man, the man Christ Jesus; " (1 Tim. ii. 5.) and that Jesus" was made in the likeness of men." (Phil. ii. 7.) Also, our Divine Saviour speaks of God in the same manner that we must. He declares that" the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do; " (John v. 19.) and he calls him his Father and our Father, his God and our God. (John xx. 17.) After having said, "My Father is greater than all," (John x. 29.) he said also, " My Father is greater than I." (John xiv. 28.) He seeks for truth where we all must, in God. "But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which (John viii. 40; xii. 49,

I have heard of God." 50; xiv. 10-24.) And he confesses plainly that he is ignorant of what the Father has not revealed to him. "Of that day and that hour knoweth no man; no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father."

32; Acts i. 7.)

(Mark xiii.

203. The love of the only Son of God, which induced him to render himself like unto men, shows clearly that the redemption, the salvation of the world, the sacrifice by which he redeemed us, consists, not only in his death, but in his whole life and mission. All is redemption, all is sacri, fice in his work. His coming into this world was a sacrifice; he made himself of no reputation,

into the world to "Jesus was man

taking upon himself the form of a servant. (Phil. ii. 7.) His life is a sacrifice, filled with trouble, even to the extent of not having where to lay his head. (Matt. viii. 20.) And especially his ignominious, long, and terrible death is a sacrifice to which he voluntarily surrendered himself for our sake. "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John xv. 13.) Thus our salvation rests, according to the Gospel, on his coming and manifestation : "This is a faithful saying, and worthy all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came save sinners;" (1 Tim. i. 15.) ifested to take away our sins; (1 John iii. 5.) "God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him;” (1 John iv. 9.) On his death: "The Son of man gave his life a ransom for many;" (Matt. xx. 28.) "Who gave himself a ransom for all." (1 Tim. ii. 6.) On his resurrection: "Who was raised again for our justification;" (Rom. iv. 25.) "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again; " (Rom. viii. 34.) "If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain: ye are yet in your sins; (1 Cor. xv. 17; 1 Peter i. 3.) on his kingdom in celestial glory: "If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled,

we shall be saved by his life." (Rom. v. 10.) Thus, in the life of Christ, all is closely united, all is inseparable. Therefore we are saved, not by his sufferings only, but also by his wonderful excellence, his irreproachable virtue (63), which, without his sufferings and death, would not have been able to reach their perfection, for he "learned obedience by the things which he suffered." (Heb. v. 8.) St. Paul said, "By the righteousness of one all men were justified, and by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." (Rom. v. 18, 19.) He was a perfect being in the sight of God: "Which of you convinceth me of sin?" (John viii. 46.) “In him is no sin;" (1 John iii. 5.) and therefore it was perfectly just for him to enter "into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. (Heb. ix. 24.)

204. It is on the same grounds that we confide in Jesus as the pledge of our blessed immortality; for "the sting of death is sin," (1 Cor. xv. 26.) and death came into the world only by sin (77) ; (Rom. v. 12.) but Christ, not having committed any sin, had power to lay down his life and to take it again; (John x. 18.) and it was not possible that he should be holden of death. (Acts ii. 24.) If, then, Christ had not been raised from the dead, our faith in him would be vain, (1 Cor.

xv. 14.) because he would have been a sinner like us; but he finished the work which his Father gave him to do; (John xvii. 4.) and, "since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead; for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." (1 Cor. xv. 21, 22, 49.)

205. Ten days after the ascension of the Saviour, and at Jerusalem, where he had told his disciples to wait for the fulfilment of his promise, (Luke xxiv. 49; Acts i. 4.) on the day of Pentecost (99), the Christian Church was established by the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, who, consecrated in the presence of all the people by the tongues of fire which rested upon them, received at that time the assistance and power necessary to announce to the world Christ and him crucified. (Acts ii. 2-12.) The apostles were not left alone to engage in this great and holy task. Companions were given to them, who, under the different titles of prophets, teachers, (1 Cor. xii. 28.) deacons, (Acts vi. 2; Phil. i. 1.) evangelists, (Acts xxi. 8.) bishops, (Acts xx.

17, 28.) elders, (1 Peter v. 1.) and pastors, (Eph. iv. 11.) contributed to found the churches where they officiated. The most remarkable of the ministers of the Christian Church were :

Stephen, the first martyr. (Acts vi. 5; vii. 1 - 60.)

Philip, the evangelist. (Acts viii. 5-40.)

Mark, the author of the second of the four Gospels, companion in the labors of St. Peter and St. Paul. (Acts xii. 12; 2 Tim. iv. 11; 1 Peter v. 13.)

Barnabas, his cousin, (Col. iv. 10.) companion of St. Paul. (Acts iv. 36; ix. 27.)

Apollos, disciple of John the Baptist, and celebrated for his knowledge and eloquence. (Acts xviii. 24-28.)

Luke, companion of St. Paul, who very probably had converted him, the author of the third of the four Gospels and of the book of the Acts of the Apostles. (Col. iv. 14; 2 Tim. iv. 11.)

Finally, Timothy, the beloved disciple of St. Paul, to whom this apostle addressed two epistles. (1 Cor. iv. 17; xvi. 10; Phil. ii. 20.)

206. The book of the Acts does not relate the labors of all the apostles, but the history only of the beginning of Christianity in the different countries where it was first established. The first chapters contain the history of the commence