(5) Caste c/istiiidioiis. — ' It was the hereditary disability the Aryans had succeeded in imposing
CHAEACTER
CHARACTER
upon races they despispd, wlucli, reacting within their own circle and si iin:jtli.iiia 1 .y tlie very in- tolerance that gave it lniih, li;( . iHune such bitter fruit through so many ,, 1111111. s' (Kliys Davids, Hibbert Lectures). 'A \\uikslH.ii is inrompatiblH with anything noble' (Cicero). .Icsus kejit the same way open to all without ri'^:ird In socinl (ir religious status ; did not reject tiit- rich (Mt S' 'J""-, Lk 7»8), but conuUM tlioiv wc.allli a diMidvunta-f (Mk 10=1--', Lk (;■'•. !!.■ (I.ns<. I lis ,-,„iip:niions from men who w.i,. m,. lly .il ii.> cbi.-s (Mk 1"' 2"), was knimn :i< thr tiiciid of pnl.lii-;nis and sinners (Mtil", i,k I.V^). .■md tliri'W ;i\vay ilis own triumph tu .J,i^.■ Z;irr!i;rus :i, m.iral chance, 'foras- much as lu- also is a s.m of Abraham ' (Lk 19'-'").
(6) Ffiiiiihf n.i,tni/. — "i\> every individual,' says Sir Henry jilaine, referring to the lioman civiliza- tion, ' the rule of conduct is the law of his home, of which his parent is the legislator.' Though Jesus maintained the sanctity of the marriage tie (Mt lO*''), anil illustrated as well as taught filial obedience and honour (Lk 2'', Jn 19*- =', Mk 7""-), He broke the tlecisive control of the family f<n- the sake of the individual personality (Mt lO^^"" 1248-60^ Lk O™-''- 11-'---, Mlc Id-s-s").
2. In the scn.iid i.l.uc, Clirist enlarged the re- sources and opinirtunilK^s of personality, by mak- ing the soul cons<ious and conliilent of a new environment, in which it could liiid rclcnsi' and reinforcement. The secret uf (his siiirilual cu- vironment which awakens and suslains tin- sniils faculties of faith, hope, and love is graic, in w liii h alone they can move and have their being. 'I'Ue essential fact of grace is illustrated in the (eaih- ing of Christ chiefly in the following <lo<'tiincs — the Divine FaUierlMjod, the Divine L'orgiveness, the Divine Indwellim^, and tlie Divine lieappear- ing. AH that was dim or distorted in the human views of these tint lis, A\liicli mean so much to personality and character, He rectified and made authoritative.
(1) The clear revelation of the Divine Fatherhood had this immense bearing on character, that it brought out the worth of the individual soul. It is not necessary here to argue the question whether we are really God's sons, apart from faitli in Clirist. It is enough for the purpose that Christ undoubt- edly used the truth of the Divine Fallierlio<id .as the chief motive to the new ethic. The liisl and most important efleet on character is tli.il IIk- stailing- point is trii^it. Trust in (Jud is illu.straled in contentment with circumstances, courage in regard to human opposition. Whatever be the straitness of life and however menacing the future, there may well be trust in One wlio cares for (lie individual with more than the ],nr|iose and solieilndeof an earthly father iMl (i^ 7", l.l; I-! ■"■ - "1. .\nd as for hostility, it is well woilli standing lirm for truth and rigiiteousness, tor thus tlie approval of the Father is gained (Mt 5"- '- IG'-^"-', Lk 12^"-, Jn lo-"' 16'''). The natural vehicle of such trust is prayer, which Jesus Himself used for the solution of His perplexities and the bearing of His burdens (Lk 10=', Mk 14-ete.),and«hi.h the diM-ipl, s wen. also to use freely and uruentlv (Lk 1 1 ■ ' ■ Is').
This leads to the second ciiaracteristie of a life that acts on the teaching of tlie Divine Fathi>rhooJ --its religion will be in .spirit and truth (Jn 4-^). Prayer is no mere performance, but secret and real (Mt 6''-'*), in faith (Mk ll---'), with a softened heart (Mk ll'-^'), ami h«ddng for the highest things (Jn 15'" 16=«). Ki li,L;ion is not a matter of external or traditional e..ni|inl,-inn. hut rests upon a gospel of Divine Iom. (Mt II • j:;', .In I)-"- «).
taneon-, and Miir.-re lil.e ,|ii|,| |„,.kI i M !. lo' ■'■■■-14»
Mt IS^'-^-l, and the fniit ol leal Lloulil i.lll 15»).
The euiisumuuaiou uf life is to he so sauetilicd by
ei','en'y'(ML hood is tl charity. '1 Rule,' whit drawn froi
ruth as to enjoy tJod as Christ the Son Him-
d I he Ik ,1 ling of the Divine Fatherhood on our iciiis lo our fellows produces a. wise tolerance. Iisri|i|, , of Christ are to imitate the character ini wlio 'niaketh his sun to rise on the evil the ijnod, and sendeth rain on the just and on ,' and refuse to treat any man as an ,V ■ '■ ). In.leed, the truth of the Father- e ,^reat inspiraliiiii to kindness and 'he p.isiti\e i-haracter of the 'Golden h is Us Christian disl inet ion,_is directly 11 the ways of the 'Father in heaven' (Mt ?"• '"), and the blessedness of peacemakers is in being called sons of Ciod (Mt 5'). The parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk lO-^-^') illustrates in particular what the parable of the Great Assize (Mt 2u^'"'"') sets forth with ideal completeness, that there is no real love to Ciod which is not ex- pressed in spontaneous and appropriate help to every human being that requires it. Thus in the teaching of Christ went forth 'an edict of Uni- versal Love'; 'humanity was changed from a restraint to a motive (Ecce Jlomo, cli. 10).' And that this was the secret of the Christian message, is indicated in the parting c(hii mission, '*'■•• ye and make disciples of all the nations, ba[itiziiig them into the name of the Father and of the Sun and of the Holy Ghost' (Mt28''').