elly shall flow rivers of living water. This spake He of the
Spirit which they that believe or Him should receive.'

THE TRIUMPHAL PROCESSION

'Thanks be unto God, which always leadeth us in triumph
in Christ and maketh manifest through us the savour of
His knowledge in every place.'--2 COR. ii. 14 (R.V.)

I suppose most of us have some knowledge of what a Roman Triumph was,
and can picture to ourselves the long procession, the victorious
general in his chariot with its white horses, the laurelled soldiers,
the sullen captives, with suppressed hate flashing in their sunken
eyes, the wreathing clouds of incense that went up into the blue sky,
and the shouting multitude of spectators. That is the picture in the
Apostle's mind here. The Revised Version correctly alters the
translation into 'Thanks unto God which always _leadeth us in_
triumph in Christ.'

Paul thinks of himself and of his coadjutors in Christian work as
being conquered captives, made to follow their Conqueror and to swell
His triumph. He is thankful to be so overcome. What was deepest
degradation is to him supreme honour. Curses in many a strange tongue
would break from the lips of the prisoners who had to follow the
general's victorious chariot. But from Paul's lips comes
irrepressible praise; he joins in the shout of acclamation to the
Conqueror.

And then he passes on to another of the parts of the ceremonial. As
the wreathing incense appealed at once to two senses, and was visible
in its curling clouds of smoke, and likewise fragrant to the
nostrils, so says Paul, with a singular combination of expression,
'He maketh _manifest_,' that is visible, the _savour_ of
His knowledge. From a heart kindled by the flame of the divine love
there will go up the odour of a holy life visible and fragrant, sweet
and fair.

And thus all Christians, and not Christian workers only in the
narrower sense of the word, who may be doing evangelistic work, have
set before them in these great words the very ideal and secret of
their lives.

There are three things here, on each of which I touch as belonging to
the true notion of a Christian life--the conquered captive; that
captive partaking in the triumph of his Conqueror; and the conquered
captive led as a trophy and a witness to the Conqueror's power. These
three things, I think, explain the Apostle's thoughts here. Let me
deal with them now.

I. First then, let us look at that thought of all Chr