There is no need for enlarging on the enormous difficulty of carrying out such a commandment in our daily lives.  We all know too well how hard it is; but we may reflect for a moment on the absolute necessity of obeying this precept to the full.  For their own souls’ sakes Christian men are to avoid all bitterness, strife, and malice.  Let us try to remember, and to bring to bear on our daily lives, the solemn things which Jesus said about God’s forgiveness being measured by our forgiveness.  The faithful, even though imperfect, following of this exhortation would revolutionise our lives.  Nothing that we can only win by fighting with our fellows is worth fighting for.  Men will weary of antagonism which is met only by the imperturbable calm of a heart at peace with God, and seeking peace with all men.  The hot fire of hatred dies down, like burning coals scattered on a glacier, when laid against the crystal coldness of a patient, peaceful spirit.  Watch-dogs in farmhouses will bark half the night through because they hear another barking a mile off.  It takes two to make a quarrel; let me be sure that I am never one of the two!

STILL ANOTHER TRIPLET

’Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath:  for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20.  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him:  if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21.  Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’—­ROMANS xii. 19-21.

The natural instinct is to answer enmity with enmity, and kindliness with kindliness.  There are many people of whom we think well and like, for no other reason than because we believe that they think well of and like us.  Such a love is really selfishness.  In the same fashion, dislike, and alienation on the part of another naturally reproduce themselves in our own minds.  A dog will stretch its neck to be patted, and snap at a stick raised to strike it.  It requires a strong effort to master this instinctive tendency, and that effort the plainest principles of Christian morality require from us all.  The precepts in our text are in twofold form, negative and positive; and they are closed with a general principle, which includes both these forms, and much more besides.  There are two pillars, and a great lintel coping them, like the trilithons of Stonehenge.

I. We deal with the negative precept.

‘Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto wrath.’  Do not take the law into your own hands, but leave God’s way of retribution to work itself out.  By avenging, the Apostle means a passionate redress of private wrongs at the bidding of personal resentment.  We must note how deep this precept goes.  It prohibits not merely external acts which, in civilised times are restrained by law, but, as with Christian morality, it deals with thoughts