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11 Honest industry is a noble christian virtue.

12 When our heart is filled with hope of heaven, it is marvellous how much earthly sorrow it can bear up against.

necessity of saints; given to

14 You remember that such was the command of Jesus; and such was his practice. He prayed pardon even for his murderers.

MAY 14, SEPT. 12. wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; distributing to the hospitality. 14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. 15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. wise in your own conceits. evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath : for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink : for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

15 Christian sympathy was beautifully exemplified, when Jesus wept with the sisters of Lazarus.

Be not

Recompense to no man evil for

18 It is not possible thus to live with all men-but we are to strive so to live, to the utmost of our power: compromise our duty to God or to taking heed however that we do not

man.

20 As coals of fire heaped upon the cold hard iron, warm and soften it, so kind forbearance melteth the hard

and flinty heart.

God grant to thee grace to practise the duties, which thus lie upon thee individually! Strive manfully-Thou shalt triumph gloriously.

CHAPTER XIII,

JAN. 15, MAY 14, SEPT. 12. THE QUEEN'S ACCESSION.

From recommending personal duties, St. Paul proceeds to lay down those incumbent upon us as members of society.

'LET every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power,

1 Government is an ordinance of

God; therefore every soul-Jew and
Gentile, rich and poor is bound
to obey the laws of his country,
and conform to its institutions *.
2 To resist legal authority is to re-
sist God, not man.

resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall

receive to themselves dam

nation. For rulers are not

No good man fears the law, but rejoices in its protection +.

5 How surely does the Gospel elevate our view of duty, and exalt our motive in performing it ‡ !

a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For this cause pay ye tribute ters, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; ho

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also: for they are God's minis

7 Hence Christians willingly pay tribute, or taxes. They remember that their Master, Christ, worked a miracle that He might pay tribute. And shall we resist! Are we greater or wiser than He §?

* Without laws, and those duly authorized to administer them, society could not exist in peace. The wild passions of men, unrestrained, would fill the world with misery. God, though always King of kings and Lord of lords, the Ruler of princes, and the great moral Governor of the world, once deigned himself to be his people's King; thus for ever sanctifying a sovereign's honour among men.

+ Legislators are indirectly, but powerfully reminded that all their legislation should tend to sustain virtue, and "give praise" and encouragement to" them who do good." The Apostle very skilfully so frames his admonition to those who are to obey the laws, as to convey instruetion to those also who are, from their high station, ordained to frame them. A worldly man may, from fear of consequences, abstain from injustice. The Christian rises far above such fear. He abstains, for conscience sake, towards God.

§ Mark the beautiful order of duty towards our superiors. To the sovereign we pay tribute. On the coin of the realm is the royal "image and superscription." (Matth. xxii. 20.) To the civil magistrate we pay fear; and "to all our betters," that reverence which is due, according to their scale of honour, and their "state of life to which it may have pleased God to call them." It is evil for a nation, when the inferior ranks cast off what honour is due to their superiors, and strive to cure their discontent at their own state by withholding due respect from those whom the providence of God may have placed above them,

8 Christian love is a debt which we must be ever paying, yet must ever owe; remembering the heavenly precept," to love our neighbour as ourselves."

nour to whom honour. Owe
no man any thing, but to love
one another: for he that
loveth another hath fulfilled
the law. For this, Thou shalt
not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal,
Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and
if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended
in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy-
self. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love

is the fulfilling of the law.
"1 And that, knowing the time,
that now it is high time to
awake out of sleep for now
is our salvation nearer than
when we believed.
12 The
night is far spent, the day is
at hand let us therefore cast
off the works of darkness, and
light. 13 Let us walk ho-
nestly, as in the day; not in
rioting and drunkenness, not
in chambering and wanton-
ness, not in strife and envy-
ing. 14 But put ye on the
Lord Jesus Christ, and make
not provision for the flesh, to
fulfil the lusts thereof.

11 In sin, men's souls are asleep; unconscious of their danger and their duties: nay, of their very existence. Would men sin, if they felt that they had a soul which sin would destroy for ever?

12 Eternity is at hand! Practise those divine virtues which are as armour to thy soul.

let us put on the armour of 13 In the privacy of retirement, walk holily, as in the light of God's presence; and in society, peaceably and lovingly. Hate ency: it is as rottenness to the bones; a base and debasing vice-hateful-loathsome. 14 Imitate or put on the Lord Jesus Christ; strive, humbly but patiently, so to heed his blessed counsel, that it shall be evident you are of his faithful followers.

CHAPTER XIV.

JAN. 16, MAY 15, SEPT. 13.

1HIM that is weak in the faith 1 In matters of indifference, dispute receive ye, but not to doubt

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not.

ful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth 3 Exercise mutual forbearance toherbs. Let not him that wards each other's infirmities. eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. 4 Who art thou that judgest 4 Neither Jew nor Gentile must another man's servant ? to judge each other hastily.

his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike.

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Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the 10 This thought may well check a dead and living. 10 But why harsh judgment upon others. dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us 12 Reckon now, how will stand thine shall give account of himself account then. to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17 for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, 18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is

7 No man knoweth the influence which his example, either for good or for evil, may have upon others; and as after death cometh the judg ment, so we live and die also unto the Lord.

9 We therefore owe to him a boly life such He justly demands as the Lord of life.

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15 Do not willingly throw an obstacle in the way of a weak brother's faith-Jesus died for him-lest your Christian liberty, which is itself good, should be evil spoken of, as causing offence or hindrance in the way of others.

17 True religion consists, not in those legal distinctions of meats, but in the practice of virtue and holiness.

18 Men cannot help honouring vir tue, even though they do not practise it.

19 You cannot more surely prove a Christian heart than by always acting in a peaceful spirit.

evil for that man who eateth with offence.

It is good neither

to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy

22 If you think all meats may be

eaten, eat with a clear conscience before God.

Happy is he that condemneth not him

brother stumbleth, or is of-
fended, or is made weak.
22 Hast thou faith? have it
to thyself before God.
self in that thing which he
alloweth. 23 And he that
doubteth is damned if he eat,
because he eateth not of faith:
is sin.

23 Where the conscience is not convinced, there it would be wrong to eat of all meats indifferently.

for whatsoever is not of faith

It is a good rule, in matters not imperatively commanded, to abstain from doing that, of the propriety of which your mind doubts.

CHAPTER XV.

JAN. 17, MAY 16, SEPT. 14.

A worthy motive to please our neighbour, viz. the hope of advancing his spiritual good *.

1 WE then that are strong 1 Gentile converts should bear with ought to bear the infirmities the weak prejudices of their Jewish of the weak, and not to please brethren. ourselves. 2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is

• Let Jew and Gentile worship with one accord-one mind, one heart, one spirit.

7 Christ received in love both Jew and Gentile. Surely they should themselves esteem each other in love. 8 Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the circumcision; that is, of the Jews.

By edification is meant the building up. As a holy temple is edified, or built, so the soul is edified, or built up a holy temple to the Lord. To induce our neighbour to accept our aid in this his holy work, is a truly laudable motive for pleasing Him.

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