souls as being, like his own, worth more than a thousand worlds like this, and he cannot bear the thought that they should perish forever, when they might all be saved.

This concern for the souls of brethren of a common race, brethren according to the flesh, pervades the whole Church of pardoned sinners, in proportion as the new life is kept fresh and warm in their hearts; and it constitutes an element in the leaven of the kingdom, which must ever tend to give it diffusion more and more, as the experience of Christians shall continue to grow deeper and broader. When all other means fail to arouse the Church to new activity and zeal in the work of evangelization, it will not be in vain for the earnest friends of the cause to come back again and again to this simple ground of appeal, and say to every sluggish brother and sister in the ranks of the Lord's people, "Remember! All these thousands and millions, who are living and dying without the Gospel, are of your own blood! Remember! Their souls are as precious as yours; Jesus died for them, as well as for you. Remember! They are going on rapidly to the same great eternity which lies before you; and what you do for them, must be done quickly.” I tell you, my brethren, we are strong in our cause, when we can press motives like these upon the hearts of all the multitudes, who know how to feel for the woes of perishing souls. There may be outward changes in the condition of the Church, and in the relations of particular methods of labor to the great enterprise of spreading the Gospel ;

but there is an enduring, an unchanging element of power for the diffusion of the leaven, in the fact of common brotherhood with all the race of sinners, which we have to urge upon the attention and the heart of every follower of Jesus, whatever his peculiar name or creed, or outward fellowship. The Gospel clothes this doctrine of our race-unity with a divine energy, which will quicken, more and more, the zeal and self-denying activity of Christians, in the work of evangelization, until all the nations shall be gathered into the same spiritual brotherhood, by the operation of a common faith in the same God and Savior. There is no other religion that makes such an appeal to the hearts of its votaries, to stir them up to earnest and untiring efforts for its establishment among the nations. The doctrine (caviled at, but gloriously true) of human unity and equality, in the very centre of our religion, must make it mighty through God; because it turns every convert into an Apostle for the conversion of his brother; and his brother is every sinner in the world.

I find another prophecy and pledge of the Gospel's diffusion and prevalence, in the appeal which it makes to every enlightened conscience by the authority of special command on this very subject.

It might seem, at first view, almost needless that any command should be addressed to the disciples of Jesus, to induce them to go and invite all the starving multitudes to come and receive the bread of life. It might be thought that every forgiven

sinner would, of course, make haste to say to all his brethren, "I have found Him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write." And every new convert does feel a strong desire to

But there are numerous hinderances to keep many silent, who did have it in their hearts to publish the name of Him who has taken away the uncleanness of their leprosy. There is, in one case, the hinderance of constitutional diffidence and selfdistrust; in another case, the hinderance of a lingering fear of self-deception; in another case, the hinderance of much consciousness of remaining imperfection; and, in many cases, the hinderance of irresoluteness in the execution of good purposes, already formed and often renewed. Besides, almost every disciple, at times, finds that his first love has become, in a measure, chilled by the cold atmosphere of this sinful world; and he is tempted to relax his former activity and zeal, even if he have been a devoted servant in his Lord's work. On some occasions, whole churches grow languid in their spiritual life, and their love and gratitude to Christ seem to have become, in a great measure, quiescent and inefficacious. For these reasons, it is needful that divine authority should come in, to back all the appeals which the Gospel makes to the hearts of believers, by laying its strong grasp on the conscience of every slow and irresolute disciple, that he may not feel at liberty to become a slothful servant. Especially is this requisite to ensure the

continued prosecution of an enterprise so arduous and protracted, and at times so discouraging, as the conversion of a whole world of sinners, individual by individual. There must, in such a case, be no room left for speculative questions about the practicability of the undertaking, so far as the duty of persevering labor in the work of evangelization is regarded. Otherwise, considerations of present expediency will often prevail over the better devices of the Lord's people, and the great work will cease. The false religions of the world, though some of them may be widely diffused by civil conquest and the merging of nations together, are all destined to have but a restricted prevalence, if for no other reason, because they do not bind the consciences of their adherents by any broad command, as from God, enjoining the universal dissemination of their doctrines and principles. In this regard, we find a peculiar element of moral and spiritual power in the provision which our Savior has made to ensure the effectual enlistment of every Christian conscience for the spread of his Gospel.

He did not leave his great commission to be first promulged by his Apostles, as at second-hand, to the Church. He gave it to his disciples from his own lips, and delivered it as his parting charge to the eleven, when he was just on the point of mounting up to heaven on the cloud. And he took care to preface it by a most emphatic and solemn affirmation of his divine authority: "All power is given unto me, in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations." Thus has

he invested his great command for the evangelization of the nations with a dignity and authority which cannot fail to make an indelible impression on the heart and conscience of every disciple. In this, he makes a double appeal to all of his followers, an appeal to their consciences by command, and an appeal to their love and gratitude by reminding them that He, who gives the command, is the same Lord and Redeemer who died for them and rose again, and who has gone up into heaven to act there as their ever-living intercessor.

This command is addressed directly, or in effect, to every Christian in the world. If the literal preaching of the Gospel is to be done only by those whom Christ calls to this work by his providence and Spirit, the duty yet rests on the whole Church, of sustaining the ambassadors of Jesus by their prayers, their co-operative labors, and the needful material aid. For the work is one, as the Church and her ministry are one body, having but one Head, and one heart, and one Spirit. Therefore the commission given to the eleven on the mountain of Galilee is the Church's commission, and it lays its authority on the conscience of every man and woman and child who knows the way of salvation. And how comprehensive are its terms ! How sweeping its injunction! "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." "Go ye, therefore, and teach [make disciples of] all nations." This will hold fast the conscience of the Church, by the grasp of its divine authority, until every creature under heaven shall receive the