or that professing Christian that is doing nothing toward the specific work of saving souls, is incomplete and inefficient in the highest sense. They fail of their true character; whatever else they are accomplishing, they are not accomplishing the first grand object of Christianity and the Christian life.

What God has assigned as the duty of his Church is the duty of each individual member of the Church, and the mission of each Christian in the world is precisely the mission that God has given to the whole 'Church. The aggregate of the labors of all Christians is to be the accomplishment of the glorious purposes of mercy and grace that God designs to achieve through his Church. The mission of every Christian, then, is a mission of salvation to others, "and they that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars forever and ever." The true office of the Christian is that of a worker together with God; his true life, a life of personal effort for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. This is evident from the organization of the Church of which we individually claim to be members. The Church of Christ is presented to us throughout the New Testament as his chosen instrument for the carrying forward of his work of mercy and blessing to the world. When Jesus had finished his great work of expiation, and was about ascending to the Father, he in the most solemn and impressive manner com mitted his cause as a sacred trust to his disciples, constituting them the living, acting agents for the propagation of his truth and kingdom throughout the world. The Church is something more than a mere society; it is a living, acting organization, animated by the life of Christ; a body of which he is the Head, and through every part of which flows and acts the quickening spirit of Christ. Hence it is his instrument, the body of which he is the soul, the chosen medium through which he will communicate grace and mercy to the world. It is in view of this living, organic character of the Church that Christ says, "I am the vine, and ye are the branches," and as such, "herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit." "Ye are the light of the world," "ye are the salt of the earth," "ye are my witnesses," says Jesus, thus indicating the true mission of his Church.

But while we all feel this is the great work of the Church, as a whole, we are prone to overlook our part of the work as individuals; we are apt to forget that the Church is made up of individual men and women, and that she can only accomplish what her own sons and daughters accomplish for her. The Church is not a great machine that does its work as one great instrument, but is rather an army, every soldier of which must engage in the battle-a society, the power of which depends on the number and activity of its individual members. "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular," says St. Paul, when he is representing the Church as dependent for health and activity on the health of each of its members. How beautiful and suggestive are these figures of Christ and his apostles! How near to the heart of Jesus are we brought as members of his body! How intimate is our participation of the life of Jesus as the branches of that living vine on which he hangs the clustering fruit formed by his grace and love! What glory from the Divine Redeemer must rest on us as

reflectors of his light in being the lights of the world! How much of his saving grace must infuse itself into us that we may be the salt of the earth! And how much of his own sacred work does he impart to us, when he makes us witnesses for him, as he was a witness for the Father!

The spirit of the Gospel is love and good works; it is the spirit of Christ breathed into the hearts of his people; that mind of Christ through which, "though he were rich, yet for our sakes he became poor;" which moved him to the great work of human redemption, to suffer even unto death that he might save perishing souls and bring them to God; the spirit that works in him yet the intensest desire to see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied. Satisfied with what? With sinners redeemed and blood-washed returning home to God. What individual member of Christ can feel this philanthropic, love-breathing spirit, and not be moved to earnest efforts for the salvation of souls? And yet, St. Paul says, "If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his." The spirit of the Gospel is the constraining love of Christ, both his manifested love toward us, showing on his part the intensest earnest for the salvation of men, and revealing to us in his self-denial, toils, and death, the inestimable worth of human souls, and also the constraining love to Christ which is inspired in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, and which is the inciting and impelling influence of the Christian life. Little, indeed, can that man appreciate the love of Christ to a sinful world, little can he sympathize with the beneficent purposes of the blessed Redeemer, little can he feel the constraining love of Jesus in his own soul, who feels no impelling desire, no burden of duty resting upon him, to seek the salvation of human souls. How promptly and spontaneously this spirit manifests itself in the genuine disciple of Christ! Andrew "first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias." "Philip straightway findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write." "We can not but speak the things that we have seen and heard," said Peter and John. The love of Christ constraineth us," says Paul, "because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again."

The constitution of society, and the intimate relations we sustain to each other, and our capability of mutual influence plainly indicate the duty of personal activity for God and souls. God is as much the author of the relations and dependencies of human society as he is of the Church, and we discover such points of resemblance and mutual adaptation between society and the Church, that we can only conclude that the same great Creator designedly instituted these resemblances and adaptations. Man is no where an inde pendent creature, nor will God let him be. He was linked to his fellows by the strongest and most enduring ties, and by the most powerful influence. We are related together as parents and children, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, mutual relatives, equal friends, employer and employé, companions and associates, all indicating our mutual dependencies and

mutual influence. We have said that we can not doubt that the wise and gracious Father has designedly created these relations of human life, and created them, too, with reference to the best interests and surest success of his cause and kingdom in the world. How do these mutual adaptations between the Church and society indicate to us our duty? God has thus given to every individual member of his Church these endearing relations, these points of contact, these links of union, these channels of influence, connecting him with human society, that he may use these circumstances in drawing precious souls into the fold and family of Christ. "No man liveth to himself." Out of himself is flowing perpetually influence for good or ill. Around each Christian is a sphere, the diameter of which has been largely determined by the providence of God, in which he can work more efficiently than any other living man. Whoever has a husband

or wife, a parent or child, a brother or sister, an intimate friend, an associate, a dependent, has a special field of labor assigned by God himself. Here, too, on this broad foundation-broad as human society and deep as the human heart-God has laid that great precept which measures our duty to our fellows: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." What member of the Church of Christ can look upon these relations of human society, and listen to this great commandment, and not feel that God and the Savior intend that he should be an active instrument in advancing the cause of Christ, and in converting the sinner from the error of his ways?

Not only has Christ thus clearly manifested to us our duty in the genius and spirit of Christianity, and in the circumstances which surround us, but the Word of God makes this personal activity a specific duty, and clearly declares to us that in the great work of salvation we are expected to be "laborers together with God." When the Savior compares himself to the vine of which his disciples are the branches, he does it to show that "herein is the Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit," declaring that "every branch in him that beareth not fruit, he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth that it may bear still more fruit." What is the fruit of the Christian life if it be not activity for God, and what more precious fruit than bringing souls to Christ? The king dom of heaven, this present sphere of our Christian activities, is compared to a vineyard, and the Lord of the vineyard goes out in the morning, and at the third, and sixth, and ninth, and even the eleventh hour, saying, "Go ye into my vineyard and work, and whatsoever is right I will give thee." Our Lord is a king gone to a far country, having left talents with his servants to use till his return. Hear his blessing on him that "had gained other ten," and on him that "had gained other five!" "Well done, good and faithful servants; ye have been faithful over a few things, 1 will make thee rulers over many things.", "Wherefore, beloved brethren, let us be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as we know our labor is not in vain in the Lord."

TWO COTEMPORARY ESTIMATES OF MR. WESLEYIn Dr. Holcombe's "Literature in Letters," published awhile ago by the Appletons, we find two characteristic letters from personal observers of Mr. Wesley.

One is from the famous Horace Walpole, a mere man of the world, living a life of utter abandonment to gayety and pleasure, one of the most vain and selfconceited mortals that perhaps England has ever produced, and no more capable of judging such a man as Mr. Wesley than a Hottentot would be of judging Sir Isaac Newton. The other is from Alexander Knox, who, in his early life, was connected with Mr. Wesley and his movement, but who, on account of a disrelish for some of the practices of early Methodism, withdrew from the connection, and afterward became an eminent divine.

I am impatient to hear that your charity to me has not ended in the gout to yourself. All my comfort is, if you have it, that you have good Lady Brome to nurse you.

My health advances faster than my amusement. However, I have been at one opera, Mr. Wesley's. They have boys and girls with charming voices, that sing hymns in parts to Scotch ballad tunes, but, indeed, so long that one would think they were already in eternity and knew how much time they had before them. The chapel is very neat, with true Gothic windows-yet I am not converted-but I was glad to see that luxury is creeping in upon them before persecution; they have very neat mahogany stands for benches, and brackets of the same in taste. At the upper end is a broad haut pas of four steps, advancing in the middle; at each end of the broadest part are two of my eagles, with red cushions for the parson and clerk. Behind them rise three more steps, in the midst of which is a third eagle for pulpit. Scarlet arm chairs for all three. On either hand is a balcony for elect ladies. The rest of the congregation sit on forms. Behind the pit, in a dark niche, is a plain table within rails; so you see the throne is for the Apostle. Wesley is a lean elderly man, fresh colored, his hair smoothly combed, but with a soupçon of curls at the ends. Wondrous clean, but as evidently an actor as Garrick. He spoke his sermon, but so fast, and with so little accent, that I am sure he has often uttered it, for it was like a lesson. There were parts and eloquence in it; but toward the end he exalted his voice and acted very ugly enthusiasm, decried learning, and told stories, like Latimer, of the fool of his college, who said, "I thanks my God for every thing." Except a few from curiosity, and some honorable women, the congregation was very mean. There was a Scotch Countess of Buchan, who is carrying a fine rosy vulgar face to heaven, and who asked Miss Rich if that was the author of the poets. I believe she meant me and the Noble Authors. The Bedfords came last night. Lord Chatham was with me yesterday two hours; looks and walks well, and is in excellent political spirits. Yours ever.

"This letter," says Dr. Holcombe, "is a curious record of the impression made upon a mere man of fashion by the greatest and most truly apostolic divine that England produced in the last century. Great injustice is done to Wesley, who was no ordinary scholar himself, by charging him with hostility to learning. Although frequent exhortations to his preachers to improve themselves by study, are to be found scattered through his writings, he certainly did not look upon profane learning as absolutely essential to the work which his coadjutors were preeminently called on to perform, of reviving pure Christianity in England, and preaching the Gospel to the poor. His own explanation of the use of the plainest words is perfectly satisfactory. 'Clearness,' said he to one of his lay assistants, 'is necessary for you and me, because we are to instruct people of the lowest understanding: therefore, we above all, if we think with the wise, must speak with the vulgar. We should constantly use the most common, little, easy words, so they are pure and proper, which our language affords. When first I talked at Oxford

to plain people, in the castle or town, I observed they gaped and stared; this quickly obliged me to alter my style, and adopt the language of those I spoke to; and yet there is a dignity in their simplicity which is not disagreeable to those of the highest rank.' Let the reader compare with the text the opinion of Wesley, expressed by another cotemporary far more competent and equally disinterested.

"At an early age,' writes Alexander Knox, 'I was a member of Mr. Wesley's society, but my connection with it was not of long duration. Having a growing disposition to think for myself, I could not adopt the opinions which were current among his followers, and before I was twenty years of age my relish for their religious practices had abated. Still my veneration for Mr. Wesley himself suffered no diminution; rather, as I became more capable of estimating him without prejudice, my conviction of his excellence and my attachment to his goodness gained fresh strength and deeper cordiality. "It will hardly be denied that even in this frail and corrupted world, we sometimes meet persons, who, in their very mien and aspect, as well as in the whole habit of life, manifest

such a stamp and signature of virtue as to make our judg. ment of them a matter of intuition, rather than a result of continued examination. I never met a human being who came more perfectly within this description than John Wesley. It was impossible to converse with him, I might say to look at him, without being persuaded, not only that his heart and mind were animated with the purest and most exalted goodness, but that the instinctive bent of his nature accorded so congenially with his Christian principles as to give a pledge for his practical consistency, in which it was impossible not to place confidence.

"It would be far too little to say that it would be impossi ble to suspect him of any moral taint, for it was obvious that every movement bespoke as perfect a contrariety to all that was earthly or animal, as could be imagined in a mortal being. His countenance as well as conversation expressed an habitual gayety of heart, which nothing but conscious virtue and innocence could have bestowed. He was, in truth, the most perfect specimen of moral happiness I ever saw; and my acquaintance with him has done more to teach me what a heaven upon earth is implied in the maturity of Christian piety, than all I have elsewhere seen or heard, or read, except in the Sacred Volume.'"

CENTENARY PORTRAIT OF JOHN WESLEY.-From E. C. Middleton & Co., of this city, we have received a magnificent Centenary offering in the form of a portrait of John Wesley, printed in substantial oil colors, cabinet or half life-size, in a fine oval gilt frame. We feel strongly inclined to accept and recommend this as the standard portrait of Mr. Wesley. It comes before the world with an authority unequaled by that of any other. It is taken from a fine English engraving, made from a painting by Jackson, procured through Bishop Janes; copies of the same have been issued by the Methodist publishing establishments, of both England and America; it has been regarded by these authorities as the standard portrait. Persons who have seen this copy by Middleton & Co., affirm that it more closely resembles the private portraits of the founder of Methodism found in English families and painted from life, | than any representation we have yet had in this country. In the conflict of portraits of Mr. Wesley the palm is generally conceded to this one by Jackson. A few days ago the venerable Samuel Dunn, of England, now on a visit to this country, was in our office, and in discussing the question of Wesleyan portraits, stated that after a very considerable amount of investigation, he is satisfied that Jackson's is the best we possess. The copy before us is as faithful a transcript of the original as it is perhaps possible to get; and for its life-like expression, and its richness of coloring, it is a remarkable work of art. It is executed in the finest style of oil colors after the peculiar chromo-lithographic methods originated by this firm; and in beauty of finish and effect it is but little below the best paintings of the day. By this art the copies can be multiplied to any extent, and furnished at a very low price; ten dollars, we believe, for the portrait set in an elegant oval frame. We cordially recommend this portrait as a beautiful and appropriate home ornament, to all who desire an authentic portrait of Mr. Wesley.

MARRIAGE OF CONTRIBUTORS.-Since our last issue some of our lady contributors have been assuming new responsibilities, and we devoutly hope, new joys and blessings. Miss Annie E. Howe, whose poetry has often adorned our pages, has gone to adorn the home of our beloved Bishop Thomson, in which we hope her songs will be as sweet, and her life will flow as smoothly as the songs she has been singing for us. Miss Mary B. Janes, whose pen has given us frequent lessons and examples for our inspiration, has gone to be herself the inspiration of one whose name we profoundly regret we have lost. Miss H. Effie Fisher, who has but recently begun to favor us with contributions from her pen, has become Mrs. H. Effie Webster, and already has given us evidence that her gain will not be to our loss. We wish them in their new spheres and homes abundant joys and blessings.

ARTICLES ACCEPTED—The following we place on file: John Keats; Charitable Institutions in Europe; The Mother's Charge; Keeping House; Our Homes; Keep Thy Lips; Fashionable Amusements; By and By; Pure; Under a Cloud; In a Country Church.

ARTICLES DECLINED.-The following we will not be able to use; the largeness of the list of poetry arises from the fact that want of space prevented our naming several of them a month ago. Prose: The Esthetics of Dress; An Influence; Behind Time; Unsatisfied; Alfred the Great; Love of Truth; The Affections: Helen Wilson. Poetry: Rain Thoughts; Withered Leaves; The Old Oak, Tree; The Lost Baby; Harry: Petitions. etc.; Thy Will be Done; Live near to God; Midsummer Night's Dream; The Young Mariner; To Cayuga Lake; The Three Gifts; What Shall I Write? Musings of a Canadian in the South; The Night Wind, The Early Blest; Time's Anthem; Waiting, etc.; May Day; Gathering Sheaves; Nicodemus; To Spring, and

Esther.