" A few thoughts on the nature and method of Gospel work.

Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice ? She standeth in the top of the high places, by the way in the places of the path; she crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors." (Prov. 8:1-3.) Such a scripture as this shows that the truth of God has nothing to conceal. God is light, and He sends out His light and truth,-not to the few merely, but "to every creature under heaven;" "Their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world." (Rom. 10:18.) In beautiful consistency with this world-wide proclamation of the gospel is the scene at Pentecost, where there were representatives of "every nation under heaven," who could hear in their various languages the wonderful works of God. Peter stands forth boldly before the assembled multitudes and proclaims both the sin of man and the mercy of God. Again and again, through the book of Acts, do we hear the message of God's grace sounded out to the crowds,-at Jerusalem, Antioch, the cities of Asia Minor, and Greece; in the temple area, in synagogues, in the market-places, or on Areopagus, at Athens. Wherever there was an opening for the gospel, there the Lord's servants went, proclaiming to Jew and Gentile alike, "repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ." They went everywhere preaching the word, and illustrating the apostle's statement, " I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." (Rom. 1:16.)

When we remember what that gospel is:how it has saved us; well may we long to cry it out from the very housetops, and seek in the most public way to proclaim it to a ruined world. Is it not the revelation of the very heart of God, telling out His love to lost sinners ? Does it not display His matchless wisdom, in providing a salvation consistent both with His love and His righteousness ? reaching down to the lowest depths of the sinner's need on the one hand, and on the other, rising to the very throne of God-in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ? Oh! what a gospel we have to proclaim,-its simplicity,- its suitability,-its freeness, and, above all, its divine truth ! Well may we

" sound it out so loud
That earth and heaven may hear."

It is, therefore, natural and right that the gospel should be proclaimed in the most public way; and this has usually marked any special awakening. Whitfield and Wesley preached in streets and public squares; on the hillsides in the country places; to the laborers as they went to and from their work. Form and formalism were set aside in the energy of the Spirit of God; these and hundreds of other faithful servants of Christ proclaimed Him to the crowds. What a glorious sight!-thousands drinking in the words of peace and life, and blessing God, as they will to all eternity, for such a proclamation of His grace.

Let us, then, go forth, and pray the Lord of the harvest, to send forth more laborers into this white field. Let the message be sounded forth to all:let us go into the streets with it, wherever we can find the concourse of the people, and the Lord opens the way, and tell out to thousands or to hundreds the precious words of life. May the Lord awaken His beloved people everywhere to this.
The time is short. Soon all the redeemed will be gathered home to enjoy the praise of Him who hath loved us, forever. Then there will be no further opportunity to preach the gospel, and the world will be left helpless, waiting for judgment, The coming of the Lord draweth nigh. As our hearts yearn for that, let them yearn for the salvation of souls. These two thoughts are beautifully blended in Scripture :"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely." (Rev. 22:17.) Here we have the cry of the Spirit in the Church, the longing cry, "Come, Lord Jesus." Whoever hears the message of love in his soul joins in that cry. But while waiting and longing for the coming of the Lord, we turn to the unsaved and say also, Come-come to Christ, ere He come to take His people away. Thus both "comes "blend together; and in proportion as we are truly waiting for the coming of the Lord will we be calling in the sinner too.

This much as to the publicity of Gospel work. Whoever will and can-as led of the Lord-may preach to as large crowds as he can get to listen to him. There need be no form-in public streets or squares of the city; in tents and school-houses in the country; let the blessed work go on.

But no mere casual reader of Scripture even can have failed to notice that much of our Lord's work,
and that of the apostles too, was with individuals. He sifted the multitudes that followed Him:" If any man come to Me and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:26.) "Ye seek Me not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled." (John 6:26.) There is danger in a crowd:mere excitement may prevail, and many be induced to take a step which finds no response in their souls. Many stony-ground hearers are gathered in at these times, to fall away when persecution or trial comes. The public preacher must be faithful in his warnings, and not seek numbers, but reality.

But in the gospel of John particularly, we notice how our Lord deals with individuals. The call of disciples in the first chapter is largely that-one calling another. To Nicodemus, who comes to Him by night, the Lord unfolds both man's need and how it can be met. The need of new birth, the cross, the love of God, and faith,-what wondrous themes to be poured into the ear of one man ! The same is seen with the woman of Samaria (John iv). How tenderly and patiently does our Lord deal with that one soul. And it is in connection with His labor with that one individual that our Lord speaks of white fields and labor in them (vers. 35-38). Did each of our public meetings result in the conversion of one soul, well might we rejoice. May not our desire for meetings sometimes interfere with our desire for souls ? Two other instances in the gospel of John might be dwelt upon with profit; we merely mention them for the meditation of the reader:the woman in the eighth chapter, and the blind man in the ninth, both illustrate the blessedness of this individual work.

Passing to Acts, we have two most interesting cases in one chapter (Acts 16:). The apostle, guided by the Spirit, leaves Asia Minor, where much blessing had attended the preaching of the gospel, and goes to Europe, where he knew no one. A very striking case, similar to this is that of Philip (Acts 8:). He leaves a work of great magnitude at Samaria, where there had been much blessing, to go to a desert part, where, as far as he knew, no one was to be found. How richly was his obedience rewarded in the conversion of the Eunuch. So in Paul's case:he leaves the work in Asia, and enters upon an untrodden field. Reaching Philippi, they go out to the riverside, and talk with the women who resorted there for prayer. Doubtless they were few in number; but one of them has her heart opened to hear what the apostle tells and is brought to the knowledge of Christ. In the same chapter they are put into prison-apparently a further check upon the gospel-only to find an open door and an opened heart in the jailer himself. Well might the Philippians understand the apostle when in writing to them afterwards from Rome, in chains, "But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel."(Phil. 12.)

Let us not, then, despise work with individuals, or that which seems small in men's eyes. We would especially commend these thoughts to the assemblies of the Lord's people, where there are no special "gifts." If none feel equal to taking a public meeting, and holding the attention of a crowd, all should be able to take their Bibles and tracts and go from house to house, distributing the precious word of salvation. In this day of agents and solicitors of all kinds, can there not be solicitors for precious souls ? How often have open doors thus been found, and hearts prepared by the Spirit of God for the reception of the good seed. Many who would shrink from addressing the public meeting, find a most useful and congenial sphere of service in the modest "cottage meetings," where in close and familiar intercourse the needs of souls are met, and many an one set free.

How these cottage meetings would multiply were there prayer and simple faith to expect open doors. The Christian could invite a few neighbors into his house for a little meeting ; or his fellow workman could be induced to open his doors to such a meeting. The tract visitor at the home could find many such open doors, where two or three Christians could go and find precious souls. These are but suggestions, familiar doubtless to many readers of these lines. Many more ways of spreading the gospel might be easily thought of.

As we said, there is danger in the thought that gospel work necessarily means public meetings of large crowds. Comparatively few are gifted in addressing such; and the novice may easily be puffed up in such work. Meetings are but means to an end, not the end themselves. Oh, for more of that love and zeal which, without excitement, but in dependence upon God, take every opportunity to spread the precious gospel !