shoot forth and fill the face of the world with fruit. The branches of the vine are the only means by which it can display its richness, its blossoms, or its clusters. "I am the Vine, ye are the branches."

This, then, is practical Christianity—the tree of life putting forth His fulness in His branches, and the branches bearing "fruit," "more fruit,” “much fruit." It is the Head communicating to and exercising its members. It is a living communion with Christ, founded on union with Him by His Spirit; and all the descendings of God to us, and consequent ascendings from us to God, are in this way begun, continued, and perfected.

His command is, "Be ye filled with the Spirit;" not as a breath in Me, but an atmosphere which I breathe, -no stint or limit. Hear now this direction, "Walk in the Spirit;" it is very practical. I confess a flood of light has fallen on my soul in meditating on it. You may observe the expression occurs twice in this chapter (ver. 16, 25).

Many precious matters present themselves to the mind on the subject; but evidently there is one thought pre-eminent in the apostle's mind. He is urging the exercise of brotherly love among the members of Christ -this he calls walking in the Spirit; and deprecating the evils which hinder it, these he calls "the works of the flesh." Observe his argument in the context (see ver. 13, 15). "By love serve one another." "But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed," etc. say then, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh." In ver. 19 he enumerates them— some more gross,- -as adultery and murder, etc., and some more subtle, as variance, emulation, wrath, and

This I

strife. It is evident these evils are noted and condemned in special reference to their interfering with the exercise of brotherly love-as also the graces of the Spirit which follow (ver. 22) are extolled in special reference to their tendency to promote and foster it. And again, at the 25th and 26th verses, "walk in the Spirit" is repeated, as being in fact a definition of the foregoing direction, as well as the best means for securing the love he is inculcating. A reference to the parallel passage (Rom. xiii. 8-18) throws further light on this point. Love is here said to be a debt never fully discharged. The hindrances are enumerated (ver. 9), and further exhortation follows in chapters xiv. and xv., all bearing on the exercise of brotherly love. Finally, see Eph. iv. and 5. Here we have three expressions similar to "walk in the Spirit," viz., "walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called " (chap. iv. 1), "walk in love" (ver. 2), and "walk as children of light" (ver. 8). Any slight attention to the contents of these passages will convince you that brotherly love among the members of Christ is the one theme he is urging. This is the fulfilling of all these directions, and the great rule of spiritual walking. Most wonderful and divine are the reasons by which they are enforced.

Alas! it is easy to enumerate matters which hinder our walk in the Spirit. I will confine myself to a few.

1. When we allow the lesser things in which we differ to outweigh the greater and more glorious things in which we agree, we do not walk in the Spirit.

2. When we frame our system, and break communion with those children of God who cannot see with us, we are not walking in the Spirit. We should have

learned by this time that it is by means of particular truths in God's Word, in which for the most part all believers agree, the Holy Spirit converts and comforts souls; never by systems.

I repeat it. No sinner was ever saved, or ever will be, by any of our systems; and yet how we wrangle about them. We read a solemn word (Prov. xiii. 10), “Only by pride cometh contention." This is not to walk in the Spirit.

3. Again, when we are tempted to entertain an overweening opinion of our own judgment and understanding, so as to despise or reject our weaker brethren, this is not to walk in the Spirit. It is written, “Receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God" (Rom xv. 7); that is, in spite of all our weaknesses, infirmities, ignorances, and deficiencies.

4. Again, when we separate from each other, from vain disputings about the law.

5. Again, when we apply human measures to gospel truths, and condemn all who differ, judging the consciences of our brethren; this is not to walk in the Spirit. There is much talk about brotherly love and peace and walking in the Spirit in our day; but the real meaning too often is, "Just take my view of things, and give up your own."

This want of walking in the love of the Spirit is at once the shame, the weakness, and the sin of the Church of Christ. In early days, when the first love of her espousal was in exercise, the Church of the Redeemer. was as one; and they that believed were together—were of one mind, "and had all things common." "In lowliness of mind" each esteemed "other better" than

himself; they were "kindly-affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another"; they bore each other's "burdens," and so fulfilled "the law of Christ." (Gal. vi. 2.)

Then her power in the Spirit was irresistible. The kingdom of darkness trembled and was afraid, and the Church of God "looked forth as the morning, fair as the moon, and terrible as an army with banners." Alas! where is now the blessedness of which we speak? "Whereas there are contentions and divisions amongst us, are we not carnal, and walk as men?" (1 Cor. iii. 3.) We are commanded to walk in the Spirit, and we “walk as men."

My brethren in the Lord, "if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit"; let us rise to a sense of our high and holy calling. We "are the temple of the living God"; living stones cemented together to be "an habitation of God through the Spirit." One ministering High Priest above, one altar, one sacrifice, one light, one laver, one glory resting upon the house. Oh, let there be no want of union in our worship, no discordant note in our praise.

Remember what is written in 2 Chron. v. 13. The house of the Lord was finished, the gold of Ophir, the gems of many a mine were gathered together there; and great stones, hewn stones, and costly, were built, with boards of cedar; the sacrifices were offered, the incense was burning, and the cherubims were spreading their wings over the ark in the holy place; but the glory was not yet. "And it came to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, . .

then the house was filled with the cloud, . . . so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God."

We have in the New Testament an antitype to this in the spiritual temple (see Acts ii. 1). There was the gathering (ver. 5), but it was when "they were all with one accord in one place," "suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting . . . and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

We are witnesses for Christ in the world that rejected Him-His only representatives here. Have we forgotten how much our union and mutual love lay on the dying thoughts of Jesus; and how He connected them, as a means, with the reception of the gospel in the world? Notable is His prayer (John xvii. 21), "That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me." The world judges Christ and Christianity by those who profess them. Are we manifesting "that God sent Christ to be the Saviour of the world?"

And, lastly, we are one body in Christ, "members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones." (Eph. v. 30.) Every member of that body has fellowship with all the others, and with the Head. Every blessing, as it descends, is common to all; every gift for the use of all; every trial for the discipline of all, that there might be no schism in the body. And the head cannot say to the foot, "I have no need of you." (1 Cor. xii. 21.) Come, then, O