And we do well to remember, as we read this familiar passage, that here is the centre and kernel of Christianity. It is the revelation of a new and universal duty, based on a revealed relationship of all men to a common Father: the duty which lies upon all men of loving all men, because God loves all men with a father's love, or rather because God is love, and only by the life of love can we share His fellowship[4]. The {132} Christian 'enthusiasm for humanity' has thus its roots in a disclosure of the character of God, and of His mind towards every man. [1] Rom. i. 14. [2] ver. 8, 'his neighbours': margin, 'the other.' [3] Matt. xxii. 40; cf. Gal. v. 14, and James ii. 8. [4] It has been commonly said that Christianity almost created a new word to express the new duty. But this now appears not to be strictly the case. _Agape_, love, is a word unknown indeed to classical writers, but it is found in the popular speech of Alexandria in the second century B.C. See Deissmann, _Bibelstudien_ (Marburg, 1895), p. 80. (I was referred to this work by Dr. Bernard, _Pastoral Epistles_, p. 24.) Hence, i.e. from the popular speech of Greek Egypt, it passed into the Greek Bible and so into Christianity. {133} DIVISION V. § 5. CHAPTER XIII. 11-14. _The approach of the day._ And the motive for paying our debts, in this wide sense, is that we must 'agree with our adversary quickly, while we are with him in the way,' for the day of account is at hand. This worldly world lies asleep to the spiritual realities, but its short night--the time of darkness--is nearly over. The great deliverance is nearer to us than when we first became Christians. The day of the Lord is almost dawning. Let us see to it then that all that is only fit for the darkness is stripped off us: that we are suitably equipped for the day, so that when it suddenly dawns it shall not put us to shame. Sensual lusts and loveless passions indulged--gross sins, such as none of the Christian communities had quite got rid of--will appear improper conduct indeed when the sun rises. And there is only one garment proper for the day; it is the garment of Christ's righteousness, or rather of Christ Himself, with whom we must invest {134} ourselves. As for our lower nature, it is to be our servant merely--not a master, whose clamorous demands we are to study to satisfy. 'And this, knowing the season, that now it is high time for you to awake out of sleep: for now is salvation nearer to us than when we _first_ believed. The night is far spent, and the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in revelling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to _fulfil_ the lusts _thereof_.