ther
theme which may be presented in the pulpit by the minister with an
assurance of the co-operation of the Holy Ghost. There may be times
when he may feel obliged to preach concerning philosophy, poetry, art
and science, but unless these things lead directly to Christ we have no
reason for believing that the Holy Ghost will add his amen to our
message, and without this amen the time is almost lost.

III

The church is the body of Christ. I am persuaded that to this truth he
will give his hearty assent. This is Paul's over and over. Notice the
following verses.

Acts 2:41, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized; and
the same day there were added _unto them_ about three thousand souls."
The words "unto them" are in italics, so not in the original, and we
ask "added to what?"

Acts 2: 47, "Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And
the Lord '_added to the Church_' daily such as should be saved." Here
we are beginning to get the truth.

Acts 5:14, "And believers were the more added _to the Lord_, multitudes
both of men and women." This is the truth.

You will see that Christ is the head, the church is his body and we
are, as individual members of the church, just being added to him. One
day the body will be completed and then the Lord himself will appear.
If Christ is the head he must control the body. If his life is
hindered and not permitted to flow through every part of it there is
confusion, strife, unrest and loss of power.

There are certain things which we must do if we are to be in this world
as he would have us.

He must control the preaching. If given an opportunity he will direct
in the choice of a theme, he will quicken our intellect in the
development of that theme, he will give us an insight into the best way
to present it to our hearers, and putting faith in these preliminary
conditions he will take care of the results. He must also dictate the
praying in a church. There is much of it that is meaningless. It is
too formal, too lifeless, and entirely too general in its character.
In Matthew the eighteenth chapter and the nineteenth verse, we read,
"Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as
touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my
Father which is in heaven." It does not mean that if the two should
agree together as touching any one thing, but agree with him, for
wherever you find two in prayer there ar