good of the whole body; so also is the mystical body of Christ; and no one member can be benefited or suffer injury without the other members of the body participating. Thus St. Paul, in his First Epistle to the Corinthians, writes: "For as the body is one, and hath many members; and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body; whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? and if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body as it hath pleased him.... And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are there many members, yet but one body; and the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee; nor, again, the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: and those members of the body which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked; that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another: and whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now, ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." All believers in Christ, then; all that are baptized into his name, from the time of his ascension until his coming again; compose his body. The body of Christ includes every believer, even from the least unto the greatest, under every period of the Christian church. A believer in Christ in these latter days is as much a member of Christ's body, as any believer in the middle or early ages of the Christian church: for the body is not yet perfected, as St. Paul shews in the following words (with which read 1 Cor. xii. 28-30): "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come, in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph. iv. 11-13). This is not spoken of any particular members. It does not apply to the perfection of individual believers, though each member

should be perfect: but to the whole body; each member fulfilling his office, until the whole body be perfected; until it become "a perfect man ;" until it be arrived" unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of the Christ.”

The oneness of Christ's body, or church, is also insisted on in St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans; in which, having discoursed largely on the Gospel of Christ, he exhorteth them not to think of themselves more highly than they ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God dealt to every man the measure of faith: "For," he says, as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office; so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation; he that giveth, with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness "(xii. 4-8).

Whilst we maintain the oneness of Christ's body, let us be careful that we do not sever it from the Head. What the members of a man would be with his head severed from his body, dead and useless, such would be the members of Christ's body. Clear as this truth appears, there were some even in the Apostle's days who fell into this error, against which he warns the Colossians: "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ; for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.... Let no man, therefore, judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath-day (Jewish ordinances), which are a shadow of things to come: but the body is of Christ. Let no man, therefore, judge against you, being a voluntary in humility (margin) and worshipping of angels; intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind; and not holding the Head, from which all the body, by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God." We shall do well to take heed that we be not deprived of the enjoyment and realization of this precious truth, through the philosophy, false humility, and fleshly-mindedness of professors in these days; for Christ having delivered us from the carnal ordinances, being himself subject to them (the perfect man under the law), till he received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, we must from henceforth "know him no more after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Let us then hold fast our union with Christ our Head, and receive out of his fulness, even grace for grace; "that we be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men,

and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ: from whom the whole body, fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."

The oneness of Christ's church is also set forth by the Apostle under the emblem of a temple, of which the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation and the chief corner-stone, in "whom all the building (i. e. every believer in Christ, each being a living stone), fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord :" "in whom they are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."

The oneness of Christ's church, and the union of every believer with Christ the living Head, is also declared by Christ himself, under the emblem of the vine and its branches. Through Christ's assumption of our nature, all men are brought into the condition of branches in the Vine; but those only are fruit-bearing branches that receive the Spirit from him, who are united to him in the Spirit, who receive the Holy Spirit from him, even as the fruit-bearing branches receive their living and fructifying principle from the parent root.

The oneness of the mystical body of Christ is also shewn under the emblem of a bride. Christ's church is called "the bride, the Lamb's wife" (Rev. xix. 7). Eve was a lively type or figure of this, because she was taken out of Adam: "And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man, And Adam said, This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh : she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh" (Gen. ii. 21-24). St. Paul, speaking of this, says, "Husbands, love your wives; even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies: he that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it; even as the Lord the church for we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery :

VOL. VII.-NO. II.

2 x

but I speak concerning Christ and his church" (Eph. v. 25-32). This is also the greatest blessedness and honour to which creatures can be raised. Numerous and various shall be the attendants of the bride, when she shall be brought unto her Royal Husband in raiment of needle-work; but the queen alone shall stand on his right hand, in his throne of glory (Ps. xlv. 8-15). Thus Solomon, speaking in the Spirit, said, "There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. My dove, my undefiled, is one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her: the daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and concubines, and they praised her. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners ?" (Sol. Song vi. 8—10.)

Having said thus much on the oneness of the church, and her union with Christ her risen and glorified Head, let us consider next "the Oneness of the Spirit. As there is but one body of Christ, so is there but "one Spirit," which dwelleth in the body, and actuates the members of it.

Of the gift of the Holy Spirit, which was first vouchsafed unto the church on the day of Pentecost, our Lord frequently spake; and he ever spoke of it as a gift consequent on his ascension, and which he himself should bestow. The Holy Spirit was not given until Jesus was glorified; then began he to "baptize with the Holy Ghost;" and mightily proved that he was both Lord and Christ. For, "when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all "-namely, the eleven Apostles, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brethren-" with one accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting; and there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Thus was fulfilled the oft-repeated promise which Jesus spake unto his disciples previous to his sufferings and ascension: "If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart I will send him unto you (John xvi. 7). "If ye love me, keep my commandments; and I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you" (xiv. 15-17). This is what John the Baptist spake concerning Christ: "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He that cometh after me is mightier than I..... He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire" (Matt. iii. 11); which declaration was again repeated by Christ himself

"

unto his disciples, just as he was about to ascend unto the Father: "And being assembled with them, commanded that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly

baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence" (Acts i. 4). It was not until these words were fulfilled in the gift of the Holy Ghost (which proceedeth from and is one with the Father and the Son; and he which hath the Holy Ghost, hath the Father and the Son likewise, John xiv. 16-23), that the Apostles began to act upon the words of the statute, which saith, "Go ye therefore (namely, because all power was given unto him in heaven and in earth), and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. xxviii. 19, 20). And is this command of the great Head of the church binding on us? And is this the promise of Him who is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, and whose gifts and calling are without repentance? Yes; the officiating minister is God's arm, animated of His will. He baptizeth in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; and not only in their name, but in their actual presence too. The statute remaineth good unto the end of the age; and the church dare not diminish ought thereof, or "change the ordinance," or "alter" it in any respect whatsoever and she is, moreover, responsible to God for the fulness of the blessing contained therein. Whether the church has been faithful to her trust, or acted faith in the words of the statute, remains to be seen by referring to the blessings conveyed in this ordinance when the words of the statute were first acted upon for the Christian baptism is one" one baptism."

Let us, then, refer to one or two instances of Christian baptism as first practised by the Apostles. The first we shall notice, is that recorded in Acts ii. When many were pricked in their heart, "and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the Apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" and "Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus. Christ, for the remission of sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost for the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Then they that gladly received his word, were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." The next circumstance of Christian baptism we shall notice, is that recorded in the nineteenth chapter: "And it came to pass, that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper coasts, came to Ephesus; and finding