* Alice Meynell.
336 THE POLEMICS OF CHRISTIANITY
things were overwhelmed in a wavy sea of prosperous green and yellow gold. A similar competition is going on between our good and our bad qualities ; it is a rivalry between the wheat and the tares as to which shall get on top and smother the other. What is the true course to adopt whilst this struggle proceeds ? It is to concentrate ourselves on the corn.^
2. In dealing with domestic evil — that which we see and deplore in our immediate neighbourhood — the text must furnish guidance. The faults and follies of husband, wife, children, companions, servants, neighbours occasion frequent and sincere distress. How are these lapses to be effectually combated ? Not by good advice even, much less by scorn and contempt. Verbal censure and social penalty do not largely avail against the evils which trouble our environment ; the effectual remedy is unspeak- ably more costly. Our guilty neighbours must see in us the virtues they lack. Embodied excellence is to do the whole work of rebuking and charming, dispensing with eloquence, whether sacred or profane.
^ On the walls of a chamber of great beauty in the Alhambra this sentence is inscribed : " Look attentively at my elegance, and thou wilt reap the advantage of a commentary on decoration." The variety, loveliness, and harmony of the architecture of that chamber are themselves a commentary on decoration and render literary criticism and description superfluous. In like manner the fine character and blameless doing of the Christian are a commentary on nobleness, rendering argument and expostulation unnecessary. Offending neighbours see " how awful goodness is, and virtue in her shape how lovely," and words can add nothing to this incarnation of the true and beautiful.^
^ On his first entry upon the field of responsible life, he had formed a serious and solemn engagement with a friend — I sup- pose it was Hope-Scott — that each would devote himself to active service in some branch of religious work. He could not, without treason to his gifts, go forth like Selwyn or Patteson to Melanesia to convert the savages. He sought a missionary-field at home, and he found it among the unfortunate ministers to " the great sin of great cities." In these humane efforts at reclamation he persevered all through his life, fearless of misconstruction, fearless of the levity or baseness of men's tongues, regardless almost of the possible mischiefs to the public policies that depended on him.
^ W, L. Watkinson,
ROMANS XII. 21 337
Greville tells the story how in 1853 a man made an attempt one night to extort money from Mr. Gladstone, then in office as Chancellor of the Exchequer, by threats of exposure; and how he instantly gave the offender into custody, and met the case at the police office. Greville could not complete the story. The man was committed for trial. Mr. Gladstone directed his solicitors to see the accused was properly defended. He was convicted and sent to prison. By and by Mr. Gladstone inquired from the governor of the prison how the delinquent was conducting himself. The report being satisfactory, he next wrote to Lord Palmerston, then at the Home Office, asking that the prisoner should be let out. There was no worldly wisdom in it, we all know. But then, what are people Christians for ? ^
^ Nothing more entices charity than to be first in the exercise of it. Dost thou desire to be loved ? Love then.^
^ I have read a story of a certain Chinese Emperor, that he was informed that his enemies had raised an insurrection in one of his distant provinces. On hearing this he said to his officers, " Come, follow me, and we will quickly destroy them." He marched forward, and the rebels submitted upon his approach. All now thought that he would take his revenge, but were surprised to see the captives treated with mildness and humanity. " How," cried the first minister, " is this the manner in which you fulfil your promise? Your royal word was given that your enemies should be destroyed ; and, behold ! you have pardoned them all, and even caressed some of them." " I promised," replied the Emperor, " to destroy my enemies. I have fulfilled my word ; for see, they are enemies no longer; I have made friends of them." 3
^ There is a power for victory in the simple might of goodness. It was with this power that Dr. Arnold overcame lying at Eugby. " It is no use," they said, " telling a lie to the Doctor, he always believes you."
^ Old books teU us of a place in Arabia where roses grow so thickly that when the wind blows over them it gets so full of the sweet smells as to kill the lions in the desert beyond. Of course that is not true as a fact. There is no such place in Arabia. But it is true as a parable. You can kill lions with roses.*
^ Be good at the depths of you, and you will discover that those who surround you will be good even to the same depths.
* Morley, Life of Gladstone, iii. 419. * Augustine, De Catech. Evd.
8 F. H. Robarts. * J. M. Gibbon.