,,how ,,to ,,become ,,like ,,christ     
,,contents      ,how to ,become ,like   
,christ    ,the ,transfiguration        
,indiscreet ,importunity    ,shame on   
,account of ,god's ,displeasure         
,naaman ,cured    ,the ,lame ,man at the
 ,temple ,gate      ,,how ,,to ,,become 
,,like ,,christ4    ,but we all1 with   
unveiled face reflecting as a mirror the
 glory of  the ,lord1 are changed into  
the same image from glory to glory1 even
  as by the ,spirit of the ,lord4--#b   
,,cor4 iii4 #ah 7,revised ,version74    
,i suppose there is almost no one who   
would deny1 if it were put to  him1 that
 the greatest possible attainment a man 
can make in this  world is likeness to  
,the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,certainly no
 one would  deny that there is nothing  
but character that we can carry out of  
life with us1 and that our prospect of  
good in any future life will  certainly 
vary with the resemblance of our        
character to that of ,jesus  ,christ1   
which is to rule the whole future4 ,we  

all admit that2 but  almost every one of
 us offers to himself some apology for  
not being  like ,christ1 and has        
scarcely any clear reality of aim of    
becoming  like ,him4 ,why1 we say to    
ourselves1 or we say in our practice1 it
 is  really impossible in a world such  
as ours is to become perfectly  holy4   
,one or two men in a century may become 
great saints2 given a  certain natural  
disposition and given exceptionally     
favouring  circumstances1 men may become
 saintly2 but surely the ordinary run of
  men1 men such as we know ourselves to 
be1 with secular disposition  and with  
many strong1 vigorous passions--surely  
we can really not be  expected to become
 like ,christ1 or1 if it is expected of 
us1 we know  that it is impossible4 ,on 
the contrary1 ,paul says1 ,we all1 we   
all4 ,every ,christian has that for a   
destiny3 to be changed into the  image  
of his ,lord4 ,and he not only says so1 
but in this one verse he  reveals to us 
the mode of becoming like ,christ1 and a

 mode1 as we  shall find1 so simple and 
so infallible in its working that a man 
cannot understand it without renewing   
his hope that even he may one  day      
become like ,christ4    ,in order to    
understand this simplest mode of        
sanctification we must  look back at the
 incident that we read in the ,book of  
,exodus 7xxxiv4  #bi-ce474 ,paul had    
been reading how when ,moses came down  
from the  mount where he had been       
speaking with ,god his face shone1 so as
 to  dazzle and alarm those who were    
near him4    ,they at once recognised   
that that was the glory of ,god         
reflected from  him2 and just as it is  
almost as difficult for us to look at   
the sun  reflected from a mirror as to  
look directly at the sun1 so these men  
felt it almost as difficult to look     
straight at the face of ,moses as  to   
look straight at the face of ,god4 ,but 
,moses was a wise man1 and he  showed   
his wisdom in this instance as well as  
elsewhere4 ,he knew that  that glory was

 only on the skin of his face1 and that 
of course it  would pass away4 ,it was a
 superficial shining4 ,and accordingly  
he put  a veil over his face1 that the  
children of ,israel might not see it    
dying out from minute to minute and from
 hour to hour1 because he  knew these   
,israelites thoroughly1 and he knew that
 when they saw the  glory dying out they
 would say1 ,god has forsaken ,moses4   
,we need not  attend to him any more4   
,his authority is gone1 and the glory of
 ,god's  presence has passed from him4  
,so ,moses wore the veil that they might
  not see the glory dying out4 ,but     
whenever he was called back to the      
presence of ,god he took off the veil   
and received a new access of  glory on  
his face1 and thus went from glory to   
glory4    ,that1 says ,paul1 is         
precisely the process through which we  
,christian men become like ,christ4 ,we 
go back to the presence of  ,christ with
 unveiled face2 and as often as we stand
 in ,his presence1  as often as we deal 

in our spirit with the living ,christ1  
so often do  we take on a little of ,his
 glory4 ,the glory of ,christ is ,his   
character2 and as often as we stand     
before ,christ1 and think of ,him1  and 
realise what ,he was1 our heart goes out
 and reflects some of ,his  character4  
,and that reflection1 that glory1 is not
 any longer merely  on the skin of the  
face2 as ,paul wishes us to recognise1  
it is a  spiritual glory1 it is wrought 
by the spirit of ,christ upon our       
spirit1 and it is we ourselves that are 
changed from glory to glory  into the   
very image of the ,lord4    ,now        
obviously this mode of sanctification   
has extraordinary  recommendations4 ,in 
the first place1 it is absolutely       
simple4 ,if you  go to some priest or   
spiritual director1 or minister of the  
,gospel1  or friend1 and ask what you   
are to do if you wish to become a holy  
man1 why1 even the best of them will    
almost certainly tell you to  read      
certain books1 to spend so much time in 

prayer and reading your  ,bible1 to go  
regularly to church1 to engage in this  
and that good  work4 ,if you had applied
 to a spiritual director of the middle  
ages  of this world's history and of the
 history of ,christianity1 he would     
have told you that you must retire from 
the world altogether in order  to become
 holy4 ,paul says1 ,away with all that  
nonsense6 ,we are  living in a real     
world2 ,christ lived in a real world3   
,christ did not  retire from men4 ,and  
,he says all that you have to do in     
order to be  like ,christ is to carry   
,his image with you in your heart4 ,that
 is  all4 ,to be with ,him1 to let ,him 
stand before you and command your  love1
 that will infallibly change you into   
,his image4 ,i do not know  that we     
sufficiently recognise the simplicity of
 ,christian methods4  ,we do not        
understand what ,paul meant by          
proclaiming it as the  religion of the  
spirit1 as a religion superior to       
everything  mechanical and external4    

,think of the deliverance it was for him
 who  had grown up under a religion     
which commanded him to go a journey     
three times a year1 to take the best of 
his goods and offer them in  the        
,temple1 to comply with a multitude of  
oppressive observances and  ordinances4 
,think of the emancipation when he found
 a spiritual  religion4 ,why1 in those  
times a man must have despaired of      
becoming a  holy man2 ,but now ,paul    
says you will infallibly become holy if 
you  learn this easy lesson of carrying 
the ,lord ,jesus with you in your       
heart4    ,another recommendation of    
this method is that it is so obviously  
grounded on our own nature4 ,no sooner  
are we told by ,paul that we  must act  
as mirrors of ,christ than we recognise 
that nature has made  us to be mirrors1 
that we cannot but reflect what is      
passing before  us4 ,you are walking    
along the street1 and1 a little child   
runs before  a carriage2 you shrink back
 as if you were in danger4 ,you see a   

man  fall from a scaffolding1 crushed2  
your face takes on an expression of     
pain1 reflecting what is passing in him4
 ,you go and spend an evening  with a   
man much stronger1 much purer1 much     
saner1 than yourself1 and  you come away
 knowing yourself a stronger and a      
better man4 ,why8  ,because you are a   
mirror1 because in your inmost nature   
you have  responded to and reflected the
 good that was in him4    ,look into any
 family1 and what do you see8 ,you see  
the boy1 not  imitating consciously1 but
 taking on1 his father's looks and      
attitudes and ways2 and as the boy grows
 up these become his own  looks and     
attitudes and ways4 ,he has reflected   
his father from one  degree of          
proficiency unto another1 from one      
intimacy1 from one day's  observation of
 his father to another1 until he is the 
image of the  old man over again4       
,similarly1 says ,paul1 live with       
,christ2 learn to carry ,his image  with
 you1 learn to adore ,him1 learn to love

 ,him1 and infallibly1  whether you will
 or not1 by this simple method you will 
become1  ,christ over again2 you will   
become conformed1 as ,god means you to  
become conformed1 to the image of ,his  
,son4    ,this has been tested by the   
experience of thousands2 and it has been
  found to be a true method4 ,every one 
who spends but two minutes in  the      
morning in the observation of ,christ1  
every one who will be at  the pains to  
let the image of ,christ rise before him
 and to remember  the purity1 the       
unworldliness1 the heavenliness1 the    
godliness of  ,jesus ,christ1 that man  
is the better for this exercise4 ,and   
how  utterly useless is it to offer any 
other method of sanctification to       
thousands of our fellow-citizens4 ,how  
can many of our fellow-citizens  secrete
 themselves for prayer8 ,if you ask them
 to go and pray as you  pray in your    
comfortable home1 if you ask them to    
read the ,bible  before they go out at  
five or six o'clock in the morning1 do  

you  expect that your word will be      
followed8 ,why1 the thing is impossible4
  ,but ask a man to carry ,christ with  
him in his mind1 that is a thing  he can
 do2 and if he does it once1 if only    
once the man sees ,christ  before him1  
realises that this living ,person is    
with him1 and  remembers the character  
of ,christ as it is written for us in   
the  ,gospels1 that man knows that he   
has made a step in advance1 knows  that 
he is the better for it1 knows that he  
does reflect1 for a  little1 even though
 it be but for a little1 the very image 
of the  ,lord ,jesus ,christ2 and other 
people know it also4    ,now1 if that is
 so1 there are obviously three things   
that we must do4  ,we must in the first 
place1 learn to associate with ,christ4 
,i say  that even one reflection does   
something1 but we need to reflect       
,christ constantly1 continually1 if we  
are to become like ,him4 ,when  you pass
 away from before a mirror the          
reflection also 4goes4 ,in the  case of 

,moses the reflection stayed for a      
little1 and that is perhaps  a truer    
figure of what happens to the ,christian
 who sets ,christ  before him and       
reflects him4 ,but very often as soon as
 ,christ is not  consciously remembered 
you fall back to other remembrances and 
reflect other things4 ,you go out in the
 morning with your associates1  and they
 carry you away2 you have not as yet    
sufficiently impressed  upon yourself   
the image of ,christ4 ,therefore we must
 learn to carry  ,christ with us always1
 as a constant ,companion4 ,some one may
 say that  is impossible4 ,no one will  
say it is impossible who is living in   
absence from anyone he loves4 ,what     
happens when we are living  separated   
from some one we love8 ,this happens3   
that his image is  continually in our   
minds4 ,at the most unexpected times    
that image  rises1 and especially1 if we
 are proposing to ourselves to do what  
that person would not approve4 ,at once 
his image rises to rebuke us  and to    

hold us back4 ,so that it is not only   
possible to carry with us  the image of 
,christ3 it is absolutely certain that  
we shall carry  that image with us if   
only we give ,him that love and         
reverence which  is due from every human
 being4 ,who has done for us what       
,christ has  done8 ,who commands our    
reverence as ,he does8 ,if once ,he gets
 hold of  our affection1 it is          
impossible that ,he should not live     
constantly in  our hearts4 ,and if we   
say that persons deeply immersed in     
business  cannot carry ,christ with them
 thus1 remember what ,he ,himself says3 
,if any man love ,me1 he will keep ,my  
word2 and ,my ,father will love  him1   
and we will come unto him4 ,so that ,he 
is most present with the  busiest and   
with those who strive as best they can  
to keep ,his  commandments4    ,but we  
must not only associate with ,christ and
 make ,him our constant  company3 we    
must1 in the second place1 set ourselves
 square with  ,christ4 ,you know that if

 you look into a mirror obliquely1 if a 
mirror is not set square with you1 you  
do not see yourself1 but what  is at the
 opposite angle1 something that is      
pleasant or something  that is          
disagreeable to you2 it matters not--you
 cannot see yourself4  ,and unless we as
 mirrors set ourselves perfectly square 
with ,christ1  we do not reflect ,him1  
but perhaps things that are in ,his     
sight  monstrous4 ,and1 in point of     
fact1 that is what happens with most of 
us1 because it is here that we are      
chiefly tried4 ,all persons brought  up 
within the ,christian ,church pay some  
attention to ,christ4 ,we too  well     
understand ,his excellence and we too   
well understand the  advantages of being
 ,christian men not to pay some         
attention to  ,christ4 ,but that will   
not make us conform to ,his image4 ,in  
order to  be conformed to the image of  
,christ we must be wholly ,his4 ,suppose
  you enter a studio where a sculptor is
 working1 will he hand you his  hammer  

and chisel to finish the most difficult 
piece of his work or  to do any part of 
it8 ,assuredly not4 ,it is his own idea 
that he is  working out1 and none but   
his own hand can work it out4 ,so with  
us  who are to be moulded by ,christ4   
,christ cannot mould us into ,his  image
 unless we are wholly ,his4 ,every      
stroke that is made upon us by  the     
chisel and mallet of the world is lost  
to ,his ideal4 ,as often as  we reflect 
what is not purely ,christian1 so often 
do we mar the ,i  image of ,christ4     
,now how is it with us8 ,need we ask8   
,when we go along the street1 what  is  
it that we reflect8 ,do we not reflect a
 thousand things that  ,christ          
disapproves8 ,what is it that our heart 
responds to when we are  engaged in     
business8 ,is it to appeals that this   
world makes to us8 ,is  it the appeal   
that a prospect of gain makes to us that
 we respond to  eagerly8 ,that is what  
is making us2 that is what is moulding  
and  making us the men that we are      

destined to be4 ,we are moulded into the
  character that we are destined to live
 with for ever and ever1 by our  likings
 and dislikings1 by the actual response 
that we are now giving  day by day to   
the things that we have to do with in   
this world4 ,we  may loathe the         
character of the sensualist2 no language
 is too strong  for us when we speak of 
him3 but if we1 in point of fact1       
respond to  appeals made to the flesh   
rather than appeals made to the spirit1 
we  are becoming sensual4 ,we may loathe
 and despise the character of the       
avaricious worldly man2 we may see its  
littleness1 and pettiness1 and  greed1  
and selfishness3 but do our own hearts  
go out in response to  any offer of gain
 more eagerly than they go out to       
,christian work or  to the interests of 
,christ's kingdom8 ,then we are becoming
 worldly  and avaricious2 we are        
becoming the very kind of men that we   
despise4    ,of course we know this4 ,we
 ,know that we are being made by what we

  respond to1 and the older we grow we  
know it the more clearly2 we see  it    
written on our own character that we    
have become the kind of men  that we    
little thought one day we should become1
 and we know that we  have become such  
men by responding to certain things     
which are not  the things of the        
,spirit4 ,never was a truer word said   
than that he  that ,soweth to the flesh 
shall of the flesh reap corruption1 and 
he  only that soweth to the ,spirit     
shall reap life4 ,that is what in other 
terms ,paul here says4 ,he says1 ,if you
 set yourselves square with  ,christ1   
you will become like ,him2 that is to   
say1 if you find your  all in ,him1 if  
you can be absolutely frank and honest  
with ,him1 if  you can say1 ',mould and 
fashion me according to ,thy will2 lead 
me  according to ,thy will2 make me in  
this world what ,thou wilt2 do with  me 
what ,thou wilt3 ,i put myself wholly at
 ,thy disposal2 ,i do not wish  to crane
 to see past ,christ's figure to some   

better thing beyond2 ,i  give myself    
wholly and freely to him'--the man that 
says this1 the  man that does this1 he  
will certainly become like to ,him4 ,but
 the man  who even when he prays knows  
that he has desires in his heart that   
,christ cannot gratify1 the man that    
never goes out from his own home  or    
never goes into his own home without    
knowing that he has responded  to things
 that ,christ disapproves--how can that 
man hope to be like  ,him8    ,we must  
then associate with ,christ1 and we must
 set ourselves  squarely2 we must4 be   
absolutely true in our entire and       
absolute  devotion4 ,surely no man      
thinks that this is a hardship2 that his
  nature and life will be restricted by 
giving himself wholly to  ,christ8 ,it  
is only1 as every ,christian will tell  
you--it is only when  you give yourself 
entirely to ,christ that you know what  
freedom  means2 that you know what it is
 to live in this world afraid of        
nothing4 ,superior to things that before

 you were afraid of and  anxious about1 
you at length learn what it is to be a  
child of ,god4  ,let no man think that  
he lames his nature and makes his life  
poorer  by becoming entirely the        
possession of ,christ4    ,but1 thirdly1
 we must set ,christ before us and live 
before ,him with  unveiled face4 ,we all
 with unveiled face reflecting as a     
mirror4  ,throw a napkin over a mirror1 
and it reflects nothing4 ,perfect beauty
  may stand before it1 but the mirror   
gives no sign4 ,and this is why in  a   
dispensation like ours1 the ,christian  
dispensation1 with everything  contrived
 to reflect ,christ1 to exhibit ,christ1
 the whole thing set  a-going for this  
purpose of exhibiting ,christ1 we so    
little see ,him4  ,how is it that two   
men can sit at a ,communion table       
together1 and the  one be lifted to the 
seventh heaven and see the ,king in ,his
 beauty1  while the other only envies   
his neighbour his vision8 ,why is it    
that  in the same household two persons 

will pass through identically the  same 
domestic circumstances1 the same events1
 from year to year1 and  the one see    
,christ everywhere1 while the other     
grows sullen1 sour1  indifferent8 ,why  
is it8 ,because the one wears a veil    
that prevents  him from seeing ,christ2 
the other lives with unveiled face4 ,how
 was  it that the ,psalmist1 in the     
changes of the seasons even1 in the     
mountain1 in the sea1 in everything that
 he had to do1 found ,god8 ,how  was it 
that he knew that even though he made   
his bed in hell he would  find ,god8    
,because he had an unveiled face2 he was
 prepared to find  ,god4 ,how is it that
 many of us can come into church and be 
much more  taken up with the presence of
 some friend than with the presence of  
,christ8 ,the same reason still3 we wear
 a veil2 we do not come with  unveiled  
face prepared to see ,him4    ,and ,when
 we ask ourselves1 ,what1 in point of   
fact1 is the veil that  ,i wear8 ,what  
is it that has kept me from responding  

to the perfect  beauty of ,christ's     
character8 ,i know that that character  
is perfect2  ,i know that ,i ought to   
respond to it2 ,i know that ,i ought to 
go out  eagerly towards ,christ and     
strive to become like ,him2 why do ,i   
not do  it8 we find that the veil that  
keeps us from responding thus to        
,christ and reflecting ,him is not like 
the mere dimness on a mirror  which the 
bright and warm presence of ,christ     
,himself would dry off2  it is like an  
incrustation that has been growing out  
from our hearts  all our life long1 and 
that now is impervious1 so far as we can
 see1  to the image of ,christ4 ,how can
 hearts steeped in worldliness reflect  
this absolutely unworldly1 this heavenly
 ,person8 ,when we look into  our       
hearts1 what do we find in point of     
fact8 ,we find a thousand  1things that 
we know have no right there2 that we    
know to be wrong4  ,how can such hearts 
reflect this perfect purity of ,christ8 
,well1 we  must see to it that these    

hearts be cleansed2 we must hold        
ourselves  before ,christ until from    
very shame these passions of ours are   
subdued1 until ,his purity works its way
 into our hearts through all            
obstructions2 and we must keep our      
hearts1 we must keep the mirror  free   
from dust1 free from incrustations1 once
 we have cleansed it4    ,in some       
circumstances you might be tempted to   
say that really it is  not so much that 
there is a veil on the mirror as that   
there is no  quicksilver at all behind4 
,you meet in life characters so thin1 so
  shallow1 that every good thought seems
 to go through and out of them  at the  
other side2 they hear with one ear1 and 
it goes out at the  other4 ,you can make
 no impression upon them4 ,there is     
nothing to  impress1 no character there 
to work upon4 ,they are utterly         
indifferent to spiritual things1 and    
never give a thought to their  own      
character4 ,what is to be done with such
 persons8 ,god is the great  ,teacher of

 us all2 ,god1 in ,his providence1 has  
made many a man who  has begun life as  
shallow and superficial as man can be1  
deep enough  before ,he has done with   
him4    ,two particulars in which the   
perfectness of this method appears may  
be pointed out4 ,first of all1 it is    
perfect in this3 that anyone who  begins
 it is bound to go on to the end4 ,the  
very nature of the case  leads him to go
 on and on from glory to glory1 back and
 back to  ,christ1 until the process is1
 actually completed1 and he is like     
,christ4 ,the reason is this3 that the  
,christian conscience is never  much    
taken up with attainment made1 but      
always with attainment that  is yet to  
be made4 ,it is the difference not the  
likeness that touches  the conscience4  
,a friend has been away in ,australia   
for ten years1  and he sends you his    
likeness1 and you take it out eagerly1  
and you  say1 ,yes1 the eyes are the    
very eyes2 the brow1 the hair are       
exactly  like1 but there is something   

about the mouth that you do not like1   
and you thrust it away in a drawer and  
never look at it again4 ,why8  ,because 
the one point of unlikeness destroys the
 whole to you4 ,just  so when any       
,christian presents himself before      
,christ it is not the  points of        
likeness1 supposing there are any1 which
 strike his  conscience--it is the      
remaining points of difference that     
inevitably  strike him1 and so he is    
urged on and on from one degree of      
proficiency to another until the process
 is completed1 because there  is no     
point at which a man has made a         
sufficient attainment in the  likeness  
of ,christ4 ,there is no point at which 
,christ draws a line  and says1 ,you    
will do well if you reach this height1  
and you need  not strive further4 ,why1 
we should be dissatisfied1 we should    
throw  up our allegiance to ,christ if  
,he treated us so4 ,he is our ideal1 and
  it is resemblance to ,him that draws  
us and makes us strive forward2  and so 

a man is bound1 to go on1 and on1 and   
on1 still drawn on to  his ideal1 still 
rebuked by his shortcomings until he    
perfectly  resembles ,christ4    ,and   
this character of ,christ that is our   
ideal is not assumed by ,him  for the   
nonce4 ,he did not change ,his nature   
when ,he came to this  earth2 ,he did   
not put on this character to set us an  
example4 ,the  things that ,he did1 ,he 
did because it was ,his nature to do    
them4 ,he  came to this world because   
,his love would not let ,him stay away  
from  us4 ,it was ,his nature that      
brought ,him here1 and it is ,his nature
 to  be what ,he is1 and so his         
character is to become our nature2 it is
 to  be so wrought in us that we cannot 
give it up4 ,it is our eternal          
character1 and therefore any amount of  
pains is worth spending on the          
achievement of it4    ,the second point 
of perfectness lies here4 ,you know that
 in painting  a likeness or cutting out 
a bust one feature often may be almost  

finished while the rest are scarcely    
touched1 but in standing before  a      
mirror the whole comes out at once4 ,now
 we often in the ,christian  life deal  
with ourselves as if we were painters   
and sculptors1 not as  if we were       
mirrors3 we hammer and chisel away at   
ourselves to bring  out some resemblance
 to ,christ in some particulars1        
thinking that we  can do it piecemeal2  
we might as well try to feed up our body
  piecemeal2 we might as well try to    
make our eye bright without giving  our 
cheek colour and our hands strength4    
,the body is a whole1 and we  must feed 
the whole and nourish the whole if any  
one part of it is to  be vigorous4      
,so it is with character4 ,the character
 is a whole1 and you can only  deal with
 your character as a whole4 ,what has   
resulted when we have  tried the other  
process8 ,sometimes we set ourselves to 
subdue a sin  or cultivate a grace4     
,well1 candidly say what has come of    
this4  ,judging from my own experience1 

,i would say that this comes of it3     
that in three or four days you forget   
what sin it was that you were  trying to
 subdue4 ,the temptation is away1 and   
the sin is not there1  and you forget   
all about it4 ,that is the very snare of
 sin4 ,or you  become a little better in
 a point that you were trying to        
cultivate4  ,in that grace you are a    
shade improved4 ,but that only brings   
out more  astoundingly your frightful   
shortcoming in other particulars4 ,now1 
adopting ,paul's method1 this happens3  
,christ acts on our character  just as a
 person acts upon a mirror4 ,the whole  
image is reflected at  once4 ,how is it 
that society moulds a man8 ,how can you 
tell in what  class in society a man has
 been brought up8 ,not by one thing1 not
 by  his accent1 not by his bearing1 not
 by his conduct1 but the whole  man4    
,and why8 ,because a man does not       
consciously imitate this or that        
feature of the society in which he is   
brought up1 does not do it  consciously 

at all2 he is merely reflecting it as a 
mirror1 and  society acts on him as a   
whole1 and makes him the man he is4     
,just  so1 says ,paul4 ,live with       
,christ1 and ,he will make you the man  
that  you are destined to be4    ,one   
word in conclusion4 ,i suppose there is 
no one who at one time or  other has not
 earnestly desired to be of some use in 
the world4  ,perhaps there are few who  
have not even definitely desired to be  
of  some use in the kingdom of ,christ4 
,as soon as we recognise the  uniqueness
 of ,christ's purpose and the uniqueness
 of ,his power in the  world1 as soon as
 we recognise that all good influence   
and all  superlatively dominant         
influence proceeds from ,him1 and that  
really  the hope of our race lies in    
,jesus ,christ--as soon as we realise   
that1 as soon as we see that with our   
reason1 and not as a thing that  we have
 been taught to believe1 as soon as we  
lay hold on it for  ourselves1 we cannot
 but wish to do something to forward    

,his purposes  in the world4 ,but as    
soon as we form the wish we say1 ,what  
can we  do8 ,we have not been born with 
great gifts2 we have not been born in   
superior positions2 we have not wealth2 
we are shut off from the  common ways of
 doing good2 we cannot teach in the     
,sabbath school2 we  cannot go and      
preach2 we cannot go and speak to the   
sick2 we cannot  speak even to our      
fellow at the desk4 ,what can we do8 ,we
 can do the  best thing of all1 as of   
course all the best things are open to  
every  man4 ,love1 faith1 joy1 hope1 all
 these things1 all the best things1  are
 open to all men2 and so here it is open
 to all of us to forward  the cause of  
,christ in the most influential way     
possible1 if not in  the most prominent 
way4 ,what happens when a person is     
looking into a  shop window where there 
is a mirror1 and some one comes up      
behind--some one he knows8 ,he does not 
look any longer at the image2  he turns 
to look at the person whose image is    

reflected4 ,or if he  sees reflected on 
the mirror something very striking3 he  
does not  content himself with looking  
at the image2 he turns and looks at the 
thing itself4 ,so it is always with the 
persons that you have to do  with4 ,if  
you become a mirror to ,christ your     
friends will detect it in  a very few   
days2 they will see appearing in you1   
the mirror1 an image  which they know   
has not been originated in you1 and they
 will turn to  look straight at the     
,person that you are reflecting4 ,it is 
in that  way that ,christianity passes  
from man to man4      ,,the             
,,transfiguration4    ,and it came to   
pass about eight days after these       
sayings1 ,he took  ,peter and ,john and 
,james and went up into the mountain to 
pray4--,,luke ix4 #bh-cf4    ,the public
 life or our ,lord falls into two parts2
 and the incident  here recorded is the 
turning point between them4 ,in order   
that ,he  might leave behind ,him when  
,he died a sure foundation for ,his     

,church1  it was necessary that ,his    
intimate companions should at all events
  know that ,he was the ,christ1 and    
that the ,christ must enter into  glory 
by suffering death4 ,only then1 when    
they understood 4 this1  could ,he die  
and leave them on earth behind4 ,now it 
is just at this  point in ,his life that
 it has become quite clear that the     
first  article of the ,christian        
creed--that ,jesus is the ,christ--had  
been at  last definitely accepted by the
 disciples4 ,very solemnly our ,lord has
  put it to them3 ,who say ye that ,i am
 8 ,no doubt it was a trying  moment for
 ,him as for them4 ,what was ,he to do  
if it had not now  become plain at least
 to a few steadfast souls that ,he was  
the  ,christ--the ,messenger of ,god to 
men8 ,happily the impulsiveness of      
,peter gives ,him little space for      
anxiety2 for he1 with that generous     
outburst of affectionate trust which    
should ring through every creed1  said1 
,thou art the ,christ1 the ,son of the  

living ,god4 ,you see the  intensified  
relief which this brought to our ,lord1 
the keen  satisfaction ,he felt as ,he  
heard it distinctly and solemnly uttered
  as the creed of the ,twelve2 as ,he   
heard what hitherto ,he could only  have
 gathered from casual expressions1 from 
wistful awe-struck looks1  from         
overheard questionings and debatings    
with one another4 ,you see  how at once1
 ,he steps on to a new footing with     
them1 as ,he cordially1  and with       
intense gratitude1 says to ,peter1      
,blessed art thou1 ,simon  ,barjona4 ,in
 this ,divinely-wrought confession of   
,peter's1 ,he finds at  last the        
foundation stone of the earthly building
 the beginning of  that intelligent and 
hearty reception of ,himself which was  
to make  earth the recipient of all     
heaven's fulness4 ,but as yet only half 
the  work is done4 ,men believe that ,he
 is the ,king1 but as yet they have     
very little idea of what the kingdom is 
to consist4 ,they think ,him  worthy of 

all glory1 but the kind of glory1 and   
the way to it they  are ignorant of4    
,from1 that time forth1 therefore1 began
 ,jesus to  show unto them how ,he must 
go unto ,jerusalem and suffer many      
things1  even of the men who ought      
chiefly to have recognised ,him1 and to 
be  raised again the third day4    ,once
 before our ,lord had been tempted in   
another way to the throne of  the       
universal dominion of men2 again this   
temptation is pressed upon  ,him by the 
very men who should have helped ,him to 
resist it2 ,his  closest1 ,his warmest1 
,his most enlightened friends1 those who
 stand  on quite a different plane from 
the world at large1 are ,his tempters4  
,satan found in them an adequate        
mouthpiece4 ,they1 who should have      
cheered and heartened ,him to face the  
terrible prospect1 were  hindrances1    
were an additional burden and anxiety to
 ,him4    ,now1 it is to this           
conversation that the incident known as 
the  transfiguration is linked by all   

the evangelists who relate it--the      
first three4 ,it was six days after 7or1
 as ,luke says1 eight days  after7 this 
conversation that ,jesus went up ,mount 
,hermon for the sake  of retirement and 
prayer4 ,plainly ,he was aware that the 
great crisis  of ,his life had come4    
,the time had come when ,he must cease  
teaching1  and face ,his destiny4 ,he   
had made upon ,his disciples an         
impression  which would be indelible4   
,with deliberation they had accepted    
,him as  the ,messiah2 the ,church was  
founded2 ,his work1 so far as ,his      
teaching  went1 was accomplished4 ,it   
remained that ,he should die4 ,to       
consecrate  ,himself to this hard       
necessity1 ,he retired to the solitude  
of ,mount  ,hermon4 ,we start1 then1    
from the wrong point of view1 if we     
suppose  that ,jesus climbed ,hermon in 
order to enjoy spiritual ecstasy1 or    
exhibit ,his glory to those three men4  
,ecstasy of this kind must come         
unsought2 and the way to it lies through

 conflict1 humiliation1  self-mastery4  
,it was not simply to pray that ,jesus  
retired2 it was to  engage in the great 
conflict of ,his life4 ,and because ,he 
felt1  ,himself so much in need of      
kindness and support1 ,he took with ,him
 the  three companions ,he could most   
depend upon4 ,they were loyal friends2  
and their very presence was a strength  
to ,him4 ,so human was ,jesus1  and now 
so heavily burdened1 that the           
devotedness of these three  plain       
men--the sound of their voices1 the     
touch of their hands as  they clambered 
the hill together1 gave ,him strength   
and courage4 ,let  no one be ashamed to 
lean upon the affection of his          
fellow-men4 ,let  us1 also1 reverently1 
and with sympathy1 accompany our ,lord  
and  witness1 and endeavour to          
understand1 the conflict in which ,he   
now  engaged4 ,it has been suggested    
that the transfiguration may best be    
understood as a temptation4 ,undoubtedly
 there must have been  temptation in the

 experience of ,jesus at this crisis4   
,it was for the  purpose of finally     
consecrating ,himself to death1 with all
 its  painful accompaniments1 that ,he  
now retired4 ,but the very difficulty   
of this act of consecration consisted   
just in this3 that ,he might1 if  ,he   
pleased1 avoid death4 ,it was because   
,peter's words1 ,this be far  from      
,thee1 touched a deep chord in ,his own 
spirit1 and strengthened  that within   
,himself which made ,him tremble and    
wish that ,god's will  could in any     
other wise be accomplished--it was this 
which caused ,him  so sharply and       
suddenly to rebuke ,peter4 ,peter's     
words penetrated to  what was lurking   
near at hand as ,his normal temptation4 
,we may very  readily underrate the     
trial and temptation of ,christ1 and    
thus have  only a formal1 not a real1   
esteem for ,his manhood4 ,we always     
underrate it when we do not fully       
apprehend ,his human nature1 and        
believe that ,he was tempted in all     

points as we are4 ,but1 on the  other   
hand1 we underrate it if we forget that 
,his position was wholly  different from
 ours4 ,that ,jesus had abundant nerve  
and courage no  reader of the ,gospels  
can1 of course1 doubt4 ,he was calm in  
the midst  of a storm which terrified   
experienced boat-men2 in riots that     
threatened ,his life1 in the hands of   
soldiers striving to torment ,him  and  
break ,him down1 in the presence of     
judges and enemies1 ,he  maintained a   
dignity which only the highest courage  
could maintain4  ,that such a ,person   
should have quailed at the prospect of  
physical  suffering1 which thousands of 
men and women have voluntarily and      
calmly faced1 is simply impossible to   
believe4 ,neither was it  entirely ,his 
perception of the spiritual significance
 of death which  made it to ,him a far  
more painful prospect than to any other4
  ,certainly this clear perception of   
the meaning of death did add  immensely 
to its terrors2 but if we are even to   

begin to understand  ,his trial1 and    
begin is all we can do--we must bear in 
mind what  ,peter had just confessed1   
and what ,jesus ,himself knew--that ,he 
was  the ,christ4 ,it was this which    
made the difference4 ,socrates could    
toss off the poison as unmoved as if it 
had been a sleeping-draught1  because he
 was dying for himself alone4 ,jesus    
could only with  trembling take into    
,his hand the fatal cup1 because ,he    
knew that ,he  was standing for all men4
 ,if ,he failed1 all failed4 ,everything
 hung  upon ,him4 ,the general who      
spends the whole night pacing his tent1 
debating the chances of battle on the   
morrow1 is not tormented with  the      
thought of his own private fate1 but    
with the possibilities of  disaster to  
his men and to his country1 if his      
design or his skill  should at any      
moment of the battle fail4 ,jesus was   
human2 and we deny  ,his humanity1 and  
fail to give ,him the honour due to it1 
if we do not  recognise the difficulty  

which ,he must always have felt in      
believing  that ,his single act could   
save the world1 and the burden of       
responsibility which must have weighed  
upon ,him when ,he realised that  it was
 by the ,spirit ,he maintained in life  
and in death1 that ,god  meant to bless 
all men4 ,it was because ,he knew       
,himself to be the  ,christ1 and because
 every man depended upon ,him as the    
,christ1 and  because1 therefore1 the   
whole blessing ,god meant for the world 
depended upon ,his maintaining faith in 
,god through the most trying            
circumstances--it was because of this   
that ,he trembled lest all  should end  
in failure4 ,it was this which drove    
,him1 again1 and again1  and again to   
the hills to spend all night in prayer1 
in laying ,his  burden upon the only    
,strength that could bear it4    ,but in
 retiring in order1 with deliberation1  
finally to dedicate  ,himself to death1 
this temptation must of necessity appear
 in all its  strength4 ,it is only in   

presence of all that can induce ,him to 
another course that ,he can resolve upon
 the ,god-appointed way4 ,as ,he  prays 
two figures necessarily rise before     
,him1 and intensify the  temptation4    
,moses and ,elias were ,god's greatest  
servants in the past1  and neither of   
them had passed to glory through so     
severe an ordeal4  ,moses1 with eye     
undimmed and strength unabated1 was     
taken from earth  by a departure so easy
 that it was said to be by the kiss of  
,god4  ,elijah1 instead of removal by   
death1 ascended to his rest in a        
chariot of fire4 ,was it not possible   
that as easy an exodus might  befit     
,him8 ,might not this ignominious death 
,he looked forward to make  it          
impossible for the people to believe in 
,him8 ,how could they rank  ,him with   
those old prophets whom ,god had dealt  
with so differently  and so plainly     
honoured8 ,would people not almost      
necessarily accept  the death of the    
cross as proof that ,he was abandoned8  

,nay1 did not  their sacred books       
justify them in considering ,him        
accursed of ,god8  ,was ,he correct in  
,his interpretation of the              
,scriptures--an  interpretation which   
led ,him to believe that the ,messiah   
must suffer  and die1 but which none of 
,his friends admitted1 and none of the  
authorities and skilled interpreters in 
,his country admitted8 ,was it  not1    
after all1 possible that ,his kingdom   
might be established by  other means8   
,we can see but a small part of the     
force of these  temptations1 but ,if the
 presence of those august figures       
intensified  the normal temptation of   
this period1 their presence was also a  
very  effectual aid against this        
temptation4 ,in their presence ,his     
anticipated end could no longer be      
called death2 rather the  departure1 or1
 as the narrative says1 the ,exodus4    
,the eternal will  and mighty hand which
 had guided and upheld ,moses when he   
bore the  responsibility and toil of    

emancipating a host of slaves from the  
most powerful of rulers would uphold    
,jesus in the infinitely  weightier     
responsibilities which now lay upon     
,him4 ,elijah1 also1 at a  crisis of his
 people's history1 had stood alone      
against all the might  and malignity of 
,jezebel and the priests of ,baal2      
alone1 and with  death staring him in   
the face1 he confessed ,god1 and1 by his
  single-handed victory1 wrought        
deliverance for the whole people4       
,their combined voice1 therefore1 says  
to ,jesus1 ,banish all fear2  look      
forward to your decease at ,jerusalem as
 about to effect an  immeasurably       
grander deliverance than that which gave
 freedom to your  people4 ,do not shrink
 from trusting that the sacrifice of    
,one can  open up a source of blessing  
to all4 ,steadfast submission to ,god's 
will is ever the path to glory4    ,but 
not only must our ,lord have been       
encouraged and heartened by  recalling  
the individual experiences of these men1

 but their presence  reminds ,him of    
,his relation to them in ,god's         
purposes2 for ,moses and  ,elijah       
represent the whole ,old ,testament     
,church4 ,by the ,law and the  ,prophets
 had ,god up to this time dealt with    
men2 through these ,he had  revealed    
,himself4 ,but ,jesus had long since    
recognised that neither  ,moses nor     
,elias1 neither ,law nor ,prophets1 were
 sufficient4 ,the  ,christ must come to 
effect a real mediation between ,god and
 man2 and  ,jesus knew that ,he ,himself
 was the ,christ4 ,on ,him lay the task 
of  making the salvation of the ,jews   
the salvation of the whole world2 of    
bringing all men to ,jehovah4 ,it was   
under pressure of this  responsibility  
that ,he had searched the ,scriptures1  
and found in the  ,scriptures what those
 had not found--that it was necessary   
that  ,christ should suffer and so enter
 into glory4    ,probably it was not so 
much any one passage of ,scripture which
 had  carried home to the mind of ,jesus

 that the ,christ must die4 ,we may     
seek for that in vain2 it was ,his      
perception of the real needs of  men1   
and of what the ,law and the ,prophets  
had done to satisfy these  needs1 that  
showed ,him what remained for the final 
,revealer and  ,mediator to accomplish4 
,the ,law and the ,prophets had told men
 that  ,god is holy1 and men's          
blessedness1 even as ,god's blessedness1
 lies  in holiness4 ,but this very      
teaching seemed to widen the breach     
between men and ,god1 and to make union 
between them truly hopeless4  ,by the   
law came not union with ,god1 but the   
knowledge of sin4 ,to put  it shortly1  
fellowship or union with ,god1 which is 
the beginning and  end of all religion1 
is but another name for holiness4       
,holiness is  union with ,god1 and      
holiness can better be secured by       
revealing the  holy ,god as a ,god of   
love than by law or by prophets4 ,it is 
this holy  love and lovingness that the 
cross of ,christ brings home to every   

heart4 ,this revelation of the ,father1 
no document and no officials  could     
possibly make2 only the ,beloved ,son1  
only one who stood in a  personal       
relation to the ,father1 and was of the 
same nature1 as truly  divine as human4 
,therefore the voice goes forth         
annulling all  previous utterances1 and 
turning all eyes to ,jesus--,hear ,him6 
,therefore1 as often as the mind of     
,christ was employed on this  subject1  
so often did ,he see the necessity of   
death4 ,it was only by  dying that men's
 sins could be expiated1 and only by    
dying the  fulness of ,god's love could 
be exhibited4 ,the ,law and the         
,prophets  spoke to ,him always1 and now
 once more of the decease ,he must      
accomplish at ,jerusalem4 ,they spoke of
 ,his death1 because it was ,his  death 
that was presupposed by every sacrifice 
of the ,law2 by every  prophecy that    
foretold good to man4 ,the ,law found   
its highest  fulfilment in the most     
lawless of transgressions2 prophecy     

found its  richest in that which seemed 
to crush out hope itself4    ,nothing1  
then1 could have been more opportune    
than this for the  encouragement of our 
,lord4 ,on earth ,he had found          
incredulity among  ,his best friends2   
incapacity to see why ,he should die2   
indifference  to ,his object here4 ,he  
now meets with those who1 with          
breathless  interest1 await ,his death  
as if it were the one only future event4
 ,in  their persons ,he sees1 at one    
view1 all who had put their trust in    
,god from the foundation of the world2  
all who had put faith in a  sacrifice   
for sin1 knowing it was ,god's          
appointment1 and that ,he  would        
vindicate ,his own wisdom and truth by  
finding a real  propitiation2 all who1  
through dark and troublous times1 had   
strained  to see the consolation of     
,israel2 all who1 in the misery of their
 own  thought1 had still believed that  
there was a true glory for men          
somewhere to be attained2 all who       

through the darkness and storm and  fear
 of earth had trusted in ,god1 scarcely 
daring to think what would  become of   
their trust1 but assured that ,god had  
spoken1 nay1 had  covenanted with ,his  
people1 and finding true rest in ,him4  
,when all  these now stand before our   
,lord in the persons of ,moses and      
,elias1  the hitherto mediators between 
,god and man1 must not their waiting    
eyes1 their longing1 trustful           
expectation1 have confirmed ,his resolve
  that their hope should not be put to  
shame8 ,the whole anxiety of  guilty    
consciences1 the whole hope of men      
awakened1 the whole longing  sigh for a 
,god revealed1 that had breathed from   
the ancient ,church1  at once became    
audible to ,his ear4 ,at once ,he felt  
the dependence of  all who had died in  
faith in the promise4 ,he meets the     
eager1  questioning gaze of all who had 
hoped for salvation concentrated on     
,himself4 ,is this ,he who can save the 
lost1 ,he who can bear the weight  of a 

world's dependence8 ,what an appeal     
there is here to ,his  compassion6 ,how 
steadfastly now does ,he set ,his face  
towards  ,jerusalem1 feeling straitened 
till the world's salvation is secured1  
and all possibility of failure for ever 
at an end4    ,this1 then1 was for      
,jesus an appeal that was irresistible4 
,as the  full meaning of all that ,god  
had done for ,his people through ,law   
and  ,prophets was borne in upon ,him1  
,he saw that ,he must die4 ,now1 for the
  last time1 ,he put aside all ,his     
hesitations1 and as ,he prays1 ,he      
yields ,himself to the will of the      
,father4 ,those are the supreme  moments
 in human life when man1 through sore   
conflict and at great  cost1 gives      
himself up to the will of ,god4 ,never  
was there so sore a  conflict1 and never
 so much joy as here4 ,his face was     
transfigured2  it beamed with the light 
and peace of heaven that shone from     
within4  ,the eyes of the disciples     
closed on a face1 every line of which   

they  knew and loved--a face full of    
wisdom and resolve and deep-founded     
peace1 showing marks of trouble1 of     
trial1 of endurance1 of premature  age2 
their eyes opened upon a face that      
shines with a preternatural  radiance--a
 face expressing1 more than ever face   
had done1 the  dignity and glory and joy
 of perfect harmony with ,god4 ,he was  
,god-possessed1 and the ,divine glory   
shone from ,his face4 ,it was at  the   
moment of his yielding all to ,god that 
,jesus attained ,his highest  glory4    
,man's life is transformed when he      
allows ,god's will to fill it  and shine
 through it2 his person is transformed  
when he divests  himself of self-will1  
and allows ,god wholly to possess it4   
,how easy was it for the disciples at   
that hour to hear ,him2 to listen  now  
when ,he spoke of the cross1 which1 for 
,him and for all ,his  disciples1 is the
 path leading from earth to heaven1 from
 what is  selfishly human to true human 
glory6 ,it is on the cross that ,jesus  

is  truly enthroned4 ,it is because ,he 
became the ,servant of all that ,he  is 
greatest of all4 ,if anyone could rival 
,him in the service he would  rival ,him
 in the glory4 ,it is because ,he gave  
,himself for us1 willing  to do all to  
save us in our direst need1 that ,he    
takes a place in our  confidence and in 
our heart that belongs to no other4 ,he 
becomes the  one absolute need of every 
man1 because ,he is that which brings us
 to  ,god1 and gives ,god to us4        
,hear ,him1 therefore1 when1 through    
,his ,providence1 ,he preaches to you   
this difficult lesson4 ,if your         
difficulties and distresses are real2   
if you cannot labour without thinking of
 them2 if you cannot rest  from labour  
through fear of their possessing you2 if
 your troubles  have assumed so hard a  
form1 so real a place in your life1 that
 all  else has come to seem unreal and  
empty1 then remember that ,he whose  end
 was to be eternal glory chose sorrow1  
that ,he might break a way  to glory    

through human suffering4 ,if there is   
nothing in your lot in  life which      
crosses and humbles you2 if there is    
nothing in your  circumstances which    
compels you to see that this life is not
 for  self-indulgence and               
self-gratification1 then still you must 
win  participation in your ,lord's glory
 by accepting ,his lowliness and        
heavenliness of mind4 ,it is not to     
outward success that you are  called in 
,his kingdom1 it is to inward victory4  
,you are called to  meekness1 and       
lowliness1 and mercy2 to the losing of  
your life in  this world1 that you may  
have life everlasting4    ,notice1 in   
conclusion1 the impression made on the  
disciples1 as  disclosed in ,peter's    
words1 ,it is good to be here4 ,peter   
knew when  he was in good company4 ,he  
was not very wise himself1 but he had   
sense enough to recognise wisdom in     
others4 ,he was not himself a  finished 
saint1 but he had a hearty appreciation 
of those who had  attained saintliness4 

,he had reverence1 power to recognise1  
and  ungrudgingly to worship1 what was  
good4 ,he had an honest delight in      
seeing his ,master honoured1 a delight  
which1 perhaps1 some of us  envy4 ,it   
was not a forced expression1 it was not 
a feigned delight4  ,he was a man who   
always felt that something should be    
said1 and so  here what was uppermost   
came out4 ,why did ,peter feel it was   
good for  him to be there8 ,possibly it 
was in part because here was glory      
without shame2 recognition and homage   
without suffering2 but no doubt  partly 
because he felt that in such company he 
was a better man than  elsewhere4       
,christ kept him right2 seemed to       
understand him better  than others2 to  
consider him more4 ,there was no        
resentment on ,peter's  part on account 
of the severe answers he received from  
,christ4 ,he  knew these were just1 and 
he had learned to trust his ,lord2 and  
it  suddenly flashes upon him that1 if  
only he could live quietly with  ,jesus 

in such retirement as they then enjoyed1
 he would be a better  man4 ,we have the
 same consciousness as ,peter1 that if  
ever we are  right-minded and disposed  
for good1 and able to make sacrifices   
and  become a little heavenly2 if ever  
we hate sin cordially--it is when  we   
are in the presence of ,christ4 ,if we  
find it as impossible as  ,peter did to 
live retired from all conflict and      
intercourse with all  kinds of men2 if1 
like ,peter1 we have to descend into a  
valley  ringing with demoniacs cries2 if
 we are called upon to deal with the    
world as it actually is--deformed1      
dehumanised by sin2 is it nothing  that 
we can assure ourselves of the society  
and friendship of ,one who  means to    
remove all suffering and all sin1 and   
who does so1 not by a  violent act of   
authority1 but by sympathy and patient  
love1 so that  we can be ,his proper    
instruments1 and in healing and helping 
others1  help and heal ourselves6       
,,indiscreet ,,importunity4        ,i   

gave thee a king in mine anger4         
,,hosea xiii4 #aa4        ,ye know not  
what ye ask4          ,,matthew xx4 #bb4
        ,,psalm lxxviii4 #bg-ca4        
,that ,god sometimes suffers men to     
destroy themselves1 giving them  their  
own way1 although ,he knows it is       
ruinous1 and even putting into  their   
hands the scorpion they have mistaken   
for a fish1 is an  indubitable and      
alarming fact4    ,perhaps no form of   
ruin covers a man with such shame or    
sinks him to  such hopelessness as when 
he finds that what he has persistently  
clamoured for and refused to be content 
without1 has proved the  bitterest and  
most disastrous element in his life4    
,this particular  form of ruin is       
nowhere described with more careful1 and
 significant  detail than in the        
narrative of ,israel's determination to 
have a king  over them like other       
nations4 ,samuel1 forseeing the evils   
which would  result from their choice1  
remonstrated with them and reminded them

 of  their past success1 and pointed out
 the advantageous elements in  their    
present condition4 ,but there is a point
 at which desire becomes  deaf and      
blind1 and the evil of it can be        
recognised only after it is  gratified4 
,god therefore gave them a king in ,his 
anger4    ,the truth1 then1 which is    
embodied in this incident1 and which is 
liable to reappear in the experience of 
any individual1 is this1 that  sometimes
 ,god yields to importunity1 and grants 
to men what ,he knows  will be no       
blessing to them4 ,it is a thing1 says  
,south1 partly  worth our wonder1 partly
 our compassion1 that what the greatest 
part  of men most passionately desire1  
that they are generally most unfit  for2
 so that at a distance they court that  
as an enjoyment1 which  upon experience 
they find a plague and a great calamity4
 ,it is  astonishing how many things we 
desire for the same reason as the       
,israelites sought a king1 merely that  
we may have what other people  have4 ,we

 may not definitely covet our           
neighbour's house or his wife  or his   
position or anything that is his2 but   
deep within us remains  the             
scarcely-conscious conviction that we   
have not all we might and  ought to have
 until our condition more resembles his4
 ,we take our  ideas of happiness from  
what we see in other people1 and have   
little  originality to devise any       
special and more appropriate enjoyment  
or  success4 ,fashion or tradition or   
the necessity of one class in  society  
has promoted certain possessions and    
conditions to the rank  of extremely    
desirable or even necessary elements of 
happiness1 and  forthwith we desire     
them1 without duly considering our own  
individuality and what it is that must  
always constitute happiness  for us1 or 
what it is that fits us for present     
usefulness4 ,health1  position1 fame1 a 
certain settlement in life1 income1     
marriage2 such  things are eagerly      
sought by thousands1 and they are sought

 without  sufficient discrimination1 or 
at any rate without a well-informed     
weighing of consequences4 ,we refuse1   
too1 to see that already without  those 
things our condition has much advantage1
 and that we are  actually happy4 ,we   
may be dimly conscious that our tastes  
are not  precisely those of other men1  
and that if the ordinary ways of        
society are the best men can devise for 
spending life satisfactorily1  these are
 scarcely the ways that will suit us4   
,yet1 like petted  children1 we continue
 persistently to cry for the thing we   
have not4  ,sometimes it is a mere      
question of waiting4 ,the thing we sigh 
for  will come in time1 but not yet4 ,to
 wait is the test of many persons2  and 
if they are impatient1 they fail in the 
one point that determines  the whole4   
,many young persons seem to think life  
will all be gone  before they taste any 
of its sweets4 ,they must have          
everything at  once1 and cannot postpone
 any of its enjoyments or advantages4   

,no  quality is more fatal to success   
and lasting happiness than  impatience4 
,this being a common attitude of mind   
towards fancied blessings1 how  does    
,god deal with it8 ,for a long time ,he 
may in compassion withhold  the fatal   
gift4 ,he may in pity disregard our     
petulant clamour4 ,and ,he  may in many 
ways bring home to our minds that the   
thing we crave is  in several respects  
unsuitable4 ,we may become conscious    
under ,his  discipline that without it  
we are less entangled with the world and
  with temptation2 that we can live more
 holily and more freely as we  are1 and 
that to quench the desire we have would 
be to choose the  better part4 ,god may 
make it plain to us that it is childish 
to look  upon this one thing as the     
supreme and only good4 ,providential    
obstacles are thrown in our way1        
difficulties amounting almost to        
impossibilities absolutely prevent us   
for a while from attaining our  object1 
and give us time to collect ourselves   

and take thought4 ,and  not only are we 
prevented from attaining this one       
object1 but in  other respects our life 
is enriched and gladdened1 so that we   
might  be expected to be content4 ,if we
 cannot have a king like other  nations1
 we have the best of ,judges in         
abundance4 ,and experience of  this kind
 will convince the subject of it that a 
,providence shapes  our ends1 even      
although the lesson it teaches may      
remain unlearnt4    ,for man's will is  
never forced3 and therefore if we       
continue to pin  our happiness to this  
one object1 and refuse to find          
satisfaction and  fruit in life without 
it1 ,god gives in anger what we have    
resolved to  obtain4 ,he gives it in its
 bare earthly form1 so that as soon as  
we  receive it our soul sinks in shame4 
,instead of expanding our nature  and   
bringing us into a finished and         
satisfactory condition1 and  setting our
 life in right relations with other men1
 we find the new  gift to be a curse to 

us1 hampering us1 cutting us off in     
unexpected  ways from our usefulness1   
thwarting and blighting our life round  
its  whole circumference4    ,for a man 
is never very long in discovering the   
mischief he has done  by setting his own
 wisdom above ,god's1 by underrating    
,god's goodness  and overriding ,god's  
will4 ,when ,samuel remonstrated with   
,israel and  warned them that their king
 would tyrannise over them1 all the     
answer  he got was3 ,nay1 but we will   
have a king to rule over us4 ,but1 not  
many days after1 they came to ,samuel   
with a very different petition3  ,pray  
for thy servants unto the ,lord thy     
,god1 that we die not2 for we  have     
added unto all our sins this evil1 to   
ask us a king4 ,so it is  always2 we    
speedily recognise the difference       
between ,god's wisdom and  our own4     
,what seemed neglect on ,his part is now
 seen to be care1 and  what we murmured 
at as niggardliness and needless        
harshness we now  admire as tenderness4 

,those at least are our second and wiser
  thoughts1 even although at first we   
may be tempted with ,manoah when  he saw
 his son blind and fettered in the      
,philistine dungeon1 to  exclaim1       
,what thing good    ,pray'd for1 but    
often proves our woe1 our bane8    ,i   
prayed for children and thought         
barrenness    ,in wedlock a reproach2   
,i gain'd a son ,and such a son    as   
all men hail'd me happy4    ,who would  
be now a father in my stead8    ,oh1    
wherefore did ,god grant me my request1 
,and as a blessing with such pomp       
adorn'd    ,why are ,his gifts          
desirable1 to tempt    ,our earnest     
prayers1 then giv'n with solemn hand    
,as graces1 draw a scorpion's tail      
behind8    ,such1 ,i say1 may be our    
first thoughts2 but when the first      
bitterness  and bewilderment of         
disappointment are over1 when reason and
 right  feeling begin to dominate1 we   
own that the whole history of our       
prayer and its answer has been most     

humiliating to us1 indeed1 but  most    
honouring to ,god4 ,we see as never     
before how accurately our  character has
 been understood1 how patiently our evil
 propensities  have been resisted1 how  
truly our life has been guided towards  
the  highest ends4    ,the obvious      
lessons are3-    #a4 ,be discreet in    
your importunity4 ,two parables are     
devoted to the  inculcation of          
importunity4 ,and it is a duty to which 
our own  intolerable cravings drive us4 
,but there is an importunity which      
offends ,god4 ,there is a spiritual     
instinct which warns us when we are     
transgressing the bounds of propriety2 a
 perception whereby ,paul  discerned1   
when he had prayed thrice for the       
removal of the thorn in  his flesh1 that
 it would not be removed4 ,there are    
things1 about  which a heavenly-minded  
person feels it to be unbecoming to be  
over-solicitous2 and there are things   
regarding which it is somehow  borne in 
upon us that we are not to attain them4 

,there are natural  disabilities1       
physical or mental or social weaknesses 
and  embarrassments1 regarding which we 
sometimes cannot but cry out to  ,god   
for relief1 and yet as we cry we feel   
that they will not be  removed1 and that
 we must learn to bear the burden       
cheerfully4    #b4 ,on the other hand1  
we must not be false in prayer4 ,we must
 utter  to ,god our real desires in     
their actual intensity2 while at the    
same  time we must learn to moderate    
desires which we see to be unpleasing   
to ,god4 ,we must learn to say with     
truth3      ,not what we wish but what  
we want      ,thy favouring grace       
supply2    ,the good unasked1 in mercy  
grant1      ,the ill1 though asked1     
deny4    ,learn why ,god does not make  
the coveted blessing accessible to you1 
and you will learn to pray freely and   
wisely4 ,try to discover whether  there 
is not some peculiar advantage attaching
 to your present  state--some more      
wholesome example you can furnish1 some 

more helpful  attitude towards others2  
some healthier exercise of the manlier  
graces of ,christianity1 which could not
 be maintained were your  request       
granted4    #c4 ,if your life is marred 
by the gift you have wrung by your      
importunity from a reluctant ,god1 be   
wise and humble in your dealing  with   
that gift4 ,if you have suddenly and    
painfully learned that in  the          
ordinary-looking circumstances of your  
life ,god is touching you  at every     
point1 and if you clearly see that in   
giving you the fruit  of your desires   
,he is punishing you1 there is one only 
way by which  you can advance to a      
favourable settlement1 and that is by a 
real  submission to ,god4 ,perhaps in no
 circumstances is a man more tempted  to
 break with ,god4 ,at first he cannot   
reconcile himself to the idea  that ruin
 should be the result of prayer1 and he 
is inclined to say1  ,if this be the    
result of waiting on ,god1 the better   
course is to  refuse ,his guidance4 ,in 

his heart he knows he is wrong1 but     
there is  an appearance of justice in   
what he says1 and it is so painful to   
have the heart broken1 to admit we have 
been foolish and wrong1 and  humbly to  
beseech ,god to repair the disasters our
 own self-will has  wrought4            
,,shame ,,on ,,account ,,of ,,god',s    
,,displeasure4    ,and the ,lord said   
unto ,moses1 ,if her father had but spit
 in her  face1 should she not be ashamed
 seven days8 ,let her be shut out from  
the camp seven days1 and after that let 
her be received in  again4--,,numbers   
xii4 #ad4    ,the incident recorded in  
this chapter is of a painful character4 
,petty jealousies discovered themselves 
in the most distinguished  family of    
,israel4 ,through the robes of the      
anointed and sacred ,high  ,priest the  
throbbings of a heart stirred with evil 
passion were  discernible4 ,aaron and   
,miriam could not bear that even their  
own  brother should occupy a ,position  
of exceptional dignity1 and with        

ignorant pretentiousness aspired to     
equality with him4 ,it is to the        
punishment of this sin that our         
attention is here called4 ,this         
punishment fell directly on ,miriam1    
possibly because the person of  the     
,high ,priest was sacred1 and had he    
been incapacitated all ,israel  would   
have suffered in their representative2  
possibly because the  sin1 as it shows  
traces of a peculiarly feminine         
jealousy1 was  primarily the sin of     
,miriam2 and partly because1 in her     
punishment1  ,aaron suffered a          
sympathetic shame1 as is apparent from  
his1  impassioned appeal to ,moses in   
her behalf4    ,the noteworthy feature  
of the incident and its most impressive 
lesson  are found in the fact that1     
although the healing and forgiveness    
sought for ,miriam were not refused1    
,god is represented as resenting  the   
speedy oblivion of the offence on       
account of which the leprosy  had been  
sent and of the ,divine displeasure     

incurred4 ,there was cause  to apprehend
 that the whole matter might be too     
quickly wiped out and  forgotten1 and   
that the sinners1 reinstated in their   
old positions1  should think too lightly
 of their offence4 ,this detrimental    
suddenness ,god takes measures to       
prevent4 ,had an earthly father         
manifested his displeasure as           
emphatically as ,god had now shown ,his1
  ,miriam could not for a time have held
 up her head4 ,god desires that  the    
shame which results from a sense of ,his
 displeasure should last  at least as   
long4 ,he therefore enjoins something   
like a penance2 ,he  removes ,his       
stroke1 but provides for the moral      
effects of it being  sufficiently       
impressed on the spirit to be permanent4
    ,three points are involved in the   
words3    #a4 ,our keener sense of man's
 displeasure than of ,god's4    #b4 ,the
 consequent possibility of accepting    
pardon with too light a heart4    #c4   
,the means of preventing such acceptance

 of pardon4    #a4 ,we are much more    
sensitive to the displeasure of man than
 to that  of ,god4 ,men have several    
methods of expressing their opinion of  
us  and their feeling toward us2 and    
these methods are quite effectual  for  
their purpose4 ,there is an instinctive 
and exact correspondence  between our   
feelings and every slightest hint of    
disapprobation on  the part of our      
acquaintances2 and so readily and       
completely does the  mere carriage of   
any person convey to us his estimate of 
our conduct  that explicit denunciation 
is seldom required4 ,the mode of        
expressing  opinion which is cited in   
the text is the most forcible ,eastern  
mode  of expressing contempt4 ,when one 
man spits in the face of another1 no    
one1 and least of all the suffering     
party1 can have the slightest  doubt of 
the esteem in which the one holds the   
other4 ,if an insolent  enemy were to   
spit in the face of a slain foe1 the    
dead man might  almost be expected to   

blush or to rise and avenge the insult4 
,but  comparing ,his methods with such a
 method as this1 ,god awards the palm   
to ,his own for explicitness and        
emphasis4 ,he speaks of the most        
emphatic and unambiguous of human       
methods with a but1 as if it  could     
scarcely be compared with ,his          
expressions of displeasure4 ,if  her    
father had but spit in her face--if that
 were all--but  something immensely more
 expressive than that has happened to   
her4    ,god1 therefore1 would have us  
ponder the punishments of sin1 and find 
in them the emphatic expressions of ,his
 judgment of our conduct and  of        
ourselves4 ,he resents our              
shamelessness1 and desires that we      
consider ,his judgments till our        
callousness is removed4 ,the case       
stands thus3 ,god4 is long-suffering1   
slow to anger1 not of a  fault-finding1 
everchiding nature1 but most loving and 
most just2 and  this ,god has recorded  
against us the strongest possible       

condemnation4  ,this ,god1 who cannot do
 what is not most just1 and who cannot  
make  mistakes1 this unfurious and holy 
,god1 whose opinion of us represents    
the very truth1 has pronounced us to be 
wicked and worthless2 and we  seem      
scarcely at all impressed by the        
declaration4 ,god's judgment of  us is  
not only absolutely true1 but it must   
also take effect2 so that  what ,he has 
pronounced against us will be seen      
written in the facts  bearing upon and  
entering into our life4 ,but1 although  
we know this1  we are for the most part 
as unmoved as if in hearing ,god's      
judgment  pronounced against us we had  
heard but the sighing of the wind or any
  other inarticulate1 unintelligible    
sound4 ,there is a climax of  ignominy  
in having excited in the ,divine mind   
feelings of displeasure  against us4    
,one might suppose a man would die of   
shame1 and could not  bear to live      
conscious of having merited the         
condemnation and  punishment of such a  

,being2 one might suppose that the      
breath of  ,god's disapproval would     
blast every blessing to us1 and that so 
long  as we know ourselves displeasing  
to ,him ,his sweetest gifts must be     
bitter to us2 but the coldness of a     
friend gives us more thought1 and  the  
contempt of men as contemptible as      
ourselves affects us with a  more       
genuine confusion4    ,god's demand1    
then1 is reasonable4 ,he would have us  
feel before ,him  as much shame as we   
feel before men1 the same kind of       
shame--shame  with the same blush and   
burning in it1 not shame of any         
sublimated1  fictitious kind4 ,he       
desires us individually to take thought1
 and to  say to ourselves3 ,suppose a   
man had proved against me even a small  
part of what is proved against me by    
,god3 ,suppose some wise1 just1  and    
honourable man had said of me and       
believed such things as ,god has  said3 
suppose he had said1 and said truly1    
that ,i had robbed him1  betrayed trust1

 and was unworthy of his friendship1    
would the shame  be no more poignant    
than that which ,i feel when ,god       
denounces me8  ,how trifling are the    
causes which make us blush before our   
fellows3 a  little awkwardness1 the     
slightest accident which makes us appear
  blundering1 some scarcely perceptible 
incongruity of dress1 an  infinitesimal 
error in manner or in accent--anything  
is enough to  make us uneasy in the     
company of those we esteem4 ,it is      
,god's  reasonable demand that for those
 gross iniquities and bold              
transgressions of which we are conscious
 we should manifest some  heartfelt     
shame--a shame that does not wholly lack
 the poignancy and  agitation of the    
confusion we feel in presence of human  
judgment4    #b4 ,the consequent        
possibility of accepting the pardon of  
sin with  too light a heart4 ,to ask for
 pardon ,without real shame is to treat 
sin lightly2 and to treat sin lightly is
 to treat ,god lightly4  ,nothing more  

effectually deadens the moral sense     
than3 the habit of  asking pardon       
without a due sense of the evil of sin4 
,we ask ,god to  forgive us our debts1  
and we do so in so inconsiderate a      
spirit that  we go straightway and      
contract heavier debts4 ,the friend who 
repays  the ten pounds we had lent him  
and asks for a new loan of twenty1  does
 not commend himself to our approval4   
,he is no better who accepts  pardon as 
if it cost ,god nothing4    #c4 ,the    
means of preventing a too light-hearted 
acceptance of  pardon4 ,under the       
ceremonial prescriptions enjoined on    
,miriam lay  some moral efficacy4 ,a    
person left for a full week without the 
camp  must1 in separation from          
accustomed companionship1 intercourse1  
and  occupations1 have been thrown upon 
his or her own thoughts4 ,no doubt  it  
is often while engaged in our ordinary  
occupations that the  strongest light is
 flashed upon our true spiritual        
condition4 ,it is  while in the company 

of other people that we catch hints     
which seem  to interpret to us our past 
and reveal to us our present state4 ,but
  these glimpses and hints often pass   
without result1 because we do not  find 
leisure to follow them up4 ,there must  
be some kind of separation  from the    
camp if we are to know ourselves1 some  
leisure gained for  quiet reflection4   
,it is due to ,god that we be at some   
pains to  ascertain with precision our  
actual relation to ,his will4    ,the   
very feeling of being outcast1 unworthy 
to mingle with former  associates and   
friends1 must have been humbling and    
instructive4  ,miriam had been the      
foremost woman in ,israel2 now she would
 gladly  have changed places with the   
least known and be lost among the throng
  from the eye of wonder1 pity1 contempt
 or cruel triumph4 ,all sin  makes us   
unworthy of fellowship with the people  
of ,god4 ,and the  feeling that we are  
thus unworthy1 instead of being lightly 
and  callously dismissed1 should be     

allowed to penetrate and stir the       
conscience4    ,if the leprosy departed 
from ,miriam as soon as ,moses prayed1  
yet the  shock to her physical system1  
and the revulsion of feeling consequent 
on being afflicted with so loathsome a  
disease1 would tell upon her  throughout
 the week4 ,all consequences of sin1    
which are prolonged  after pardon1 have 
their proper effect and use in begetting
 shame4 ,we  are not to evade what      
conscience tells us of the connection   
between  our sin and many of the        
difficulties of our life4 ,we are not to
 turn  away from this as a morbid view  
of providence2 still less are we to     
turn away because in this light sin     
seems so real and so hideous4  ,miriam  
must have thought1 ,if this disgusting  
condition of my body1  this lassitude   
and nervous trembling1 this fear and    
shame to face my  fellows1 be the just  
consequence of my envy and pride1 how   
abominable  must these sins be4 ,and we 
are summoned to similar thoughts4 ,if   

this  pursuing evil1 this heavy clog    
that drags me down1 this insuperable    
difficulty1 this disease1 or this       
spiritual and moral weakness be the     
fair natural consequence of my sin1 if  
these things are in the  natural world  
what my sin is in the spiritual1 then my
 sin must be a  much greater evil than  
,i was taking it to be4    ,but         
especially are we rebuked for all       
light-heartedness in our  estimate of   
sin by remembering ,him who went without
 the camp bearing  our reproach4 ,it is 
when we see ,christ rejected of men1 and
 outcast  for us and for our sin1 that  
we feel true shame4 ,to find one who so 
loves me and enters into my position    
that ,he feels more keenly than  myself 
the shame ,i have incurred2 to find one 
who so understands  ,god's holiness and 
is ,himself so pure that my sin affects 
,him with  the profoundest shame--this  
is what pierces my heart with an        
altogether new compunction1 with an     
arrow that cannot be shaken out4  ,and  

this connection of ,christ with our sin 
is actual4 ,if ,paul felt  himself so   
bound up with his fellow-,christians    
that he blushed for  them when they     
erred1 and could say with truth1 ,who is
 weak and ,i am  not weak1 who is       
offended and ,i turn not8 much more     
truly may ,christ  say1 ,who sins and ,i
 am not ashamed8 ,and if ,he thus enters
 into a  living sympathy with us1 shall 
not we enter into sympathy with ,him1   
and go without the camp bearing ,his    
reproach1 which1 indeed1 is ours2       
striving1 though it cost us much shame  
and self-denial1 to enter  heartily into
 ,his feelings at our sins1 and not     
letting our union to  ,him be a mere    
name or an inoperative tie which effects
 no real  assimilation in spirit between
 us and ,him4      ,,naaman ,,cured4    
,there is no ,scripture story better    
known than that of ,naaman1 the         
,syrian4 ,it is memorable not only      
because artistically told1 but  because 
it is so full of human feeling and rapid

 incident1 and so  fertile in           
significant ideas4 ,the little maid1    
whose touch set in  motion this drama1  
is an instance of the adaptability of   
the ,jew4  ,nothing seemed less likely  
than that this captive girl should carry
  with her into ,syria anything of much 
value to anyone4 ,possessions she  had  
none4 ,friends she might have1 only if  
she could make them4 ,as a  captive in a
 foreign land she might reasonably have 
put aside all  hope of obtaining any    
influence1 and might naturally have     
sought only  to benefit herself4 ,but   
she was a girl with a heart4 ,she at    
once took  an interest in her new home1 
and saw with sorrowful surprise that    
wealth could not purchase immunity from 
participation in the ordinary  human    
distresses1 nor guarded gates forbid    
disease to pass in4  ,brooding from day 
to day over the stories she had heard of
 ,elisha's  power1 and listening to her 
mistress's account of the failure of    
still another attempted cure1 she       

exclaims with childlike confidence  and 
earnestness1 ,would ,god my lord were   
with the prophet that is in  ,samaria6  
then would he recover him of his        
leprosy4 ,and thus her  natural interest
 in the troubles of other people1 her   
cheerful and  spirited acceptance of her
 position1 and the sense that taught her
 to  make the most of it1 brought her   
this great opportunity of doing an      
important service4 ,no one can lay the  
blame of his uselessness and  lack of   
good influence on his lack of           
opportunity1 if he is in  contact with  
men at all1 for wherever there are human
 beings there  are sorrows to be        
sympathised with1 wants to be relieved1 
characters  to be fashioned4    ,and    
while this ,jewish maid was utilising   
her captivity1 her parents1  if alive1  
would be eating their hearts out with   
anxiety and anguish1  imagining for     
their daughter the worst of destinies4  
,instead of the  horrors which usually  
follow such a captivity1 she is cared   

for in a  comfortable home4 ,little did 
the parents1 think that there was any   
work to be done in ,syria1 which none   
could so well do as their little  girl4 
,the ,lord had need of her1 and knew    
that when the parents heard  all they   
would not resent that their daughter had
 been thus employed4  ,none of us see   
much further into the ways of           
,providence than those  parents saw4    
,now1 as then1 those who are bound up in
 one another are  separated1 in order   
that ends even more important than the  
growth and  gratification of natural    
affections may be attained4             
,significant1 also1 is the dismay of    
,joram1 ,king of ,israel1 when he       
received the letter bidding him find    
healing for ,naaman4 ,so little  did he 
believe in ,elisha's power that he      
concluded the ,king of ,syria  sought to
 pick a quarrel with him by asking him  
for a favour he knew  he could not      
grant4 ,but while the king is helplessly
 tearing his  clothes in a passion of   

despair1 ,elisha sends him a message    
which1 at  least for the present1 gives 
him some calmness3 ,why hast thou rent  
thy clothes8 ,let him come now to me1   
and he shall know that there is  a      
prophet in ,israel4 ,elisha is ashamed  
that the ,king of ,israel  should have  
exhibited such weakness before a foreign
 potentate4 ,he  feels that the honour  
of ,israel's ,god is implicated1 and    
boldly takes  upon himself the          
responsibility of the cure4 ,bold it    
certainly was1  and tells of a confident
 faith that ,god will be faithful to    
,his  servants4 ,the king had no such   
faith4 ,there was a power resident in   
,israel of which he took no account4    
,like many other governments1 this      
,israelitish monarchy was unaware of its
 own resources1 because it did  not     
condescend to reckon what was spiritual4
 ,frequently in civil  history you find 
governments brought face to face with   
matters for  which they are1 with all   
their resources1 incompetent4 ,in modern

  ,europe1 and as much in our own       
country as in others1 everything gives  
place to politics4 ,nothing stirs so    
much excitement4 ,differences in        
religion do not sever men as differences
 in politics do4 ,we should1  therefore1
 recognise what is here suggested1 and  
should  counter-balance an undue regard 
for political movements and political   
power by the remembrance that the       
hardest tasks of all are  accomplished  
by quite another power1 and by a power  
which the  politician often overlooks4  
,what have we seen time after time in   
our  own ,parliament1 but the civil     
power rending its garments over evils   
which it cannot cure8 ,are not the      
remedies which have been proposed  for  
prevalent vices absurdly incompetent8   
,and it is the ,church's  shame if she  
cannot step forward and confidently say1
 ,you cannot deal  with such things2    
hand them over to me4 ,there must always
 be  distempers of society which rot the
 very life out of a nation1 and  for    

which legislation and criminal law are  
wholly inadequate4  ,honest-minded men  
who will not trifle with alarming       
abuses1 who will  not pretend they have 
found a remedy1 must simply rend their  
garments  in their presence4 ,and it is 
well that in our day1 as in others1     
there are men who1 trusting in personal 
effort and ,divine aid1  practically say
 to ,government1 leave these things to  
us4 ,christian  charity and practical   
wisdom have1 in our day effected a good 
deal  more than the healing of one      
leprous grandee1 even if as yet the     
spiritual force that resides in the     
community is only spasmodically  and    
partially applied to existing evil4     
,elisha's treatment of ,naaman was      
intended to bring him into direct  and  
conscious dependence on ,god2 or1 in    
other words1 to produce  humility and   
faith4 ,some persons are crushed and    
mastered by pain and  sickness1 and some
 gain in spiritual worth what they lose 
in physical  strength4 ,but ,naaman's   

disease had as yet done little to       
instruct  him4 ,he came as a great man1 
with his servants1 and chariots1 and    
piles of money1 to purchase a cure from 
a skilled man4 ,he did not see  what    
,elisha plainly saw1 that if this       
blessing came at all1 it must  come from
 ,israel's ,god1 and that with ,jehovah 
no man ,could barter or  be on          
bargaining terms1 but must accept freely
 what was freely given4  ,therefore     
,elisha refuses even to see him1 that   
,naaman might  understand it was with   
,god he had to do2 and by refusing a    
single  penny of payment he compelled   
the ,syrian to humble himself and accept
  his cure as a gift4    ,and probably  
the incident finds a place in the sacred
 history because  it marked an important
 step in the knowledge of ,god4 ,it was 
an early  instance of the ,conquests    
which the ,god of ,israel was to make   
among  the heathen1 a distinct and      
legible proof that whoever from among   
the  outlying nations appealed to ,him  

for help would receive the blessing  he 
sought4 ,but it was more than this1 it  
emphasized the freeness of  all ,god's  
gifts4 ,nothing could be purchased from 
,jehovah2 everything  must be received  
as a gift4 ,this was a new idea to the  
heathen1 and  probably to many of the   
,israelites also4 ,certainly it is an   
idea that  is only dimly apprehended by 
ourselves4 ,our dealing with one another
  is to so large an extent governed by  
the idea that nothing can be had  for   
nothing1 that we carry this idea into   
our dealings with ,god1 and  expect only
 what we can earn and claim4 ,it is a   
wholesome pride that  prompts us to work
 at anything rather than be dependent on
 other men1  but it is a most           
unwholesome and ignorant pride that     
forbids us to  acknowledge our          
dependence on ,god1 and to accept freely
 what ,he  freely gives4 ,until we learn
 to live in ,god1 to own ,him as alone  
having life in ,himself1 and to accept  
from ,him life and all that  sustains   

it1 both physical and spiritual1 we are 
not recognising the  truth and living in
 it4 ,our good deeds and good feelings1 
our  repentances and righteous          
intentions and endeavours1 are as much  
out  of place as a means of procuring   
,god's favour and help as ,naaman's     
talents of silver and pieces of gold4   
,we have ,god's favour  irrespective of 
our merit1 and we must humble ourselves 
to accept it  as ,his free gift1 which  
we could not earn and have not earned4  
,naaman no sooner saw that ,jehovah was 
a living and true ,god than he          
perceived that certain practical        
difficulties would result from this     
belief4 ,sometimes men do not connect   
their belief with their  practice2 they 
do not let their left hand know what    
their right hand  is doing4 ,but ,naaman
 4 foresaw that1 as hitherto1 he would  
still be  expected to enter the temple  
of the god ,rimmon when his master went 
to worship4 ,and he wished ,elisha's    
authority for this measure of           

conformity4    ,in our own country men  
have been severely tested by acts of    
conformity4 ,and nothing gives the      
conscience of the whole people so       
decided a lift as when men prefer       
disgrace or death to a conformity  which
 they believe to be wrong4    ,had      
,naaman been as uncompromising as       
,daniel1 who would not conform  even so 
far as to pray in a different corner of 
his room1 or as the  ,christian soldiers
 who suffered death rather than throw a 
pinch of  incense on the altar before   
the ,emperor's image1 possibly ,elisha  
would have given him greater            
commendation than the mere acquiescence 
pronounced in the words1 ,go in peace4  
,but in exculpation of ,naaman it is to 
be said that he did not hide  his new   
conviction1 but built an altar to       
,jehovah in ,damascus4 ,and  especially 
it is to be remarked that in his case   
these acts of  conformity were not      
proposed as a test of his adherence to  
the  religion of the country2 and this  

makes all the difference4 ,had          
,naaman's master commanded him to bow in
 the house of ,rimmon as a test  of his 
acknowledgment of the ,syrian god1      
,naaman would have refused2  but so long
 as it was a mere act or courtesy to his
 master1 the  formal act of a courtier1 
from which no inferences could be drawn1
 he  might reasonably continue it4 ,to  
receive the communion kneeling is       
customary in some churches1 and so long 
as one is allowed to put his  own       
interpretation on the attitude1 no harm 
can come of it4 ,but at  one time this  
attitude was the test by which two great
 and  antagonistic parties in ,england  
were distinguished from one another2  a 
meaning was put upon the act which made 
it impossible to every man  who could   
not accept that meaning4 ,conformity    
then was sin1 unless  conviction went   
with the outward act4 ,in many points of
 conduct this  is a distinction of      
importance4 ,there are many things which
 we may do  so far as the thing itself  

is concerned1 but which we may not do   
when  the public mind is agitated upon  
that point and will draw certain        
inferences from our conduct4 ,there are 
many things which to us have  no moral  
significance at all1 any more than      
sitting at one side or  other of our    
table2 but if a moral significance is   
attached to such  things by other       
people1 and if they invite us to do them
 or to leave  them undone as a test of  
our attitude towards ,god or            
,christianity or  of our moral bent1    
then we must beware of misleading other 
people and  defiling our own conscience4
 ,bowing in the house of ,rimmon meant  
nothing new to ,naaman2 it was not      
worship2 it was no more than  turning   
round a street corner when the king had 
hold of his arm4 ,to  him the idol was  
now1 as to ,paul1 nothing in the world4 
,but if the  king had said1 ,you must   
bow to show the people that you worship 
,syria's god1 then plainly the bowing   
would have been unjustifiable4  ,and    

similarly1 if a matter which to us is of
 no moral significance  becomes a test  
of our disposition or attitude towards  
truth1 we must  be guided in our conduct
 not solely by our own view of the      
indifference of the matter1 but also by 
the significance attached to  it by     
other people4 ,there are other points of
 conduct regarding which  we have no    
need to consult any prophet2 points in  
which we are asked  to conform to a     
custom we know to be bad1 or to follow  
and  countenance other men in what we   
know to be unwholesome for us4 ,to      
conform in such cases is to train       
ourselves in hypocrisy2 it is to  say   
,lord1 ,lord1 while we allow the world  
actually to rule our life4      ,,the   
,,lame ,,man ,,at ,,the ,,temple ,,gate4
    ,,acts ,,iii4 #a-h4    ,although    
this miracle was followed by            
consequences so serious as to  make it a
 landmark in the history of those early 
days of the ,church1  it was not itself 
the result of deliberation or           

contrivance4 ,peter  and ,john were1 as 
usual1 on their way to evening prayer in
 the  ,temple4 ,these two men had much  
to gain from one another1 and they  kept
 much together4 ,in study1 in business1 
in ,christian work1 in life  generally  
everyone is the better of the friend who
 supplements his  own character4 ,happy 
he whose closest friend of all provokes 
only to  love and good works1 and calls 
out only what is best in him4 ,it is1   
if not essential to the growth and      
health of the spiritual life1 most      
desirable to have a friend with whom    
intercourse is absolutely free  and     
frank2 one to whom it is the natural    
thing to explain the actual  state of   
the spirit1 and utter our most sceptical
 or our most devout  thoughts1 and who  
can be trusted to respond charitably1   
confidentially1 and wisely to all       
communications4 ,the ,church owes  much 
to the friendship of ,peter and ,john1  
as well as to each  individually4    ,on
 how small a contingency did this       

miracle hinge4 ,had ,peter happened  to 
have had a penny he would have dropped  
it in the beggar's palm and  passed on1 
leaving him content with the alms and   
unconscious of all  he had missed4 ,and 
it is sometimes well for us1 as for     
,peter1 that we  are baulked in our     
first intentions towards our friends and
 our first  attempts at being of use4   
,it is well1 for example1 that we cannot
 at  once rescue every one out of       
sickness and poverty1 for thereby our   
love is compelled to a deeper           
consideration and to a thousand         
kindnesses which find their way to the  
heart and leave for ever a  treasure of 
happy memory4 ,our inability to gratify 
the obvious and  clamant want of our    
friend keeps our thought hovering around
 him  until1 at last1 we discern how we 
can confer a better and more  enduring1 
because a more difficult and thoughtful1
 gift4    ,probably ,peter had often    
passed this lame man before4 ,to-day the
 two  ,apostles have not together as    

much as the poor widow with her two     
mites1 and they are passing and thinking
 as little as we sometimes  think of    
leaving the needy to the charity of     
others1 when suddenly it  occurs to     
,peter that1 after all1 he has what may 
be of more service  to the beggar than  
silver or gold4 ,what ,i have1 that give
 ,i thee4  ,the best help we can give is
 not that which we can give with the    
hand1 and which is current coin1 which  
anyone else may give1 and  which is of  
the same value1 whoever gives it2 but   
rather that which  we communicate from  
our own heart and soul1 and which is our
 own  peculiar treasure--the            
accumulation of a life's experience4 ,to
 add a  little to anyone's outward      
comfort is always worth doing2 but to   
impart to another what becomes life and 
strength and encouragement  perennially 
within himself is surely better4        
,frequently the help we  chiefly need is
 nothing outward and material1 but that 
which one bare  human spirit can render 

to another4 ,but alas6 when thrown back 
upon  our inward resources1 we are so   
conscious of our poverty that we  think 
sixpence or a shilling is probably of   
greater value than  anything which can  
come straight from our spirit4    ,of   
the lame man little is told us which may
 give us a clue to his  state of mind4  
,he was one of those who had been left  
unhealed by  ,christ4 ,often must       
,christ have passed him1 and yet ,he had
 never  spoken nor laid healing hand    
upon him4 ,perhaps during the long hours
  the lame man sometimes thought of     
this1 and bewailed his own  negligence  
in not using opportunities now for ever 
gone4 ,he could  only look with envy and
 self-reproach on those who had once    
been  blind1 or1 like himself1 lame1 and
 whom he now saw in perfect health4     
,his feelings were akin to the remorse  
of those who imagine that their  day of 
grace is gone1 and exclaim 3      ,thy  
saints are comforted1 ,i know1      ,and
 love ,thy house of prayer2    ,i       

therefore go where others go1      ,but 
find no comfort there4    ,there is no  
despair worth calling despair but       
despair of salvation4  ,but what ,christ
 has not done1 an ,apostle may do4 ,the 
lesser  instrument may effect what the  
more powerful has not effected4 ,a      
feebler ministry may in some cases      
produce results which the abler         
ministry has not produced4    ,another  
feature of the beggar's state of mind   
appears in listless1  mechanical way in 
which he asks an alms4 ,he had not even 
troubled to  look up4 ,too commonly     
human prayer is the monotonous whine of 
the  beggar that scarcely troubles to   
consider to whom the petition is        
addressed4 ,had this man taken the      
trouble to scan the appearance of  those
 fishermen he would have seen that      
silver or gold could not be  expected4  
,but he had fallen into one chant1      
uttered as soon as the  shadow of the   
passer-by fell upon him4 ,it is a       
picture of the unreal  and indifferent  

spirit in which much prayer is offered4 
,there is no  harm in asking for certain
 benefits every day of our life1 and no 
harm in using the same words1 if we have
 chosen these words as the  fittest4    
,but there is harm in allowing a form of
 words to engender  monotony and        
lifelessness in the spirit1 so that we  
never consider  carefully the object of 
our worship and what it is fit that ,he 
should  give4 ,this cripple had come to 
be content with the few coppers which   
would furnish his supper and bed2 all   
the great world with its  pleasures1 its
 enterprise1 its high places lay quite  
beyond his hope2  and thus does one find
 his own soul dying to all that lies    
beyond  daily needs1 and forgetful of   
the great and glorious things that are  
written of the heirs of ,god4 ,it is    
surely a great art to know who it  is   
that speaks to us1 and what is the gift 
of ,god4    ,peter's first care was to  
arouse the man4 ,look on us6 ,the man's 
attention was commanded4 ,all his life  

he had been training to know  faces1 to 
know who would give and who would not   
give1 who would not  give if others were
 looking1 and who would give at the gate
 of the  ,temple1 dropping the coin as  
into an alms box1 without any regard to 
the want of the beggar4 ,one glance at  
the frank face of ,peter tells  him he  
is about to receive something4 ,that is 
a man to be trusted4  ,this is a good   
beginning4 ,trust in ,peter maybe the   
first step to  trust in ,christ4 ,but   
many rest at the earliest stage1        
believing the  messenger1 but not coming
 into personal relations with ,christ4  
,many  persons wish to be better than   
they are1 and are prepared to do much   
and sacrifice much in order to attain to
 a satisfactory spiritual  state4 ,what 
is lacking is personal appeal to        
,christ4 ,they must  recognise1 with a  
conviction wrought in their own mind1   
that ,jesus  ,christ is the source of   
spiritual power1 and they must for      
themselves1 appeal directly to ,him4    

,the boldness with which ,peter forms   
or1 it might almost be said1  forces    
this personal relation to ,christ in the
 case of this man is  surprising4       
,without a moment's hesitation or       
inquiry as to whether  the man's faith  
is quickened1 ,peter cries1 ,in the name
 of ,jesus  ,christ of ,nazareth1 rise  
up and walk1 taking him by the right    
hand  and lifting him up4 ,peter could  
not confer health upon the man in  spite
 of his state of mind4 ,if the man had  
so chosen he might have  continued to   
lie where he was1 a cripple4 ,but       
simultaneously with  ,peter's faith and 
authoritative command1 the man's own    
faith was  quickened4 ,he believed that 
in this name1 that is1 at the command   
and  in the strength of ,christ1 he     
could get up2 and he arose4 ,it was the 
contagious confidence of ,peter which   
begat faith in the lame beggar's        
spirit4 ,and there could not be a more  
instructive instance of the  suddenness 
with which a human being can be brought 

into saving  relation to ,christ4 ,when 
,peter began his sentence the lame man  
had no  faith1 yet he boldly said to    
him1 ,in the name of ,jesus ,christ     
arise  and walk4 ,men may always thus be
 summoned to believe on the spot and  to
 act out the commands of ,christ4       
,but in order that such a summons be    
effectual1 two qualities in the  apostle
 are needful4 ,he must not fear failure 
or rebuff4 ,he must have  that humility 
which seeks the good of others          
regardless of its own  reputation4 ,so  
long as we fear to expose our own       
feelings1 and to  show that we are      
deeply concerned about the welfare of   
another  person1 we shall do little in  
the way of inspiring faith4 ,our mouth  
is kept shut by the fear of fruitlessly 
exposing our feelings4 ,we are  not sure
 how our advances will be received4 ,we 
have not1 the loving  humility which    
braves risks to self4    ,we must also  
ourselves have lively faith if we are to
 communicate  faith to others4 ,it was  

,peter's own faith which carried this   
man's  unbelief by storm4 ,in presence  
of ,peter's confidence he could not but 
believe4 ,most men are far more moved by
 the contagion of others  strong feeling
 and example than by arguments or verbal
 appeals4 ,for  the diffusion of faith  
it is a man like ,peter that is wanted1 
who  overleaps the obstacles which other
 men would stop to examine2 a man  like 
,luther1 erring perhaps in fine points  
of doctrine1 but giving  impetus and    
force to the whole movement in ,christ's
 kingdom1 and  sweeping along with him a
 host of weaker and dependent spirits4  
,if we  are not propagating faith in    
,christ1 it is mainly because our our   
faith is meagre and timorous4 ,if we are
 not producing ,christians it  is       
because we are not ourselves in the     
present experience of ,his  mighty      
power4 ,and while this is so1 our       
conduct betrays the weakness  of our    
faith1 and we chill the kindling warmth 
in other souls instead  of fanning it   

into flame1 and all that proceeds from  
us is as the  frosty wind of an untoward
 spring-time1 that unseasonably marks   
every  springing thing with death4      
,possessed of those qualities1 any one  
may communicate that best of  all gifts1
 faith in ,christ4 ,the joy of ,peter1  
in discovering that he  could impart    
health and brightness to those who were 
oppressed by  various human ills1 is a  
joy which may be repeated1 and was meant
 to  be repeated1 in the experience of  
every ,christian4 ,we are not to look   
hopelessly on the world at large or on  
our own friends4    ,we are not to think
 that the pleasure we have in being of  
substantial  service to a friend1 we    
cannot have in the case of that which is
 most  substantial4 ,we are to believe  
that ,christ now has all power in       
heaven and on earth1 and that those who 
have experienced this power  are        
expected to be the channel of its       
communication to others4 ,the  faith    
which strengthens and elevates our own  

spirit may be  communicated1 upon our   
effort and prayer1 to the heart of      
others4