fluctuates between shallow and mischievous political agitation and an equally shallow and eclectic medievalism. You will do far more good in your generation by being devout and openminded Christians, “adding to your faith knowledge" in the spirit of the words of Clement which I quoted to you, than by plunging into movements which are too superficial to add any real strength to the cause of religion. If we are to have a religious revival, it must be unmistakably a spiritual revival—it must flow from an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, with His gifts of wisdom and understanding of counsel and might, of knowledge and the fear of the Lord; it must point straight to the Cross of Christ, and to heaven into which He is ascended. Such a revival can begin only in hearts which have prepared themselves earnestly to receive the heavenly Guest; and where can we hope to find the first promise of it if not here,' the home of young life and of ancient wisdom, the storehouse of things new and old-new things that were old before the world was, and old things which spring ever fresh from the fountains of the river of God? If any man willeth to do His will, he shall know of the doctrine. The way is not yet clear before us; many old things are passing away, and we do not know what is coming. It is a time for thought and prayer and self-discipline. "I will hearken what the Lord God will say concerning 1 Oxford University.

me." Things may be clearer ten years hence, when the seed sown in a million heroic graves has had time to grow. Meanwhile, remember St. Paul's words to Timothy, "Take heed to thyself, and to the doctrine"; and to thyself first.

IX

THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST

BY

CHARLES E. JEFFERSON, D. D., Pastor, Broadway (Congregational) Tabernacle, New York

Charles Edward Jefferson was born at Cambridge, Ohio, August 29, 1860. He received his academic and theological training at Ohio Wesleyan and Boston Universities. He was ordained in the Congregational ministry in 1887. He was pastor of Central Church, Chelsea, Mass., 1887-1898. In 1898 he became pastor of the Broadway Tabernacle Congregational Church, New York, where he is still located. Dr. Jefferson, during the spring and summer of 1922, acted in the capacity of Special Preacher to the City Temple, London. He is uniquely a preacher's preacher and has, through his written and spoken work, yielded an amazing influence over his contemporaries of the pulpit.

Among his many written works must be mentioned: Under Twenty, Old Truths and New Facts, The Character of Jesus, Doctrine and Deed, The Minister as Prophet, Things Fundamental, The Ministering Shepherd, The Building of the Church.

IX

THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST1

"Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his."-ROMANS 8:9.

S

O said the first great interpreter of the Chris

tian religion. The statement is straight

forward, emphatic and beautifully clear. Only fifteen words, and all but one of them monosyllables. One does not need a dictionary to read them. A child of six can take them in. It is a sentence without mist or fog. It has in it the note of finality. It is positive, dogmatic, solid as an axiom. It is in the style of Euclid. Paul is not setting forth a thesis for discussion. There are some things not open for debate. A few questions are closed. We say there are two sides to everything, but there are not two sides to this. You cannot say that if a man have not the Spirit of Christ it makes no difference. Everybody sees that if a man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His. There are axioms in religion as in mathematics. This is one of them. Like all axioms, this one is a basal truth, and therefore a truth to start with. In working out intricate problems we must begin with fundamental principles. The only way to illumine

'Delivered before the Copenhagen Peace Conference (1922). Published also in The Christian Work.