bind them to each other. Each would behold in every other a living memorial of his Lord; and see, in the grace of Christ to the whole, a token of that grace to himself in particular. Here, love, as an agent or instrument, either giving or receiving, was to find itself in perpetual exercise, and to behold its image reflected in every face.

But love is diffusive; it would not confine its offices to those only who could repay them; bursting the limits of the church, it would seek the world. Every heart in which it glowed finding itself allied to every other Christian heart, and the whole feeling themselves reinforced with the benevolence of heaven, would meditate the conversion of the world. As often as they approached the throne of grace, they would find themselves touching the springs of universal and almighty love, and would they not yearn to behold these springs in activity for the world? As often as they thought of that love embracing themselves, their own love would burn with tenfold fervour; the selfishness of their nature would be consumed, the most enlarged designs of benevolence would seem too small, the most costly sacrifices too cheap; they would feel as if they

must precipitate themselves into some boundless field of beneficence; as if they could only breathe and act in a sphere which knows no circumference. As often as they surveyed their infinite resources in Christ, and perceived that when all their own necessities were supplied those resources were infinite still, they would naturally remember the exigencies of others; would feel that they had access to the whole, that they might instrumentally impart of that abundance to others. The feast would be prepared, the provisions infinite; and when they were seated at the banquet, and contrasted that plenitude of food with the fewness of the guests, they would conceive a fixed determination not to cease inviting till all the world should be sitting with them at the feast of salvation. The name they were to bear would perpetually remind them of him from whom they had derived it; and would it be possible for them to have their minds inhabited by the glorious idea of Christ without receiving corresponding impressions of greatness?-it would be associated in their minds with all things great, beneficent, godlike, impelling them to imitate to the utmost his diffusive goodness. But not only their name, from

him they would have derived their nature; by necessity of nature, therefore, they would pant to behold universal happiness. Not only would they feel that every accession to their number was an increase of their happiness; as long as the least portion of the world remained unblessed and unsaved, they would feel that their happiness was incomplete. Nothing less than the salvation of the whole world would be regarded by them as the complement of their number, the fulfilment of their office, the consummation of their joy.

Thus the Christian church, like the leaven hid in the meal, was to pervade and assimilate the entire mass of humanity. At first, it would resemble an imperium in imperio, a dominion of love flourishing amidst arid wastes of selfishness; but extending on all sides its peaceful conquests, it would be seen transforming and encompassing the world. Combining and concentrating all the elements of moral power, it would move only to conquer, and conquer only to increase the means of conquest. It would behold its foes converted into friends; and then, assigning to each an appropriate station of duty, would bid him forthwith go and try upon others the power of that principle

which had subdued his own opposition-the omnipotent power of love. Thus thawing, and turning into its own substance, the icy selfishness of humanity, the great principle of benevolence would flow through the world with all the majesty of a river, widening and deepening at every point of its progress by the accession of a thousand streams, till it covered the earth as the waters cover the sea. They who, under the reign of selfishness, had sought to contract the circle of happiness around them till they had reduced it to their own little centre, under the benign and expansive influence of the gospel, would not only seek to enlarge that circle to embrace the world, but to multiply and diffuse themselves in happiness to its utmost circumference. Feeling that

good is indivisible; that to be enjoyed in perfection by one, it must be shared and possessed by all, they would labour till all the race were blended in a family compact, and were partaking together the rich blessings of salvation; till, by their instrumentality, the hand of Christ had carried a golden chain of love around the world, binding the whole together, and all to the throne of God.

It is clear, then, that the entire economy of salvation is constructed on the principle of restoring to the world the lost spirit of love; this is its boast and glory. Its advent was an era in the universe. It was bringing to a trial the relative strength of love and hatred;-the darling principle of heaven, and the great principle of all revolt and sin. It was confronting selfishness in its own native region, with a system of benevolence prepared, as its avowed antagonist, by the hand of God itself. So that, unless we would impugn the skill and power of its Author, we must suppose that it was studiously adapted for the lofty encounter. With this conviction, therefore, we should have been justified in saying, had we been placed in a situation to say it, "Nothing but the treachery of its professed friends can defeat it if they attempt a compromise with the spirit of selfishness, there is every thing to be feared; but let the heavenly system be worked fairly, and there is every thing to be expected,its triumph is certain."

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But has its object been realized? More than eighteen hundred years have elapsed since it was brought into operation, has its design succeeded?