which makes the sinner so much the subject of its 'scheme of grace' as to weaken his sense of responsibility, and deaden the consciousness of God within him as his power of recovery, so that salvation has come to be viewed as something done for him by proxy, and not wrought in him by the power of God. The idea of an imputed righteousness has supplanted that of personal righteousness as indispensable to sal The great central and growing thought of the present time is, "The brotherhood of man." It is becoming clear that men cannot selfishly 66 save their own souls" out of relation with the salvation of others. The ties which bind the race into one bundle are divinely strong and close. That view of the visible Church which makes it an "ark of safety," or a salvation assurance society for the individual soul, is passing away. Christ came to light not only "the elect," but "every man that cometh into the world." Every child of God is a link in the great golden chain of His love. The harmonious vibrations of human progress, as divinely instituted, are from within, outward. Service is the active manifestation of the indwelling Christ. True service is not menial, but willing, joyous, spontaneous. As men live outside of self, fellows and in God, have their life in their the divine image in them is uncovered. The false ego of sensuous personality is lost, and the true self found. God is Love; and love is the giving out of good. The Son, being a perfect expression of the Father, gave His service, His life, Himself. "Love's power to give, grades what it can receive; In action only all that love can be. Who most can love, to him most love is given — The multitudes were filled, and had a surplus, from a few loaves and fishes; and so, good, given out, multiplies. The great soul is he that forgets that he has a soul, in his efforts for the salvation of others. O glorious mystery of the Incarnation! Thou art a prophecy of that greater and general Incarnation when the "Christ-mind " will dwell in the whole brotherhood of humanity. O bright and joyous Christmas-time — neverending Holy-day! Thou art a witness to the ever-recurring birth of the Prince of peace in the hearts of men. VI. THE UNIVERSALITY OF LAW. "Of Law, there can be no less acknowledged than that her seat is the bosom of God, her voice the harmony of the world; all things in heaven and earth do her homage, the very least as feeling her care, and the greatest as not exempted from her power." RICHARD HOOKER, 1553-1600. 66 WHAT is the most important discovery of modern times? Some would answer, the art of printing, which, in its present marvellous stage of progress, scatters its winged pages as thick as autumnal leaves that strow the brooks of Vallombrosa." Others would mention the wonderful utilization of steam, by the power of which the material forces of the world are a thousand times multiplied for the convenience and comfort of mankind. Still others would point to the unnumbered applications of electricity, the successive discoveries of which burst upon us almost as rapidly as its native flashes repeat themselves through the murky darkness of a summer evening thunder-storm. No; it is none of these. Of vaster moment than all these great achievements is the growing recognition of the fact that Law is universal. What is Law? One eminent writer defines it as "an ascertained working sequence or constant order among the phenomena of Nature." Another calls it "the universal reign of a fixed order of things." Webster describes is as "any force, tendency, propension, or instinct, natural or acquired." Such definitions, though technically correct, are freighted with a cold, mechanical import which almost seems tinged with fatalism. The theologian discourses upon Natural Law as a code of material legislation, infinite in detail, which, once for all, was put in force by the Deity, and then left to assert itself and punish its transgressors. Atheists and materialists, while admitting its orderly regularity within the physical domain, conceive it to be but the blind operation of inherent forces and tendencies. Law is the uniform and orderly methods of |