^ Early Letters of Marcus Dods, 103.
ROMANS XII. I 221
athlete and the Christian ? an alliance against the common enemies of both — against intemperance, and indolence, and dis- sipation, and effeminacy, and aesthetic voluptuousness, and heartless cynicism, and all the unnatural and demoralizing elements in our modern life? Why will some take so narrow a view of the true aims of physical training that they bound their horizon by the vision of prizes and athletic honours, not seeing that in themselves and by themselves these things are as worldly and as worthless as unsanctified wealth, or knowledge, or literature, or art? Why will others, again, who would not willingly break any of God's commandments, who would not pass a day without prayer, who believe and trust in a risen Saviour — why will they not regard sedentary habits, and soft- ness of living, and feebleness which might have been strength, and delicacy which might have been hardihood, as physical sins ? Why will they not devote to the service of the Kingdom of heaven blood as pure, limbs as supple, condition as fit, energies as buoyant as if they were aspirants for a championship, and thus help to refute the slander that religion is a feeble emascu- lated thing, good enough for sick-beds, and minor tones, and solemn functions, and gentle counsel, but out of place amid the strong rough work and the more manly joys of life ?
^ Quintin Hogg, the founder of the Polytechnic Institute of London, put a large fortune into the accomplishment of his work, but laid down something besides that was worth more than a fortune. "Mr. Hogg," some one said to him once, "how much does it cost to build up an institute like yours ? " " Only one man's life-blood," was his reply.^
(2) The sacrifice is holy. — The original, the first, the primary significance of that word " holy " is devoted. The consecrated life is a life of utter devotion. That means many things. It means separation from the world, for one thing. But the positive point is that it means God first, God last, God everywhere, God as the spring of thought and word and deed, God as the ruling power of our whole being ; we are devoted utterly to God, every bit of our life is stamped with the hallmark of devotion to Christ.
^ A few years ago I crossed from Fife to Hamburg in a coal- cargo steamer, English-built, but trading under the Swedish flag,
1 E. E. Speer.
222 THE BODY FOR GOD
the s.s. Zelos. My wife and I were given the Captain's room — a long commodious cabin. One night I chanced to notice certain words cut in one of the iron beams overhead. These were : " Certified for the accommodation of the master." ^
(3) The sacrifice is acceptable. — This condition embraces both the others, but goes beyond them. All men who ever offered sacrifice, unless it were in hypocrisy or by mere custom, offered it as well- pleasing to the god of their worship. But why they wished to please their god was another matter ; their wish might come from this or that of a whole range of paltry, or indifferent, or lofty motives. Accordingly St. Paul, knowing well the false thoughts of sacrifice which spring up naturally in men's hearts, has left no room for them in his exhortation. Against one false thought of sacrifice he has set the need that it be living ; against another he has provided by refusing to recognize a sacrifice which, though living, is not kept holy. But the universal thought of pleasing God has a truth of its own which may not' without peril be forgotten. The livingness, the holiness are in themselves well- pleasing to Grod ; yet it is possible, strange and contradictory as it may seem, for men to make the sacrifices, and to be careful about them in both these respects, to speak much and act much on the belief that sacrifice and life and holiness are truly great things, and yet to forget God Himself. But when this happens, the whole meaning of sacrifice is lost. " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soul and strength " remains the first and great commandment. The Christian desire of well-pleasing has nothing to do with the hope of gain or the fear of suffering, but is that desire of well-pleasing which belongs to love and love alone. The supreme value of sacrifice springs from the yearning of God's children on earth for their Father in heaven.
^ I cannot get out of my mind, when I read these words, the figure of a consecrated knighthood. Christians are to be the chosen knights of the Lord's table, the representatives and embodiments of true Christian chivalry. This, with higher and more glorious relationships, is the true conception of the Church. Every member of the Christian Church is a knight of King Jesu's table, a member of an elect company, elected to special devotion and unceasing service. This is not always the ideal conception
1 W. Cliristie.
ROMANS XII. I 223
which prevails in the Christian Church. There are unworthy conceptions of membership. There is what I may call the hook conception. It is thought sufficient to have the name on the roll. I know that the Scriptures mention with great honour those " whose names are written in the Book of Life." Ay, but these are the names of the alive, and they are enrolled because of the surrender of their life to the service of their King. The one is a mere label, and might mean anything. This name is written with one's own blood. And there is what I may call the coibch conception. It is not openly expressed, but tacitly implied. The member who embodies this conception sits and reclines, and thinks it enough to feel happy ! The wind that roars outside the house constrains him to draw his couch nearer the fire. He does not regard the tempest as a call to service, but as an incitement to more coddling ease. Sometimes the couch conception deteriorates Into the stretcher conception ! And by this I mean that the member of the Church not only reclines, but expects to be carried by the more faithful few. And there is the leech conception. This type of membership reveals itself in constant grasping. The hand is opened only to take, and never to give. It is greedy for comfort, for attention, for visitation. It never opens its veins and lets out blood ; it knows nothing about sacrifice. And because all these conceptions are so prevalent the Church is the victim of perilous weakness. " Some are sickly, and not a few asleep." And therefore the Church is sometimes like an infirmary, and sometimes like a sleeping compartment — anything rather than a gathering-place of armed knights, pledged to be true unto death, and ready to go forth in living sacrifice to serve the King in fighting the gathered hosts of the devil.i