observed by all who would not "grieve the Holy Spirit ;"-" Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour." This is not repetition for the sake of emphasis merely. The two forms of the injunction present the duty in its full extent. By the first, all known, intentional falsehood,-every expression departing from the simplicity of truth, and intended to deceive, is prohibited. But, that we may not take low views of duty, as though we might equivocate and trifle with ambiguous speech, it is added, "Speak truth,”—let all that is spoken be true. The great point is to preserve that love of truth which will guard against all departures from it except in the case of unavoidable mistake. He who conscientiously loves the truth will not speak rashly, and at a venture. Where he has not certainty, he will be silent. It will not be enough that he has heard the matter stated by some one else. That other person may be in error,-may be influenced by misleading motives; he may thus say what is not true. We say after him. We do not invent the falsehood, but by repeating it we make it our own. Perhaps it suits our wishes, our prejudices, and we allow no pause for inquiry. If it were not necessary to speak, silence was our duty. If it were, caution in the statement is so, with the additional guard,— "I have only heard this, and cannot vouch for its truth." So opposed is the Divine Spirit to all lying, that falsehood through heedlessness must grieve Him, and bring guilt on our own conscience. He who indorses the falsehood of another, gives the force of his own character to its currency, and shares more largely in the original guilt than a relaxed moral system allows. It is not enough that you do not know it to be false: you ought to be persuaded of its truth on such rational grounds as the nature of the case admits. Carelessness on the subject of a strict adherence to the truth is one of those sins by which the Holy Spirit is grieved.

2. We pass by for the present the next two verses. They refer to what must be noticed under a subsequent portion of the paragraph. Verse 28. The Holy Spirit, we are here taught, is grieved by all sins against righteousness and equity, against the providential constitution and order of society, and against a compassionate beneficence. "Let him that stole steal no more." The words, in their principle, prohibit all dishonest appropriations of the property of others to our own use, under any and every form. By all the moralists of classical antiquity, theft was forbidden. Its injuriousness to society was too obvious for allowance. But their ethical systems were devoid of real authority: the prevailing views, therefore, were often lax even among legislators. At Sparta, dexterity and secrecy were valued above honesty; and the Lacedæmonian youth who could steal with such adroitness as baffled discovery, were lauded rather than punished. Besides, before the mass of the people, by whom all the fables of the popular creed were believed, there was the example of their deities, one of whom was, as is well known, characterized by his thieving propensities. Theft, therefore, had not the criminality which attended it among those to whom Sovereign Justice had said, "Thou shalt not

VOL. VI.-FOURTH SERIES.

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steal." But Gentile converts were to renounce all their former habits of thought, and to remember that they could not thus infringe the rules of equity without grieving that Holy Spirit who dwelt in them. And then, God's order among men in society-and the Spirit is God -is, that human need is to be supplied by human industry. Each is to contribute alike to his own welfare, and to the welfare of the whole, by a diligent attention to the duties of his calling. In nature the materials of supply and increasing prosperity are abundantly provided, and these are to be rendered available to man's use by man's labour and skill. Slothfulness is as absolutely forbidden by natural Providence as dishonesty. Slothfulness is dishonesty. The idle man would partake of the advantages of society without contributing his own share. All this is absolutely contrary to the Divine will; and he who makes religion an excuse for indolence sins against God, and grieves the Holy Spirit. The Christian, in submissive conformity to the providential will of God, must "labour, working with his hands." And even in this, as a Christian he has not the right of unlimited choice. Very expressive is the phrase, "Working with his hands the thing which is good." Providence calls no man to a vocation, whatsoever his position in society, high or low, the fulfilment of which involves what is plainly sinful. There were profits under the law no portion of which might be given to the treasury of religion. The service of the temple was not to be upheld by sin. Christian industry must be, in all its instruments and plans, holy industry. And in its end, too. It is not to be exercised to satisfy the cravings of a greedy avarice, or to gratify the desires of a carnal and worldly luxury. The claims of Christian prudence being met, those of Christian benevolence demand attention. In society there will be always "those who need;" and under both law and Gospel are the poor commended to the compassionate care of all who fear God, and desire faithfully to serve Him. Here, then, we see another way in which we may grieve the Spirit. We are industrious, but our industry is prompted by the love of the world under some or other of its forms. We are industrious, but we are not compassionate and beneficent.

3. Verse 29. The Spirit of God is eminently a Spirit of purity. It is therefore said, in close connexion with the exhortation not to grieve Him,—" Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth." A cheerful temper is a part of religion. It is the result of filial confidence, and holy joy, and "good hope through grace." But the cheerfulness of fallen nature often degenerates into levity and boisterous mirth; and under its influence the language becomes 'corrupt." Connected with education this may be more refined in its outward form, but is not less contrary to mental purity; and where the manners are low and vulgar it will be coarse and disgusting, corrupt in expression as well as in substance. All this is straitly forbidden. Not only are "fornication and uncleanness and covetousness (inspired Scripture associates them as being so many forms of carnal affection and unholy desire) prohibited as to their

practice, but they may not form topics for mirthful speech. There must be "neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient," which are utterly inconsistent, unsuitable. By indulgence in unholy speech the Spirit is grieved. The power of speech is one of the noblest endowments of man's composite nature. By physical and material instruments, mind may hold the loftiest intercourse with mind. By "corrupt communication" mind corrupts mind, and man becomes an adversary, a tempter, a devil, to man. It must be utterly renounced; and instead of it there must be "that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers." In conversation the substance must be "good," the tendency "edifying," the result "the ministration of grace to the hearers." It is not necessary that it be limited rigidly to religious subjects. The works of God in nature, the proceedings of God in providence, for instance, may supply matter which shall make conversation improving; and if these are rightly discussed,—discussed with the sanctified recollection of even a heathen maxim, and the perception and application of it in Christian light, "All things are full of Jove,"—not only shall mental improvement, but also spiritual profit, be secured. We fear that this is too often forgotten. "Corrupt communication," indeed, is avoided. But while the evil is not committed, the opposite good is neglected. The Apostle tells us not only what we are not to do, but, positively, what we are to do. Between these there is a wide gap which may be filled up in such a way that the Divine Spirit cannot be otherwise than grieved,might we say, deeply grieved? There may be idle speech, backbiting and calumnious speech, a levity and frothiness inconsistent with the seriousness of Christian feeling, and the solidity of Christian thought. Our conversation may be what is significantly termed "gossip," the characteristic of those who are "busy bodies in other men's matters." Many have suffered loss in their own souls from this cause, while their unwatchful heedlessness never suspects the reason. And yet, surely, it is not without meaning that this direction is so placed as to be, in a manner, introductory to the exhortation, (with which, indeed, it is immediately connected by the copulative conjunction,)" And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God."

4. Verses 31, 32. Finally, directions follow not only inexpressibly important in reference to the subject with which they are connected, but in reference to the true character of the religion of which they constitute an inseparable and integral portion. Look at the world at large: look at society on a more limited scale: nay, look at the church :-how much deplorable evil exists through the indulgence of the malevolent tempers!-How much of good would arise were the opposite dispositions faithfully cherished! It is often said that Christianity is a religion of love. In the love of God it originated. For the fulfilment of the purposes of love it is constructed and designed. Its tendencies are to produce love,unfeigned, unconquerable, universal love. We would speak with reverence; but God Himself never spake more paternally to man

than when He said,-"Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted." Imagine these tempers to dwell in all, to govern all, to manifest themselves in all. O what a world would this redeemed and sanctified world be! Man's intercourse with man would be but the development and result of his communion with God. Heaven, in all its essential principles, would come down to earth; and the richest predictions of inspired prophecy be realised in scenes more glorious than are even the glowing pictures given by the sacred bards when "rapt into future times." We could linger on the very words :-" Be kind, be tender-hearted!" Such was the Saviour. Man of sorrows as He was, and acquainted with griefs, sorrow and grief did not make Him gloomy, or austere, all gathered into Himself, regardless of others. He was kind and tender-hearted. Pitiful and benevolent, He went about doing good. Such was Christ. Such He would have His disciples to be. Even the obstinacy of infidelity would be subdued, did Christians walk among their fellow-men the living images of their Lord and Master. Is it possible that any Christian believer should check the progress of these tendencies towards their ultimate issue, without grieving the Holy Spirit of God?

What is it that is forbidden? It is difficult to describe the words, because they refer, for the most part, to primary feelings, and the most appropriate terms are already employed to denote them. Let the reader, with an honest mind, dwell on these words in which the Holy Ghost is Himself our Teacher, and "the mind of the Spirit" will be before him without concealment or shadow.

"All bitterness." The word expresses that fixed ill-will which regards its objects with such strong dislike that even to think of them disturbs the mind, and calls forth, if not in direct speech, yet in those mental conceptions which are generally clothed in words, some lowering, or contemptuous, or reproachful epithet. The very feeling is painful, and is aptly described by the term selected by the Apostle. The whole soul seems pervaded by a sensation of bitterness.

"And wrath, and anger,-with all malice." We connect the three together, as being chiefly forms of the same temper,-the same stream flowing in different channels. "Anger" is settled resentment and hostility. "Wrath" is anger in its more violent ebullitions. "Malice" is anger ever watchful for opportunities of making itself seen and felt.

"And clamour, and evil-speaking." These phrases refer to the temper as finding vent in language. "Clamour is loud, abusive speech, in which tone and words express that violence of passion which bursts forth in volcanic jets of malignity. "Evil-speaking," as distinguished from it, denotes a more uniform and constant flow. Whatever can be said against the objects of the cherished dislike, whenever an opportunity of saying it is found, or can be made, is said. Let us not deceive ourselves. 66 Evil-speaking" is "speaking evil." It is the employment of derogating and reproachful epithets. They may be false; they may be exaggerated; and thus there is the additional guilt of lying. But supposing them to be true? Even

then, if they are spoken without necessity, not with the conscientious design of performing the painful duty of exposing sin, or of guarding others against it, but with the malignant design of reproaching, of injuring character, or of gratifying enmity by inflicting pain ;even if what is said be true, even if the persons spoken against deserve it, the person thus speaking is guilty of the sin of evilspeaking, so repeatedly, so variously, so strongly and absolutely, condemned in Scripture.

Religion has We are to be

All these things are to be put away from us; taken up, and removed out of the way. It is a word very commonly used in the New Testament, expressing this complete separation.* If these sins are allowed to remain in us, utterly opposed as they are to the Divine character and will, we grieve the Holy Spirit. Nor is the removal to be such as leaves the heart cold and indifferent. nothing to do with an unsympathising insensibility. "kind one to another, and tender-hearted." Perhaps the first expression denotes the constant disposition. It is the warm and active love which takes pleasure in giving pleasure and doing good, which produces an evidently affectionate countenance and behaviour. Hypocrites can fawn upon you to gain their own ends. They who value themselves on their elevated position, and on the refinement of manners which they believe to be a fruit and evidence of it, are outwardly all courtesy and politeness. What the hypocrite disgustingly mimics, what the courtier and the gentleman sometimes coldly, always imperfectly, endeavour to show, -is with the Christian a characteristic of the new nature which he possesses as born of God and a new creature in Christ,-habitual kindness of feeling, countenance, speech, and behaviour. Not even in roughness will he indulge himself, unless he grossly misunderstands the mind and character of Christ-Charity doth not behave itself unseemly.

The second expression is more specific. We dwell in a world of sorrow and suffering and danger. We meet with none who may not be labouring under inward grief; fettered with difficulties from which they cannot extricate themselves, or oppressed by wants which they cannot supply. Their condition requires help, which sometimes we can, sometimes we cannot, afford. It calls for sympathy, which we can always grant. In relation to these stands the "tender-heartedness enjoined in the text. God's love to us is represented by a

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* Thus is Christ the "Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." -The High Priest feared the Romans would take away their place and nation. Satan takes away the seed scattered by the way-side. The husbandman takes away the fruitless branch. The Jews exclaimed, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him: "-and on another occasion, "Away with such a fellow from the earth; for it is not fit that he should live." As Christ "was manifested to take away our sin," so we should aim at a putting away as complete as the taking away for which our hopes rest on Him. In reference to the sins particularly pointed out in the text, with holy indignation and resolution we should say,—" Away with them! It is not fit that they should live!" The word occurs not fewer than a hundred times.