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"ledge" have no ship of their own; but they' are favoured with the necessary freight every year in the ships of the East India Company. Let us then imitate the example of this Venerable Society, which, in regard to the support of Missions, and the translation of the Scriptures, is the mother of us all." baroq But the strongest recommendation of the measure which I propose to you, is the suc cessful example of the United Brethren." That Episcopal Body has had a ship during the period of nearly 50 years, chartered for the sole purpose of carrying the Gospel to Labrador, and other foreign lands. The ships Harmony and Resolution have been employed in this important service; a service far more honourable than any that has ever been atchiev ed by any ship of war, commerce, or discovery.

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Nor ought we to omit, on this occasion, to make honourable mention of the liberal plans of the "London Missionary Society first operation of that Society, in sending forth, at once, a large body of Christian Teachers, displayed a noble spirit of zeal and unanimity; and manifested a laudable and well-grounded confidence in the ultimate success of the great design. The merits of that great Expedition have not, perhaps, been sufficiently acknowledged at home. But the sending forth a ship to the Pacific Ocean at that day, was a great

event in the history of the Gospel; and will be recorded in the books of the Heathen World -in ages to come.

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That I may lead your thoughts to the serious contemplation of the measure which I have proposed, I shall now recite to you a prediction of the prophet Isaiah, and the interpretation of it by the Jews of the East. For it is considered by some learned persons, both at home and abroad, as referring to these times, and to the means by which we ought to extend the knowledge of the Gospel..

The prophecy to which I allude is in the xviiith chapter of Isaiah. It begins in our Translation with these words: "Woe to the "land" but which ought to be translated "O "land being an address of affection and respect.

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Ogland! shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia; that sendeth "ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of "bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye "swift messengers, to a nation scattered and

** We do not refer here to the place selected for the first mission, but to the spirit which sent it forth. Those, who now blame the choice of the place, did not themselves, perhaps, anticipate the difficulties. A country which is protected by a regular government, is indeed the most suitable. But the Gospel must also be preached to savages: besides, a regular government will not always receive a mission.

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"peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto :" and concludes with these words: "In that time shall the present be

brought unto the Lord of Hosts of a peo"ple scattered and peeled, to the place of the "name of the Lord of Hosts, the Mount "Zion."

This prophecy, which had been considered by some of the learned in this country, and first, I believe, by the late Bishop Horsley, as referring to these times, I proposed to the Jews in the East; who, after some deliberation, gave me the following explanation :

"That the prophecy in this chapter relates "to the restoration of the Jews to their own ર country. That the nation here addressed, "by a kind compellation, "O thou land," was to "send a message to the Jewish People; and "this was to be a message of kindness."

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Inquiry was then made concerning the cha racter and description of the nation, which was to send a message of kindness to the Jewish People. The Jews stated these four particulars of its description:

1. That the place of the nation was beyond the rivers of CUSH, that is, to the west of the Nile; for the prophet was on the east of the Nile when he delivered his prophecy.

2. That it was a land "shadowing with wings;" which signifies that it should be of great

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extent and

tion.

power,

and capable of giving protec..

3. That it was a Maritime Nation-" sending "ambassadors by sea in vessels of bulrushes;" a figure for light ships, not burdened with commerce, but light for dispatch; carrying merely the TIDINGS OF GLADNESS: and that the ambas sadors sent in them were messengers of peace. When I expressed some doubt as to the character of these Ambassadors, we referred to the old Arabic Translation of Isaiah, which happened to be at hand; where the word for Ambassadors is rendered Prophets or Preach

ers.

4. That the issue of this embassy would be the restoration of "the people scattered and peeled to the Lord of Hosts in Zion:" and that, at the period when this should take place, there would be a shaking of the nations; for it is said, in the third verse, that God" would lift his up "ensign on the mountains, that all might see, " and blow his trumpet, that all the inhabitants,, "of the earth might hear."

When I endeavoured to shew that all these characters centered in Great Britain, and that she was actually sending forth messengers at

this time to all nations, the Jews were alarmed at their own interpretation, and began to quali fy some parts of it. I then demanded what they really believed to be intended by the mission of

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these ambassadors. They answered, that they understood the embassy in a political sense only;' and that the nation spoken of was merely to afford its aid to restore them to their temporal kingdom.

But, whether the prophecy hath a temporal or a spiritual sense, I submit to your judgment, and not to that of the Jews in the East.

Let us then, my Brethren, obey the pro phetic mandate, and "send forth ambassadors "in light ships; saying, Go, ye swift messen

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gers, to a nation scattered and peeled," dis persed in all lands: " to a people terrible from "their beginning hitherto." From the time since they came forth from Egypt, accompa nied by signs and wonders, they have been a terror and a wonder to all. Send ye ambassadors to a nation expecting and looking "out" for the Messiah, who is also the desire of other nations; and announce ye to all, That the desire of ALL nations is come.". Hag. ii. 7. "Lift ye up the ensign upon "the mountains, that all the inhabitants of the world may see; and blow ye the trum"pet," the Great Trumpet of the World's Jubilee, that all the dwellers on the earth "may hear."

Ye are the light of the world." Let not your light be confined to this spot, in a nor thern region. Put away the reproach, that