God, as revealed in the sacred Scriptures; showing that it is elemental and all pervading, in the religion therein revealed to man; the recognition, service, worship of the true God, through the only Mediator, by the divine Spirit, being the very method of the fruition of him—and of the manifestation of his glory, both by his children individually, and by his organized Visible Church, of which it is an Infallible Mark: in the demonstration of which, the relation of the word of God, and the life of God in the soul, to each other, and to the worship of God; the relation of the Plan of Salvation, the work of the Spirit, and the divine Idea and organism of the Church, to each other, and to the Worship of God; the relation of Worship, to Religion, and to God; the relation of the Priesthood, and Sacrifice of Christ, and of his Ascension Gifts, to the Idea of true Worship in the Church of God; the Royal Priesthood of the Peculiar People; and the special, revealed Worship of the Christian Church; are all briefly considered-and closed with a summary demonstration of the infallible certainty of this Mark. The Twenty-Sixth Chapter, which is the Eighth and last of this Book, is devoted to the exposition of Holy Living, as the third Infallible Mark of the True Church: the relation of all righteousness in man to the law of God-and of all gospel holiness to Christ, to Faith, and to the spiritual Worship of God, is disclosed: the reality of Moral Distinctions, and the demonstration they afford of God, and of his nature as the fountain of all Goodness, is pointed out: the neglect and the perversion of these as fatal-the indissoluble connection between Blessedness and Holiness-and the nature of the Holiness which distinguishes the True Church—are explicated, and the unity of that Holiness, with each of the preceding Marks of that Church is proved: then the unity of the Mystery of Godliness is pointed out, and the perfection of Knowledge, of Duty, and of Grace, is shown to coincide with Goodness: the Chapter and the Book close, with an exhibition of the true life of the Church, as the power of the Holy Ghost-of the conclusive effect of the supremacy of the Supernatural Element in the Question of the Church—and of the Majesty and Glory of that Church. This brief synopsis of a somewhat extended attempt to demonstrate, upon the divine word, the precise nature of the Gospel Church, independently of the great Gifts of God to his Church, which will be discussed in the next Book, and which make everything more specific; is itself capable, perhaps, of being reduced to a more condensed, and still intelligible statement of the leading truths. Thus-God has a Visible Church in this World, which is held forth in his regenerate children, organized by him upon the twofold basis, of the Union and Communion of Christ, its only Head, with every member of it—and the communion, through Christ, of all the members with each other: The Means, divine and human, of appreciating the Nature and End of this Visible Church, are complete; and they clearly demonstrate that it is the manifestation, in time, of a Spiritual, Universal, and Eternal Kingdom, whose End is the illustration of the Glory of God, in the salvation of fallen men: This Church, visible, universal, of the Lord Jesus Christ, now militant in its Gospel state as shaped by his inspired Apostles—is deduced through all God's Acts of Providence and Grace touching the salvation of man, from the beginning of time and the creation of man; and is unchangeable in form and substance, until the second Coming of the Son of Man: It possesses

a peculiar divine organization, separate from the world, and not commensurate with the human race;—whose functions, based on principles inherent in human nature, and common to all forms of society; are, in their exercise, limited, bounded, and directed, by the Will of God revealed in the sacred Scriptures— which are its infallible Rule, in all things: By the Will of God, this Church is Free; made Free, inwardly, by the Holy Ghost, its inward Freedom depends upon and is manifested by its consecration to Christ, its only Head; made Free, outwardly, by the command of God, its outward Freedom depends upon its complete organic separation from the world; thus Free, the subject-matter of its mission is—all things whatsoever Christ has commanded-all things that are to be addressed to the Faith of men: This Church is perfectly manifest to all men who come in contact with it, and is incapable of being mistaken, when duly considered, by God's children; there being but one possible form of true Religion, namely, that which is the sum and result of God's Revealed Truth; there being but few Elements in the Question of the True Church, and they simple and decisive, and the supreme one being Supernatural; so that the Marks which the Church of the living God has, are few, clear, and infallible: These Infallible Marks of this True Church of Christ, are the constant and inevitable product of the Grace of God in every renewed soul, and of the life of God in his Church; they are responsive to the whole nature, end, and power, of Revealed Religion; they are correlates of the fundamental divisions of the scienee of the Knowledge of God, namely, God, man, Godman; they are expository of the mode of God's existence, and of the way of man's salvation; and finally, they are distinctly and verbally revealed to be, Faith in Christ Jesus, the Worship of God in Spirit and in Truth, and Holiness of heart and life; which being absent-there is no Christian--no Church.

CHAPTER XIX.

THE CHILDREN OF GOD UNITED INTO A VISIBLE KINGDOM FOR CHRIST. FUNDAMENTAL IDEA AND ELEMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF THE CHURCH OF GOD.

I. 1. Communion of the Saints with Christ through Faith, and their Communion with each other in Love.-2. The Idea of the Church based on the Headship of Christ and the Communion of Saints.-3. Nature of the Bonds which are involved in this Divine Institute.-4. Absolute and Supreme Relation of Christ to each Saint, and to the great Brotherhood of Saints.-5. The Church of Christ and the Human Race are not commensurate with each other.-II. 1. The Divine Procedure in the gradual and permanent Organization of the Visible Church.-2. The Saints destitute of a Visible Organization before the Call of Abraham: Effects of the Sacrament of Circumcision.-3. Giving of the Sacrament of the Passover: Its Relation to Christ, to the Organization of his Kingdom, and to the World.-4. The Institutions of Moses; Complete Rejection of the World, and Organization of a Kingdom for Messiah out of God's Covenant People.-5. Appreciation of the Church under its Mosaic Form, in itself, and in comparison with preceding and succeeding Forms. -6. The Advent of Christ: New Form of the Church: Call of the Gentiles: The Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper: Authority and organizing Work of the Apostles.-7. The Gospel Church State: Brief Appreciation of it.-8. The Future of the Church: The same Principles under more glorious Forms.-9. Restatement of elemental Truths.

I.-1. THE Knowledge of God Subjectively Considered, may be divided into two great portions, the first of which would embrace what has gone before, and the second would begin here. For, considering everything to result from our union with Christ, the distinction would be between such things as are personal and individual, and such as require a general and aggregate treatment that is to say, such things as result to the individual believer united to Christ, by reason of his communion with Christ; and such as result to all believers by reason of their communion with each other, resulting from their mutual union and communion with Christ. What has been done thus far being, that I have endeavoured, in the First Book, to disclose that eternal Covenant of Grace through which all mercy comes to us as sinners; in the Second Book, to explain the chief blessings and

benefits which, by this means, we individually receive; and in the Third Book, to point out the great offices which every follower of Christ is individually obliged and enabled to discharge: what remains, would belong more especially to the aggregate consideration of these followers of the Lord, contemplated in the various aspects they present as composing the Kingdom of Messiah-the people and Church of the living God. It is, first, the nature of the covenant itself, together with the method of its application to individual persons, and the personal results which uniformly follow: and then, it is the social and public results, which follow with the same uniformity, together with their method and effects. Throughout, it is the absolute and unlimited Headship of the divine Redeemer; throughout, it is the union of the believer with him; the difference is between personal effects and results, flowing to us individually from our communion with him by Faith; and the social, general, organic effects and results, flowing to believers in common, by reason of their communion with each other in Love. It is, first, the individual Christian; then, it is the Church of Christ. And though it is impossible to treat either aspect of the subject wholly disregardful of the other still there is an obvious distinction between the two; a distinction which I have hitherto constantly regarded, in treating the question of religion in its eminently personal aspect; and which I shall henceforth equally regard, in treating the more corporate and public aspect of it. It is as really true that Christ has a Kingdom, as that he has disciples; but the former is composed out of the latter; and while the outward form of the one has changed and will change again, the terms of true discipleship never did, and never can change. Christ's kingly office, in its strict sense, has relation to those only to whom his priestly sacrifice and intercession, and his prophetic teaching have relation; and in the order of thought, as well as in that of practical development, he is first our Priest to redeem each one of us, and then our Prophet to teach each one of us, and then our King to rule over us, not only individually, but unitedly as constituting his Church-his Kingdom.

2. God's dealings with us as individual persons, our duties and relations to him as distinct and separate beings each one acting for himself, and with God; this is the manner in which