ch, 'and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing,' that 'nothing' is exactly what I shall get from God, and if I
have need of everything, and know that I have, that 'everything' is what
I shall get from Him. 'He resisteth the proud, and He giveth grace to
the humble.' On the high barren mountain-tops the dew and the rain slide
off and find their way down to the lowly valleys, where they run as
fertilising rivers. And the man that is humble and of a contrite heart,
'with that man will I dwell, saith the Lord.' If we gird ourselves with
the slave's dress of humility, then we shall one day have to say, 'My
soul shall rejoice in the Lord, for He hath clothed me with the garments
of salvation; and He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness; as
a bridegroom decketh himself with his ornaments, and as a bride adorneth
herself with her jewels.'

SYLVANUS

'By Sylvanus, our faithful brother, as I account him, I have
written unto you briefly.'--1 Peter v. 12 (R.V).

I adopt the Revised Version because, in one or two small points, it
brings out more clearly the Apostle's meaning. This Sylvanus is, beyond
all reasonable doubt, the same man who is known to us in the Acts of the
Apostles by the name of Silas. A double name was very common amongst
Jews, whose avocations brought them into close connection with Gentiles.
You will find other instances of it amongst the Apostles: in _Paul_
himself, whose Hebrew name was _Saul_; _Simon_ and _Peter_; and probably
in _Bartholomew_ and _Nathanael_. And there is no reasonable doubt that
a careful examination of the various places in which Silas and Sylvanus
are mentioned shows that they were borne by one person.

Now let me put together the little that we know about this man, because
it will help us to some lessons. He was one of the chief men in the
church at Jerusalem when the dispute arose about the necessity for
circumcision for the Gentile Christians. He was despatched to Antioch
with the message of peace and good feeling which the church at Jerusalem
wisely sent forth to heal the strife. He remained in Antioch, although
his co-deputy went back to Jerusalem; and the attraction of Paul--the
great mass of that star--drew this lesser light into becoming a
satellite, moving round the greater orb. So, when the unfortunate
quarrel broke out between Paul and Barnabas, and the latter went sulkily
away by himself with his dear John Mark, without his brethren's
b