he thinks still holds good.  It will, I think, on examination be found that none of our Lord’s teaching is obsolete, though in some cases changed circumstances may have changed its mode of application.  Certainly there is nothing obsolete in His teaching in the matter of purity.  The virtues that He dwells upon—­humility, meekness and the rest—­are universal qualities on which time and social change have no effect.

What Christian conduct needs on our part is interest.  We have to make clear to ourselves that a certain kind of life is like the life of God, and therefore is the medium for understanding God, and ultimately for enjoying God.  The Christian life is not an arbitrary thing; it is the highest expression of humanity.  Any other life is a distortion of the human ideal.  People talk as though they thought that by the arbitrary will of God they were obliged to be good—­a thing wholly contrary to our nature and to our present interests.  But goodness is the natural unfolding of our nature as God made it:  we find our true expression in the likeness of God.  Perfection is what nature aspires to.  Religion is not a curb on nature; religion is a help to enable nature to express itself.  Nature reaches its perfect expression when by the grace of God it becomes godlike.

And the words of Christ are our guide to the perfect expression of our best.  Therefore the earnest Christian is willing to give time to the careful study of them, and of the whole ideal of life that is contained in them.  He is not concerned with what they will cut him off from; he is concerned with that to which they will admit him.  He is concerned to find the meaning of Christ’s teaching.  This that S. Paul says is fundamental is his rule of life:  “Be not conformed to this world:  but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

     Of one that is so fayr and bright
       Velut maris stella,
     Brighter than the day is light,
       Parens et puella;
     I crie to thee, thou see to me,
     Levedy, preye thi Sone for me,
       Tam pia,
     That I mote come to thee
       Maria.

     Al this world was for-lore
       Eva peccatrice,
     Tyl our Lord was y-bore
       De te genetrice. 
     With Ave it went away
     Thuster nyth and comz the day
       Salutis;
     The welle springeth ut of the,
       Virtutis.

     Levedy, flour of alle thing,
       Rosa sine spina,
     Thu here Jhesu, hevene king,
       Gratia divina;
     Of alle thu ber’st the pris,
     Levedy, quene of paradys
       Electa: 
     Mayde milde, moder es
       Effecta.

PART TWO

CHAPTER XV