give him tact and discernment; he will care for his wife, nourish and cherish her, "even as the Lord the Church" (Eph. v. 29). 2. .Arising from their mutwl hope of heaven. Husband and wife are fellow-heirs of the grace of life; each mll8t honour the other._ 'l'here is no true love which is not founded in mutual respect, and that respect will be truest and deepest when each regards the other as a Christian soul, lh·ing in the faith of Christ, looking for the blessed hope of eternal life with God. Then husbands and wives love one another best when they love God first of all. "That love which is cemented by youth and beauty, when these moulder and decay, as soon they do, fades too. That is somewhat purer, ond so more lasting, which holds in a natural or moral harmony of minds; yet these likewise may alter and chanue by some great accident. But the most refined, most spiritual, and most indissoluble, is that which is knit with the highest and purest spirit. .And the ignorance or dis- regard of this is the great cause of so much bitterness, or so little true sweetness, in the life of most married persons; because God is left out, because they meet not as one in him" (Leighton). 3. Danger of neglecting these duties. Their prayers would be hindered. The apostle takes it for granted that the Christian man and wife live in constant prayer. The heirs of the grace of life must pray; they must hold frequent converse with him who gives that life, on whom all their hopes depend. He takes it for granted that they know something of the sweetness and blessedness of prayer. Knowing this, as they do, they must be very jealous of anything that can make their prayers less accept- able, less earnest. 'l'hen let them live together in holy love. Jars and bickerings disquiet the soul, disturb its communion with God, put it out of harmony with the spirit of prayer. They cannot pray aright who sin against the law of love. God bath made husband and wife one by holy matrimony. They must not allow misunderstand- ings and jealousies to put them asunder even for a season, lest they sin not only against one another, but also against God, and so their prayers should be hindered, and be unable to reach the throne of grace. LEsso:Ks. 1. Let Christian wives remember their promise of obedience. If their husbands are not living in the faith of Christ, let them try to win them by holy ex.ample and the quiet strength of gentleness. 2. Let them study simplicity in dress and ornament, seeking to adorn their souls rather than their bodies. 3. Let them be followers of holy matrons, not of the gay and thoughtless. 4. Let Christian husbands be tender and loving. 5. Let husband and wife live together in the fear of God _and in constant prayer.
Vers. 8-17.-General exhortatwns. L THE GREAT DUTY OF CHRISTIAN LOVE. 1. .Among the brethren. "This one verse" (eighth), Leighton says, "bath a cluster of five Christian graces or virtues. 'l'hat which is in the middle, as the stalk or root of tho rest, love; and the others growing out of it, two on each side-unanimity and sym- pathy on the one, and pity and courtesy (or humility) on the other." (1) "Be ye_ all of one mind." Christians should be united, they should mind the same thmg. Divisions, St. Paul says; mean that we are still carnal (2 Cor. iii. 4): "While one saith, I am of Paul, and another, I am of A polloe; are ye not carnal?" 'fhe Church would still be one, one body in Christ, if all her members were spiritual, if very many had not grieved or even quenched the Spirit by pride and unbelief and many forms of sin. The Christian must long and pray for that unity for which the blessed Lord prayed in his great high-priestly prayer. And the best means for promo~ing that un~t:y is that each individual Christian should strive to Jive in the fellowsh1p of the Spmt. 'l'he more that one Spirit fills all the members of the Church, the nearer will they be drawn to one another and to the one Lord who is the Head of the body which is the Church, (2) "Have c~mpassion one of another." The Church should bo one, not only _in thought and doctrine, but also in feeling; there should be a true sympathy among 1te mem uers. They should be able to rejoice with them that do rejoice, rmcl weep with them that weep. We should rejoice in the comforts and happiness of others, but espeeially in their spiritual advancement, in the lustre of their graces: envy and jealousy rcud the body of Christ and destroy individual souls. We should weep for the misfortU.Des and distresses of others, and especially, like the psalmist, "because men keep not thy Law." We should feel a keen and lively sympathy with the Church as a whole: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." We should rejoice in its triumphs, and OH. 111. 1-22.] THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 141