SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT. RECEIVING ONE ANOTHER. ROM. XV. 7. Receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. THE latter part of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans is among the most valuable portions of the New Testament. It deserves to be read and re-read till we have it by heart. For there we have the very essence of Christianity. There is enforced, with convincing earnestness, the great principle of mutual forbearance: the doctrine that the strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please themselves. There we are shown that what we all ought most to follow, most to aim at in all our intercourse, are things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. It is from this part of the great Epistle that my text is taken. And, before I apply it to our own wants, I will shortly state its connection with the Apostle's argu ment. There were among the Christians at Rome two parties; a Jewish and a Gentile party. The former converted Jews, the latter brought into Christ's Church from among the heathen. The Jewish Christians were zealous observers of the Mosaic law of its ceremonial as well as its moral precepts. They had been brought up in it from infancy, and could not easily see any portion of it set aside. Dear to them were its stated feasts, and solemn days of meeting. They observed, as their fathers had before them, the new moons and the sabbaths. They were careful not to eat of any forbidden meats: especially they held in abhorrence meat that, before it was exposed for sale, had been offered in sacrifice to an idol. But the Gentile party, who had no attachment to the law from early education, cared for none of these things. To them one day was as good as another; and all meats were alike acceptable and good for food. Thus differing in many points of daily use and habit, it was not to be wondered that the Jewish and Gentile Christians came to live very unharmoniously together. The Jewish party were offended at the license in which their Gentile brethren indulged-at their neglect of the Sabbath-at their free use of meats. These in turn mocked at the scruples of the Jews, and would not bear to be restrained in what they considered their lawful liberty. Hence the bond of peace was broken, and much strife and division, much hard judgment and unchristian bitterness, shewed itself in the Church: shewed itself among men who acknowledged one common Master, and who had all been baptized into the one body of Christ! Greatly did such conduct grieve the Apostle. He sought to bring about a change in it by an earnest appeal to mutual forbearance on both sides. They were not, he said, to condemn one another for things indifferent. They were not to despise one another, or judge one another. They were to respect the consciences of their brethren. They were to give up something of their liberty rather than by using it to the full, be a stumbling-block, or occasion to fall in their brother's way. Many things were lawful which were not expedient. What in itself was innocent and allowable, ceased to be so when done with offence. It was wrong to make a stand, at the risk of division, for matters of minor moment. There were great objects for all to pursue together. Let them look at these and they would be more tolerant. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. He that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men. So did St. Paul seek to heal the religious animosities that had appeared among his brethren at Rome. And do we not, as we read his words, find them wonderfully applicable to ourselves at the present day? Do they not seem to have been written, as it were, expressly for our learning? For what is this state of the Church nowthe state of the Church, not at Rome, but among ourselves here in England? Surely we are far enough removed from Godly union and concord. Surely there are too many divisions among us; too much calling of hard names; too much judging, too much despising of one another; too much intolerance; too little consideration; too great readiness to give and take offence! In stead of receiving one another, as Christ received us to the glory of God, we too often exclude-shut our hearts against one another. Instead of battling together against sin and wickedness, we are found-and what a spectacle is it for our real enemies to witness-drawn up in hostile ranks, party against party, watching for an opportunity of attack, spying out some weak point in the opposite side against which to shoot an arrow; provoking one another; misrepresenting one another, thinking and speaking evil of one another! I do not say this with any reference to religious divisions on this immediate spot. Happily there are none: happily on such points we are at peace amongst ourselves. But I speak of the aspect of the Church at large. We cannot now take up a newspaper and not read of strifes among Christians; strife for the most part about little things; about things which in no wise affect our salvation-the which, if we do them, we are not the better, if we leave them alone, we are not the worse-which done or left undone, cannot advance or retard a man a single step in the path of true religion and virtue. Grievous indeed is it that such divisions should exist. But a remedy for them is at hand; if we would but apply it—and that lies in an honest study and carrying out of the wise counsel which is given us by St. Paul, in these last chapters of his Epistle to the Romans. There For there we are shown a more excellent way. we are taught to bear, and to forbear. There we are shown that not the carrying out of our own views-when no principle is involved-but rather laying them down at the wish of others, is the true way to serve Christ and advance His kingdom. There we read such noble words as these, None of us liveth to himself; Why dost thou set at nought thy brother; if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of. Let us follow things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not Himself. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ received us to the glory of God. Surely, with such wisdom to guide us, there might, there ought to be, peace in the Church! Surely we greatly err when we put zeal before love. Much more do we err when we spend our zeal upon that which profiteth not: when we strive about the lesser things; waste our strength in a vain attempt to bring all men to think as we do about the mint, and anise, and cummin, while the greater matters are laid aside as things that may wait-judgment, mercy, and faith! But, to bring the subject more duly home to ourselves, toleration, mutual forbearance, and courteous conciliatory bearing towards opponents, the pleasing every one his neighbour for his good, these are things needed under all circumstances, and not only in matters of religion. For it is not only in religion that men differ. We are divided by natural temper, from different bringing up, from difference in occupation and condition. There is too great a gulf between class and class; not enough common interest, not enough kindly intercourse; we do |