ow of the world, and which in medieval casuistry is
named acedia. 'Blessed are the meek' means that we are not
to assert ourselves unless it is our duty to do so. The true
Christian is a man who in his private capacity cannot be
provoked. On a general view of life, though not always in
particular cases, we must allow that we are not treated
worse than we deserve. The fourth Beatitude tells us that if
we want righteousness seriously, we can have it. The fifth
proclaims the reward of mercy, that is, compassion in
action. Pity which does nothing is only hypocrisy or
emotional self-indulgence. On the whole, we can determine
men's attitude to us by our attitude to them; the merciful
do obtain mercy. 'Purity of heart' means singleness of
purpose; but in the narrower sense of purity it is worth
while to say that those who profess to find it 'impossible'
to lead a pure life might overcome their fault if they would
try to be Christlike altogether, instead of struggling with
that one fault separately. 'Sincerum est nisi vas,
quodcunque infundis acescit.' On the seventh--there are many
kinds of false peace, which Christ came to break up; but
fierce, relentless competition is an offence in a Christian
nation. The last shows what our reward is likely to be in
this world, if we follow these counsels. Where the
Christ-character is not welcomed, it is hated.

From the later sections a few characteristic comments may be given in an
abridged form.

We are apt to have rather free and easy notions of the
Divine fatherhood. To call God our Father, we must ourselves
be sons; and it is only those who are led by the Spirit of
God who are the sons of God.... Ask for great things, and
small things will be given to you. This is exactly the
spirit of the Lord's Prayer.... Act for God. Direct your
thoughts and intentions Godward, and your intelligence and
affections will gradually follow along the line of your
action.... You must put God first, or nowhere.... It is a
perilous error to say that we have only to follow our
conscience; we have to enlighten our conscience and keep it
enlightened.... There is no greater plague of our generation
than the nervous anxiety which characterises all its
efforts. We ought to be reasonably careful, and then go
boldly forw