ortance {54} to him,
the Apostle of the Gentiles, that he should gain full recognition among
these Christians at Rome, the centre of the Gentile world. We observe
then in this introduction what a gentleman, if I may say so, in the
very deepest sense of the term, St. Paul shows himself to be. He
speaks indeed with an admirable mixture of tact and candour. We can
hardly conceive any better address in a delicate situation than this
address of St. Paul with which he makes his approach to the Roman
Christians.

He begins with what is pleasant for them to hear, namely, that the
report of their faith throughout all the world is a good one. 'I thank
my God through Jesus Christ for you all that your faith is proclaimed
throughout the whole world.' Then he goes on to add, as is usual in
his introductions, that he continually prays for them. It was a remark
of General Gordon's that it makes a great difference in our feeling
towards a stranger if before we meet him we have prayed for him. And
we may with equal truth say that it makes a great difference in the
feelings of others towards us if they have reason to believe that we
have prayed for them. St. Paul therefore gives himself this advantage.
He says, 'God is my witness, whom I worship in my {55} spirit in the
gospel of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my
prayers.' Then he goes on to tell them that he not only prays for
their welfare, but prays that he may have the advantage of seeing them
face to face and knowing them. And here he puts his desire to see them
on the true ground. He wants to visit them because he has something of
the utmost value to give them--that he may 'impart unto them some
spiritual gift.'

Whatever may be the exact nature of the 'spiritual gift' St. Paul is
thinking of, it is clearly something for which his bodily presence is
necessary. There is some divine power which he as an apostle can
communicate to them only when he comes among them. In this sense he
means that 'when he comes to them he will come in the fulness of the
blessing of Christ[1].' He implies that the Roman Christians needed
him and must wait for him to supply their deficiencies. But we observe
that with beautiful tact he at once balances this assertion of a divine
power entrusted to him for their good, by representing his own need of
them. He does not speak _de haut en bas_ as if he had everything to
give and nothing to receive. {56} No: as the pe