Peter said to our Lord, "How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him, until seven times?" (Matt. 18:21.22.) What warrant had Peter for saying, "How oft?" Had he been standing at the foot of Mount Sinai, he might have said, "How oft?" Standing in the covenant of grace, we say, "Seventy times seven." If we be called to judge offending brethren, we should judge before the Mercy-seat. There we are self-judged, as oft offending and oft forgiven. Those injuries are often hardest to forgive which are only known to the injured and the wrong-doer. If others act with want of uprightness towards us, and we are irritated, it is a proof that we are then dealing rather with the creature than with God. Those are the best fitted for the work of reproof, who are severe against themselves, but gentle towards others; whilst such as are forward to reprove most need reproof themselves. Poverty of Spirit We must live as beggars upon the love of Christ; we are never safe from snares but as we are thus poor in spirit. Christ was the only one who could, without a struggle, be content to be "a worm, and no man." (Ps. 22:6.) The self-exalted person as much degrades himself in God's sight, as he exalts himself in his own. We sink into nothingness as we grow up into Christ. To grow in poverty of spirit is truly to grow in grace: "Without Me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5.) If we be sitting at the feet of Jesus, all carnal boasting is excluded, we have His mind of wisdom in all things, and cannot behave ourselves unseemly. No rest have we for the sole of our foot except in Christ; and whenever a poor needy one seeks Him, He deals by such an one as did Noah by the dove. Noah put forth his hand and took her in unto him into the ark. If we upbraid ourselves, Christ justifies. If we be dumb in our own defence, He opens His mouth to plead our cause, and our wounded hearts He binds up. If I be content to be nothing, I cannot take offence; and when I am _really_ humble, and know myself a _worm_, I shall not complain if trampled on. Pride nourishes the remembrance of injuries: humility forgets as well as forgives them. Lot never drew near enough to God to know his own heart; it was Abraham, and not Lot, who said, I am but "dust and ashes." (Gen. 18:27.) Evil Passions Oh, how unseemly in a Christian are murmurings, envyings, and such like! If we look beneath the surface we shall find the root of these things to be unmortified pride, and a conscience not purged. Pride never stoops but to take a higher flight. The drunkard, the murderer, the idolater, cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. The sins of such are counted great even by the natural conscience; but covetousness, who condemns it? Yet the man who thirsts for gold is alike with the murderer accursed from God. Satan gets no more advantage over us than we allow him.