian Peninsula, from the banks of the Ganges up as far as the Seiks, and to the very roots of the Himalaya mountains. Cashmere has its translation; the whole of India is penetrated with the word of God.

That I may not detain you too long by a survey of what the Society has done, I will only speak of a few of its operations on the Continent of Europe. In four of the kingdoms of Europe, all the effects of the Reformation were apparently lost, and they were permanently linked and chained by superstition in those four kingdoms. Some openings are now made for the introduction of the Scriptures. In Belgium, where hitherto the word of God has been ineffectually known, the agent of this Society is now prepared to labour, and 11,000 Bibles and Testaments, in French and Flemish, have been sent by us there. Portugal has its agent also. At Barcelona and Madrid the Society has had two of its agents labouring in a country where once the Reformation was so great, where there were martyrs to the truth and many eminent believers, but where the cursed inquisition was permitted to root out all the remaining traits of Protestantism. Yet is there an edition of the Spanish Bible printed in Madrid, and a Catalan Testament printed at Barcelona, while in every corner of that place invitations have been given to priests and people to possess themselves of the Scriptures. So that God has been gracious to that nation, and there has been an opening for the Scriptures there. An agent of this Society has been encouraged to visit Rome itself, and some copies of the word of God have been disposed of in the very heart of the Papal metropolis.

When we remember that these opportunities do not last for ever, and that a reverse of circumstances may shut those nations out of such privileges, we ought to seize

the opportunities which the word of God presents for carrying the Gospel there.

There was a like facility for the introduction of the Scriptures among the South American nations a few years since; the Scriptures might have been sold there to almost any extent; at reduced prices numbers were willling to receive them, but there was not the means of adequately availing ourselves of the opening. Now those nations are closed, and disregard among some, and violent opposition among many, renders it now impossible to circulate the Scriptures, where, at one time, they were eager and curious to receive them. Are we not guilty of great neglect before God, that the state of the nations do not make the Christian people of this country seize those opportunities which God has given them?

There was a very good opportunity in France also, at the commencement of this last revolution. That opportunity was embraced in a measure, but as I have been assured by some French pastors, not nearly to the extent to which it might have been available. There are opportunities in France of distributing the word of God, at this time, which ought to animate the hearts of all who wish to see the Gospel triumph. In that country the Society has been permitted to put into circulation 1,100,000 Bibles and Testaments, and of these, 286 copies of the Bible or Testament have been distributed in the last four years in that country. Now, consider for a moment that distribution. The Society has an intelligent and pious agent in Paris, appointed to watch and superintend this distribution, and to me it is a most interesting fact to consider, that one intelligent mind should be wholly devoted in that large empire to watch over the progress of the circulation of God's word. It is his business to communicate with every pious pastor, with every zealous individual, whoever is willing to put the word of God into circulation, and furnish him, as circumstances may require, with copies, and thus has he put such a vast number into circulation. This is not all: besides this, the two Evangelical Societies of Paris and Geneva have employed Scripture readers to go among the Catholic villagers, offering to them Bibles and Testaments for sale.

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tudes of copies have thus been sold; an eager interest has thus been excited among those villagers who, before this, were opposed to the Scriptures, or indifferent to them. In some instances it has led them to think over the word of God, to desire to have it expounded and preached to them, and in one or two instances pastors have been appointed, in consequence of the number of villagers who have become interested in the word of God. One instance of the kind in the neighbourhood of Brussels is encouraging, where there is a pastor with four large congregations of persons, now listening to the preaching of the Gospel, who were a few months since careless and ignorant Roman Catholics, but who have been led to seek for his pastoral instructions by the visits of the Scripture readers. What is there to hinder this being carried to any extent in the kingdom of France? And when you consider the position of that great empire, and its vast influence on all surrounding nations, it is impossible to overvalue these efforts to diffuse the Gospel there.

But the Society has been permitted by God to effect a still greater good through the ministry of public instruction, for the New Testament has now been introduced into those National Schools where formerly it was a proscribed book. And this Society, being able to offer these books to the ministers of state on reduced terms, has thus succeeded in carrying the New Testament into the National Schools of France, who, hitherto looking on that book with indifference, have now for the first time read its sacred and beautiful pages, and become acquainted with its truths. How important an influence has this upon the rising generation of France! When you consider how utterly the word of God is opposed to all superstition and error, when you think (without the addition of any express or Divine command) how it subverts all those religions founded on mere delusion, it is impossible to over-estimate the influence it may have in the schools of France, or may have on individuals in that important nation. And then think of the influence of France, its large population, its central position in Europe, its widely-extended literature, the vigour of mind which is found there, its approach to the use of free