(Continued from p. 111.)
Having briefly examined the word "love" (agape), and the various connections in which it is found, we come now to one which gives character to God's love:Hagios, hagiazo, "holy, to sanctify." True love, divine love, is holy. God never sacrifices His holiness for His love. Indeed, love would cease to be truly perfect did it dim in the least the bright shining forth of that holiness. With us, alas ! it is different:love means too often the sacrifice of right principles, of faithful testimony ; it means allowing sin to be unreproved in our brother, looseness in all the relationships of life-the home, the place of business, the assembly. But this is not true love ; it is weakness. The careful examination of the word now before us will show that there is no such element of weakness in that love we have been dwelling upon. The cross, the greatest exhibition of love, is at the same time the full manifestation of God's holiness. He loved the world, and gave His Son:He was holy-that blessed One must die.

The name "saints" (hagioi) is given to His people to show what they are in Christ, and in God's mind,-what, therefore, He would have them carry out in the life :(chap. 5:3) " Let it not be named among you, as becometh saints." This is the Scripture-thought of sainthood, so contrary to all man's thought on the subject. Man says he must act in a certain way in order to be a saint; God says we should act thus because we are saints. What a beautiful name to be known by-"saints"-"sanctified ones"-"holy people"! So God looks upon us and speaks of us. "They envied Aaron, the saint of the Lord." (Ps. 106:16.) Looking at Aaron's personal life, there would not seem to be much ground for him to lay claim to sainthood. He made the golden calf, and taught the people to worship it. This at the beginning of his career. He, with Miriam, envied Moses during that career; and to close it, he had the melancholy record of anger at the waters of Meribah, shutting him as well as Moses out of the land of Canaan. Yet, failing at the beginning, middle, and end of his life, Aaron is a saint- God set him apart for Himself. The importance of the word in the epistle is seen from its frequent use- chaps, 1:i, 15, 18; 2:19; 3:8, 18; 4:12; 6:18. His people are clothed in clean raiment in His sight, let it be practically so. If this is true individually, it follows necessarily that it applies collectively. So the temple is a holy one, formed of such living stones. This work of building, as well as of sealing (the individual work), is by the Holy Spirit (chaps, 1:13; 4:30). So, looking on to the end, where God's glory will be fully manifested, holiness is "there too (chaps, 1:4; 5:26, 27). Linked with these are the kindred words "without spot" (aspilos), or "wrinkle" (nitis), and "blameless" (amomos). How blessed to know that this was God's purpose for us when He chose us in Christ,-that this purpose will be perfectly accomplished. By grace we have been freed from the guilt of sin, another having borne it; through grace we can walk free from the power of sin by reckoning ourselves to be dead to it and alive to God in Christ Jesus ; but do not our hearts yearn for that time when we shall be freed from the presence of sin, when holiness will describe our character both positively and negatively !

Chap. 4:24-Hosiotes-" holiness of truth " shows the character of this holiness, that it is no mere negative absence of evil, but according to and produced by the truth. This is most important. What is called devotion, even prayerfulness, is not necessarily holiness of truth. These may be merely the exercise of human will; but the truth is what sanctifies, and by the truth all professed sanctity must be tested.

"Hence we find the word "truth" (aletheia) prominently used. In chap. 1:13, it is that which begins the work, which lies at the foundation-"the word of the truth of the gospel." "Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth." (Jas. 1:18.) Then as to the pattern of the walk, the truth as it is in Jesus (His spotless, true life down here,) is the guide. The result of learning effectually the truth as it is in Jesus will lead to truth in our life (chap. 4:25). The fruit of the Spirit (chap. 5:9) is in truth, and that which is to gird us for warfare is truth,-God's Word encircling my life, not applied here and there as it may suit, but the loins -the inner man-"the loins of the mind" girded with sober truth-the whole truth of God. " The truth in love" (chap. 4:15) gives us what we have been dwelling upon, not these two separated so as to conflict, but each acting with and through the other. Similar words follow:phos, "light;" photizo, "to enlighten." In chap. 5:8 it is used both to show the standing and walk of the saint, contrasted with his former condition of darkness (skotos) and walk (chap. 5:ii), when the works were "unfruitful works of darkness." This light is what we are in the Lord ; as we noticed before of the word "saints," we are to walk in a manner corresponding to what we are-" walk as children of light." It is this which links us with the day which will soon dawn ; even now we should be as lights in a dark place, reproving and manifesting the darkness by the light. Should any have closed the eyes, how arousing the call, "Awake, thou that sleepest! and arise from among the dead, and Christ shall give thee light"! Soon we will have nothing but light within and about us; let us have it now shining undimmed upon us and from us.

Thus from these two classes of words examined we get at that which gives character to the whole epistle -Love, Holiness, God is light, God is love. In this book we have Him thus presented. God is manifested in it. Light and love too are what should be found in us, hence the frequent use of these words in that connection.

It is interesting to notice that in the epistle to the Galatians we have not the word "holiness" at all. The contents give the reason. The saints were under law, and the law never produces holiness. The Spirit of God occupies those saints with their low state, and so there is little room for either love or holiness to be mentioned. How different in Ephesians! God's thoughts, not our perversion of them, are before us ; hence, as a natural consequence, love and holiness flow forth.