the noble end of making each member, according to his gifts and abilities, manifest the spirit of Him whose saying it was,—­“It is more blessed to give than to receive!” No doubt, much wisdom is required upon the part of office-bearers to whom the government of the congregation is intrusted, to discern gifts, and to apply them.  But the “one thing” chiefly needed is “love in the Spirit!” It is for this we should chiefly labour; for, let love to Jesus be once kindled by the Spirit of God through faith in His love to us, and love, which unites us to Him, will unite us to one another.

But admitting all we have said to be true regarding the congregations of the primitive Church, and acknowledging, moreover, that it would be highly desirable could such Christian congregations reappear in our day, it may be reasonably questioned whether this is possible in the present state of society, or whether any attempt to realise it is not a pious imagination, which would lead to extravagances and fanatical disorders such as have often characterised minor sects, who, in seeking to rise up as perfect churches, have sunk down into perfect nuisances?  It may be said, “Only look at the elements you have to work upon!  Deal with the actual flesh-and-blood men and women who necessarily form the bulk of our congregations, and not with ideal persons.  Look at this farmer or shopkeeper—­that servant or master; enter the houses of those hearers or parishioners in town or country, from the labourer to the proprietor;—­is there the intelligence, the heart, the principle, the common sense—­any one element which could unite those members into a body for any high or noble end? They provoke each other to love and good works, or help to convert the world!  Would it were so! but it is impracticable.”

Such thoughts we have ourselves experienced with feelings of despair.  But there are others that make us hope that Christian congregations throughout our land may yet rise out of their ashes, living bodies imbued with life and love from their living and loving Head.

Are not all the difficulties, for example, connected with the proper organisation of the congregation those only that pertain to the existence of a living Christianity among its members?  Given, that church-members individually were what they profess to be—­“believers”—­“disciples”—­“brethren”—­would they not, as a necessary result of this character, act collectively, as we suppose a Christian congregation ought to act?  And, therefore, when we assume that it is vain to think of congregations becoming, as a whole, and in spite of many exceptions, living bodies of Christians—­men united for mutual good and for the good of the world—­do we not thereby assume that it is vain to expect professing Christians to become “constrained by the love of Christ not to live to themselves, but to Him who died for them and rose again?” Must we confess it to be utterly hopeless to look for such manifestations now of the power of the Spirit as will produce, in our cities and parishes, such congregations, ay, and far better ones, as once existed in Jerusalem, Ephesus, or Philippi?