devil of tho soul. That spirit in Churches which cries, "Oh that I had the wings of a dove ! then would I fly away and be at rest," is discontented selfishness, nothing more. AI11:9 I t~at there should be churches, chapels, and pulpits in England ministering to an m~t1able ave.rice that considers this beautiful world not good enou 6h for its home! But if the objed of a true Christian's hope is not happiness, what then? Morat goodness. Goodness as exemplified in the life of Jesus. To become like Christ, to be partakers of the Divine nature, to be holy even as God is holy,-this is the great object of a true Christian's hope. -And herein is heaven and nowhere else. To be happy is to be good, to be good is to be like God, and this is the grand object of genuine Christian hope. "Then shall I be satisfied when I awake up in thine own ima"e." 0 Moral goodness is the only true Paradise of souls. IV. ,All Christians have ONE SOVEREIGN MASTER. "One Lord." Who is this ono Lord? By the general consent of acknowledged expositors, the one Lord Jesus Christ. "One is your Master, even Christ." There are men in Christendom who assume titles indicating authority over human souls. We have the Pope of Rome, the lord bishop, and the" Primate of all England." Terribly sad it is that in the name of him who had nowhere to lay his head, and who taught that the least should be greatest in his kingdom, there should be found men either so dull or daring as to assume such titles as these. Call no man "master," said this "one Lord." He is the Head of the Church which is his body, the only Head. Is not this also a potent reason for loving conconl among Christians? They have to draw their doctrines from one Teacher, they have to learn their duty from one Master, they have to fashion their character after one Model, to depend for reconciliation to God upon one Mediator. V. All Christians have ONE SUPREME CREED. "One faith." This means, as we have seen, one Object of faith. What is the one creed? Theological propositions put forth as articles of belief? If so, there are many faiths-faiths almost as numerous as there are Christian professors. No two men can perhaps believe the same thing in exactly the same way; the same proposition shapes itself differently to different souls. 'l'he New Testament teaches with unmistakable explicitness that the true creed of a Ohristian is not a propositional manifesto, but a personal life-the life of Christ. In more than thirty passages of one Gospel, the Gospel of St. J oh.n, we find with reference to Christ the expressions, "trusting to me," "trusting to him," or "trusting to the Son." 'l'ake two or three as specimens. "This is the work of Goel, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." ,Again, "He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." ,Again," He that believeth on him shall not be damned." Again," He that believeth on me, the works that I do," etc. "Do this in remembrance of me." Christ is the one Crce<l. He is, in truth, the Bible. See how this one creed argues the importance of loving union amongst Christians. If our creed is a series of propositions we shall be divided, but if our creed is the personal life of One all-holy, all-loving, all-good, we shall be united. If all the members of all the Churches believed with a living faith in the one personal Christ, there would be a loving concord of souls. VL All Ch1istians have ONE SPIRITUAL CLEANSING. "One baptism." The primary meaning of" baptism" is cleansing. Bct1M"11Tµos is rendered" washing" in several places (Mark vii. 4, 8; Heb. ix. 10). '!'here are two kinds of baptisms or cleansings mentioned in the New Testament-the material and the spiritual, that of water and that of fire. The latter, namely, the fiery baptism of the Spirit, is the great thiug. This undoubtedly is the one baptism, the one cleansing. 1. This is the une essential cleansing. Without this, though we were baptized in all the ri1•ers of the world, ,vu Are not members of that one body of which Christ is the Head. Millions have entered heaven without water baptism, but not one without the spiritual. 2. This is the on& Divine cleansing. It is the Spirit's work. This is the "washing of regeneration" and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Is not this one essential, Divine cleansing another good argument for unity of love in all Christians? VII. All Christians have ONE ADORABLE Goo. "One God and Father of nll, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." 1. There is but one God. This fact i~ supported by the structure and order of nature; stands in direct antagonism to atheism, fetichism, polytheism, and pantheism; and is accepted as a fundamental truth in all evangelical Churches throughout the world. 'l'ho glorious fact reveals the greatuesc; of the Creator, tho definiteness of moral obligations, the fitness of religion for tue EPHESIANS, 0 194 THE EPISTLE TO THE EPIIBSI.ANS. [cu. xv. 1-32,
constitution of man, and the universal brotherhood of souls. 2. 'fhis one God u 1miversal Father. "Father of all." "Of all and throuo-h .all." "All is not neuter: ,..,t.,.r.,.P," It is true that God is the Author of all nature: is over all nature, and lives through all nature; but the apostle's reference here is undoubtedly to i11tellicrent 0 existences, and it may be that he intends only the members of the true Church. .All the members of the true Church recognize him as "the Father of all over all throu.,.h ~~in~ ' ' 0