mutual faith, yours and mine together.= Shall we call this a sentence of fine tact; beautifully conciliatory and endearing? Yes, but it is also perfectly sincere. True tact is only the skill of sympathetic love, not the less genuine in its thought because that thought seeks to please and win. He is glad to shew himself as his disciples' brotherly friend; but then he first _is_ such, and enjoys the character, and has continually found and felt his own soul made glad and strong by the witness to the Lord which far less gifted believers bore, as he and they talked together. Does not every true teacher know this in his own experience? If we are not merely lecturers on Christianity but witnesses for Christ, we know what it is to hail with deep thanksgivings the "_encouragement_" we have had from the lips of those who perhaps believed long after we did, and have been far less advantaged outwardly than we have been. We have known and blessed the "_encouragement_" carried to us by little believing children, and young men in their first faith, and poor old people on their comfortless beds, ignorant in this world, illuminated in the Lord. "_Mutual faith_," the pregnant phrase of the Apostle, faith residing in each of both parties, and owned by each to the other, is a mighty power for Christian "_encouragement_" still.[8] [Sidenote: Ver. 13.] =But I would not have you ignorant, brethren.= This is a characteristic term of expression with him.[9] He delights in confidence and information, and not least about his own plans bearing on his friends. =That often I purposed= (or better, in our English idiom, =have purposed=) =to come to you, (but I have been hindered up till now,) that I might have some fruit among you too, as actually among the other Nations.= He cannot help giving more and yet more intimation of his loving _gravitation_ towards them; nor yet of his gracious avarice for "_fruit,_" result, harvest and vintage for Christ, in the way of helping on Romans, as well as Asiatics, and Macedonians, and Achaians, to live a fuller life in Him. This, we may infer from the whole Epistle, would be the chief kind of "fruit" in his view at Rome; but not this only. For we shall see him at once go on to anticipate an evangelistic work at Rome, a speaking of the Gospel message where there would be a temptation to be "ashamed" of it. Edification of believers may be his main aim. But conversion of pagan souls to God cannot possibly be dissociated from it.