would have been lost if Tertius had not been at his side.  The power generated in the boilers does its work through machines of which each little cog-wheel is as indispensable as the great shafts.  Members of the body which seem to be ‘more feeble, are necessary.’  Every note in a great concerted piece of music, and every instrument, down to the triangle and the little drum in the great orchestra, is necessary.  This lesson of the dignity of subordinate work needs to be laid to heart both by those who think themselves to be capable of more important service, and by those who have to recognise that the less honourable tasks are all for which they are fit.  To the former it may preach humility, the latter it may encourage.  We are all very ignorant of what is great and what is small in the matter of our Christian service, and we have sometimes to look very closely and to clear away a great many vulgar misconceptions before we can clearly discriminate between mites and talents.  ’We know not which may prosper, whether this or that’; and in our ignorance of what it may please God to bring out of any service faithfully rendered to Him, we had better not be too sure that true service is ever small, or that the work that attracts attention and is christened by men ‘great’ is really so in His eyes.  It is well to have the noble ambition to ‘desire earnestly the greater gifts,’ but it is better to ‘follow the more excellent way,’ and to seek after the love which knows nothing of great or small, and without which prophecy and the knowledge of all mysteries, and all conspicuous and all the shining qualities profit nothing.

We can discern in Tertius’ words a little touch of what we may call pride in his work.  No doubt he knew it to be subordinate, but he also knew it to be needful; and no doubt he had put all his strength into doing it well.  No man will put his best into any task which he does not undertake in such a spirit.  It is a very plain piece of homely wisdom that ‘what is worth doing at all is worth doing well.’  Without a lavish expenditure of the utmost care and effort, our work will tend to be slovenly and unpleasing to God, and man, and to ourselves.  We may be sure there were no blots and bits of careless writing in Tertius’ manuscript, and that he would not have claimed the friendly feelings of his Roman brethren, if he had not felt that he had put his best into the writing of this epistle.  The great word of King David has a very wide application.  ’I will not take that which is thine for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.’

Tertius’ salutation may suggest to us the best thing by which to be remembered.  All his life before and after the hours spent at Paul’s side has sunk in oblivion.  He wished to be known only as having written the Epistle.  Christian souls ought to desire to live chiefly in the remembrance of those to whom they have been known as having done some little bit of work for Jesus Christ.  We may