THE TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER

TRINITY

Collect. Lord, we beseech Thee to keep Thy household the Church in continual godliness; that through Thy protection it may be free from all adversities, and devoutly given to serve Thee in good works, to the glory of Thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Epistle. Phil. i. 3.

Gospel. St. Matt. xviii. 21.

The Sunday of the Household, the Church, which desires to serve God devoutly. How closely we draw near to each other to-day, in drawing near to Him, the Head of our Household; in realizing the glory of service-first to Him, then to those that are His. Not two forms of service, but one; "forasmuch as ye did it unto the least of these, My brethren, ye did it unto Me."

The hero of the Epistle, too, comes before us in a vivid ray of the central glory. He writes to those beloved Philippians "being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it unto the end; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defense of the Gospel ye are partakers of my grace"-that grace

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of suffering for Christ's sake. How this privilege of suffering is wrought, like a golden thread, throughout the whole Epistle! Nothing cements hearts like communion in effort where effort is painful. Grief always draws us nearer each other than joy; but no grief draws human souls like the higher pain of self-sacrifice for the sake of the Household of God. Afar we contemplate the heights of soul reached by St. Paul, St. Bernard, St. Peter, or St. Anselm. But in spite of our feebler life we may hold communion with them, and count our small, infinitesimal sacrifices for the good of our fellows "all joy," as we devoutly serve God in good works; for we are of one Church, of one Household.

That communion of Saints gives something to the soul which we cannot receive from the companionship of those about us. Intercourse with our generation may brighten our minds, may strengthen our principles; but the inner springs of life are fed in solitude, through monitions from the unseen. Like "Retreats," always used by the saints, our quiet moments alone relieve the strain of our mechanical age, as Carlyle called it.

Nevertheless our own age is the one in which we must work, and in which we must find our life -even life eternal. So we ask the practical question, "What is the badge by which in this life the Household are marked?" Our Lord answers in the Gospel : by forgiving love. "Until seventy times seven." Forget as well as forgive. "Shouldst thou not also have had compassion

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on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?"

"Write your injuries in water, your benefits on marble."

This is continual Godlikeness; this is fellowship in the Gospel.

THE TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER

TRINITY

Collect. O God, our refuge and strength, who art the author of all godliness; be ready, we beseech Thee, to hear the devout prayers of Thy Church; and grant that those things which we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Epistle. Phil. iii. 17.

Gospel. St. Matt. xxii. 15.

Our heavenly citizenship is contrasted to-day with the claims of earthly things. Our "conversation," that amid which we live, are intimate, conversant or familiar with, is raised to heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

St. Paul says of those among us who "mind earthly things" that they glory in that which should be their shame. Whoso places his all in Cæsar's coffer is sure to fall into poverty. No natural need of the bodily life but deteriorates the soul if made an end in itself. The need of food can become the craving of the gluttonous, the refreshment of sleep can become a snare of indolence, leading to general negligence. The body, which needs to be transformed by the renewing of the mind, tends to degradation whenever its demands are made all-absorbing.

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Our Lord helps to get us out of any tangle of the mind, or sophistry we may be tempted into when difficult questions come up in our lives, concerning what is due the present hour, and what we owe to eternal considerations.

There is very little danger that we will not give our tribute to Cæsar. The amenities of life will not be discarded by us. Very few really wish to be eccentric, and violate the due requirements of Cæsar; though they may be lazy and not care to meet them. Cæsar gives his rewards promptly to those who serve him, as we all know and can

see.

Our God calls us
Since as yet we

But there is another service. to that, and Him we cannot see. only know Him by faith, by faith alone we enter into the world of His requirements. That high and noble faculty of the soul atrophies by disuse. It works in an unseen world and we have to strive to enter that gate. We have to be kind to the ungrateful, and the disagreeable; we have to give, hoping for nothing again; the coat often has to go, and sometimes we attain to letting our cloak go also! "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, My brethren, ye have done it unto Me."

This it is to pay tribute, or what is due unto God. For Jesus has given us our ideal, 66 that ye may be like your Father in heaven."