flowers reminded us that it was the 29th. of May, or in the vulgar tongue king Charles' day. Had we not left our parish, the solemn services of the sanctuary would have reminded those who delight to keep holyday of the real cause of thanksgiving we, as a church and nation, have to commemorate often as the day returns. For we could not help feeling, as we read on our way the various services appointed for the day, that all the tribes of Iseral were not more at strife as to who should bring David back than were the various parties who (permitted as they were to proceed to act out what David's enemies did only as far as the intention could carry them) not afraid to kill the "Lord's anointed," had tried the miseries of civil and religious confusion (vulgarly called civil and religious liberty) 'till they could bear it no longer, could find rest in nothing but the restoration of that Church and State whose foundations they had cast down.

laboured so hard to

But to return, prospered in our journey by him who ordereth all our ways, we arrived in peace at the house of that Christian Brother and fellow-minister in the Lord who was to receive us in the Lord at his house, for the sake of the cause in which we were engaged. And how high is the privilege, how bles. sed that feeling that though, as in the present case, we had never seen each others face before, we meet as one in Christ, united by that bond which earthly friendships know not of the communion of the saints''-a blessed article of our common creed ! And this is doubtless one of the happy advantages which the Church Missionary Deputation reaps from his journeyings, one of the green spots of refreshment he is permitted to rejoice in. On the Sunday

morning we began our work. At the Parish Church of the populous town of to a most respectable and attentive congregation, we preached from Ephes. iv. 8-13. Having chosen a subject (as our manner is) fitting to the season and those meditations to which our church by her services directs us (being the Sunday after Ascension day) we spoke of the fact of the ascension of our Lord as prophesied of in the Old Testament, and related in the New; of the manner as triumphant, "leading Captivity Captive" having conquered the conqueror, Satan, and rescued the preya people enslaved under his bondage; of the end of his ascension" that he might fill all things," heaven with the glorious news of the work of redemption "finished," his church below with all the blessings so dearly purchased. Then the means by which our ascended Lord takes possession of the kingdom set forth in the eleventh verse, "he gave some Apostles &c." he gave, that is appointed by gift for the service of his church, "first apostles," (1 Cor. xii. 28,) “secondarily prophets," Apostles confined in the strict meaning of the term to those twelve whom Jesus sent forth and therefore an order now past. Prophets such as were at Antioch, Acts xiii. 1, who both were enabled, as Agabus, to fortell things to come, and also to expound by the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit the mind of God in this sense; therefore an order past. Evangelists, such as Philip, (Acts xxi. 8,) such Eusebius describes in uninspired days as men who inflamed with an ardent love for the gospel left their country to preach the word of faith to those who had never yet heard of it, exactly answering the qualification and business of our Missionaries now.

Lastly the end to be attained by these means, set

forth in the twelfth and thirteenth verses.

After having spoken on which, we applied the subject to the cause we had to plead in some such words as these.The history of the Church has borne its witness that the words of our text were words of scriptural truth, both as to the end and as to the means by which that end was to be brought to pass. And, as it was in the begining so it is now, and so it shall be; this is the same grand end-which is the same glorious consummation which is the earnest desire of every Christian the grand finale which every part of the true church of Christ devoutly longs for, and by the same blessed machinery of divine appointment expects to see accomplished. This is so with that Society, amongst others, for which I plead in this house of God, in the ears of the assembled congregation, this day. It was stated in the eleventh annual report, with the view of associating the members of the united Church of England and Ireland in the holy work of evangelizing the heathen world, that the Church Missionary Society (40 years ago) was formed; in other words, to do that part which in the providence of God might be assigned to her, in working that machinery by which it has pleased God to bring to pass the end for which the King of glory has exalted his only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph into his kingdom in heaven. And what has been that work? "The perfecting of the saints." She looked over the heathen, and what was the awful picture? a world lying in wickedness, cradled in the arms of the wicked one, wailling as the apostle describes the Gentiles of his time (in this chapter v. 17-19) "walking in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened

being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart, who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness." The awful prospect broke upon her view of not less than 600,000,000 of fellow creatures, who were as the Ephesians before the great Apostle of the Gentiles went as an Evangelist amongst them, (Eph. ii. 12,) "without Christ, aliens from the common-wealth of Israel, strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." Here was an awful sight indeed, a world disjointed from the body of Christ-a sight which in better times had so moved an Apostle's mind, that he counted not his life dear unto him that he might finish his appointed course in evangelizing the world. And as the great Head of the Church assured St. Paul that he had much people" amid the polished luxury and licentiousness of heathen Corinth; as the gospel had become "the power of God unto salvation

to many a one who had "changed the truth of God into a lie," and had worshipped and "served the creature more than the Creator," amidst the abominations of heathen Rome; as "the saints and faithful in Christ Jesus at Ephesus once lay "dead in trespasses and sins," worshipping of the great goddess Diana; so did the framers of the Church Missionary Society fully believe that amidst the tribes of injured Africa God had "much people;" that to the polished licentiousness and polytheism of the Hindoos the same gospel of the grace of God would still turn them from darkness to light, and from the delusions of Satan to h knowledge of Christ; nor did they despair, knowing him whose promise they believed, and at whose command

they went forth, that the New Zealander himself should be taught "denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this world." They knew that their end was good,-for it was the glory of God and the salvation of men; they knew the cause was worthy, for it was the cause of God and of his Christ; they knew that the motive was pure, for it was zeal that his name should be hallowed where that of Satan was adored, that his kingdom might come where that of darkness and of death prevailed-it was love to a perishing world. which at that time few had pitied-fewer still had stretched out an arm to save. The divine machinery was ready to hand. If the Lord of his Church had withdrawn "Apostles and Prophets," Pastors and teachers still remained by whom this work might be forwarded, "till all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God" to that blessed measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. By successful application then to the chief Pastors of our Church at home, (and, as far as through God's mercy they have been successively established, to the same chief Pastors, our Bishops in our Colonies abroad,) the Church Missionary Society has been engaged for forty years in various parts of the heathen world, in sending out duly ordained Ministers to go as Evangelists into all the earth, proclaiming the gospel to every creature, assisted by a due proportion of Catechists and Schoolmasters. The means by which we have been enabled to go forward in this work to the present moment is the charity of British Christians, and to that we still appeal. (To be continued.)

Rev. H. A. SIMCOE, Penheale-Press, Cornwall,