devil's power in the world, the Christian soldier may yet do his duty, and if he die at his post may not fear of losing his eternal

reward.

Of the judicial power and capital punishment it is hardly necessary to speak here except that as God's instrument the magistrate and the judge bear not the sword in vain. Roman xiii. 4.

We are then forbidden by the sixth commandment:

I. To use personal violence, to nourish revenge, hatred, malice, and uncharitableness. In a word, all sins against charity are here condemned.

S. Matt. xv. 19; S. Mark vii. 21-23; S. Luke iii. 14; Eph. iv. 26, 31-32.

II. And while it is a calamity and a curse, yet it may be justifiable and no breach of the command.

S. Luke iii. 14; 2 Tim. ii. 4.

And we are enjoined to practise the opposite virtues of meekness, gentleness, forbearance, and returning of good for evil. This, doubtless, is the most difficult of all duties, inasmuch as it contradicts the impulse of the natural man; but for that reason alone, if not for a host of other reasons, we are called upon to see how it is the adornment of saints. S. Paul can make no greater appeal than to the meekness and gentleness of Christ, and it is Christ who

bids us learn of Him, who is meek and lowly of heart, for so shall we find rest for our souls, and that the meek shall inherit the earth. It is He who, in His own Divine Person, hath set us an example how to practice this great virtue, and how to quench the fiery darts of the wicked. So meek, so gentle was He, that, led as a lamb to the slaughter, He was dumb, He opened not His mouth. The rude, coarse, and brutal soldiery, the poor craven-hearted Pilate marvelled that though they spared not their insults, He answered not a word. He who thus, and ever through His troubled life, endured the contradiction of sinners against Himself, bids us "learn of Him." Learn of Thee, O Blessed One, who willed to be bound as a slave "in order to give us new proof of Thy love. Thou hast willed to suffer this unworthy treatment to give us an admirable example of gentleness, and to fulfil that prophecy of Isaiah, He was sacrificed, and because He willed it.'" Bernard.

S.

66 in

"If thou art despised," says Pinart, sulted, or wronged, take heed that thon give not way to anger, but follow the precept of the apostle, and recompense to no man evil for evil. Carefully avoid every sort of contest and dispute; and in order to do this, defer readily to the opinion of others, and do not contradict them. Sacri

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fice thy tastes, inclinations, and pleasures, rather than be obliged to contend with thy neighbour. If duty and charity should sometimes oblige thee to contradict others, let it be always with the greatest discretion. Be ever ready to forgive those who aggrieve thee, and show to them a countenance cheer. ful, open, and smiling."

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Eph. iv. 31-32.

CHAPTER VIII.

COMMANDMENT VII.

"Thou shalt not commit adultery." The master-thought of this command, which is God's protection against human selfishness, of the purity and chastity of the Christian home, is the holiness of the Body. We are temples of the Holy Ghost. A temple is a building consecrated to the service of the Most High, filled with holy things, and devoted to a holy purpose; to use it for common objects is to profane it, and to dishonour Him whose abode it is. So with the Human Body. Christ hath

purchased this great gift, the gift of holiness, which is not of ourselves, but which cometh from and belongeth to Him. We will come unto Him, and make our abode with Him, "God the Holy Ghost dwells truly and really in the hearts of the faithful. He is their Life, He unites them to Christ, and is the source of all graces, comfort, life, and fire of love. "The world

cannot receive Him because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him; but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." And so He is to us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, for He dwelleth in us. And these gifts are summed up in the one gift, which is even God Himself, Love, God is Love, and He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in Him. So does S. Paul speak of the love of God being shed abroad in our hearts, not given to, but shed abroad in our hearts, as showing the profusion of it. That gift then, which is the greatest possible, He hath given; not heaven, and earth, and sea, but what is more precious than any of these, and hath rendered us angels from being men, yea, sons of God, and brethren of Christ. But what is this gift ? The Holy Spirit. He hath shed abroad the full fountain of His Blessings. So over and over again our position members of Christ," as baptized into one

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Body, and partaking of one spirit, as being one Body, and one Bread, as dwelling in Christ, and Christ in us, as having received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, as having the spirit of His son sent forth into our hearts, is spoken of; by all which expressions we know that one and the same truth is meant. We know that we are of God, that the spirit of God dwells in us, that Christ is in us, that the spirit of the Father is in us, and that being in Christ, in the spirit, we are the temple of God unless we be reprobate. A wondrous mystery of love and an awful truth.

66 Weigh well," says S. Gregory, "dearest brethren, what a dignity that is, to have in the dwelling-place of the heart the presence of God."

"Put off thy shoes from off thy feet," said God to Moses, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground."

What place must that be, how sacred, wherein is His very shrine, and where the Holy Trinity dwells through the spirit.

This, I repeat, is the master thought of he command; we are to consider the holiness of that body which is the Temple of God. We are to consider what it must be to defile that body, what a very misery sin must De when brought into the very Presence of God. For a soul washed in the Blood of Jesus to choose sin, to be impure, unchaste,