ple, so far as it has any influence, tends to disturb the church, and to unsettle the congregation. 3. Each member is bound to employ for the common benefit, whatever gifts God has imparted to him. The design of the church is mutual improvement and co-operation-mutual incitement to love and good works—mutual advancement in holiness-concentrated and invigorated effort for the promotion of the gospel of Christ. Towards the attainment of these ends each member ought to contribute his proportion of influence and effort. A duty of this kind rests on every believer simply as a christian, anterior to his connection with any particular church. On every believer there is an obligation to do whatever his particular talents and opportunities enable him to do, whether for the improvement of those brethren of the household of faith whom his influence can reach, or for the extension of the kingdom of Christ. This duty Paul, urges on the christians residing at Rome; and he enforces it by the illustration already referred to.* * See Romans xii; 4-8. “As we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same of fice; so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then, gifts dif fering according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophesy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth on teaching; or he that exhorteth on exhortation he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he : Some, in that age, were endowed by the Spirit with gifts for the public exposition of the word of God; some were commissioned to this or that peculiar service, to carry the gospel into other regions, or to bear contributions from distant places to the needy disciples at Jerusalem; some had abilities to teach the inquiring heathen, or the half instructed convert, or the children of believers; some were skillful to exhort the brethren, either in meetings or in private conversation; --others had other faculties; they were able to bestow their bounty on the poor, or to supply the resources by which apostles and evangelists should be carried forward in their journeys; or by their talents for business they could advantageously manage this or that concern of public interest; or with kind and self denying assiduity they could visit the sick and cheer the afflicted. It that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness." The writer is perfectly aware that the construction. which he has given to this passage, is not the common one; nor does he suppose that it will not encounter some serious objections. This is not the place for a philological examination of the Greek words and phrases, on which the sense of the passage turns. I will therefore only say that the apostle is not speaking of offices but of gifts: and that the current of discourse and exhortation, in this and the following chapters, has respect not to the duties of bishops and deacons, of elders in the church, and ministers of the word, but to the duties of christians as separated from the world, and as being one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. belongs to every christian, simply as a believer in Christ, to do good, according to his abilities and advantages, to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. But in the first epistle to the Corinthians, (xii. 12-27.) the apostle uses the same illustration with a special reference to the mutual relations of those christians as members of the same church. He tells them "Ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." He exhorts them, (xiv. 12.) "Seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.” Indeed what can be more natural, or more beautiful, than the performance of this duty in a christian church. One brother, by his opportunities and abilities and his extensive knowledge of the scriptures, is qualified to teach; let him have a Bible class. Others, younger and less experienced, have the same gift in an inferior degree; let them do their best in the sabbath school. Some have the gifts which qualify them to lead a circle of praying souls near to the throne of grace, or to stir up the hearts of brethren by words of exhortation; let them be active in meetings for prayer and conference. Others can search out the needy around them, those who are suffering from cold, or hunger, or sickness, and can relieve them from their own resources, or solicit in their behalf the bounty of such as are more wealthy. Others can visit the sick with personal assiduity, and the afflicted with consolations from the eternal fountains. Others have what are sometimes called business talents; they can offer judicious counsel in church meetings, or they can see to the details of this or that particular enterprize. Others have wealth and in the use of that they can prove themselves the stewards of God, and promote both the outward visible prosperity and the internal spiritual edification of the church. Thus every member, whether he have only one gift, and that the humblest, or whether he have many and all ample, is bound to employ whatever gifts God has bestowed upon him, for the common benefit of the church with which he is connected. 4. Another duty which each member owes to the church, is the duty of affording, according to his ability, all needful and proper aid to the officers of the church. To the pastor, how important is that aid which may be rendered by able and faithful church members. How much can they do to promote the influence of his preaching, by promoting the mutual confidence and attachment between him and his flock. How much can they do to make him acquainted with the wants of his people, the errors, doctrinal and practical, which creep in from time to time, and the misapprehensions and prejudices which obstruct the progress of the truth among them. How much ** can they do to hold up his hands when he is weary, to encourage him when he is ready to faint, to call down upon his person and his labors those blessings which are given in answer to prayer. How much can they do to extend his usefulness by persuading the indifferent to attend upon his ministry-how much by seeking out any who are affected under the preaching of the word, and introducing them to his notice that he may follow up by personal and private exhortation, the impression produced from the pulpit. How much can they do for him by showing, not to him only but to others, that they esteem him very highly in love for his work's sake, (1. Thes. v. 12, 13.) and by vindicating his character, when it is assailed in their presence with sly insinuations or with open calumny-unless indeed, as is often the case, the attack should be such as to carry with it its own refutation. How much church-members may do to promote the efficiency and usefulness of the deacon's office, by seeing to it that the treasury which the deacons keep, is well supplied and constantly, and by seeking out, as opportunity offers, the sick the afflicted and the helpless, and making the deacons acquainted with every case which calls for their interposition; it can hardly be necessary for me to intimate. 5. It is the duty of every church-member to be a stated attendant on all the meetings of the |