the Holy Ghost; it is beyond human power to produce or control it. "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth;" and such is the work of the Spirit, alike in an individual conversion or in a revival of religion. The wind, sometimes gentle, sometimes terrific, sometimes only sufficient to bend the heads of the wheat in the field, or to shake the leaf of the aspen, sometimes sweeping in the fury of the storm over hills and vales, illustrates the way in which God's Spirit influences the hearts of impenitent sinners and devout Christians. Sometimes the pliant osier bends gently before the mild zephyr, and the flowers and the fields of grain wave gently on a summer's eve; thus gently does the Spirit of God sometimes breathe upon a church and society. So calm, so lovely, so pure are those influences which incline the mind to prayer, to thought, to Christ and to heaven.

"The

Again; the clouds grow dark in the western sky. They roll upward and onward infolding on themselves, and throwing their ample folds over the heavens. The lightnings play, the thunder rolls, and the tornado sweeps over hills and vales, and the proud oak crashes on the mountains. wind blows where it pleases ;" and thus, too, the Spirit of God passes with more than human power over a community, and many a stout-hearted sinner, like the quivering elm or oak, trembles under the influence of truth. They see the dark cloud gathering in the sky; they hear the thunder of justice; they see the heavens flash along their guilty path; and they are prostrated before God like the forest before the mighty tempest. The storm passes by, and the sun rides serene again in the heavens, and universal nature smiles—a most beautiful emblem of the effect of a revival of religion. The means for the promotion of revivals, are the preaching of the Gospel, confessions of sin, exhortations from private Christians, prayer meetings, inviting the anxious forward for prayers, private counsel, Sabbath-school instruction, and whatever is calculated to deepen good impressions, and lead souls to God for salvation.

My strong convictions are, that the only way the gospel can essentially benefit men, is by awakening their souls to repentance, producing sound conversion. Therefore, whatever falls short of this is regarded as failing to please God or benefit the world.

THE CHURCH.

The Greek word commonly rendered church in the New Testament, literally signifies a congregation, or assembly. The congregation of Israel in the wilderness is called a church, and to the riotous assembly at Ephesus the same original word, ekkleecia, is applied. As used in reference to Christians, it denotes the general, invisible church, comprising the whole body of Christians, whether on earth or in heaven. It is also used to denote particular, visible churches, or those bodies of professed believers accustomed to assemble for divine worship and other religious purposes in one place,- -as the church at Jerusalem; the church at Antioch; the churches of Galatia, and of Macedonia. This is much the more common use of the word in the New Testament.

The word is also used, though seldom, to denote the general, visible church, considered as embodying all the particular visible churches.

GENERAL OUTLINES OF ORGANIZATION.

The scriptures furnish us with some general outlines of church organization and government, from which no body of Christians is at liberty to depart. They describe, for example, the object of church organization; the character of church members; and none are at liberty to form a society for a merely moral or secular object, and, without any regard to the character of its members, call that organization the

church of Christ. Nor has any body of Christians, calling themselves a church, a right to dispense with religious worship and divine ordinances, or the ministry and officers of the church. Nor, in place of a stated pastor, would the members of a church have a right to assume the pastoral office in rotation, one after another, for a limited time. Nor in place of deacons would they have a right to substitute a church committee, chosen annually or for a shorter period.

It would also be unwarrantable to pretend that every thing relating to church affairs is authoritatively settled in the New Testament, so that nothing is left to the judgment of Christians. For example: the scriptures declare that ministers of the gospel must be supported; but they do not fix the precise amount of their salaries, or define the mode in which their salaries are to be raised. We have a general injunction, that "all things be done decently and in order;" but in what particular order many things are to be done, is wisely left to the judgment of Christians.

The truth in regard to this subject appears quite evident. There are some general outlines of church organization and government presented by the pen of inspiration; and these, when known, are to be strictly regarded. God, however, has wisely left many things to be judgedof by the light of judgment and reason, to be modified according to circum

stances.

AUTHORITY FOR PARTICULAR CHURCHES.

The scriptures show conclusively that Christ intended to embody his professed followers on earth, not in one corporate, universal church, but into particular churches. Christ prepared the materials for such an arrangement during his public ministry. A particular church was fully organized at Jerusalem soon after his ascension.

It was customary for the Apostles to form such distinct churches in the cities and villages where they preached, and

converts were gained to Christ. About thirty churches are specifically named in the New Testament, besides a larger number referred to in more general terms.

These churches were not national or of a provincial character. When the churches of a particular country are named, they are referred to in the plural number. The churches of Judea, Syria, Galatia, Asia and of Macedonia, and not the church of those places. At Cenchrea, the port of Corinth, the Apostles saw fit to gather a distinct church although there was a large church at the city of Corinth, five miles distant.

These particular churches were distinct organizations, hav ing their own officers and members. To be a member of one church did not constitute membership in another; nor did the holding of office constitute the person holding it an officer in any other church. The teachers in the church at Antioch were not teachers or members of the church at Ephesus.

The apostolic churches were composed, each of them, of Christians, who were expected to come together in one place for public worship, and for celebrating the ordinances of the Gospel. On all occasions of common interest and concernment, the members of a church, and even of the largest churches, were accustomed to come together. The church of Jerusalem were assembled on the day of Pentecost, "with one accord and in one place." When messengers from the church at Antioch went up to Jerusalem, with the question respecting circumcision, the apostles, elders, and the whole church came together to consider and advise in relation to the question. Paul and Barnabas, returning from their missionary tour, "gathered the church at Antioch together, and rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles." “Upon the first day of the week the churches at Troas came together to break bread." The church at Corinth were accustomed to " come together into one place," to attend upon divine worship, and

to administer the discipline of the church. By the express appointment of Christ, the administration of discipline belongs to the whole church, therefore the church must necessarily come together in one place, to transact this painful but important work.

It is therefore certain, that Christians, under the ministry of the Apostles, were collected into distinct and separate organizations, called churches, each having its own members and officers, and each consisting of such as were accustomed to assemble in one place for religious worship, and for transacting the affairs of the church. If this simple plan of the Apostle had been continued, one of the stepping-stones to Romanism would have been removed, and a principal source of ambition and corruption would have been kept out of the church. Under apostolic arrangement, the Sees of Rome, Antioch, Alexandria, and Constantinople, would never have been converted into princely thrones, and aspirants would not have waded into them through scenes of turmoil and blood.

CHURCHES VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS.

The Churches in the days of the Apostles, were voluntary associations. The Apostles exercised no compulsory power to bring members into the churches. Those who joined the churches did it freely and of their own accord. The three thousand baptized on the day of Pentecost acted freely. So did the Ethiopean eunuch, Saul of Tarsus, the Phillippian jailer, the family of Cornelius, and every other person who, at that period, was added to a Christian church. There was nothing like compulsion in any case. Churches were then,

and ever should be, strictly voluntary associations.

While every church of Christ is a voluntary association, every voluntary association is not a church. It is therefore necessary to determine what there was peculiar in those voluntary associations, which went to constitute them churches of Christ.