e
may also discern a real link between the thoughts in the
consideration that we owe even to our enemies the exhibition of a
life which a prejudiced hostility will be forced to recognise as
good. The third of these exhortations prescribes unmoved persistence
in friendly regard to all men.

Dealing then, in this sermon only, with the second and third of these
precepts, and postponing the consideration of the first to the
following discourse, we have here the counsel that

I. Hostility is to be met with a holy and beautiful life.

The Authorised Version inadequately translates the significant word
in this exhortation by 'honest.' The Apostle is not simply enjoining
honesty in our modern, narrow sense of the word, which limits it to
the rendering to every man his own. It is a remarkable thing that
'honest,' like many other words expressing various types of goodness,
has steadily narrowed in signification, and it is very characteristic
of England that probity as to money and material goods should be its
main meaning. Here the word is used in the full breadth of its
ancient use, and is equivalent to that which is fair with the moral
beauty of goodness.

A Christian man then is bound to live a life which all men will
acknowledge to be good. In that precept is implied the recognition of
even bad men's notions of morality as correct. The Gospel is not a
new system of ethics, though in some points it brings old virtues
into new prominence, and alters their perspective. It is further
implied that the world's standard of what Christians ought to be may
be roughly taken as a true one. Christian men would learn a great
deal about themselves, and might in many respects heighten their
ideal, if they would try to satisfy the expectations of the most
degraded among them as to what they ought to be. The worst of men has
a rude sense of duty which tops the attainments of the best.
Christian people ought to seek for the good opinion of those around
them. They are not to take that opinion as the motive for their
conduct, nor should they do good in order to be praised or admired
for it; but they are to 'adorn the doctrine,' and to let their light
shine that men seeing their good may be led to think more loftily of
its source, and so to 'glorify their Father which is in heaven.' That
is one way of preaching the Gospel. The world knows goodness when it
sees it, though it often hates it, and has no better ground for its
dislike of a man t