office which a nation—or a city, the heart of a nation-is called to fulfil!

The history of the ancient world is little more than a history of its cities. Each of those cities may be regarded as an individual being; endowed with peculiar capacities; possessing a distinctive character; required to act a particular part, to answer a specific moral purpose; and allowed a fixed portion of time to see whether it would answer that end or not. And why did they all, successively, perish in disgrace? The believer in revelation has but one reply-they not only failed to answer their proper end, but by their depravity and rebellion, they thwarted the whole of the great plan of Providence. Babylon, Nineveh, Jerusalem, Rome-each, in its turn, was called to answer a particular moral purpose, and for that end was made the leader of the world. But, failing to fulfil this high vocation, there came forth the likeness of a man's hand, which wrote their doom, and gave their power to another.

But if the cities of antiquity held so responsible a position in the economy of the world, how much greater the responsibility of those which have been called into existence since the coming of Christ. That was an event which, by erecting an empire of

truth, and infusing regenerating principles into the heart of society, raised the scale of human responsibility a hundred fold. For example: the advantages peculiar to cities are numerous; advantages of situation, of commerce, government, art, science, wealth, religion; one city may enjoy one class of these advantages, and one another. Is there a nation whose influence is such that it can make itself be heard by all the governments of the civilized world, and whose voice is respected wherever it is heard ?-that nation is ours. Is there one nation, more than another, which, to all these advantages, adds the power of giving the gospel to the earth? -still, that nation is ours. Commercially, it has access to every part-it has the ear of the world; while its resources of wealth and moral influence are equal, under God, to an attempt at the evangelization of the whole.

My brethren, these are not accidents of fortune-they are talents of mighty worth. He who has conferred them, has done so with deep calculation, and for a special end. Have our religious resources been self-applied? Have we christianized our own population? Has every Christian citizen, by a laborious, persevering, and comprehensive scheme of benevolence, essayed to turn our

whole population into a great Christian church? What we can do, commercially, we know. In this respect, our field is the world, and we have occupied every part of it. But while our energies have gone forth commercially to the ends of the earth, what have we done religiously within our boundaries? Are we standing like a servant, girt, and ready for our Lord's behests? or are we yet to be aroused to duty? Have we heathens of our own to instruct? desolate tracts of our own to cultivate? Is our population in a state to propagate more religion or irreligion? virtue or vice? Have we yet to learn that religion is the very end of our existence? If so, we have only to continue in our present state, and our doom is sealed.

III. Then, thirdly, what is the spiritual condition of this great community?

My brethren, were you now about to hear of its moral state for the first time, I should be greatly disappointed if I did not perceive in your faces, as I proceeded, marks of astonishment, compassion, and alarm. But I take it for granted that you have already availed yourselves, in some degree, of the information extant on this subject. To suppose that you have not, would be almost a reflection on your piety. All that can now

be necessary is, to condense and present that information with a view to the enforcement of certain practical remarks.

One of the most affecting pages in the book of the world, is that which presents to the eye of the Christian a tabular view of its religious state. If we suppose, according to the usual estimate, that the inhabitants of the world amount to 800,000,000, then the whole, in round numbers, may be thus divided: Pagans, 482,000,000; Christians, 175,000,000; Jews and Mahometans, 143,000,000. O what shame should cover the Christian church, that such should be the state of the worldof Christ's world-eighteen hundred years after he has died for its redemption! More than three fourths of the human race in ignorance of him, or in avowed alienation from him! But there is a fact, which should be felt, by every Christian inhabitant of this great country, more deeply still the fact that its religious condition forms so striking an epitome of the religious condition of the world.

When the Almighty would impress Jonah with the extreme depravity of Nineveh, he spoke of it as a gigantic personification of evil, which had actually come up, and obtruded to his very throne. Were the guilt

But

of this nation imbodied, who could describe its colossal stature, its Titanic daring, and revolting aspect? When he would show Ezekiel the abominations of Jerusalem, he led him through successive chambers of imagery, on the walls of which were vividly portrayed all their dark and idolatrous doings. were a similar representation of the abominations among us to be attempted, what is the emblematic imagery that would do them justice? Where are the colors dark enough, and the imagination sufficiently daring, to portray the guilty reality? There must be seen groups of demons in human shape, teaching crime professionally; initiating the young in the science of guilt; and encouraging their first step towards destruction. There must be trains of wretched females, leading hundreds of guilty victims in chains -and leading them through a fearful array of all the spectres of disease, remorse, and misery, ready to dart on them. There must be theatres-with a numerous priesthood pandering to impurity, and offering up the youth of both sexes at the shrines of sensuality. There must be splendid porticoes, the entrances to which must be inscribed-Hells; and on the breast of each of those entering must be written, in letters of fire, Hell.