For every special object that is sought to be attained to-day, some sort of organization is considered a first necessity. So well is it understood that "union is strength," that to accomplish any end whatever,-political, social, moral, spiritual, men combine. Unions of the most varied kinds are thus multiplying day by day ; and that results justify them asa means of doing what individual effort would be powerless for is so evident that it would be a waste of time to try and prove this.

The character of the ends sought to be accomplished is not what concerns me now :it is simply the power that is gained by association ; and as an illustration helps largely the clearness of an argument, let us take one from what is before all our eyes to-day, the Salvation Army.

Now, there are, of course, many things beside their organization to be taken into account in such an example as this ; and the peculiarity of the organization itself along with all else. That in little over ten years they have girt the world with their mission stations is a fact not to be denied. "Between 1880 and 1890," says the Missionary Review, "this enterprise, beginning with God and nothing in a London slum, went from New Zealand to San Francisco, and from Cape Town almost to the North Cape ; leaped, as if the genii of Arab story, from 400 corps and 1,000 officers, to 4,289 corps, or separate religious societies, 10,000 officers, devoted solely to evangelization, and 13,000 non-commissioned officers rendering voluntary service ; captured 150,000 prisoners from Satan; created scores of new forms of religious and philanthropic activity; conquered the respect of the world ; and broached a stupendous scheme for the salvation of society."

A phenomenon of this kind is worthy of respectful attention on the part of those who believe that it is still incumbent upon those who would not incur the Lord's rebuke, as the men of old did, to " discern the signs of the times." Scripture should enable us to see what such things mean, and Christians should be humble enough to learn the lesson they convey. " Scripture," it may be said, "condemns these strange and burlesque methods." But the result, which cannot rightly be questioned, the salvation of souls from the lowest level of misery and degradation, cannot be the fruit of what is strange or un-scriptural. Figs do not grow on thistles; and fruit is found in a striking way in most places into which they come. The more we can see of what is unscriptural in their methods, the more it deserves to be considered why God should in this way bless them :for the salvation of souls is from Him. All the real success is not gained or even helped by drums and banners and military titles, drill, or discipline :otherwise figs do grow on thistles. But without association altogether I think it would be impossible to account for the way they have taken possession of the country,-almost of the world. One cannot attribute it to any remarkable gifts of preaching, to any special fullness of the gospel preached. Devotedness there is and self-denial, in a high degree often ; but there are plenty of devoted Christians in any considerable town into which they enter who have nothing of the success of the Salvation Army. Many beside have gone down to the depths of vice and poverty. On the other hand, none perhaps have so thoroughly acted on the principle of organization for evangelistic purposes ; and it scarcely needs to be said that apart from this organization the work that has been accomplished could not have been done.

Am I going to urge that we should organize for a similar evangelistic effort? I am going to urge first, that if we had methods wholly scriptural, with a full gospel, and the effect of the truth that God has given us in our souls, we should not be a whit behind the Salvation Army in reaching the masses and bring men to God ; and that to deny this would involve just the folly of supposing that God is less wise than man ; or that His blessing is less with what is according to His will, than with that which is against it. Neither of these things can be ; and therefore what I have stated is rather an under- than an overstatement.

What then if we have dropped out of the scriptural method, and are really in some respects behind those whom we have perhaps thought unworthy of imitation for their unscripturalness ? Can we admit the possibility of such a thing? The Word of God certainly does not give us even a hint of organizing societies. It knows but of one organism sufficient for all purposes, and that is the Church, the body of Christ. Alas ! it is broken and scattered :we have found other names under which to gather than that of Christian ; and the bonds that unite us to all His members have but little practical recognition. Yet there is room still for faith to act; and God will own that which does so. Two or three gathered to His name can and should act upon the truth of the Church, if they cannot re-gather the Church together ; and such assemblies, though ever so few in individuals, yet with the door open for all that are Christ's and with Him, are not sectarian or human associations, but divinely constituted, though necessarily feeling the lack of the many from whom they are, not of their own will, separated.

Here, then, we have still our organization. We have but to avail ourselves of it to find how perfect it is, and entirely beyond all that man could form or imagine. Narrowness and sectarianism are forbidden in the very idea. Our rule is the Word of God, not a mere humanly imposed one. Conscience is thus free, and subjection to the indwelling Spirit gives unity of action and fellowship with one another. That which marks us for what we are is not an external badge, but the seal of the Spirit. We have one Lord to serve, who is Christ,-Love itself, Wisdom itself, and under whom no defeat is possible. We have no name to identify ourselves with but that of Christian.

For what are we organized ? For all that which shall glorify Christ, and for mutual help and service to one another. We are to be hands and feet to the Head above, representatives and ministers of Him who " went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil;" we are to be "the epistle"-not epistles-"of Christ, read and known of all men,"-as the context shows, His letters of commendation in the world.

Does not this constitute us, then, as a whole, the one great evangelization society of the world ? If we are as a whole to commend Christ and represent Him among men, can we do it without representing Him in that love for souls for which He gave Himself to a death of agony? Is not the body to be the servant of the Head in labor for Him on earth ? Does its work find its whole accomplishment in the edification of itself?

Such questions have but one answer that can be given them ; and there can be no more reason why our service should be simply individual, than why our learning of the truth should be apart from others, or our worship be in our chambers only. Fellowship in worship and mutual edification in the things of God naturally have their issue in corporate testimony, and the widest and fullest co-operation in the work of the Lord.

In all these things there is need, of course, and plenty of room for the maintenance of individuality. Every member of the body has its own place and function. There are special gifts,-evangelists, as well as pastors and teachers; but while special, these are not, even in their own sphere, exclusive. The church at Jerusalem, scattered abroad through the persecution that arose about Stephen, "went every where preaching the word." (Acts 8:4.) In our various ways, with various degrees of publicity, the evangelizing of the world is a duty that lies upon us all. It is withal so blessed a privilege, that if our hearts are right with God, we shall never be satisfied with doing it by proxy, or seek escape from the responsibility as to it. We shall not ask, What must I do? but what may I be permitted to do, to bring souls from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God? The Lord seeks volunteers ; and thus Scripture not so much prescribes a path to us, as leaves the field wide open before us. We do not need commissions according to our ability to relieve poverty, or to minister to the sick before our eyes :and here is a need for which every one who has bread for himself can feed another with it; and where the one remedy we cannot mistake in ministering. And yet there is need of finding help from one another, and in these living activities we learn that "two is better than one;" and how much combined effort may effect that individuals cannot. We need encouragement in the face of opposition, stimulus to perseverance, the help of example, of suggestion, the supplementing of individual deficiencies, the multiplication of force. Spiritually, as in other ways, our little with the aid of other littles may become much, and we are enabled thus to use with profit what by itself would have seemed useless:the fragments are gathered up, and nothing lost.

Why, then, in every place where two or three are gathered together, should there not be, as a thing of course, the meeting for mutual help in obeying the Lord's command to "preach the gospel to every creature," as it is a matter of course that there should be the prayer or the reading meeting ? A meeting, I mean, for counsel with one another, for encouragement, for review of the field together, for all the various purposes for which we shall soon find our need of one another as workers together in the field of the world ?

And while, undoubtedly, we should thus most effectually cooperate with the labors of the evangelist and fill the public halls for those who have special gift, our labor would, above all, be to reach the people with the gospel where they are, and while availing ourselves fully of the most helpful service of tracts and printed matter, yet to make it our aim to come face to face with souls, and to use that personal appeal which, when it is the appeal of divine love to heart and conscience, is what God most of all blesses.

Here is work for every one,-man, woman, and child, among us,-work in abundance to occupy every moment we can spare to it; and work so full of fruit and blessing, so grateful to the heart, so enriching to the life, so adapted to exercise us in all Christian activities, and to develop in us all Christlike affections, that the labor itself is its own abundant compensation, without thinking of those who may be thus our " hope and joy, and crown of rejoicing in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at His coming."

For this personal work for the Lord, and with the souls He died for, nothing can be substituted. Neither prayer nor study of the Word, nor aught else. While it will give matter for our prayers, energy to our Word-studies, a realization and application of the truths of Scripture in their practical sufficiency for all human need and cravings, a knowledge of the heart as the true light manifests it, which will make the Bible more than ever that voice of the living God, which it should be felt to be. To scatter our riches is to multiply them; here, prodigality is the wisest economy, and to withhold from others starvation for ourselves. The manna could not be hoarded, and corrupted if it was. Christ dwelling in the heart throws open the doors of His habitation, and if we will entertain Him, we must do His royal errands. The height of His heaven has not put Him at a distance from the penury of earth.

" To the poor the gospel is preached," was one of the vouchers of His mission. Among the poor, even the degraded, is found most often the misery that needs and opens the door to Him. Do we not often speak of doors not being open, when the truth is, we have not stooped low enough to find the open door? Yet power is manifested in ability to go down:God's beloved Son, among us as One that serveth, may well endear the lowliest service to our hearts. If it is the nature of truth to sanctify, those who have most truth should exhibit most the mind of Christ.

The object of this paper is a very simple and practical one. It is to urge upon those who are gathered to the Lord's name the need that we have of such fellowship in the work of evangelization as I have briefly indicated,- need that we have ourselves of it, -need that there is around,-and that the Church of God is really already an organization for this among other purposes. I would press rather the privilege than the responsibility of gathering in this character, seeking to help and encourage one another in united effort to bring the gospel personally before all around us. I am persuaded that there is a lack in this respect, and that it would be for very great blessing every way that this should be supplied. Simply and earnestly acted upon, the test of experience will soon decide the value of an organization, not devised of our own will, but which the Lord has given us, and which we are responsible to Him to put in practical effect. F. W. G.