t.ian spirit beoomes in presence of the severe competition going on nround lt, whon It la 1.1e11n exerting itself to honour others rather than to honour itself I It la this solf- effacement which the world cannot understitnd. II. LIFE IN EARNEST. (Vers. 11-13.) Now, when a Christian declines honour, and seeks to put the better man thereinto, it is not that he may shirk work. For, oe a matter of fact, hard work and honour are not inse~rably aseooiated in this world. Hence t.be Christian can show his "zeal for the Lord' while setting no store by honour for it. The ne:i.:t element, therefore, in the Christian life and spirit is earnestness. As Luther puts it, "In regard to ze.al, be not lazy." The Christian will show o zealous spirit in all legitimate lines of effort.1 His life will be intense. And to maintain it in intensity, it will require to be " fervent in spirit," and in all "serving the Lord." The serving of the opportunity, as in some ancient manuscripts, is not so likely, nor so emphatic, as "serving the Lord ; " for the Christian ia one who has learned to serve God in everything-to "do everything as unto the Lord, and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord be shall receive the reward of the inheritance as be serves the Lord Christ" (Col iii. 23, 24). Moreover, with this fervent, faithful spirit there will come a buoy- ancy and hopefulness which is most important in all Christian work; a patience too in tribulation ; a prayerfulness at all times; a liberality towards the saints ; a hospitality &owvds all men. The Christian keeps " open house" because he is open-hearted. Noll", if such an earnestness were infused into all Christian living, society would soon be regenerated. Ill. LIFE lliGNANDlous A!."D snt:PATBETIO. (Vers. 14--16.) Jesus set the great e:i.ample of magnanimity. He blessed his persecutors; he prayed for his murderers; he converted some of them at Pentecost. Hence, if we would carry out his spirit, we must bless them that persecute us; we mw;t meet the weak spirit which descends to intolerance and persecution with the one weapon of blessing. The Christian martyrs have crushed the opposition to the gospel by blessing their persecutors. But we must show sympathy as well as magnanimity, prepared to congratulate those in joy, to weep along with those in tears. Sympathy adds largely to the experience and benefit of life.2 And this sympathy is to be genuine all round; we are to be "of the same mind one towards another." We are not to be selecting for our sympathy those in good positions, but we are to "condea;cend to men of low estate." This is, indeed, the luxury of the Christian Bpirit to be able to take men up in a low condition, and treat them as God has treated us. We are also to avoid being " wise in our own conceits." In this way the Christian will exhibit large-heartedness ; there will be nothing emall or petty about his movements ; he 1l"ill be the noble brother-man in his little sphere that Christ has been and is in the wide sphere of the Church. IV. LIFE LOVINGLY AGGBEBSIVE. (Vers. 17-21.) We pass, lastly, to love encounter- ing opposition, yet triumphing over it. And first we are not to take the law into our own hand and recompense evil for evil Now, the world cannot well understand this Christian spirit. It can appreciate better " the blow for blow " which characterized the early ages. "Thomas Paine, in reference to our Lord's injunction to turn the other cheek to the smit.er, charges Christianity with the 'spirit of a spaniel,' asserting that it destroys proper self-respect, and renders man indifferent to insult and affront" (see Shedd, in Zoe.). But when the Christian is charged to" provide things honest in the sight of all men," the meaning being " things honourable " (Revised Version), then it couples with forbearance true Christian dignity.• In strict accordance with this Chris- tian dignity is to be our living peaceably with all men, if possible. It may be necessary by Christian testimony sometimes to provoke and exasperate worldlinge; but, at the same time pugnacity will be seen not to belong to the Christian spirit. And as for vengeance: let us leave all that with ~od. He will do justly at last. Meanw~le it is our prerogative to feed and give drink to an enemy; and by every means m our power to heap coalB of fire on his head. The onl,r vengean~ allowed in _the code of love is to kill our enemy with kindness. A.a the kmg was directed by Elisha to feed 1 See Dr. Js.mea Hamilton'• 'LfJe ID Earna!!t,' Worka, voL L pp. 1-98; &lao Barrow'1 '8ermoW1,' vol i p. 47!1, etc. • • Boo Butler'• aermOWI on 'Comi-wo.' ba.tio<l on var. UI. • &, Jr10'L1"y'1 relllll,fkable aarlllOD, "Our Duty to Eqnalil," in J.wi • UnivenitJ Sermons,' 2Dd edit., p. 1!13, et,c. mt. :xm.1-14.] THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO TRE ROMANS. 889
the Byrlcm Bold.Jere and send them home in pea.ce, and BB they ea.me not in that genera- tion into Palestine again, BO we are to avenge ouraelvea by kindness.1 The ap0stle leaves us here in the last verse with the great principle in the aggressive Christian life. Evil can only be overcome by good. We are not to be exa11perated by the enemy i. we are to turn the tables on him by love. And hae not this been God's own plan "f Is not his government and administration to overcome evil by good? Even "everlast- ing punishment" will be covered by the principle of good. May we entertain and praotise the 0hrietian spirit in all our intercourse with men 1-R. H. E.