creeds which, for aught they cared, might have had double the number of articles, became full of teaching. This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith, not any more an historic faith built up on logical deduction, but personal acceptance of living verities which has changed the whole life. And so, in many who have never felt any special change, this revelation has in another form been made. The light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world is exercising an influence, gradually moulding them to better practice, insensibly leading them to higher things. And they, too, have seen God in the face of Christ Jesus: they have, if I may so say, fallen in love with goodness. They need no longer the old law, bristling with negatives, armed with penalties to keep them from evil. No longer is the word 'Thou shalt not do this,' enforced by the penaltyThat soul shall be cut off from the congregation,' needed. All that is gone by. We do not keep from sin because the law forbids it. The shame and disgrace of sin has been borne in on our souls. And we long to be set above its power, to be righteous as He is righteous: that, in whatever language we formulate our faith, is our highest aspiration; and our chief hope and comfort

in the future is that we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is, because we know that just so far as we do now keep the thought of God near us, we do not wilfully commit sin. What can be grander than a conception which produces these results?

There is, I think, one grander conception, or at least one conception in which this truth, which is our life, shines out with more power, one way in which it may be more easily borne in upon the minds of all, and that is the conception of a Church, the living body, the contact with which leads man up to this higher personal contact with God. Let me try to put out this conception. Individual religion is a grand thing, but he who is religious in a thoughtful way meets with two difficulties: first, he sees many earnest men, many men more earnest than himself, arriving at a totally opposite view from precisely the same premises; secondly, he is tortured from time to time with the fear lest the evil within him should get the better, and he himself become a castaway. How shall he meet these difficulties? The idea of the living body called the Church meets both.

First, as to religious divergences. He learns in this idea that God is educating each man as a

part of a great body; that, apart from the individual relation of man to God, there is another relation of each man to his fellows; and that as in the body there are many members, and all members have not the same office, so also is Christ, and the body of Christ. Each sect performs a function, each creed lays hold of a truth which suits certain parts of the body. Look at the body physical. The mouth takes the food, and reduces it into a state in which the body can assimilate it, and all the organs of the body by different processes take up the assimilated food, and transform and incorporate it into bone, flesh, brain, and sinews. So also is Christ, and the body of Christ. It used to be an argument in proof that the world was not round, that the men at the antipodes must walk with their heads downwards. What could be clearer? But the world is round, and men do not walk with their heads downwards. It used to be an argument against some view of truth, that it was opposed to the literal words of Scripture. We are now learning that words mean just what the constitution of the man's mind. makes out of them. Early enough was Elijah taught that God had other servants than those whom the prophet acknowledged. I only am left,”

said he. Yet have I left me seven thousand,' said the Lord. And this is the truth we have to grasp, which we can grasp as we see how the different members form one body. To every earnest man, and every earnest sect, it has seemed as if the whole world lay in wickedness. And yet there stands the heavenly city-on the east four gates, on the south four gates, on the west four gates, on the north four gates-and through the gates they crowd in a multitude that no man can number. All these gates are not built to admit the handful of men which each sect calls the really earnest. God is leading many sons to glory by many different ways. of a circle the centre of which is God, whom they approach from opposite directions. We can only grasp the full meaning of our Lord's rebuke to those who forbad one casting out devils in His name because he followed not with them-Forbid him not 'when we see that there are diversities of operations, all guided by the same spirit, and that though there are many members, all members have not the same office. The hand cannot say to the eye, I have no need of you, because their work is different; nor the foot to the head, I have no need of you. In the parable

Men are all on the circumference

of the body the diversities of faith and practice are intelligible.

But secondly, how is each man to be sure that he will win through? Looking on himself as an individual, he can have little sense of security. As the member of a spiritual body he can attain to a measure of security. We belong to a great body with a great history, and marching on with that body we forget our individual weakness. We belong to the body which numbers among its saints the Abrahams, the Jacobs, and the Davids, the the Johns-no perfect rable only in the heel.

Peters, the Pauls, and men, no heroes vulneWe belong to a body

which has a great destiny, and shall be one day reunited to the head which now breathes a purer atmosphere. Have you seen the Grotto del Cane near Naples? Down below is mephitic vapour, and the dog that runs at your heels is all but suffocated. You breathe an air which has no taint. Round your feet is wrapped the deadly mist, your head is breathing the air which made Virgil burst into immortal song. Till you part with all that makes life, with that which unites you to the head, you cannot be subjected to this evil influence. True, you may stumble and fall,