accomplishing both its
inner and outer work.

If we read the apostolic epistles, (see I Cor. xii. 14-27,) the
impression which, as I have already said, they give us of a Christian
congregation is that of a body so organised as that each and every
member is made useful to the whole body, and the particular gift which
God bestows upon the weakest and most insignificant (for "_He_
hath set the members in the body as it hath pleased _Him_") is so
appreciated and applied, that "the head" or "the eye"--the most
intelligent or most discerning--cannot say to that weak member, "I
have no need of _thee_".

It may be alleged that the congregations of the primitive Church are
not intended to be models in their peculiar organisation for modern
times. But is not the primitive Church system of union and mutual
co-operation essential to the very idea of a Christian _society_? And
what authority is there for its assembling together to hear sermons,
to pray, or to partake of the sacraments, which is not equally binding
for its performing of all the other duties and enjoying all the other
privileges described by the apostles as pertaining to church-members?

Now, in most cases, everything is left to the minister or his official
assistants. The calculation is never soberly made as to his bodily or
mental powers to do all which is expected of him. There is an immense
faith in both. It is assumed that he, and not the congregation, is the
body; that he alone, therefore, possesses the eye, the tongue, the
ear, and the hand;--and some ministers seem so pleased with their
elevated position as to be unwilling that any should share it with
them. But when the minister is alive to the responsibility of his
position, and when he is so fortunate as to have in his congregation
men and women who share his convictions, and are willing to share the
labour which these entail, even then there is still the tendency on
the part of the great bulk of the members to have their work done by
proxy. They have no objection that visiting, teaching, almsgiving, and
the like, should be done by "the committee,"--while the committee,
perhaps, are inclined, in their turn, to leave it to Mr A., or Miss
B., who are active members of it. It is true we must labour, in the
meantime, with whatever instrumentality God furnishes, and make the
most of it, but we must not cease to aim at realising the noble end of
making _each_ member, according to his gifts and abilities, manif