shoots out the tongue may be as bad as the spirit that
yelled, _'Christianos ad leones.'_

5. The great reason why professing Christians now know so little about
persecution is because there is so little real antagonism. 'If ye were
of the world, the world would love his own.' The Church has leavened the
world, but the world has also leavened the Church; and it seems agreed
by common consent that there is to be no fanatical goodness of the early
primitive pattern. Of course, then, there will be no persecution, where
religion goes in silver slippers, and you find Christian men running
neck and neck with others, and no man can tell which is which.

Then, again, many escape by avoiding plain Christian duty, shutting
themselves up in their own little coteries.

(a) Let us be sure that we never flinch from our Christian character to
buy anybody's good opinion.

It is not for us to lower our flags to whoever fires across our bows. Do
you never feel it an effort to avow your principles? Do you never feel
that they are being smiled away in society? Are you not flattered by
being shown that this religion of yours is the one thing that stands
between you and cordial reception by these people?

(b) Let us be sure that it is righteousness and Christ which are the
grounds of anything of the sort we have to bear, and not our own faults
of temper and character.

(c) Let us be sure that we are not persecutors our selves.

To be so is inherent in human nature.

Men have often been both confessors and inquisitors. The spirit of
censorious judgment, of fierce hate, of impatient intolerance, has
often disgraced Christian men. It is for us to be only and always meek,
merciful peace-bringers; and if men will not accept truth, to seek to
win and woo them, not to be angry.

It is very hard to be both firm and tolerant, not letting the foolish
heart expand into a lazy glow of benevolence to all beliefs, and so
perilling one's own, nor letting intense adherence to our own
convictions darken into impotent wrath against their harshest opponents.
But let us remember that as God is our great example of mercy, so Christ
is our great example of patience, both under the world's unbelief and
the world's persecution.

II. God's Gift to the persecuted.

'The kingdom of heaven.'

This last promise is the same as the first--to express completeness, a
rounded whole. All the others are but elements of this.

That highest reward given to the p