soul bas its meaner powers, He earthly passions, its self-regarding interests. There are times when the spiritual life is dull and feeble ; then some sudden t.emptation, or even without that the depressing atmosphere of the world, will reveal to a. man his worse side. II. THE TWO BELVEB ARE IN CONFLICT. They are not content to lie at peace each in its own domain. Both are ambitious to rule the whole man. While tbe flesh brooks o.ny restraint, the Spirit strives to bring the body into subjection. Thus it comes to pass that life is a warfare and the Christian a soldier. The battle of life is not mainly a fighting against adverse circumstances and external concrete evils of the world. "A man's foes are they of his own household," nay, of his own heart. The great conflict is internal. It is civil war-rebellion and the effort to quell it; of all wars the most fierce. Ill THE CONFLIOT BETWEEN THE TWO SELVES IS SUOH THAT EACH IS HELD IN OHEOK BY THE OTHER. "Ye cannot do the things that ye would." There is a dead- lock. Each army holds itself ssfe in its own entrenchments. Neither can tum the enemy's position. Not that there is perfect balance of power. In most of us one or other force gives a temporary advantage. In many the lower self has the upper hand; in many, let us thank God, the better self maintains the supremacy. But neither has the victory that will enable it to drive the other off the field. Bad men, now and again, see yawning before them deep, black pits of wickedness, from the brink of which they start back in horror, arrested by the invisible hand of conscience. No man is wholly bad, or he would cease to be a man-he would be a devil. On the otber hand, it is clear to all of us that no good man is wholly good. I l IN THE STRENGTH OF THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST THE BETTER SELF OF THE CHRIS• TIAN WILL ULTIMATELY OBTAIN COMPLETE VICTORY. The stress and strain of the war is but for a time. In the end all enemies shall be subdued. Meanwhile the secret of success is with those who "walk by the Spirit." So great a hope should lighten " the burden of the mystery." "The heavy and the weary weight Of all this unintelligible world." Now life is broken, confused, inconsistent, discordant. But this is but the time of passing conflict. With victory there will come true harmony of being and growth to the full stature of the soul.-W. F. A. Vers. 22, 23.-77ie fruit of the Spirit. I. THE GRACES OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE . GROW OUT OF THE INDWELLING OF THE SPmIT OF Goo. Neither of the two rival theories of Greek philosophers-that virtue comes by practice and that it is taught by instruction-would commend itself to St. Paul. Nor would ho agree with Plato that it arises in the intuitive recollection of innate ideas, nor with Aristotle that it is the result of habits. Neither would he permit the modern separation of religion from morals. Morals need the inspiration of religion. Religion when truly alive must control conduct. The first great essential is for our spirit to be possessed by the Spirit of Christ through faith in him. Then Christian graces will appear as fruits of the Spirit. We must begin within. We cannot produce fruits by manipulating the outside of a dead stump. Life is the one essential, and from life within grows fruit without. Only internal spiritual life can produce external Christian graces. II. NEVERTHELESS, THE CHRISTIAN GRAOES NEED TO BE DIRECTLY CULTIVATED. Although the tree produces the fruit from its own life, the branches must be pruned and trained and the fruit sheltered from cold and protected from vermin and wild birds. It is not enough to think only of the inmost sources of a holy life. We must watch the course of it and guide it aright throughout. Christian ethic is an important branch of religious instruction, and is not to be ignored as unimportant because it is only service- able in subordination to the cultivation of the inner spiritual life. III. THE CHRISTIAN GRAOES BA VE SPECIAL OHARACTERISTIOS OF THEIR OWN. Such a list as is here given by St. Paul has a character of its own. Some of its constituent parts might be found in a heathen moralist; perhaps o.11 of them; for there is a common conscience in all mankind. But the selection as a whole and the form and character of it are foreign to the atmosphere of paganism. The one significant fact about it is that 29, THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. [dJI. VI, 1-18,
it is a poi·trait of (Jh.rilft. Cnristian.ityis '()uttin~ on Ohrlst. He is our great Exenhilar. Our true lifo is walking in his footsteps. In particular note: 1. Attention is directed to •i11.ter11al pri,zciples rathor than to external rnles of conduct. St. Paul oared little for casuistry. 2. Emphasis is laid on the gentler graces. Pagan ethics treat chiefly of masculine virtues. Christian ethics add what are commonly called .the feminine. Yet there is nothing unmanly in the gentleness of true nobility of character .thus revealed. 8. Ohai-ity and its fruits receive the principal place in the list, IV. THE PARTICULAR GRACES IN THE LIST GIVEN BY ST. PAUL ARE WORTHY OJI' SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. 1. Three graces of general, disposition: (1) •love, the root of all joy; (2) the special joy of self-sacrificing love; and (3) peace, attained later, but more constant when attained. 2. 'l'hree graces in our conduct with others: (1) passive long-suffering; (2) kindness, which wishes well to others ; and (3) beneficence, which.does it. 3. Three more general graces: (1) fidelity, not made unnecessary by general kinci- ness; (2) meekness when opposed by the evil in other men; (3) self,.control in· keeping. under the evil in ourselves. "Against such," says St. l'aul, with a. touch of humour, •• there is no Law."-W. F. A. •