Ingalls, L., journal and letters of 27, 323, | Missionaries, arrivals at Calcutta and

"Without God"-"God is not in all his thoughts"-"No God," or, "God over all "—"God with us"-" God all in all ;”—in nature estranged from God, or turned through grace to God again ;—so is every man in character, state, object and destiny, according as he has, or has not, received in faith the gospel of God. This is the law-the rule of operation—of the gospel. And it is an effectual law. The gospel cannot deny itself. The effect wanting, then has not the gospel been received in faith, to work its effect after its law.

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To cause this effect,-to teach man the knowledge of God, so that he may "glorify him as God and be thankful,”—may render to God the homage, praise and service due to him as the only God our Maker and the Giver of all good,— is the grand intent of the gospel. For this it was planned, wrought out, and to be preached among all nations; for this "the word goeth forth," and "shall not return void,”—“to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ;" so that all who "with open face behold the glory of the Lord," may be "changed into the same image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.” It was “in his own image" God created man; in the image of God created he him." And so long as he bore his image, he lived before him, rejoicing in his presence and hearkening to the voice of the Lord God. This likeness to God, marred and bedimmed by the fall, the gospel comes to restore to man; that he may be "renewed in knowledge after the image of him who created him," and, being renewed, may again “have confidence towards God," may again come before him and abide in his presence, and "whatsoever he asks, may receive of him, keeping his commandments and doing those things that are pleasing in his sight."

With this object in view and these effective means to compass it, it would have been passing strange if the agents chosen to promulgate the gospel were not of such as had themselves obeyed it; if the "author and finisher" of the plan had not provided that they and they only should be its servitors who should drink of it into "one and the self-same spirit." To have committed the work to beings still alienated from God, "not liking to retain God in their knowledge," godless men, would have been fatal to the symmetry of the plan, fretting and clogging to its entire movement, and perilous to its oneness of effect; and would have derogated from his perfectness of counsel and wisdom with whom "wisdom was brought up." The processes of the work, from first to last, must be consentient one with another and with their designed results. "All the

body, by joints and bands having nourishment administered and knit together, must increase with the increase of God." Spiritually, "they which minister about holy things, must live of the things of the temple; and they which wait at the altar, must be partakers with the altar."

So God has done. The work of saving men by making known to them the gospel of Jesus Christ, is committed to the church of Christ, to the "company of believers" in Christ, men to whom Christ has "showed the Father," who have "received of his Spirit,” and who “cannot but testify the things which they have seen and heard;" men who, once without God, "going astray," are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of their souls;" and with whose new spiritual nature it is spontaneous to think and speak of God, to look to him, to pray to and praise and glorify him, as it was with their earthly nature to turn from him.

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With this designation of the agency appropriate and appointed to be depositary and conveyancer of the gospel, is another divine appointment which well accords. God has inwoven throughout his plan of gospel-dispensation a necessity to know and honor him, a necessity that must be recognized and felt. Whoever puts his hand to the work of restoring a fellow-man to the knowledge and love of God through the gospel of his dear Son, is made to understand and know in his first right effort, that he must begin and end with God, that his "sufficiency is of God;" that without God as object, rule, motive and help, he can do nothing; that he must draw nigh to God, enter into his counsels, be strengthened with his strength, must walk with God; God must be to him and in him as he would have Him be to his fellow-man whom he seeks to save. Whatever work of man he may do godlessly, he cannot work “a work of God” apart from God.

Yet this law of necessity is to the obedient a law of liberty. The willing and the obedient are one, in one spirit. Whoever fails of willing obedience, fails in like measure of fitness for his work. And perfect obedience is perfect freedom.

Such is the inherent nature of the gospel,-its structure, its mode of action and its results ;—and as such would it unfailingly develope itself in its successful operation, were it left to work out separate and silent its hidden glory. It is an effective manifestation of the Godhead. It is an actual reënthronement of the Supreme and Only God. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy work." "His eternal power and Godhead are clearly seen," being "understood by the things that are made;" so that ungodly men "are without excuse;" while "they become vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart is darkened." But in the gospel God writes his law in the heart, and graves it as with the point of a diamond. "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.... .. I will put my laws into their minds, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people,"-" and all shall know me."

But God has done more than to devise the plan, more than to create fitness, and necessity, and spontaneous choice :-he has superadded counsel, invitation, requirement. He has provided against the weakness, the perverseness of man's heart. Knowing what is in man, how full of vain thoughts, how prone to selfflattery and presumption, how eager to walk in the light of his own fire,” and how ready" to burn incense to his own drag,”—“not calling upon the Lord,”—it has pleased God, in express terms, to declare his presence and working in the propagation of the gospel ;-He will not give his glory unto another;—and he

demands of the agents employed by him to recognize as expressly their dependence on him. "The Lord has spoken, and he will do it; yet for this he will be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them." And as in every one who "believeth with the heart unto righteousness," it is not only seemly and natural, but there is moreover superadded the sanction of a divine requirement, that "with the mouth confession be made unto salvation;" in like manner, in conveying the word of this salvation to others, it is a condition to success that, in regard to our dependence on God and union with him, belief and confession, the spirit and the body, the living soul and its outward manifestation of life, be joined together. Not only must we believe in our heart God's sufficiency and man's necessity, but we must also make confession of the same with our mouth, and "give glory to God." We must "pray, lifting up holy hands."

So Jesus prayed. It is written of him, "the apostle and high priest of our profession," that "rising up a great while before day, he went out and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." And when he was about to choose the twelve," whom he named apostles," "he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God." At the grave of Lazarus, "Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always; but because of the people which stand by, I said it; that they may believe that thou hast sent me." And on the mount of transfiguration-in the presence of Peter and John and James and Moses and Elias "the fashion of his countenance was altered and his raiment was white and glistering"-" as he prayed;" while, answering to his prayer, "there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son."

The fitness, indispensableness and wondrous power of prayer, attested by Christ in his own person and commended to us by his unvarying and blessed example, were also inculcated, throughout his ministry on the earth, in numerous admonitory and imperative teachings. For this cause came he into the world, "to manifest the Father's name unto the men given unto him out of the world;"--and "before he went forth over the brook Kedron," in his intercessory prayer to the Father, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "I have manifested thy name unto them . . . . . . . and they have kept thy word." He had taught his disciples to pray unto the Father, and in what manner they should pray; and that "whatsover they should ask the Father in his name, the Father would give it them." "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name. Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." But inore especially did he enforce upon them the indispensableness and efficacy of prayer" when he showed himself unto them after his passion;" "and being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me." Repentance and remission of sins must be preached in his name among all nations;" but they who preach, must be endued with power from on high." "Preach my gospel to every creature," is the first and great requirement. And the second is like unto it:-"Wait for the promise of the Father." And hence, in strict and thankful obedience to this requirement, before they adventured on fulfilling "the great commission," the disciples, "when they were come from the mount called Olivet, went up into an upper room and there abode," and "continued with one accord in prayer and supplication," until the day of Pentecost was fully come. These instructions, given by Christ at such a time and in such circumstances, when he was about to set up his kingdom among men, are not "of any private interpretation." They have all the authority and un

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changeableness of constitutional provisions. They are fundamental laws of his earthly empire, universal in compass, embracing every subject of his kingdom; and of perpetual force, reaching "even unto the end of the world."

"THE MIND WHICH WAS IN CHRIST JESUS."

When the apostle Paul would enjoin the Philippians to "look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others," he points them to "the mind which was also in Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and, being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." He does not content himself with merely stating the fact of our Lord's condescension and death; but, as if he loved to linger on the subject, he traces it from stage to stage; as if the immensity of the stoop which Christ made were too great to be comprehended at once, he divides it into parts, and follows him downwards from point to point, till he has reached the lowest depth of his humiliation. As if he felt convinced that the amazing spectacle, if duly considered, could not fail to annihilate selfishness in every other heart, as it had in his own, the only anxiety he evinces is that it should be seen, be vividly presented before the eye of the mind. Having carried our thoughts up to that infinite height where Christ had been from eternity in the bosom of the Father, he shows us the Son of God divesting himself of his glory; and then, he detains our eye in a prolonged gaze on his descending course; condescending to be born; voluntarily subjecting himself to all the humbling conditions of our nature; taking on himself the responsibilities of a servant; still humbling himself, still passing from one depth of ignominy to a lower still; becoming obedient unto death; and that death the most humbling, the most replete with agony and shame, the death of the cross.

Christian, can you ever contemplate this wonderful exhibition without renewed emotions of love? without feeling afresh that you are not your own? And say, ought such grace in Christ to be requited with parsimony in his followers? Ought such a Master to be served by grudging and covetous servants? Ought such a Savior to have to complain that those who have been redeemed, and who know they have been redeemed, not with corruptible things, such as silver and gold, but with his own most precious blood, are so much attached to that corruptible wealth, that they will not part with it, though urged by the claims of that most precious blood? O, shame to humanity! O, reproach to the Christian name! Be concerned, Christian, to wipe off the foul stain. Bring forth your substance, and spread it before him. Were you to give up all to him, would it be very reprehensible, or very unaccountable, considering that he gave up all for you?" At least economize for Christ. Retrench, retrench your expenditure, that you may be able to increase your liberality. Deny, deny yourself for his cause, as you value consistency, as you profess to be a follower of him, "who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree."

In his second epistle to the Corinthians, we find the apostle enforcing the practice of Christian liberality; and various and cogent are the motives which he adduces to excite their benevolence. But we might rest assured that it would not be long before he introduced the motive of our Lord's example. The love of Christ was the actuating principle of his own conduct; it influenced him more than all other motives combined. If ever his ardor in the path of duty flagged for a moment, he glanced at the cross, thought of the great love wherewith Christ had loved him, and instantly girded on his zeal afresh. In addressing others, therefore, he never failed to introduce this motive; he relied on it as his main strength; he brought it to bear upon them in all its subduing and constraining force.

And how tender, how pointed, how melting the appeal which he makes. "Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for