were not Pauls · far from it. Nevertheless, the Lord has reserved to himself such thousands in all ages of the Christian church; and he has frequently hidden them, for a time, from the eyes of the multitude. The poet struck a chord which vibrates through all the past, as well as the present, and onward through time: "Believers have a silent field to fight, And their exploits are veiled from human sight: Ay! after weeping, praying and mourning, in secret, over the sins of their times, but living a life of faith, and purity, and love, they fell asleep in Jesus, successively, and escaped to paradise, leaving those who knew them best to write the sentiment on their tombs, or to engrave it on the tablet of their own affectionate memories: "Laurels may flourish round the conqueror's tomb, And all these triumphs, Christian, now are thine." These remarks may guard you against wrong conclusions in your "Church History impressions." Similar views would have saved me from a temptation; but I was young and inexperienced. The same principles are applicable tc the present age. Use them as your safeguards in the facts you relate. "All are not Israel who are of Israel." And all who are of Israel have not equal light on the subject of sanctification; with those who have had light, and improved it not, but retained it for speculation, it has spoiled on their hands, and bred worms of doubt, like the misused. manna of old.-Exodus 16:20. You say, "Some doubt whether such a blessing is attainable until death. But by far the largest number admit its attainability in life and health; they seem to know all about the theory of holiness, and speak well of it, but when I ask whether they enjoy it, they say nothing, or confess that they do not. This discourages me, and holds me back. Why should I outstrip them? When I am equal with them in knowledge, then I may venture to surpass them in holiness." But is that a business principle? Do you intend to carry this modesty into your business operations? It would ruin you, most likely. There you must depend upon your own judgment, mainly — must act from the individuality of your own character. Your neighbor's rule and habit will not do for you. Some, besides, know how business should be done, but are too indifferent or slothful to do it, while procrastination is the bane of others. Your knowledge might be inferior to theirs, but it would be very foolish in you to follow their example; nor would you. No, indeed; you would plan and act for yourself, risk mistakes, and bid good-by to modesty, and "go ahead," as they say on the other side of the waters, rather than risk the consequences of their procrastination. Why not do so in your religious matters? O my young brother, fall not into the folly which St. Paul shuddered at and condemned, when he said he dare not be of the number of those who measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves among themselves. Hew out for your own self your spiritual fortunes, according to the Scripture rule, regardless of the paltry rules of others. "What is that to thee?-follow thou me," is the call of thy risen Lord. "Be ye holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy," should weigh more with you than the sentiments, example and experience, of millions such as you mention. There is much "head-knowledge" among our professors, regarding sanctification. The head has gone further than the heart with many of them. The experience of the heart has not kept pace with the knowledge of the head. They know more than they have ever enjoyed. The atmosphere of such is not healthy, unless they are rare persons indeed. An old mathematician demonstrated of him who performed a journey round the world, that his head travelled several thousand miles more than his feet, as his head performed much the widest circle. He proved, also, that had his journey been to heaven, instead, his feet would have outtravelled his head. This is no new problem in theology. I have often seen it demonstrated, and so have you, in the characters you mention. We meet with such every day, who, for years, have gone the circuit of theology, but it has always happened, somehow, that their heads have travelled faster and further than their hearts,-their knowledge has outgone their experience, especially in holiness. However, we have something to set off against this fact. We have some, and they have increased to hundreds in this town within the last six weeks, whose hearts have kept equal pace with their heads in holiness. Nor would I undertake to prove that there are none among them whose hearts have not out-travelled their heads. St. Paul speaks of "the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge." Ephes. 319. There are few who experience full salvation who do not find the enjoyment of it to exceed the anticipation. And what is that but experience surpassing previous knowledge?—the heart becoming tutor to the heal? "There is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding."— Job 32:8. There is an inspiration in PERFECT LOVE which gives lessons to the understanding, seldom, if ever, learned otherwise. What a change the soul undergoes when the body dies Who among the living comprehends or conceives what it is? - that surpasses knowledge, also. How great the change when the whole "body of sin" dies, and the soul is free from its influences! I never saw any one who allowed that his previous information upon the subject was equal to the actual experience. The admission has been made; the heart of some outtravels the head. I like the idea. The heart is apt to prove deceitful, if the head leave it too far behind; like Peter, who followed his Lord afar off, and a woman involved him in trouble; his head was right, poor soul, but his heart failed him. We have those among us who are not remarkable for "theological accuracy," the head may be at fault, now and then, nor does it offend them to hear of it; and the tongue, perhaps, unable to marshal its words in the exact theological order desired; but the heart, ay, the heart quite out-travels both head and tongue in the deep things of God. Their motions are not circular, like him who travelled round the world. They may never have gone, in abstract theology, the segment of a circle, as they say in geometry; nevertheless, Christianity, in its saving and purifying influences, has taken the entire circuit of their nature, subduing the whole to itself. Their hearts have gone further than their heads, but both are travelling heavenward; both will be equal by and by, and wiser than the wisest philosophers below, when they gain their crown above. Hallelujah! However, let us praise the Lord, there are those among us whose head and heart travel together. They traverse the whole circle of theology,—all that lies within the horizon of theological investigation,- but the heart is never left behind. As one remarked, "Sanctification in the soul is a living spring, running with a kind of central force heavenward." Yes, and head and heart move together with the living spring! They are as familiar with the straight lines of holiness as with the circle of obedience.` They have one direct aim,- to glorify God; one desire, -to be always happy in him; one endeavor,-to please him who has called them from darkness to light, to please him in everything; one object, entire devotion to his will; one ambition,- to be pure as he is pure, and holy as he is holy, and to love him with all their heart, and soul, and mind, and strength, and their neighbor as themselves; one absorbing desire,—to sink as deep in pure, loving humility as the grace of God can sink them, and to rise in the joy of faith in perfect love and holiness, as the grace of God can exalt them, fully resolved to 68 Urge their way through grace forgiven, To scale the mount of holiest love, And seize the brightest crown in heaven!" A noble ambition this! to obtain one of the first seats in glory. To use an idea of Mr. Fletcher, a constant, evangelical striving to have ministered unto them an abundant entrance into the heavenly kingdom, and a throne among the peculiarly redeemed, who sing the new song which none could learn save those who were without fault, and who fo lowed the Lamb whithersoever he went.- Rev. 14 : 1, 5. They belong to that succession, the true succession of holy souls, of which our poor earth has never had a superfluity, but which it has never entirely lacked. They are the regular liners," to use a sea-phrase, which steer straight for the port of heaven, over the ocean of life, as the New York and Liverpool line of packet-ships |