CHAPTER IX.

FAITH or FIDELITY.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance."—GAL. v. 22, 23.

THIS is not justifying Faith, but faithfulness in our relations; and hence it is here enumerated as a fruit of the Spirit : whereas, the faith whereby we believe on Christ is anterior to fruit-bearing in the Christian life. The one is the root, the other is the fruit of Christianity.

This Faith or Fidelity branches out into all the relations of life, and ought to find a place in all dealings between man and man. Not only should we all desire duly to discharge these relative duties, but it is for the good of society at large that we should require them to be performed by others. There is no virtue in violating the relations of life, and in levelling their distinctions. When a father is ruled by a son, or a teacher by a pupil, or a mistress by

a servant,—this is not humility, but a perversion of the ordinances of Nature, and an injury to all concerned.

Shakspeare has left us the portraiture of a faithful man :—

"His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles;
His love sincere, his thoughts immaculate;

His tears pure messengers sent from his heart;
His heart as far from fraud as heaven from earth."

The first outcoming of Fidelity should be directed towards God; and yet what a faint idea men seem to have of faithfulness to Him. Men who would scorn to be unfaithful to their fellows are daily and habitually unfaithful to God. Indeed, they go about their religious duties in such a dreamy, purposeless way, that one might fancy they were in a state of spiritual somnambulism.

Riches, talents,* influence, all being derived

* "In our use of the word 'talents,'-as when we say, 'a man of talents,'-there is a clear recognition of the responsibilities which go along with the possession of intellectual gifts and endowments, whatsoever they may be. In this word, till men can rid their vocabulary of it, abides a continual memento that they were so given, or rather lent, and that each man shall have to render an account of their use."

Dean Trench on the Study of Words: Lect. ii.

H

from God, create responsibility in us, and require that we should be faithful in the use of them, as stewards of His gifts.

Next to the Fidelity, which all men owe to God, comes Faithfulness in Married Life. This is the bond which binds together all the domestic affections; and they may all be dissolved, yea, the very fountain of love and home polluted, for want of this fidelity.

Faithfulness is required in Parents; and it is surprising how feebly many good Christian people seem to feel this obligation so that we are tempted sometimes to say of such a one that he is a good man, but a bad father. It is a great thing to give children a good education; but it is more to give them personal attention, and personal teaching: and whoever shrinks from the irksomeness of this, has no right to complain if his children come to sorrow and shame.

Besides a painstaking interest, besides a good education, a parent must superadd the force of a good example. Children mark looks, and gestures, and words, which we are apt to regard as insignificant; and they are quick-sighted

enough to see "a foul inside through a whited skin."

A most important part of parental duty is fulfilled in guarding children from the insidious assaults of evil-doers. Bishop Stanley tells us of the Toucans, that in their native forests they are seen perched on high trees, watching the moment when old birds leave their nests, when down they pounce, and feed on the young ones. This is a Parable of Nature; and there are Toucans in the moral world.

A man must not drive away his children as birds drive away their fledgelings. Not even, if they have gone astray, should they be easily rejected? Do not bar the door against the erring

one.

Perhaps when you have retired to rest, he knocks at the door. Let him not knock in vain. Let him not turn away to sin and ruin. Home is the safety-valve, and you must not fasten it down.

The faithfulness of children consists in honouring and obeying their parents. The commandment is sweetened by a promise. Nor should it be a reasoning, hesitating, and inquisitive

obedience. It is disobedient in children to ask, it is most unwise in parents to give reasons for their commands. It is a sound philosophy which teaches that the reason is not for every one.*

The comfort of parents greatly depends on their children. The good son makes the glad old man. And this is a motive which ought to weigh much, as no doubt it will, with all ingenuous children. How intolerable, on the other hand, must be the invisible burden of guilt, which a man carries along with him everywhere, in the consciousness of having broken a mother's heart!

Fidelity is a Master's duty as well as a Servant's. The Master must be just and fair he must not use his neighbour's time and labour without paying him wages. He must not shew partiality, rewarding the idle and impudent, and neglecting the modest and industrious.

No slave is a mere animate machine :† much less is a Christian servant. They have souls, as we have,--free-will, memory, conscience. They have hearts and feelings, as we have, and therefore should never be treated as mere mechanical † Id. viii. 11. 6.

* Cf. Arist. Eth. i. 7. 20.