I believe you will find on reference to Ecclesiastical history that the most healthy periods of the Church’s life have been those, in which there has been the largest development of Lay activity. The Apostolic Church was one great community of workers. True love to Christ found its vent in active ministries of love towards the suffering members of His spiritual Body, and in increased earnestness in carrying the message of salvation to perishing souls. Throughout the Apostolic age the link runs unbroken, “Epaphras our dear fellow-helper,” “the beloved Persis, who laboured much in the Lord,” “Euodias and Syntyche,” though not always of the same mind, yet striving to forget their differences in a common work. “Clement and other fellow-workers whose names” were “in the Book of Life”—these and many another, whether ecclesiastic or lay-workers, whose names swell the goodly list of Apostolic greetings at the conclusion of each Epistle, show that the Early Church was a community of living workers striving to spread the faith of a living Lord, not only by words but by deeds. So in succeeding ages, whenever the Church’s life was abundant, the principle of all helping in a common work was recognised. The early Christians in Rome were marked out from all other forms of so-called religion, because they had one peculiar superstition. They sought out the poor and ministered to their wants. The same practical characteristic will be discerned in every age of the Church’s history. Independent of the more formal aspects of Lay-help represented by the Reader and the Deaconess, we shall find that in the Early Church after Apostolic days had passed there was a large band of willing workers ready in Christ’s Name to do service to their brethren. Since that time every season of religious awakening has brought with it a quickening of the spirit of service. The religious confraternities of Vincent de Paul, the self-devoted labours of the Wesleyan local preachers, the good works of Hannah More, Elizabeth Fry, and Howard the philanthropist, are but varying features in the same great picture. The mode of action might be different, but the aim in view was essentially the same, and the spring of action in all these self-undertaken labours was the love of Christ in the heart of those who gave themselves. Only a short time ago I saw somewhere an account of a missionary meeting. One and another was asked what he or she could give to the cause of Christian Missions, and certain sums were promised. At last one young man rose at the end of the room. “What will you give?” said the president of the meeting. “Myself,” was the laconic, but courageous reply. We want more of this spirit, and I think it is among the most hopeful signs of a far from hopeful age that there are many of our young men ready when the question is put, “What will you give to God?” to answer with an unfailing heart and unfaltering tongue—“Myself.”