The writer has approached his theme from a new standpoint. Instead of beginning with the work of the Christ when he appeared on earth as the son of Mary, he has begun with those eternal Intelligences that were to be affected by this earth-life, by the "fall" and the "Atonement," and by "Hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began." (Paul to Titus.) This is followed by consideration of the council in heaven, wherein the order of earth-life for the spirits of men is considered, what shall accrue to them from it; necessarily the fall and plan of man's redemption; the war in heaven, the advent of man on earth; the fall; revelation of the plan for man's salvation; the Atonement in ancient times, through all the ages in fact, and so finally to the consideration of the various elements that enter into the great theme, making up the philosophy of the Atonement. As to the importance of the subject, need anything be said? It is the very heart of the Gospel from whose pulsations the streams of both spiritual and eternal physical life proceed. It is the fact which gives vitality to all things else in the Gospel. If the Atonement be not a reality then our preaching is vain; our baptisms and confirmations meaningless; the eucharist a mere mummery of words; our hope of eternal life without foundation; we are still in our sins, and we Christian men, of all men, are the most miserable. A theme that affects all this cannot fail of being important. And yet, how our writers upon theology have neglected this subject! Save for the treatise of the late President John Taylor on the "Mediation and Atonement of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," we have no work devoted wholly to the subject. President Taylor's treatise was published twenty-nine years ago (1882); there was but a very limited edition published at the time, and that is not yet sold out! Aside from this treatise--and even that is quite limited in its scope, chiefly a compilation of scripture texts upon the fact of the Atonement--our speakers and writers have treated the theme merely incidentally. It is time, then, that our Seventies--the special witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ, including as a central fact of their testimony the Atonement, should give special and extended study to this theme of themes. DIFFICULTY OF THE SUBJECT. Is the subject difficult? Certainly. But "To Become a Seventy, Means Mental Activity, Intellectual Development, and the Attainment of Spiritual Power." Such men will not be daunted because the subject is difficult, but rather will rejoice at it, even as a strong man rejoices to run a race, or fight a battle, or undertake hard tasks wherein lies adventure and danger and great glory. Such men will remember that as all great things are attended with risk, so the hard is the good; and "truth's a gem that loves the deep." Go and search for it. THE APPENDIX.