which is one of the worst signs of the Christianity of this
generation. And I believe that there are a terribly large number of
professing Christians, and good people after a fashion, whose Bibles
are as clean to-day, except on one or two favourite pages, as they
were when they came out of the bookseller's shop years and years ago.
You will never be strong Christians, you will never be happy ones,
until you make conscience of the study of God's Word and 'continue
steadfastly in the Apostles' teaching.' You may produce plenty of
emotional Christianity, and of busy and sometimes fussy work without
it, but you will not get depth. I sometimes think that the complaint
of the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews might be turned upside
down nowadays. He says: 'When for the time ye ought to be teachers,
ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles.'
Nowadays we might say in Sunday-schools and other places of church
work: 'When for the time ye ought to be _learners_, you have taken to
teaching before you know what you are teaching, and so neither you
nor your scholars will profit much.' The vase should be full before
you begin to empty it.

Again, there ought to be, and we ought to aim after, an equable
temper of mutual brotherhood conquering selfishness.

'They continued in the Apostles' doctrine and in fellowship.'
'Fellowship' here, as I take it, applies to community of feeling. A
verse or two afterwards it is applied to community of goods, but we
have nothing to do with that subject at present. What is meant is
that these three thousand, as was most natural, cut off altogether
from their ancient associations, finding themselves at once separated
by a great gulf from their nation and its hopes and its religion,
were driven together as sheep are when wolves are prowling around.