(Eph. 6: 14), and is itself called "the armour of righteousness" (II Cor. 6: 7). Timothy

is exhorted to "follow after righteousness" (I Tim. 6: 11; II Tim. 2: 22), and the

Apostle looked forward to receiving "a crown of righteousness" (II Tim. 4: 8) from the

hand of the Lord, as the recognition by Him that the Apostle had finished his course and

kept the faith.

Those of us to whom the Lord has shown such "longsuffering" as He did to Paul, the

pattern of those who should after him believe (I Tim. 1: 16), should find it comparatively

easy to walk "with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one

another in love" (Eph. 4: 2), but, if we are to be guided by the evidence of our senses, it

seems, alas, easier to leave the presence of the Lord, having been forgiven so great a debt,

and to take one's fellow-servant by the throat and say "pay me that thou owest".

We shall never err by exercising too much longsuffering and forbearance, for we can

never estimate in this life the debt that has been forgiven us by grace. Let us seek this

wonderful balance, so that in our degree, low and little though it be, we shall be able,

with all humility, to draw attention to both our "doctrine" and our "manner of life".