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of the use of intoxicating liquors, but it applies to a great many other things beside. It will go far toward settling many ques tions that are puzzling Christians as to’ whether they shall do this or that. It is not merely a question as to whether the, thing is wrong in itself, or whether we will hurt ourselves in doing it. There is a further question—Will anyone else be injured, made to stumble, by our doing it? If they will, it is good not to do it, no matter how innocent and how harmless to ourselves it may be. Does not that settle the moderate drink question, the tobacco question, the dance question, the card playing question, the movie question, and a thousand other questions? Wednesday, August 29 . Rom. 14 : 22 , 23 . ' It is all right to have a faith that enables us to see that many of the things which men dre scrupulous about are perfectly allowable in their place, but we should have the faith to our own personal comfort before God. Happy indeed is the man who “judgeth not himself in that which he approveth.” But if a man does that about which not only others condemn him, but. about which even his own conscience has doubts, then he is condemned indeed. “Whatever is not of faith is sin” : "this is a broad and searching definition of sin. You may keep saying to yourself, “I don’t believe this thing is wrong, a great many good people do it,” but if you still have doubts in your own' mind about it, if you are not absolutely clear that it is the will of God, then it is sin in you. When in any doubt as to whether any action will please God, don’t do it, Thursday, August 30 . Rom. 15 : 1 - 6 . What a wealth of meaning and sugges tion there is in the first verse of this chap ter, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not' to please ourselves.” Otir strength is not given us that we may glory over our weaker brethern, or lord it over them. It is given us that we may serve them. The
question for a true believer in Christ is never, what would it please me to do, but, what would it help, my brother for me to . do. Not self-pleasing, but pleasing others is the law of Christian living. And what we should aim at in our pleasing others should not be to gain their good will for ourselves, that would be but selfishness; but their highest good, “unto edifying.” If we seek to please men in order to gain their favor for ourselves, we will not please God (Gal. 1:10). If ever anyone had a right to please himself it was Jesus Christ, but “even Christ pleased not Himself.” How inexcusable then it is for us to please ourselves. I From this time on then, let us say good-by to our own pleasure. It was God’s pleasure above all that Christ sought, “the reproaches of them that reproached” God fell on Him. Paul proves this by quoting from the Old Testament, from one of the Messianic Psalms (Ps. 69:9). Hav ing cited the Psalm in proof of his point, Paul goes on to say that “whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning.” There are many who say that here is not much in the Old Testa ment that is for us, but Paul says that "whatsoever was written aforetime” was for our learning. We do well then to drink often and deep at this fountain of learning, the Old Testament. Three things that we greatly need we will obtain through the study of that which was written afore time—“patience, comfort, hope.” A very suggestive name for God is used in the fifth verse, “the God of patience and of comfort.” (cf. 2 Cor. 1:3). In using this tender name of God, Paul has still the unity of believers in view, he prays that this “God of patience and of comfort” would grant them to be of the “same mind one with another.”^ Comfort and unity in Christ belong together in Paul's way of thinking (cf. Phil. 2:1,2). Friday, August 31 . Rom. 15 : 7 - 12 . Paul is here bringing to a close his own wise and tender appeal ) and counsel about the unhappy divisions in the church at
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