it, and hold it fast, and then depend upon it, the society, however small, will prosper, in the scriptural sense of the word. Only "wait patiently for him, do not fret."

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"A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation, I the Lord, will hasten it in his time." Isaiah, lx. 20.— Here is great encouragement to small beginnings. This word has proceeded out of the mouth of God, who cannot lie, and it shall not return unto him void; his counsel shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure. The whole chapter seems plainly to apply to New Testament times, and in an eminent degree to the latter days, when God shall say to the Jews, "arise and shine for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you --and the gentiles shall come to thy light," &c. Yet, we apprehend, it is not to be confined to any particular period. It has often been fulfilled already, in the experience of the church, and may be again, before the days of millennial glory. I consider, that a fulfilling of it was witnessed on the day of Pentecost-that the few Jewish converts, in sundry places, who clave to the apostles and afterwards grew up to be flourishing congregations or a number of congregations, was a fulfilling of it-that the wonderful success which attended the preaching of Luther, Calvin, Zuinglius, Knox, and others, shortly before and after that period, was a fulfilling of it. It is pretty well known, to the most of your readers, how small a beginning the Secession had in Scotland, in 1733, and what it is now, in that country, in England, in Ireland, in Nova-Scotia, and in the United States. It is well known, how small a beginning the Associate church in North America had, after the union of the Associate Reformed took place in 1782.— The beginning of the Reformed Synod, after that event, was smaller still. And it will not, by any one who knows the history of these churches, be disputed, that their increase has at least been as great as their stedfastness in their profession. These I look npon as a fulfilling of this promise. Were I able to lay before the reader the history of each of the congregations belonging to these churches, he would perhaps see just as many small beginnings, encreased to what they have now become, in the good providence of God. Small beginnings, ought therefore, to infer encouragement from all this, and plead the farther fulfilment of this promise, in their own case; only they ought to beware of limiting God to a time a manner or an instrument. Leave these to him who has to do the work, but keep him to this word. And if he should appear to tarry, wait for him; he has an appointed time. And he will hasten in his time, he will not make a moe's unnecessary delay.

The prophet Zechariah is directed to say to the Jews, and to "write for our learning." "Who hath despised the day of small things." Ch. iv. 12. To understand what he refers to, it is necessary to read what Haggai says, Ch. ii. 3. “Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? And how do ye see it now? Is it now in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?"— The comparison made some of the women weep. When we consider that they who are immediately concerned in small beginnings are themselves very ready to despise that day we should wonder less that others do so. Whatever men think, the day of small things is calculated to injure pride, vanity and the carnal mind, a great deal more than faith in him who is invisible, or humility or any thing peculiar to the new creature. The truth is, if it be rightly understood and improved, it will be the day of great things. It generally brings forth strong faith, great stedfastness, great love, great humility; and these make great ministers and great christians; and these again, produce great edification and comfort of the Holy Ghost, which is great glory to the grace of God. Let the reader look back to that day of small things, immediately after Christ's ascension, and that in which the Reformers lived, and he will see all this to be the case. And I would ask him farther, to point out any thing like them, if he can, in what would be called a day of great things. Instead therefore, of despising the day of small things, it ought to be much esteemed. If it has not the countenance of men, it may have more fellowship with God.

This will not be denied. Still it always provesa bitter pill to human nature. A very handful meeting in a small obscure place, for the public celebration of all divine ordinances, without any thing to draw or to hold them together, but the plain and unvarnished truths of Christ, is a sight from which, not the young, the gay, the thoughtless and unexperienced only, but even the aged professor, (as our text shows,) is ready to start back in disgust.To such I would say, who are you, that take upon you to despise the day of small things? It is God's day, and he always does things in it worthy of his own greatness. He does not despise it: Are you wiser than him?

With this estimate of the day of small things 1 Cor. i. 25 -28. "because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weaknes of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling brethren, how that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called; but God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are des

pised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not to bring to nought things which are." This is the general way in which God proceeds, in all ages in carrying on his work. It is therefore, applicable now, and affords matter of encouragement to small beginnings. This ought to relieve them from all uneasy feelings, because they may not have among them any of the wise, mighty, or noble. If they be esteemed weak, foolish, base, despised, which is just the opposite,it is so much the more likely that God had determined to carry on his work by their means. That ought therefore to excite no sadness in their hearts, but the opposite.

Though they may, in comparison with great bodies of concentrated wealth and talent, who attract every one that passes by, be esteemed as "a thing which is not," so much the better. If indeed, their cause be the cause of Christ, and they be honestly endeavouring to be found faithful to it, all this is to be expected. "Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake," "" in the world ye shall have tribulation," your doctrine and order will not be according to man, in any respect, and therefore, you ought to expect that man will despise both you and it. Let all these things be viewed as tokens for good; and that God is about to show his weakness to be stronger than man;-to confound and bring to nought their concealed opposition to both. For he delights to surprise his people by the superabundant fulfilling of his gracious promises respecting his church. He causes light to spring out of darkness, he turns the shadow of death into the morning, and calls things that be not, as though they were. He does the very thing which his sneering enemies deemed impossible, he revives the stone out of the rubbish, and causeth his servants to take pleasure in the same,

But he commonly allows his people time to come to some such conclusion as this; "If the church be to be built up among us, God himself must do it; for we have now tried every means we could think of, and all without effect." This is the happiest thought that could enter their minds, and instead of choking their utterance, while the big tear of desponding sorrow fills their eye, they ought to turn it into a song, and sing it thus; "Except the Lord build the house, the builders lose their pain, except the Lord the city keep, the watchmen wake in vain." But they ought to consider that in such a case, the language of unbelief and despondency, such as, "our way is hid from the Lord, our hope is lost, we are cut off, must be exceedingly provoking to that faithful loving God, who is hastening it in his time, and who is

not losing a single opportunity uor delaying a single moment, unnecessarily, to show the very opposite.

James Ch. iii. 5. "Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth! This is as true of good as it is of bad matters. The greatest good matter in the world, began on the smallest scale.

When the reader reflects how long the christian religion has stood in spite of all opposition; how far it has spread over the world and is spreading still, and what transformations it has wrought on the character of individuals, families and nations; and compares it with its beginning in the preaching of twelve poor, unlearned, persecuted fishermen, against which the whole world rose up in arms; I am persuaded he will say with James. When he compares the rapid progress of the Reformation, the extent to which it spread, and the astonishing changes it produced on the political, as well as religious character of Europe, with Luther's first opposition to Tetzel selling indulgences in the streets of Wettemburgh, he must exclaim "Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth !"

When we consider the present magnitude of the Bible society system in the world, and its beginning a short time ago, in the individual exertions of Robert Drake, in an Engilsh village, we may justly feel the same astonishment. And we conclude that itis quite according to God's way of accomplishing the mightiest projects to give them very small beginnings. This belongs to their encouragement. If it cannot be positively inferred from a small beginning that the latter end will be great; much less can the contrary be positively inferred. Analogy is on the side of the former: especially if the object and design of the infant society coincide with the counsel of God the Father, the mission of Christ into our world and the work of the Holy Ghost, all which is to establish righteousness and truth in the earth; for then they may be confident of the ever blessed Three being on their part and against all that oppose them.

The wise man says, Eccl. ix. 11. "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong," so we see it in many instances, especially when the battle is the Lord's, as in the case under consideration. "Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred shall put ten thousand to flight." Levit. xxvi. 8. A notable instance of this we have in the achievement of Gideon's three hundred in the camp of Midian. Again, in Jonathan and his armour-bearer, successfully attacking the Philistines. These things were written for our learning; and surely we may learn that a small handful may do exploits in the good fight of faith.

Christ says, Math. xviii. 20. "For where two or three are gathered together, in my name, there am I in the midst." This applies in the first instance, to ministers meeting in their judicial capacity, but then their judicial capacity itself, and all their authority and gifts are not for themselves, but for the church, as are also all official gifts and endowments whatsoever. see Eph. iv. 12. Therefore, when Christ comes in the midst to bless them, it is principally to bless the church through them, to provide a dispensation of the bread of life; the very man and the very word that will be in season to refresh and revive the drooping spirits of some small beginning. This word therefore, ought to encourage their hearts, and strengthen their hands. This may be plead at the throne of grace, while their petitions and commissioners are sent up to presbyteries and synods. And does not Christ so understand it, when he says in a preceding verse, "again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree upon earth, as touching any thing that ye shall ask, it shall be done for you of my Father which is in heaven." Be not discouraged, nor peevishly charge courts with neglecting you, because your prayer is not immediately answered. There may be other cases more urgent than even yours. "Wait for God and let your hope be in his word."

I shall mention only one thing more, not because there is no more to mention, but for fear of wearying the reader. Isaiah liv. 17. "No weapon that is formed against thee, shall prosper, and every tongue that riseth against thee, thou shalt condemn." This is spoken to the church when very low, "when she is afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted," "_" when she resembles the barren which does not bear children," "a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit."—In a lonely desolate situation, remote from public view, and destitute of every attraction, to the gay multitude. And this is not the worst of her situation, as described in that chapter. She has numerous enemies gathering thick around her. But the next words speak enough to comfort her. << They shall gather together but not by me; whosoever shall gather together shall fall for thy sake." Whosoever, professed friends, or open enemies, the moral and seemingly religious or openly profane and vicious. No weight of character can exempt them. The same general terms are used in the next verse, no weapon,” and “every tongue." Some suppose that when they act under the pretence of serving the cause of religion more extensively, or of opposing bigotry, and maintaining liberal sentiments, that they have sanctified their weapon or their tongue and obtained a license for it-when the tongue of the wise and sensible, and experienced professor of religion-of the learned

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