crush self by the
power and for the sake of the Christ, if you would that the Spirit
should bear rule over you.

See to it, too, that you use what you have of that Divine Spirit. 'To
him that hath shall be given.' What is the use of more water being sent
down the mill lade, if the water that does come in it all runs away at
the bottom, and none of it goes over the wheel? Use the power you have,
and power will come to the faithful steward of what he possesses. He
that is faithful in a little shall get much to be faithful over. Ask and
use, and the ancient thanksgiving may still come from your lips. 'In the
day when I cried, Thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with
strength in my soul.'

THE INDWELLING CHRIST

'That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; ye being rooted and
grounded in love.'--Eph. iii. 17.

We have here the second step of the great staircase by which Paul's
fervent desires for his Ephesian friends climbed towards that wonderful
summit of his prayers--which is ever approached, never reached,--'that
ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.'

Two remarks of an expository character will prepare the way for the
lessons of these verses. The first is as to the relation of this clause
to the preceding. It might appear at first sight to be simply parallel
with the former, expressing substantially the same ideas under a
somewhat different aspect. The operation of the strength-giving Spirit
in the inner man might very naturally be supposed to be equivalent to
the dwelling of Christ in our hearts by faith. So many commentators do,
in fact, take it; but I think that the two ideas may be distinguished,
and that we are to see in the words of our text, as I have said, the
second step in this prayer, which is in some sense a result of the
'strengthening with might by the Spirit in the inner man.' I need not
enter in detail into the reasons for taking this view of the connection
of the clause, which is obviously in accordance with the climbing-up
structure of the whole verse. It is enough to point it out as the basis
of my further remarks.

And now the second observation with which I will trouble you, before I
come to deal with the thoughts of the verse, is as to the connection of
the last words of it. You may observe that in reading the words of my
text I omitted the 'that' which stands in the centre of the verse. I did
so because the words, 'Ye being rooted and grounded in love,