Dr. Donald preached last night on the spirit of Christianity. He took as his text the works with which Christ describes the purpose of his ministry "to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

He said that the civilization of the present is infinitely better than that of two thousand years ago, and men are willing to grant that this fact is largely due to the teaching of Christ. But people are often in doubt as to whether Christianity can cope with the problems of today. Sometimes it seems as if the world was not growing better,- as if the problems were growing more complicated and the spirit of Christianity could not be the force to meet them. It this were so we should have to grant that the spirit of Christ had been a force in the past, but that it was no longer a living power. All praise of Christ would then be the praise of a dead power and we are rejoicing in a force that has but half done its work, and can do no more.

If, however, we look more closely at the condition of the world we may see that there have been recently and that there still continue works that have brought us to a much better state than was enjoyed by the people of fifty years ago. And all these changes are effected by the force of the spirit of Christ. This does not mean the increase of churches alone, for a man may have in him the spirit of Christ without being able to repeat a creed. It means rather the spirit that is bringing help to the poor, deliverance to the captives, and "preaching the acceptable year of the Lord" Let us be thankful that the spirit of Christ is not confined to the church alone, but is in every man who loves his fellow men and is trying to help them to a broader and happier civilization.

One way that this spirit has shown its efficiency is in bringing us freedom. Not very long ago when scholars realized that they were in the wrong they were afraid to admit it for fear of losing their influence. Even the universities were often afraid of new learning and the discoveries of science, because, if these became generally known they might lose the respect of the people. Governments were afraid to have people know their rights because if they had known them the ruling powers might have been overturned. But now the great endeavor of all men is that every one should be educated and should understand the sciences and the art of government. Today professors explain and comment on existing affairs in a way which fifty years ago would have cost them their chairs.

A more specific example of the working of the spirit of Christ is given in the great emergency that has come upon us this winter. Never has any country responded so nobly to the cry for help from its poor. The charity is not of the grudging and condescending kind, but comes from an overflowing heart longing to help those whom it regards as equals and brothers. When the letter carriers of Boston give unanimously a whole day's pay to the poor, does not this show the spirit of Christ? Should we ask before answering, "can they say their creeds?"

Even if the world is not yet what it ought to be, we must recognize that there is another reason for this besides a failure of the force. It is imperfection of the machinery. An article cannot be perfectly manufactured, no matter how great the force, without good machinery. Our machinery could not now be faultless; the science of economics is not yet thoroughly understood, nor is the art of right and just government perfectly clear. So with a boundless force we could not yet have the world perfect, but let us rest assured with so many evidences of the presence and growing strength of the spirit of Christ, that when the machinery is perfect, if that be ever possible, the power to move it will not be lacking.

The choir sang, "To Thee, O Lord," by Tours; "How Beautiful upon the Mountain," by Stainer; and "O Lord, My Tryst," by King Hall.