working death to me through that which is good '— what was the real intention? 'that through the Commandment sin might become exceeding sinful.' But the sin so identified itself with his very being, that there seemed to be a double Ego in his soul. 'For that which works out from me '—the actual result of the inner self of evil-'I do not recognise as mine. For not what I would, that do I practise; but what I hate, that I do.' He tries to disentangle his better from his worse self. 'So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me.' Yet the sin is done; the lower self, though disowned, asserts itself; it is too inseparably bound up with his fleshhood to be repudiated. For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me, but to work out that which is good is not. For the good which I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I practise.' He is under a terrible 'law.' 'I find the law, that, to me who would do good, evil is present.' It seems wrought, like an evil destiny, into his inmost parts. It holds him in helpless captivity. It is like a great nightmare of oppression ; like some evil vampire, that would suck the lifeblood of his soul. 'Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me out of the hold of this Body of Death?'

There is a pause in the conflict. Indeed, it seems ended. No more can be done; the fighting cannot last longer; all strength is spent. May we read into this interval a vision suggested by that great Galatians saying at which we have already glanced? When the Apostle falls into the first person, as in the 7th of Romans and elsewhere, he is giving us glimpses of his own heart, telling us something of his own experience.

In his exhaustion of failure at Damascus, does he see again those three crosses? does he feel once more that such is indeed his fitting place-the cross of condemnation? As he thinks, however, of the confessing malefactor-of his contrition, of his late-found faith, of the message that sent him smiling into Paradise-a new meaning seems to come into that co-partnership of the Cross. It is not all condemnation; it could never be real condemnation for the Righteous One; it ceased to be condemnation for the robber, the murderer, when Jesus had spoken the absolving word. What a partnership! It was the robber's privilege. May it not be the privilege of every contrite sinner? He starts; he springs to his feet; he has made the great discovery! Xpur Evveσтaúρwpaι. Just two words, that cannot be reproduced in their marvellous compression of meaning. I have been co-crucified with Christ!' For me was the condemnation; mine is the contrition of faith; for me is the Conquest of Love! My Liberator speaks. He looses me from my captivity. He finds me at my worst; He reveals His best; He comes like new life into my death! It is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me. The life that I now live-in the flesh (not of the flesh)—I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, who gave Himself for me.' Now he again exclaims, not despairingly, but triumphantly, the conflict all ended (Rom. vii. 25): 'Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!' Such was the Conversion of the Apostle Paul.

V

THE TESTIMONY OF THE EPISTLES OF PAUL

We have ascertained, by a sufficiently wide induction, the distinguishing principles of the Ethic of Christianity, presented, with unbroken consistency, though with variations which only make their essential unity the more impressive, by the writings which represent contemporaneous Christianity, and confirmed in the experience, thus far, of the Apostle. Redeeming grace, universal in its range, but individual in its application, on God's part, with living faith, individually appropriating the grace, on man's part, effects that great renewal of man's nature, which results in the new life of love and service. So do the Gospels teach; such is the teaching of the early history of the church; and so do those other witnesses testify, whose general epistles we have studied. The redeeming grace of God had come to Paul very vividly, in Christ the Crucified, Christ the Glorified. By Christ he had been captured-arrested, as he tells his Philippians afterwards-laid hold of suddenly, when he was on his way to lay hold of others; he had been made a prisoner, when he was going to put others into prison. But, in that imprisonment at Damascus, he became a prisoner of hope. In the darkness there shone a great light. From his spiritual vision, as well as from his bodily eyes, the scales were at last fallen, and he saw

his Captor as his Saviour, whose death was his life. He laid hold of the Cross, and it lifted him into the heavenly places. He became free, and glad, and strong. The Love of Christ, a holy fire, set his own heart aflame, and thenceforth he lived for Christlived for Christ, by living for those whom Christ loved, for whom also Christ died.

The same vital factors of Ethical Christianity we shall find, not only everywhere present, but everywhere prominent, in the future testimony of the Epistles of Paul.

I. THE EPISTLES TO THE THESSALONIANS

These were probably the first epistles that came from the Apostle's pen. They were written to the Christian converts of that city which was associated with the illustrious memories of Alexander and Aristotle. We may find echoes of those memoriesof empire and of philosophy-in these messages from Paul to the new company of converts. Some of them were Jews; of 'devout Greeks' there was‘a great multitude,' including, ' of the chief women, not a few (Acts xvii. 4)—all believers in the one reconciling name of Jesus, whom Paul had proclaimed as the Christ. His indirect allusions to the history and literature, which gave prestige to that region, would not be lost on such readers.

1. The First Epistle.

'Grace' meets us at the outset, a grace that brings peace.' God the Father's election' of them, His universal love laying hold of each separate soul with its holy persuasion, had been welcomed by their

faith, a faith which showed its fruitful vitality in love. The method had been the testimony of the Gospel, with the concurrent witness of the Spirit, resulting in 'much assurance,' and in a power that wrought impossibilities. Their joy of the Holy Spirit' constrained them to holy ambition for the spiritual empire of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that the same powerful 'Word' sounded forth from them to the people' in every place,' whither, from that strategic centre, they could convey the quickening message of grace and faith.

Again and again the Apostle repeats the word Gospel,' as he goes on to remind them of the significance of their recent conversion to the faith (ii. 1–13). Like all Greeks, they were always ready for some new thing.' They had joyfully received the good news of Salvation. The' Word' was a word surpassing far any word of man, any teaching of the most honoured of their philosophers. The kingdom and glory' into which they were called, and which they now sought to extend, was far more glorious than earth's proudest empire. Alexander, Aristotle—those names were great ; but they now bore the impress, they showed the insignia, of a greater name. Yes, the word of the message' was not 'as the word of men'; it was, 'in truth, the word of God.'

'Faith and Love' (iii. 6)—that is the formula of Paul's philosophy for these Greek converts. That this may never be to them a barren formula, he will pray the Lord to make them 'increase and abound in love toward one another, and toward all men' (iii. 9-13). A love with so holy an inspiration will itself be holy, and their ambition must be for a holiness so