the attainment, in the Spirit, of the final unity, the unity of mankind in Christ, and in Christ with the universe, and with God.

Ch. iv. 11: And He gave some to bé apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

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In this list of the various ministries of the Church, Apostles, as we might expect, come first. They were first not only in importance, but in order of time. For a while the Apostles were the sole rulers, the sole pastors, the sole deacons of the flock. The fulness of their apostleship was such, that all the ministries which have since been exercised were stored up in them.

Next to Apostles come Prophets. As, I dare say you know, a prophet is not primarily one who foretells, but who forthtells, who speaks by the immediate impulse of the Holy Spirit. By Evangelists are meant, not evangelists in the stricter sense, as writers of the Gospel Story; but mission-preachers, who went from place to place delivering their message. Then come the ministries which are to consolidate, and build up the converts of the evangelists, pastors (i. e. shepherds) and teachers.

These ministries, the Apostle goes on to say, are the joints of the body by which it is fitly framed and knit together. Believers new born into this Body are to grow up into Christ, the Head, and thus, by the power of truth and the power of love, the Body grows, being built up in love.

As the coral island is built up by the toil of myriads of little insects, each working in its own

place, so by little ministries of love the fabric of the Church is enlarged and consolidated.

Ch. iv. 14: That we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine .... but speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him, which is the Head, even Christ; from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love.

In the passage which follows, S. Paul draws a contrast between the Gentile Christians and their still unbelieving countrymen; and between the new nature, the Christ-nature, which they had put on, and the old nature, the Adam-nature, in which the Gentiles still walked.

But you will notice that in doing this the Apostle is very careful to point out that the life which the Gentiles were living was not their proper life. The true light is in every man, though that light may be darkened: the life of God is in every man, though he be alienated from it. So S. Paul speaks of the heathen not as dark, but as darkened; not as aliens, but as alienated.

Also we should notice that S. Paul recognizes the possibility of Christians falling from their high calling, and walking as other Gentiles walked. Indeed, in very solemn words he warns them of their danger, and urges them to walk in newness of life.

Ch. iv. 17: This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart; who being past feeling gave themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

But ye did not so learn Christ; if so be that ye heard Him, and were taught in Him, even as truth is in Jesus: that ye put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the old man, which waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit; and that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, which after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.

In all the exhortations which follow, S. Paul assumes the great principles which he had before laid down.

He never forgets, and does not allow his readers to forget, that God is regenerating, and reconstituting humanity in Christ, according to that original purpose which He had purposed before the worlds, and that the true state of man is that which is revealed in Christ.

Thus, when he bids them to put away falsehood, it is on the ground that they are members one of another when he bids the thief to steal no more, it is on the ground that by honest labour he may be able to give to a needy brother: when he warns them against impurity of speech, it is on the ground that their speech should build up their brethren's faith: when he enforces the duty of forgiveness, it is on the ground that God in Christ had forgiven them.

Ch. iv. 25: Wherefore, putting away falsehood, speak ye truth each one with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need. Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in

whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you.

As this was probably a circular letter to the Churches of Proconsular Asia, there are no salutations. Tychicus the bearer of the letter would give all required information about the imprisoned Apostle.

The Epistle concludes as usual with a benediction.

Ch. vi. 23: Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in uncorruptness.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

THE PASTORAL EPISTLES.

THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY.

EARS and years before this Epistle was written, when S. Paul, in company with S. Barnabas, made his first missionary journey, they visited Lystra, a city of the wild and uncivilized country of Lycaonia.

It was a memorable visit. The two Apostles were first taken for gods, and were about to have divine honours paid to them.

A little after S. Paul was stoned, and left for dead.

As the little band of disciples whom they had gathered stood around him, S. Paul rose up and returned with them to the city. One of that little band of disciples was a young man named Timotheus, or Timothy. His father was a Greek, but both his mother and grandmother had been devout Jews, and were now faithful believers in Christ.

On his second missionary journey S. Paul revisited Lystra, and found that Timothy had not belied his early promise, but was well reported of, not only in his own town of Lystra, but in the neighbouring city of Iconium.

S. Paul was evidently strongly attracted to him, and regarded him with a special and fatherly affec