+IV. Love by obeying the law of the Spirit gains the victory in the feud between the flesh and the Spirit.+--"Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh: . . . these are contrary the one to the other" (vers. 16, 17). The flesh and the Spirit are rivals, and by their natures must be opposed to and strive with each other. The strong man is dispossessed by a stronger than he--the Spirit. The master must rule the slave. "This soul of mine must rule this body of mine," said John Foster, "or quit it." The life of a Christian is lived in a higher sphere and governed by a higher law--walking in the Spirit. Christianity says, "Be a man, not a brute. Not do as many fleshly things as you can but do as many spiritual things as you can." All prohibitions are negative. You can't kill an appetite by starvation. You may kill the flesh by living in the higher region of the Spirit; not merely by ceasing to live in sin, but by loving Christ. The more we live the spiritual life, the more sin becomes impossible. Conquest over the sensual is gained, not by repression, but by the freer, purer life of love. +V. Love emancipates from the trammels of the law.+--"If ye be led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law" (ver. 18). The Spirit of love does not abolish the law, but renders it harmless by fulfilling all its requirements, without being compelled to it by its stern commands. Law does not help the soul to obey its behests, but it has nothing to say, nothing to threaten, when those behests are obeyed. To be under the law is to be under sin; but yielding to the influence of the Spirit, and living according to His law, the soul is free from sin and from the condemnation of the law. Freedom from sin, and freedom from the trammels of the Mosaic law--these two liberties are virtually one. Love is the great emancipator from all moral tyrannies. +Lessons.+--1. _Love is in harmony with the holiest law._ 2. _Love silences all contention._ 3. _Love honours law by obeying it._ _GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES._ Vers. 13, 14. _The Service of Love_-- +I. Is the noblest exercise of Christian liberty+ (ver. 13). +II. Preserves Christian liberty from degenerating into selfish indulgence+ (ver. 13). +III. Is the fulfilment of the highest law+ (ver. 14). Ver. 13. _The Abuse of Christian Liberty._ +I. To use it as an occasion of fleshly and carnal liberty.+--When men make more things indifferent than God ever made. Thus, all abuses of meat, drink, apparel, rioting, gaming, dicing, and carding are excused by the names of things indifferent. +II. Our liberty is abused by an immoderate use of the gifts of God.+--1. Many gentlemen and others offend when they turn recreation into an occupation. 2. When men exceed in eating and drinking. 3. They offend who, being mean persons and living by trades, yet for diet and apparel are as great gentlemen and gentlewomen.