,quiet ,talks on ,following the ,christ 
,by ,s4 ,d4 ,gordon  ,author of ,quiet  
,talks ,on ,power1 ,quiet ,talks on     
,prayer1 ,quiet ,talks ,on ,our ,lord's 
,return1 etc4  ,new ,york ,chicago      
,toronto ,fleming ,h4 ,revell ,company  
,london and ,edinburgh     ,copyright1  
#aiac1 by ,fleming ,h4 ,revell ,company 
,new ,york3 #aeh ,fifth ,avenue         
,chicago3 #ag ,north ,wabash ,ave4      
,toronto3 #be ,richmond ,street1 ,w4    
,london3 #ba ,paternoster ,square       
,edinburgh3 #ajj ,princes ,street       
,contents    ,introduction     ,i4 ,the 
,lone ,man ,who ,went ,before   ,,ii4   
,the ,long1 ,rough ,road ,he ,trod      
,,iii4 ,the ,pleading ,call ,to ,follow 
,,iv4 ,what ,following ,means       #a4 
,a ,look ,ahead       #b4 ,the ,main    
,road       #c4 ,the ,valleys       #d4 
,the ,hilltops    ,v4 ,shall ,we ,go8   
,,vi4 ,finger-,posts  ,,vii4            
,fellow-,followers ,,viii4 ,the ,glory  
of the ,goal1--face ,to ,face           
,introduction   ,these talks have been  

given1 in substance1 at various         
gatherings in ,great ,britain1          
,continental ,europe1 and parts of the  
,far ,east1 during the past four years4 
,the simple directness of the spoken    
word has been allowed to stand4         
,portions of chapters three1 four1 six1 
and eight have appeared at various times
 in ,the ,sunday ,school ,times4  ,if   
any who read may find some practical    
help through the ,master's gracious     
touch upon these simple words1 they are 
earnestly asked to add their prayers    
that that same gracious touch may be    
felt by others wherever these talks may 
go4     ,the ,lone ,man ,who ,went      
,before    ,a ,call to ,friendship4     
,one day ,i watched two young men1 a    
,japanese and an ,american1 pacing the  
deck of a ,japanese liner bound for ,san
 ,francisco4 ,their heads were close    
together and bent down1 and they were   
talking earnestly4 ,the ,japanese was   
saying1 ,oh1 yes1 ,i believe all that as
 a theory1 but is there power to make a 

man live it8  ,he was an officer of the 
ship1 one of the finest boats on the    
,pacific4 ,the ,american was a young    
fellow who had gone out to ,japan as a  
government teacher1 and when his earnest
 sort of ,christianity led to his       
dismissal he remained1 and still        
remains1 as a volunteer missionary4     
,with his rare gift in personal touch he
 had won the young officer's confidence1
 and was explaining what ,christianity  
stood for1 when the ,japanese politely  
interrupted him with his question about 
power4 ,the tense eagerness of his      
manner and voice let one see the hunger 
of his heart4 ,he had high ideals of    
life1 but confessed that every time he  
was in port1 the shore temptations      
proved too much1 and he always came back
 on board with a feeling of bitter      
defeat4 ,he had read about ,christianity
 and believed it good in theory4 ,but he
 knew nothing of its power4  ,through   
his new ,american friend he came into   
personal touch with ,christ1 then and   

there4 ,and up to the day we docked he  
put in his spare time bringing other    
,japanese to his friend's stateroom1 and
 there more than one of them knelt1 and 
came into warm touch of heart with the  
,lord ,jesus4  ,just so our ,lord ,jesus
 draws men1 ,oriental and ,occidental   
alike4 ,just so ,he drew men when ,he   
was down here4 ,he had great drawing    
power4 ,men came eagerly wherever they  
could find ,him4  ,he drew all sorts of 
men4 ,he drew the ,jews1 to whom ,he    
belonged racially4 ,he drew the         
aggressive1 domineering ,romans1 and the
 gentler cultured ,greeks4 ,he drew the 
half-breed ,samaritans1 who were        
despised by both ,jew and foreigner1 as 
not being either one thing or the other4
 ,the military men and the civilians1   
the cultured and the unlettered1 the    
official class and those in private     
life1 all alike felt the strong pull    
upon their hearts of ,his presence4     
,the pure of heart1 like gentle ,mary of
 ,bethany1 and the guileless ,nathanael1

 were drawn to ,him4 ,and the very      
opposite1 those openly bad in their     
life1 couldn't resist ,his presence1 and
 the call away from their low1 bad      
level1 but eagerly took ,his hand and   
came up4 ,fisherfolk and farmers1       
dwellers in the city and country1       
scholars and tradesmen1 crude and       
refined1 richly clad and ragged1--all   
sorts contentedly rubbed elbows and     
jostled each other in the crowds that   
came to listen1 and stayed to listen    
longer1 and then went away to come back 
again for more4  ,this was why ,he      
came--to draw men to ,himself4 ,our     
,lord ,jesus was the face of ,god       
looking longingly into men's faces4 ,and
 they couldn't withstand the appeal of  
that gentle strong face4 ,he was the    
voice of ,god talking into men's ears2  
and the music of that low1 quiet voice  
thrilled and thralled their hearts4 ,he 
was the hand of ,god1 strong and warm1  
reaching down to take men by the hand   
and give them a strong lift up and back 

to the old ,eden life4 ,and1 in time1 as
 men put their hand in ,his1 they came  
to feel the little knotted place in the 
palm of that outstretched hand1 and the 
feel of it went strangely into their    
inmost being4 ,he was the heart of ,god1
 tender and true1 beating rhythmically  
in time and tune with the human heart4  
,and the music had1 and has1 strange    
power of appeal to human hearts1 and    
power to sway human lives like a great  
wind in the trees4  ,our ,lord ,jesus   
was the person of ,god in human shape   
and human garb1 come down close1 to draw
 us men back again to the old trysting  
place under the ,tree of ,life4 ,and in 
every generation1 and every corner of   
the earth1 then1 and ever since then1   
men of every colour and sort have come  
back1 and found how ,his presence eases 
the tug of life on many a steep roadway1
 and more1 much more4#a  ,and our ,lord 
,jesus drew men into personal friendship
 with ,himself4 ,he didn't like the long
 range way of doing things4 ,keeping men

 at arm's length never suited ,him4 ,he 
gave the inner heart touch1 and ,he     
longed for the touch of the innermost   
heart4 ,he was our friend4 ,he asked    
that we be ,his friends1 real friends of
 the rare sort1 of which one's life has 
only a few4  ,and ,he asked1 too1 that  
all else that we brought to ,him should 
be that which grew out of this personal 
friendship4 ,he gave and did all that   
,he did and gave1 because ,he was our   
friend4 ,he asked only for what grew out
 of a real heart friendship with        
,himself4 ,he longed to have us give    
all1 yet only what our hearts couldn't  
hold back4 ,his friendship has one thing
 peculiar to itself4 ,he has no         
favourites1 in our common thought of    
that word1 among the countless numbers  
who have come to be included in ,his    
inner circle of friends4 ,yet ,he gives 
to each such a distinctive personal     
touch of ,his own heart that you feel   
yourself to be on closest terms4 ,he is 
nearer and closer than any other1 and   

your longing is to be as near and close 
to ,him in life as ,he is to you in ,his
 heart4#b  ,now1 because we are ,his    
friends and ,he is our friend1 ,he calls
 us to follow ,him4 ,it is a privilege  
of friendship4 ,he would share with you 
and with me the things of ,his own heart
 and life4 ,he wants to have us come    
close up to ,himself1 and live close up4
 ,and the only way we can do it is by   
giving a glad ,yes to ,his invitation1  
and following so close that we shall be 
up to ,himself4 ,nothing less than this 
contents ,his longing4  ,but there is   
more than friendship here4 ,he has a    
plan of action in ,his heart4 ,it is a  
wide-reaching plan1 clear beyond our    
idea of what wide-reaching means4 ,it is
 nothing less than a plan for the whole 
world1 the entire race1 for winning it  
up to the old ,eden life of purity and  
of close walking with ,god4 ,that plan  
is the passion of ,his great heart4 ,he 
has held nothing back--spared           
nothing--that it might be done4 ,he is  

thinking of that plan as ,he comes      
eagerly to you and me1 now1 all afresh1 
and with ,his heart in ,his voice says  
,follow ,me4 ,this is a bit of ,his plan
 for me and for you--that we shall be   
partners with ,him in ,his plan for the 
world4  ,and yet--and yet--this helping 
,him1 this partnership1 this working    
with ,him in ,his plan1 is to be because
 of our friendship1 ,his and mine1 ,his 
and yours4 ,it is a more than friendship
 ,he is thinking of4 ,but that more is  
through the friendship4 ,it grows out of
 the friendship4 ,only so does it work  
out ,his real plan4    ,climbing the    
,hilltops4   ,now this ,follow ,me of   
,his1 if taken into one's life1 and     
followed up1 will come to mean two      
things4 ,there are two great things that
 stand sharply out in our ,lord ,jesus' 
life down here1 ,his characteristics and
 ,his experiences4 ,i mean what ,he was 
in ,himself2 and what ,he went through1 
suffered1 enjoyed1 and accomplished2 the
 ,man ,himself1 and the ,man's          

experiences4 ,these are the two things  
about which these simple talks will be  
grouped4 ,our ,lord ,jesus wants us to  
follow that we may climb up the hill as 
high as ,he did in these things4        
,following means climbing4 ,a friend has
 told recently of a journey taken to a  
certain village in ,new ,england from   
which1 she had been told1 a fine view   
could be got of the ,white ,mountains4  
,on arrival it seemed that a low hill   
completely shut out the view1 to her    
intense disappointment4 ,but her        
companion1 by and by1 called from the   
top of the low hill and eagerly beckoned
 her to come up4 ,a bit of climbing     
quickly brought her to where the        
magnificent beauty of the mountains     
broke upon her delighted eyes4  ,our    
,lord ,jesus climbed the hilltops1 both 
in ,his character and in ,his           
experiences4 ,he wants us to share those
 rare hilltops with ,him4 ,he has gone  
away ahead of any other4 ,he is the     
,lone ,man in both character and        

experiences4 ,and in some of ,his       
experiences ,he will ever remain the    
lone occupant of the hilltop4 ,but ,he  
is eager for our companionship4 ,he     
longs for the personal touch4 ,he wants 
us to have all ,he has got4 ,he has     
blazed a way through the thicket where  
there was no path before4 ,he left the  
plain marks on the trees as ,he went    
through1 so we could surely find the    
way4 ,and now ,he eagerly beckons us to 
follow4  ,but following means climbing4 
,it's a hill road1 sometimes down hill1 
sometimes up hill4 ,which makes stiffer 
climbing8 ,usually the one you are doing
 seems the harder4 ,sometimes the road  
is a dead level between hills4 ,and dead
 level walking--the monotonous          
dead-a-way1 with no bracing air1 no     
inspiring outlook--is often much harder 
than down hill or up4 ,and so it too is 
climbing4 ,following means climbing4 ,he
 climbed4 ,he made the high climb all   
alone4 ,no other ever had the courage to
 climb so high as ,he4 ,it's easier     

since ,he has smoothed down the road    
with ,his own feet2 yet it isn't easy2  
still it is easier than not climbing2   
that is1 when you reckon the whole thing
 up--with ,him in4  ,now ,he asks you   
and me to climb4 ,he cannot climb for   
you4 ,that is1 ,i mean ,he cannot do the
 climbing you ought to do4 ,he has      
climbed for us1 marked out the hill     
path1 and made it possible for us to    
climb up too4 ,but the after-climbing   
,he cannot do for us4 ,each must do his 
own climbing4 ,so lungs grow deeper1 and
 heart-action stronger1 and cheeks      
clearer1 and muscles firmer4 ,step by   
step we must pull up1 maybe through a   
fog1 with no view of beauty1 no bracing 
air yet1 only ,his strong beckoning     
hand4  ,but those who reach up and get  
hold of hands with ,him1 and get up even
 to some of the lower reaches of the    
climb1 stand with full hearts and dumb  
lips4 ,they can't find words to tell the
 exhilaration of the climb1 the bracing 
air1 the far outlook1 and1 yet more1 the

 wondrous presence of the ,chief        
,climber1 even though there's a bit of  
smarting of face and hands where the    
thorny tanglewood tore a bit as you went
 by4  ,just now ,i want you to come with
 me for a bit of a look at the ,lone    
,man1 who has gone before4 ,i mean at   
the ,man ,himself4 ,we want to take a   
look at the characteristics of ,his     
life2 what the ,man was in ,his         
character4  ,and please understand me   
here4 ,following does not mean that we  
are to try to imitate these             
characteristics4 ,no1 it's something    
both simpler and easier1 and deeper and 
better than that4 ,it means that1 as we 
companion with ,him daily1 these same   
traits will appear in us4 ,it is not to 
be imitation simply1 good as that might 
seem1 yet always bringing a sense of    
failure1 and that sense the thing you   
remember most4 ,it is to be some ,one   
living ,his life in you1 coming in      
through the open door of your will4     
,your part is opening up1 and keeping   

open1 listening and loving and obeying4 
,the touchstone of the ,follow ,me life 
is not imitation but following2 not     
copying but obeying2 not                
struggle--though there will be          
struggle--but companionship1 a          
companionship which nothing is allowed  
to take the fine edge off of4  ,and     
please remember1 too1 the meaning for us
 sinful men of these characteristics of 
,his4 ,with us character is a result of 
choice1 and then nearly always--or      
should ,i cut out that nearly8 the      
earnest man in the thick of the fight   
finds no nearlys--it's always with      
him--character is always the result of a
 fight to keep to the choice decided    
upon4  ,now with greatest reverence for 
our ,lord ,jesus1 let me say1 it was so 
with ,him4 ,he was as truly ,god as     
though not man4 ,yet ,he lived ,his     
life1--,he insisted on living ,his life1
 on the human level4#c ,he was as truly 
human as though not peculiarly divine4  
,he had the enormous advantage of a     

virgin birth1 a divine fatherhood with a
 human motherhood4 ,and1 be it said with
 utmost reverence1 ,he needed that      
advantage for the terrific conflict and 
the tremendous task of ,his life1 such  
as no other has known4 ,but ,his        
character as a man--the thing we are to 
look at now--was a result of choice1 and
 choice insisted upon against terrible  
odds4  ,this gives new meaning to ,his  
,follow ,me4 ,he went the same sort of  
road that we must go4 ,he insisted on   
treading our road4 ,it was not one made 
easier for ,his specially prepared feet4
 ,it was the common earth road every man
 must go1 who will4 ,and so the way ,he 
went we can go if we will1 every step of
 it4 ,by ,his help working through our  
wills1 we can1 and1 please ,god1 surely 
we will4    ,the ,dependent ,life4      
,there were three traits in ,his        
character upward1 that is in ,his       
relation with ,his ,father4 ,first of   
all ,he chose to live the dependent     
life4 ,he recognized that everything ,he

 was1 and had1 and could do1 was        
received from the ,father1 and could be 
at its true best only as the ,father's  
direct touch was upon it4 ,this was the 
atmosphere in which all ,his human      
powers would do their best4 ,he had     
nothing of ,himself1 and could do       
nothing of ,himself4 ,this is the plan  
the ,father has made for human life and 
effort4#d ,our ,lord ,jesus recognized  
this and lived it4 ,our common word for 
this is humility4 ,humility is a matter 
of relationship4 ,it means keeping one's
 relationship with the ,father clear and
 dominant4 ,and this in turn radically  
affects and controls our relationship   
with our fellows4  ,there were three    
degrees or steps in the dependent life  
,he chose to live4 ,there was the giving
 up part1 then the accepting for        
,himself the plan of human life1 and    
then accepting it even to the extent of 
yielding to wrong and shameful          
treatment1 without attempting to assert 
,his rights against such treatment4     

,these were the three steps in ,his     
humility4 ,in ,paul's striking phrase1  
,he emptied out of ,himself all ,he had 
in glory with the ,father before coming 
to the earth2 ,he decided to come to the
 human level and live fully the human   
life of utter dependence2 and ,he       
carried this to the extent of being     
wholly dependent on the ,father for     
righting the wrongs done ,him4#e  ,this 
is ,god's plan for the human life4 ,it  
is to be a dependent life4 ,it actually 
is a dependent life1 utterly dependent  
upon ,him4 ,it is to be lived so4 ,then 
only is the fragrance of it gotten4 ,it 
is part of the dependent life--the true 
human life--that we depend on the       
,father for vindication when wronged1 as
 for everything else4#f  ,our ,lord     
,jesus chose to live this life4 ,there  
was an entire absence of the            
self-spirit1 that is the self-assertive1
 the self-confident spirit4 ,there was a
 remarkable confidence in action1 but it
 was confidence in ,his ,father's       

unfailing response to ,his requests or  
needs4 ,this sense of utter dependence  
was natural to ,him2 as indeed it is    
natural to man unhurt by sin4 ,and then 
,he carefully cultivated it4 ,as ,he    
came in contact with the very opposite  
all around ,him1 ,he set                
,himself--indeed ,he had to set         
,himself--to keeping this sense of      
dependence untainted1 unhurt by ,his    
surroundings4  ,now there were three    
things which naturally grew out of this 
dependent life1 or which naturally are  
part of it4 ,one was1 the sense of ,his 
,father1 and of ,his ,father's presence4
 ,in a perfectly simple natural way1 ,he
 was always conscious of ,his ,father's 
presence4 ,is this the meaning--one     
meaning--of blessed are the pure in     
heart for they shall see ,god8 ,and then
 ,he doubtless set ,himself to cultivate
 this1 as an offset to what ,he found   
around ,him4 ,he would quietly look up  
and speak to the ,father in the midst of
 a crowd4#g ,this was the natural thing 

to do4 ,he was more conscious of the    
,father's presence than of the crowd    
pressing in to get near4 ,when ,he was  
speaking to the crowd ,he knew the      
,father too was listening4 ,he felt the 
,father watching as ,he helped the      
people4 ,this was the natural thing with
 ,him1 the presence of the ,father4     
,with this there went a second thing1   
the habit of getting alone to talk      
things over with the ,father4 ,the      
common word for this is prayer4 ,without
 doubt ,his whole outer life grew out of
 ,his inner secret talking things out   
with the ,father4 ,everything was passed
 in review here1 first of all4 ,this    
naturally grew out of the consciousness 
of ,his ,father's presence1 and this in 
turn increased that consciousness4 ,so  
,he was in the habit of looking at      
everything through ,his ,father's eyes4 
,and with these two1 there was plainly a
 third thing1 a settled sense of the    
power1 the authority1 of ,god's written 
,word4 ,it was not simply that ,he did  

not question it1 but there was a        
deep-rooted sense grown down into ,his  
very being that ,god was speaking in the
 ,book1 and that this revelation of     
,himself and ,his will was the thing to 
govern absolutely one's life4 ,this     
points back to a study of the ,book4    
,doubtless that ,nazareth shop was a    
study shop too4 ,he quoted readily and  
freely from all portions of the ,old    
,testament ,bible4 ,he seemed saturated 
with both its language and its spirit4  
,the basis of such familiarity would be 
long1 painstaking1 prayerful study4     
,these three things naturally grew out  
of the dependent life ,he had           
deliberately chosen to live and were a  
part of it4 ,they were necessary to it4 
,these are the lungs and the heart of   
the dependent life4  ,now ,his ,follow  
,me does not mean merely that we try to 
imitate ,him in all this4 ,we will      
naturally long to do so4 ,and ,he is the
 example we will ever be eager to       
follow4 ,but the meaning goes deeper    

than this4 ,it means that as we really  
come close up in the road behind ,him   
this will come to be the natural        
atmosphere of our lives4 ,we let ,him   
in1 and ,his presence within1 yielded to
 and cultivated and obeyed1 will work   
this sort of thing out in our lives4 ,we
 will come to recognize1 and then to    
feel deep down in our spirit1 how       
dependent we are upon ,him in           
everything4 ,we will gradually come to  
realize intensely that the dependent    
life is the true natural life4 ,it is   
,god's plan4 ,it reveals wondrously ,his
 love4 ,it draws out wondrously our     
love1 and radically changes the whole   
spirit of the life4    ,poor--,except in
 ,spirit4   ,now of course all this is  
in sharpest contrast to the common      
spirit of life as men live1 then and    
now4 ,the spirit that dominates human   
life everywhere is a spirit of          
independence4 ,and this seems           
intensified in our day to a terrific    
degree4 ,there is1 of course1 a good    

independence in our dealings with our   
fellows4 ,but this is carried to the    
extreme of independence of every one1   
even--say it softly--of ,god ,himself4  
,criticising ,god1 ignoring ,him1       
leaving ,him severely out so far as we  
are concerned1--this has become the     
commonplace4 ,if for a moment ,he       
ignored us1 how quickly things would go 
to pieces6 ,this has come to be the     
dominant spirit of the whole race to a  
degree more marked than ever before1 if 
that be possible4  ,it seems to come    
into life early4 ,i have seen a little  
tot1 whom ,i could with no inconvenience
 have tucked under my arm1 walking down 
the road1 head up in the air1 breathing 
out an aggressive self-confidence1 and  
defiance of all around1 worthy of one of
 the old-time kings4 ,and ,i recognized 
that he had simply absorbed the         
atmosphere in which his four brief years
 had been lived4  ,this has come to be  
the inbred spirit of mankind4           
,everywhere this proud1 self-assertive1 

self-sufficient1 self-confident1        
self-aggressive spirit is found1 in     
varying degree4 ,it is coupled sometimes
 with laughable ignorance2 sometimes    
with real learning and wisdom and       
culture4 ,it is emphasized sometimes the
 more by school training1 and other such
 advantages4 ,but through all these     
accidental things it remains1--the      
dominant human characteristic4 ,the     
chief letter in man's alphabet is the   
one next after h1 spelled and written   
with a large capital4 ,the yellow       
fever--the fever for gold--so           
increasingly epidemic1 is at heart a bit
 of the same thing4 ,the money gives    
power1 and power gives a certain        
independence of others1 and then a      
certain compelling of others to be      
dependent on the one who has the money  
and wields the power4 ,men everywhere   
say just exactly what they are specially
 warned against saying1 my power and the
 might of my hand hath gotten me this   
wealth4 ,they forget the words following

 this in the old ,book of ,god4 ,but    
thou shalt remember the ,lord thy ,god1 
for it is ,he that giveth thee power to 
get wealth4#h  ,this seems to be the    
picture that underlies that phrase1 poor
 in spirit1 which the ,master declared  
to be so blessed4#i ,he is trying to woo
 men away from the thing that is        
dominating those all around ,him4 ,i    
have puzzled a good bit over the phrase 
to find out just what was in the        
,master's mind4 ,emphasizing the word   
spirit seems to bring out the meaning4  
,the blessedness is not in being poor1  
but in a certain spirit that may control
 a man4 ,we are all poor in everything  
except spirit4  ,the last degree of     
poverty is to be a pauper4 ,now1 the    
simple truth is that we are all--every  
last man of us--paupers in everything4  
,we haven't a thing we haven't got from 
some one else4 ,we are beneficiaries to 
the last degree1 dependent on the bounty
 of ,another4 ,we are paupers in life   
itself4 ,our life came to us in the     

first instance from the creative ,hand1 
through the action of others1 and it is 
being sustained every moment by the same
 ,hand4 ,we had nothing to do with its  
coming1 and1 while we influence our life
 by living in accord with certain       
physical laws1 still the life itself is 
all the time being supplied to us       
directly by the same unseen ,hand4  ,we 
are paupers in ability1 in virtue1 in   
character1 in fact in everything4 ,we   
own nothing2 we only hold it in trust4  
,we have nothing except what some ,one  
else is supplying4 ,what we call our    
ability1 our genius1 and so on1 comes by
 the creative breath breathing afresh   
upon and through what the patient       
creative ,hand has supplied and is      
sustaining4 ,we are paupers1 without a  
rag to our bones1 or a copper in the    
pocket we haven't got1 not having a rag 
to our bones2 paupers in everything     
except----4  ,there is an exception4 ,it
 is both pitiable and laughable4 ,we are
 enormously rich in spirit1 in our      

imagination1 in our thought of          
ourselves4 ,blessed are they who are as 
poor in spirit as they actually are in  
everything else4 ,they recognize that   
they are wholly dependent on some ,one  
else1 and so they live the dependent    
life1 with its blessed closeness of     
touch with the gracious ,provider4 ,in  
certain institutions are placed those   
who imagine themselves to be in high    
social and official rank1 and in        
possessions what they are not1 who      
imagine it to such a degree that it is  
best that they be kept apart from       
others4 ,it would seem like an extreme  
thing to say that these people are      
spirit-mirrors in which we may partly   
see ourselves4 ,yet it would be saying  
the truth4 ,how laughable1 if it were   
not so overwhelmingly pitiful1 must men 
look to ,god1--without a stitch to their
 backs except what ,he has given1       
without a copper in their pockets except
 what has been borrowed from ,his bank1 
yet strutting up and down the street of 

life1 heads held high in air1 as though 
they owned the universe1 and--if it did 
not sound blasphemous ,i could add the  
rest of the fact--and were doing ,him a 
favour by running ,his world so         
skilfully6 ,and it grieves one to the   
heart to note that this seems to be     
about as true within ,church circles as 
without4 ,the difference between is ever
 growing smaller to the disappearing    
point4  ,it was into such an atmosphere1
 never intenser than in ,palestine and  
,jerusalem nineteen centuries ago1 that 
the man ,christ ,jesus came4 ,and ,he   
had the moral daring to begin living a  
dependent life1 the true human life1    
looking up gratefully to the ,father's  
hand for everything4 ,was it any wonder 
,his presence caused such a disturbance 
in the moral atmosphere of the world6   
,he insisted1 with the strange          
insistence of gentleness1 on living such
 a life1 through all the extremes that  
the hating world-spirit could contrive  
against ,him4 ,out of such a life comes 

,his ,follow ,me4 ,and in this ,he is   
simply calling us back to the original  
human life as planned by ,god4  ,now1 of
 course1 in that first step1 that great 
emptying out step1 there can be no      
following4 ,there ,he is the ,lone ,man1
 unapproachable in the moral splendour  
of ,his solitude4 ,but from the time    
when ,he came in amongst us as ,jesus1  
our ,brother1 the typical ,son of man1  
,he was marking out afresh the original 
road for our feet4 ,this was the        
foundation trait in ,his character4 ,he 
lived the dependent life4    ,a         
,father-pleasing ,life4   ,the second   
trait in ,his upward relation was       
this--,he chose to live a               
,father-pleasing life4 ,i use those     
words because ,he used them4#aj ,i might
 say consecrated or dedicated or        
surrendered or other like words4 ,and   
these are good words1 but in common use 
we have largely lost their meaning4     
,they are used unthinkingly for         
something less--much less--than they    

mean4 ,perhaps if we use the phrase ,he 
used we may be able to get back to the  
thing ,he meant1 and did4  ,there are   
three possible lives open to every man's
 choice3 a bad life1 in which           
selfishness or passion or both1 either  
refined or coarse1 rule2 a good1 true1  
natural life2 and a ,father-pleasing    
life4 ,by a good1 true1 natural life ,i 
mean1 just now1 a really ,christian life
 in all that that means1 but lived as if
 there were no emergency in the world to
 change one's habit of life4  ,you know 
an emergency coming into a man's life   
makes radical changes4 ,you go to bed   
tonight and ordinarily will sleep out   
your eight hours in comfort and quiet4  
,if a fire break out in the house1 you  
are up in the middle of the night1      
hurrying around1 only partly clad1      
carrying out valuables1 or helping turn 
on water1 or something of this sort4    
,your natural arrangements for the night
 are all broken up by the fire4 ,an     
emergency may make radical changes in   

one's life for a little time1 sometimes 
for the whole life4 ,financial reverses 
may change the whole habit of one's     
life4  ,here's a man who has a          
well-assured1 good-sized income from his
 business1 or his inheritance1 or both4 
,he lives in a luxuriously appointed    
home1 with many fine pictures and works 
of art and curios which it is enjoyable 
to have4 ,he has a choice library       
including some fine costly old prints   
and editions1 and enjoys adding rare    
books on subjects in which he is        
specially interested4 ,he belongs to    
some literary and social and athletic   
clubs4 ,he has an interesting family    
growing up around him whose education is
 being carefully looked after4 ,he is an
 earnest ,bible-loving ,christian1      
faithful in church attendance and church
 duties1 pure in life1 and saintly in   
character4 ,he gives liberally to church
 and benevolent objects1 including      
foreign missions1 which have become a   
part of the church system into which he 

fits4 ,and he goes an even1 contented   
round of life1 home1 church1 club1      
recreation and so on1 year in and out1  
holding and using the great bulk of his 
money for himself4 ,i think of that as  
one illustration of the good1 true1     
natural life4  ,now1 the                
,father-pleasing life is radically      
different in certain things4 ,ordinarily
 the two would be identical4 ,the true  
natural life as originally planned for  
us would be the life pleasing to the    
,father4 ,but something1 not a part of  
,god's plan1 has broken into life1 a    
terrible something1 worse than a fire in
 the night1 or a financial panic that   
sweeps away your all4 ,sin has wrought  
fearful havoc2 it has made an awful     
emergency1 and this emergency has       
affected the life and character of all  
the race1 in a bad way1 terribly1       
awfully1 beyond words to tell1 or       
imagination to depict4 ,the whole earth 
is in the grip of a desperate moral     
emergency4  ,and naturally enough this  

emergency affects the life of any one   
concerned with this earth4 ,it has      
affected ,god's life1 and ,god's plans1 
tremendously4 ,it has broken ,his heart 
with grief1 and radically changed ,his  
plans for ,his own life4 ,he has made a 
plan for winning ,his world away from   
its rebellion1 its sin1 back again to   
purity and close touch with ,himself4   
,that plan centred around ,his ,son1 and
 ,he spared not ,his own ,son1 but gave 
,him up4  ,and that emergency1 and that 
plan of the ,father's because of the    
emergency1 have affected our ,lord      
,jesus' life on the earth4 ,the whole   
plan of ,his human life was radically   
revolutionized by it4 ,the emergency1   
the ,father's plan1 gripped ,him4 ,he   
turned away from the true1 good1 natural
 life which it would have been proper   
for ,him as a man to have lived1 and ,he
 lived another sort of life4 ,it was an 
emergency life1 a life fitted to ,his   
,father's plan1 and so the              
,father-pleasing life4  ,he became a    

homeless man1 with all that that means4 
,would any man have enjoyed home-life   
with all the rare home-joys1 the        
sweetest of all natural joys1 so much as
 ,he8 ,and then the larger circle of    
congenial friends1 the enjoyment of     
music1 of exquisite art1 the reverent   
study of the great questions of life1 of
 the wonders of nature whose powers it  
was given man to study and cultivate and
 develop1#aa--;it is surely no          
irreverence to think of ,him both       
enjoying and gracing such a life1 for   
such was the original plan of human life
 as thought out by a gracious ,creator4 
,instead1 ,he had not where to lay ,his 
head1 though so wearied with ceaseless  
toil4 ,he fairly burned ,his life out   
those few years1 early and late1        
ministering to the emergency-stricken   
crowds1 healing their sick1 feeding     
their hunger1 raising their dead1       
comforting broken hearts1 winning back  
sin-stained men and women1 teaching the 
ignorant neglected multitudes1 preaching

 the ,father's yearning love1 searching 
out the straying1 ceaselessly travelling
 up and down1 without leisure enough to 
sleep or to eat oftentimes1 and all this
 despite the efforts of ,his kinsfolk to
 restrain ,his burning intensity4  ,this
 is what ,i mean by a ,father-pleasing  
life4 ,it was truly the consecrated     
life1 consecrated to ,his ,father's     
emergency plan for ,his world4 ,it was  
the surrendered life1 wholly given up to
 the one passionate plan of ,his        
,father's broken heart for ,his earth   
family4  ,now1 ,his ,follow ,me does not
 mean imitation4 ,it does not mean a    
restless1 aggressive hurrying here and  
there in meetings and ,christian        
service4 ,it means that there will be a 
getting so close that the sweet fever of
 ,his heart shall be caught by ours4    
,the world-vision of ,his eyes shall    
flood ours4 ,the passion of the         
,father's heart shall become the passion
 of our hearts4 ,and we shall be        
controlled in all our lives1 our        

holdings1 our habits1 by what ,he tells 
us4 ,it does not mean that we will seek 
to be homeless as ,jesus was1 though it 
may possibly turn out to mean for some  
of us that we shall be homeless even as 
,he4  ,but it means that we shall find  
out the ,father's plan for our lives4   
,and when it has become clear1 we will  
set to music pitched in the joyous major
 our ,lord's own words1 ,i do always the
 things that are pleasing to ,him4 ,and 
then we will set our lives to that      
joyous music with its rare undertone of 
the exquisite minor4 ,it may mean       
,africa for you1 or ,china for this     
other one4 ,it may mean a plainer home  
at home1 a simpler wardrobe1 a more     
careful use of money4 ,it may mean a new
 dominant note in your preaching1 and   
all the personal influence of your life4
 ,it may possibly mean what will seem   
like yet more radical changes4 ,it      
certainly will mean a deepening peace   
within1 a closer touch of fellowship    
with the ,lord ,jesus1 a wholly new     

conception of the meaning of prayer1 and
 a radically new experience of the power
 of ,god in our own bodies and lives1   
and in our touch with others4 ,it will  
mean that the music of ,his will and    
ours swinging rhythmically together in  
all things shall sweep our lives even as
 the strong wind the young saplings4    
,this was the second trait in our ,lord 
,jesus' character upward1 ,he lived the 
,father-pleasing life4 ,to some it will 
seem like a further step--a fourth      
step--downward in ,his humility4 ,and it
 was4 ,the way up is down4 ,the down    
slant is the beginning of the hilltop   
road4 ,going down is the way up2        
downward in the crowd's estimation2     
upward into closer touch of sympathetic 
life with ,god1 and in reaching the true
 ideal of life4    ,the ,obedient ,life4
   ,the third trait of our ,lord ,jesus'
 character upward1 in relation with ,his
 ,father1 was that ,he lived the        
obedient life4 ,this is really          
emphasizing what has just been said4    

,but it is putting the emphasis on the  
daily habit of ,his life1 rather than on
 the underneath motive4 ,this was the   
daily spelling out of the first two     
traits4 ,obedience became the touchstone
 by which everything was tested4  ,the  
touchstone was not men's needs1 deeply  
as that took hold of ,his heart1 and    
shaped so much ,his life4 ,it was not   
the thought of service1 though never was
 a life so filled with eager glad       
service4 ,the touchstone was not natural
 liking or choice1 the proper           
instinctive reach out of ,his true human
 nature1 though this would be strong in 
,him1 the typical ,son of ,man4 ,this   
would not be repressed as an unholy or  
wrong thing4 ,it would only be given    
second place1 or left out1 as it might  
run across the grain of the great       
life-passion4 ,with a fresh touch of awe
 it may truly be said3 ,he did not come 
down to earth primarily to die1 though  
,he knew beforehand that this would     
stand out as the great one thing4 ,the  

death was an item in the obedience4 ,he 
came down to do ,his ,father's will4    
,the path of obedience led straight to  
the hill of the cross1 and ,he trod that
 path regardless of where it led4       
,obedience was the one touchstone of    
,his life4#ab ,and it will be the one   
touchstone of ,his true follower's life4
 ,we shall run across this same vein of 
bright yellow gold1 again and again1 as 
we work on through this ,follow ,me     
mine4 ,these were the three traits of   
our ,lord ,jesus' character upward1     
toward ,his ,father4 ,they were not     
different because of the emergency of   
sin ,he found in the world4 ,they would 
have marked ,his life just as fully had 
there been no sin4 ,but the presence of 
sin caused them to change radically the 
whole course of the life ,he actually   
lived4    ,sinless by ,choice4   ,then  
there were two traits of character      
inward1 in ,himself4 ,one was ,his      
purity4 ,there was the absence of       
everything that should not be in ,him4  

,this is the negative side1 though no   
part of ,his character called for more  
intense positiveness4 ,purity means     
sinlessness4 ,he was sinless4 ,but we   
must quickly remember what this means1  
or else there may seem to be no         
following for us1 only a wistful gazing 
where we cannot go4 ,it does not mean   
simply this1 that through ,his peculiar 
birthright there was freedom from all   
taint of sin4  ,it means more than this4
 ,sinlessness was a matter of choice    
with ,him1 and of choice insisted upon4 
,and1 be it said reverently1 no man ever
 had a stiffer fight to keep true to his
 purpose than ,he4 ,he was tempted in   
all points like as we are4 ,he was      
tempted more than we4 ,the tempter did  
his best and worst2 he mustered all his 
cunning and driving power against this  
,lone ,man4 ,and the temptations were   
real4 ,i am not concerned over the      
merely academical questions of the      
schoolmen here4 ,the practical side is  
the intense side that takes all one's   

strength and thought4 ,practically1 that
 our ,lord ,jesus was really tempted1   
means that ,he could have yielded had   
,he so chosen4 ,that ,he did not meant  
real struggle on ,his part4 ,not1 of    
course1 that ,he ever wanted to yield to
 what was wrong1 but temptation was     
never so subtle1 and doing the right    
never made so difficult as for ,him4 ,he
 suffered in being tempted4#ac ,his     
sinlessness meant a decision1 then many 
a time a moist brow1 a clenched hand1   
and set jaw1 a sore stress of spirit1   
and deep-breathed continual prayer whose
 intensity down in ,his heart could     
never be fully expressed at the lips4   
,the temptation to fail to obey1 simply 
not to obey1 when obeying meant going   
through a sore experience was never     
brought so deftly1 so subtly1 so        
repeatedly and insistently to any as to 
,him4 ,resisting not only meant the     
decision1 but the strength of resistance
 against terrific strength of repeated  
insistence4  ,how wondrously human this 

,god-man was in ,his temptations1 in    
,his set refusals1 and even more1 how   
human in keeping free from sin4 ,for sin
 is not human1 letting sin in would have
 been a going down from the human level4
 ,this is the practical meaning of ,his 
sinlessness--choice1 choice insisted    
upon1 fighting1 continual prayer1 the   
,father's help1 such as any man may     
have--not more4  ,this helps us to see  
how intensely practical ,his ,follow ,me
 becomes4 ,it is not only that we will  
want to fight against the incoming of   
sin because we feel we ought to4 ,but as
 we get close to ,him and breathe in    
,his spirit1 there will come an inbred  
dislike1 an intense inner loathing of   
sin1 however refined it may be in its   
approach4 ,there will be a continual    
coming for cleansing in the only fluid  
that can remove sin--,his precious      
blood1 and in the only flame that can   
burn it out--the fire of the ,holy      
,spirit4#ad ,there will be a hardening  
of the set purpose to be free of sin4   

,we can be sinless in purpose4 ,there   
can be a growing sinlessness in actual  
life4 ,and yet all experience goes to   
show that the nearer we actually walk   
with ,god the more we shall be conscious
 of the need of cleansing1 the more we  
will talk about our ,lord ,jesus1 and   
the less and still less about our       
attainments4  ,the second inward trait  
in our ,lord ,jesus was the other side  
of this--,his positive goodness4 ,i mean
 the presence in ,him of all that should
 be there4 ,this is the exact reverse or
 complement of the purity4 ,it is the   
other half that must go with that to    
make a perfect character4 ,i like to use
 the word holiness in the sense of      
whole-ness4 ,he had and developed a     
whole life4 ,it was fully rounded out4  
,there was nothing lacking that should  
be there1 even as there was nothing     
present that should not have been there4
  ,there is among us a good bit of      
negative goodness of character4 ,we     
point with pride to what we don't do of 

that which is bad or not good4 ,but this
 is a very one-sided sort of thing4     
,purity and goodness together--purity   
and holiness1 wholeness--made the       
perfect1 completed character of our     
,lord4 ,and it was so wholly through    
,his choice1 ,his own action1 with ,his 
,father's gracious help working through 
,his choice4 ,and the blessed contagion 
of the ,leader's presence will make an  
intense longing within to follow ,him   
here too4    ,a ,fellow-,feeling4       
,then there were two outward traits of  
character1 that is in ,his relations    
with ,his fellow-men1 of ,nazareth1 of  
,israel1 and of all the race4 ,he had   
sympathy with men2 a rare1 altogether   
exceptional sympathy4 ,he felt with men 
in all their feelings and needs and     
circumstances4 ,his fine spirit reached 
into men's inner spirit1 and felt their 
hunger and pain and longings and joys1  
felt them even as they did1 and the arms
 of ,his spirit went around them to     
help4 ,and they felt it4 ,they felt that

 ,he really understood and felt with    
them4 ,and so sincere and brotherly was 
,his fellow-feeling that they gladly    
welcomed it as from one really of       
themselves4 ,to men1 this ,man1 so lone 
in certain traits and experiences1 was  
their brother1 not only in ,his feeling 
with them1 but in their feeling toward  
,him4  ,there's something peculiar in   
that word sympathy4 ,it's a warm word4  
,it has a soft cushion to it4 ,it is a  
help word4 ,there's something in it that
 makes you think of a warm strong hand  
helping1 of a soft padding cushioning   
the sharp edges where they touch your   
flesh4 ,it makes you think of a tender1 
fine spirit breathing in and through    
your own spirit1 even as the soft south 
wind in the spring warms you1 and the   
bracing mountain wind in the summer     
brings you new life4  ,our ,lord ,jesus 
had this great trait of sympathy with   
,his fellows4 ,he could have it1 for ,he
 had been through all their experiences4
 ,he knew the commonplace round of daily

 life so common to all the race4        
,nazareth taught ,him that1 through     
thirty of ,his thirty-three             
years1--ten-elevenths of ,his life4 ,he 
knew temptation1 cunning1 subtle1       
stormy1 persistent4 ,he knew the inner  
longings of a nature awakening1 and yet 
what it meant to be held down by outer  
circumstances4 ,he knew the sharp test  
of waiting1 long waiting4 ,he knew      
hunger and bodily weariness1 and the    
pinch of scanty funds4 ,he was homeless 
at a time when a home would have been   
most grateful4 ,he knew what it meant to
 have the life-plan broken1 and         
something else1 a bitter something else 
thrust in its place4  ,and he knew1 too1
 the sweets of human life1 of human     
love1 of the helpfulness of others'     
sympathy1 of the ,father's pleased      
smile1 of the ,holy ,spirit's           
indwelling1 of the wondrous inner peace 
that follows obedience in hard places1  
of the joys of service1 of the delight  
of being able to sympathize4 ,his       

experience ran through the whole        
diapason of human feelings1 and so ,he  
can find a key-note in every one of its 
tones for the sweet rich symphony of    
sympathy4  ,there is again an exception 
to be noted here4 ,there could be no    
fellow-feeling in choosing wrong1 or in 
yielding to the low or base or selfish4 
,he is the ,lone ,man there4 ,does this 
make all the stronger ,his sympathy with
 us in our upper reach out of such      
things8 ,surely it does4 ,the exception 
makes it stand out more sharply that our
 ,lord ,jesus felt our feelings4        
,wherever you are1 however tight the    
corner1 or narrow the road1 or lonely   
the way1 or keen the suffering1 you can 
always stop and say3 ,he was here4 ,he  
was here first1 and most4 ,he           
understands4 ,as you kneel and look up1 
you can remember that there's a ,man on 
the throne1 a fellow-man1 with a human  
heart like mine1 and like yours4 ,he    
understands4 ,he feels4 ,with utmost    
reverence let it be said1 there's more  

of ,god since our ,lord ,jesus went     
back4 ,human experience has been taken  
up into the person of ,god4  ,and let me
 remind you again1 that the ,follow ,me 
here will mean nothing less than        
fellowship in the sufferings of our     
fellows1 fellowship to the point of     
radically affecting our lives4 ,sympathy
 will go deeper than a sense of pity for
 those less fortunate1 and a giving to  
them a warm hand and a good lift up4    
,the poor woman1 living in a slum       
district1 being visited by a mission    
visitor1 spoke for the universal human  
heart when she said earnestly1 ,we don't
 want things2 we want love4 ,as we get  
up close to our ,lord ,jesus there will 
come the indwelling in us of the spirit 
that controlled ,him4 ,we will see      
through ,his eyes1 we will feel with    
,his heart1 our hands will reach out to 
grasp other human hands with the impulse
 of ,his touch upon them4 ,we shall know
 the exquisite pain of real sympathy    
with men in need1 and the great joy of  

sharing and making lighter their load4  
,when ,you ,don't ,have ,to4   ,the     
second outward trait of our ,lord       
,jesus' character was sacrifice4 ,this  
is not something different from what has
 been said2 it is only going a step     
further1 indeed going the last step that
 ,he could go1 in both ,his sympathy    
with men and ,his obedience to ,his     
,father4 ,it helps to remember what     
sacrifice means2 not suffering merely1  
though it includes suffering2 not       
privation simply1 though it may include 
this1 too4 ,there is much suffering and 
privation where there is no sacrifice4  
,sacrifice means doing something to help
 some one else when it takes some of    
your life-blood1 and when you don't have
 to1 except the have-to of love4        
,sacrifice was so woven into the very   
fabric of ,jesus' life that wherever you
 cut in some of the red threads stick   
out4 ,it was the never-absent undertone 
of ,his life1 from earliest years until 
the tragic close4 ,but the undertone    

rose higher and grew stronger until at  
the last it became the dominant1 the    
only tone to be heard4 ,he gave ,his    
life out on the cross that so men might 
be saved from the terrible result of    
their sin1 when ,he didn't have to1     
except the have-to of ,his great heart4 
,i have spoken of sacrifice as one of   
the two outward1 manward traits of ,his 
character4 ,but the truth is ,his       
,calvary sacrifice faced three ways3    
upward1 inward and outward4 ,it faced   
toward the ,father1 for it was carrying 
out the ,father's plan1 and that lets us
 see not only the ,father's love1 but   
,his estimate1 as the world's           
administrator of justice1 of the        
horribleness of the sin which ,he was so
 freely forgiving4#ae ,it faced in      
toward ,himself1 for it was the purity  
and perfection of the life poured out   
that gave the peculiar meaning to ,his  
death1 and it was ,his sympathetic love 
that led ,him up that steep hill4 ,it   
faced outward1 for the love of it was   

meant to break men's hearts and bend    
their stubborn wills1 and so it did and 
has4  ,his sympathy--love               
suffering--came to have a new meaning as
 ,he went to the last extreme in ,his   
suffering4 ,sympathy is sometimes spoken
 of as putting yourself in the other's  
place so as to help him better4 ,our    
,lord ,jesus did this4 ,he did it as    
none other did1 or could4 ,he actually  
put ,himself in our place on the cross4 
,he experienced what would have come to 
us had ,he not taken our place4 ,he     
suffered the suffering that belongs to  
us because of our sin4 ,he felt the     
feelings that came through sin working  
out to its bitter end4 ,indeed ,he went 
beyond our own feelings here4 ,for      
because ,he consented to suffer as a    
guilty sinner1 we1 who trust ,his       
precious blood1 are spared that awful   
experience4  ,calvary was sympathy to   
the extreme of sacrifice4 ,but both     
words1 sympathy and sacrifice1 get new  
depths of meaning at ,calvary4 ,this red

 shuttle thread of sacrifice will appear
 again and again in the fabric which    
,his ,follow ,me weaves out for us4     
,what a character ,he calls us to6 ,what
 strength of friendship to insist on our
 coming up close to ,himself6 ,is it    
possible8 ,surely not4 ,he is so far    
beyond us4 ,yet there is a way1 only    
one1 the way of the dependent life1     
depending on ,him to reproduce ,his own 
likeness in us4 ,and our giving ,him a  
free hand in doing it4  ,there is one   
word that could be used to cover all of 
this1 if we only knew its full1 rich1   
sweet meaning4 ,that is the little      
understood1 the much misunderstood1 much
 belittled-in-use word1 love4 ,all that 
has been said of the character of our   
,lord ,jesus can be found inside that   
four-lettered word4 ,each trait spoken  
of is but a fresh spelling of love1 some
 one side of it4 ,love planned the      
dependent life1 and only love can live  
it truly4 ,love longs to please love1   
regardless of any sacrifice involved4   

,obedience is the active rhythm of love 
on the street of life4 ,purity is the   
inner heart of love2 and the fully      
rounded character is the maturity of    
love4 ,sympathy is the heart of love    
beating in perfect rhythm with your own1
 and sacrifice is love giving its very  
life gladly out to save yours4 ,some day
 we shall know how much is meant by the 
sentence1 ,god is love4  ,a little child
 of a ,christian home came one day to   
his mother1 asking what it meant to     
believe on the ,lord ,jesus4 ,she       
thought a moment how to make the answer 
simple to the child1 and then said1 ,it 
means thinking about ,him1 and loving   
,him4 ,sometime after1 the little fellow
 was noticed sitting very quietly1      
apparently much absorbed in thought1 and
 his mother said1 ,what are you doing1  
my son8 ,with child-like simplicity he  
said in a quiet tone1 ,i'm believing on 
the ,lord ,jesus4 ,and a warm flush of  
feeling came to the mother's heart as   
she realized the practical tender       

meaning to her son1 of the word         
believing4  ,may we be great enough to  
be as little children while ,i adapt    
that mother's language here3 ,following 
our ,lord ,jesus is thinking about ,him 
and loving ,him4 ,as we come to know the
 meaning of love we shall find that     
following is loving4 ,the ,follow ,me   
life is the love life4 ,but we must     
learn the meaning of love before that   
sentence will grip us4  ,the closer we  
follow ,him the closer we will come to  
knowing what love is4 ,the nearer we get
 to ,him the nearer we get to its       
meaning4 ,we will know it as we know    
,him4 ,when we come into ,his presence1 
face to face1 its simple full meaning   
will flash upon us with a great simple  
surprise4  ,let us follow on to know it1
 that we may know ,him4 ,let us live it 
and so we shall live ,him4 ,and in so   
living we shall know it and ,him2 we    
shall know love1 and ,jesus1 and ,god4  
,the ,long1 ,rough ,road ,he ,trod      
,the ,book's ,story4   ,it wasn't always

 a rough road1 of course4 ,but as you   
look at it from end to end1 the         
roughness of it is what takes your eye  
most1 and takes great hold of your      
heart4 ,the smooth places here and there
 make you feel that it was a rough road4
 ,and yet1 rough though it really was1  
the roughness was eased by the love in  
the heart of the ,man that trod it2     
though not eased for the soles of ,his  
feet1 nor for hands and face4 ,for there
 was thorny roughness at the sides as   
,he pushed through1 as well as steep    
roughness under foot4  ,and it may not  
seem so long at first4 ,but the longer  
you look1 the sharper your eyes get to  
see how great was the distance ,he had  
to come1 from where ,he was1 down to    
where we were4  ,let me take a little   
sea room1 and go back a bit so we can   
see the full length1 and the real       
roughness1 of the road ,he came4 ,and   
lest some of you may think that the     
telling of the first part of it has the 
sound of a fairy tale1 let me tell you  

that it is simply the story of what     
actually took place1 as told in the     
pages of this old ,book of ,god4 ,it    
will be a help if you will keep your    
copy of the ,bible at hand1 and turn    
thoughtfully to its pages now and then  
as we talk4  ,there is a rare simplicity
 in the way in which the story of the   
,bible is told4 ,and it helps to        
remember that the ,bible is never       
concerned with chronology1 nor with     
scientific process but only with giving 
pictures of moral or spiritual          
conditions among men as seen from above4
 ,and chiefly it is concerned with      
giving a picture of ,god1 in ,his power 
and patience and gentleness1 and in ,his
 great justice and right in dealing with
 everybody4 ,yet the picture and the    
language never clash with the facts of  
nature and of life as dug out by student
 or scientist4  ,it is a great help in  
talking about these things of ,god1 and 
of human life1 not to have any theories 
to fit and press things into1 but simply

 to take the ,book's story1 and to tell 
it over again in the language of our    
generation4 ,it simplifies things quite 
a bit not to try to fit ,god into your  
philosophy1 but to accept ,his own story
 of life4 ,it not only greatly          
simplifies one's outlook1 it gives you  
such sure footing1 such steadiness4 ,any
 other footing may go out from under    
your feet any time4 ,but the old ,book  
of ,god standeth sure1 never more sure  
than to-day when it was never more      
riddled at1 and mined under4 ,but       
neither bullets nor mining have affected
 the ,book itself4 ,the only harm has   
been in the kick-back of the firing1    
upon those standing close by4  ,i am    
frank to confess my own ignorance of the
 great truths we are talking over here1 
save for the ,bible itself1 and the     
response to it within my own spirit1 and
 the further response to it in human    
life all over the earth to-day ,west and
 ,east4 ,human life is a faithful       
mirror1 accurately reflecting to-day    

just the conditions found in this old   
,book4 ,no book so faithfully and       
accurately describes the workings and   
feelings of the human mind and heart of 
to-day in our western world1 and in all 
the world1 as this ,book1 written so    
long ago in the language of the ,east4  
,its finger still gives accurately the  
pulse beat of the race4 ,and it helps1  
too1 to tell the story in the simple way
 in which this ,book itself does1 as a  
story4    ,god on a ,wooing ,errand4    
,god and man used to live together in a 
garden4 ,it was a most wonderful garden1
 full of trees and flowers and fruit1 of
 singing birds with rare feathers and   
songs1 of beasts that had never yet     
learned fear1 nor to make others feel   
it1 and a beautiful river of living     
water4 ,the name given it indicates that
 it was a most delightful spot4#af ,god 
and man used to live together in this   
garden4 ,they talked and walked and     
worked together4 ,man helped ,god in    
putting the finishing touches on ,his   

work of creation4 ,it was the first     
school1 with ,god ,himself as           
teacher4#ag ,god and man used to have a 
trysting time under the trees in the    
twilight4 ,but one evening when ,god    
came for the usual bit of fellowship the
 man was not there4 ,god was there4#ah  
,he had not gone away1 and ,he has never
 gone away4 ,man had gone away1 and ,god
 was left lonely standing under the tree
 of life4  ,a friend1 in whose home we  
were1 told of her little daughter's     
remark one day4 ,the mother had been    
teaching her that there is only one     
,god4 ,the child seemed surprised and on
 being told again1 said in her childlike
 simplicity1 ,i think ,he must be very  
lonesome4 ,well1 the child was right in 
the word used4 ,god is lonesome1 though 
for an utterly different reason than was
 in the child's mind4 ,god was lonesome 
that day1 left standing alone under the 
trees of the garden4 ,he is lonesome for
 fellowship with every one who stays    
away from ,himself4 ,that homely human  

word may well express to us the longing 
of ,his heart4  ,man went away from ,god
 that day1 then he wandered farther     
away1 then he lost his way back1 then he
 didn't want to come back4 ,and away    
from ,god his ideas about ,god got badly
 confused4 ,his eyes grew blind to      
,god's pleading face1 his ears dull and 
then deaf to ,god's voice4 ,his will got
 badly warped and bent out of shape     
morally1 and his life sadly hurt by the 
sin he had let in4#ai  ,and all this was
 very hard on ,god4#bj ,it grieved ,him 
at ,his heart4 ,he sent many messengers1
 one after another1 through long years1 
but they were treated as badly as they  
could be4#ba ,and at last ,god said to  
,himself1 ,what more can ,i do8 ,this is
 what ,i will do4 ,i'll go down ,myself 
and live among them1 and woo them back  
,myself4 ,and so it was done4 ,one day  
,he wrapped about ,himself the garb of  
our humanity1 and came in amongst us as 
one of ourselves4#bb ,and ,he became    
known amongst us as ,jesus4 ,he had     

spoken the world into being2 now1 in    
,john's simple homely language1 ,he     
pitched ,his tent amongst our tents as  
our near neighbour and kinsman4#bc ,our 
,lord ,jesus was the face of ,god       
looking into ours1 the voice of ,god    
speaking into the ears of our hearts1   
the hand of ,god reached down to make a 
way back and then lead us along the way 
back again1 the heart of ,god coming in 
touch to warm ours and make us willing  
to go back4  ,it was a long road ,he    
came1 as long as the distance we had    
gone away from ,him4 ,and no measuring  
stick has yet been whittled out that can
 tell that distance4 ,we want to look a 
bit at the last lap of the road1 the    
earth-lap4 ,it runs from the ,bethlehem 
plain where ,he came in1 to the ,olivet 
hilltop where ,he slipped away again up 
and back1 for a time1 until things are  
ready for the next step in ,his plan4   
,the ,rough ,places4   ,the bit of      
earth-road began to get pretty rough    
before ,he had quite gotten here4 ,the  

pure gentle virgin-mother was under     
cruelly hurting suspicion on the point  
about which a woman is properly most    
sensitive1 and that too by the one who  
was nearest to her4 ,i've wondered why  
,joseph1 too1 was not told of the plan  
of ,god when ,mary was1 and so she be   
spared this sore suspicion4 ,i think it 
was because he simply could not have    
taken it in beforehand1 though he rose  
so nobly when he was told4 ,her         
experience was unavoidable1 humanly     
speaking4  ,that hastily improvised     
cradle was in rather a rough spot for   
both mother and babe4 ,the hasty fleeing
 for several days and nights to ,egypt1 
with those heart-rending cries of the   
grief-stricken mothers of ,bethlehem    
haunting their ears1 the cautious       
return1 and then apparently the change  
of plans from a home in historic        
,bethlehem to the much less favoured    
village of ,nazareth1--it was all a     
pretty rough beginning on a very rough  
road4 ,it was a sort of prophetic       

beginning4 ,there proved to be          
blood-shedding at both ends1 and each   
time innocent blood1 too4  ,the word    
,nazareth has become a high fence hiding
 from view thirty of the thirty-three   
years4 ,was this the dead-level1        
monotonous stretch of the road1 from the
 time of the early teens on to the full 
maturity of thirty8 ,yet it proved later
 to have a dangerously rough place on   
the precipice side of the town4 ,it     
seems rather clear that ,joseph and     
,mary would have much preferred some    
other place1 their own family town1     
cultured ,bethlehem1 for rearing this   
child committed to their care4 ,but the 
serious danger involved decided the     
choice of the less desirable town for   
their home4#bd  ,but the roughest part  
began when our ,lord ,jesus turned ,his 
feet from the shaded seclusion of       
,nazareth1 and turned into the open     
road4 ,at once came the ,wilderness1 the
 place of terrific temptation1 and of   
intense spirit conflict4 ,the fact of   

temptation was intensified by the length
 of it4 ,forty long days the lone       
struggle lasted4 ,the time test is the  
hardest test4 ,the greatest strength is 
the strength that wears1 doesn't wear   
out4 ,that ,wilderness had stood for    
sin's worst scar on the earth's surface4
 ,since then it has stood for the most  
terrific and lengthened-out siege-attack
 by the ,evil ,one upon a human being4  
,satan himself came and rallied all the 
power of cunning and persistence at his 
command4 ,he did his damnable worst and 
best4  ,in an art gallery at ,moscow is 
a painting by a ,russian artist of      
,christ in the ,wilderness1 which       
reverently and with simple dramatic     
power brings to you the intense humanity
 of our ,lord1 and how tremendously real
 to ,him the temptation was4 ,this helps
 to intensify to us the meaning of the  
,wilderness4 ,it stands for victory1 by 
a man1 in the power of the ,spirit1 over
 the worst temptation that can come4    
,then follows a long stretch of rough   

road with certain places sharply marked 
out to our eyes4 ,the rejection by the  
,jewish leaders began at once4 ,it ran  
through three stages1 the silent        
contemptuous rejection1 the active      
aggressive rejection1 then the hardened1
 murderous rejection running up to the  
terrible climax of the cross4  ,the     
contemptuous rejection of the ,baptist's
 claim for his ,master1 by the official 
commission sent down to inquire1#be was 
followed by the more aggressive1 as they
 began to realize the power of this man 
they had to deal with4 ,john's          
imprisonment revealed an intensifying   
danger1 and the need of withdrawing to  
some less dangerous place4  ,our ,lord's
 change to ,galilee1 and to preaching   
and working among the masses1 was       
followed by a persistent campaign on the
 part of the ,southerners of nagging1   
harrying warfare against ,him throughout
 ,galilee4 ,it grew in bitterness and   
intensity1 with ,john's death as a      
further turning point to yet intenser   

bitterness4 ,the visits to ,jerusalem   
were accompanied by fiercer attacks1    
venomous discussions1 and frenzied      
attempts at personal violence4 ,this    
grew into the third stage of rejection1 
the cool1 hardened plotting of ,his     
death4 ,the last weeks things head up at
 a tremendous rate2 our ,lord appears to
 be the one calm1 steady man1 even in   
,his terrific denunciation of them1 held
 even and steady in the grip of a clear1
 strong purpose1 as ,he pushed ,his way 
unwaveringly onward4 ,then came the     
terrible climax1--the cross4 ,the worst 
venomous spittle of the serpent's poison
 sac spat out there4 ,it was the climax 
of hate1 and the climax of ,his         
unspeakable love4    ,when ,your        
,heart's ,tuned to the ,music4   ,surely
 it was a long1 rough road4 ,its length 
was not measured by miles1 nor years1   
but by the experiences of this ,lone    
,man4 ,so measured it becomes the       
longest road ever trod1 from purity's   
heights to sin's depths2 from love's    

mountain top to hate's deepest gulf4 ,it
 makes a new record for roughness4 ,for 
no one has ever suffered what our ,lord 
,jesus did2 and no one's suffering ever 
had the value and meaning for another   
that ,his had and has for all men and   
for us4 ,not one of us to-day realizes  
how ,he suffered1 nor the intensity of  
meaning that suffering actually has for 
all the race1 and for those of us who   
accept it for ourselves4  ,it was a     
rough1 long road1 and ,he knew ahead    
that it would be4 ,he saw dimly ahead1  
then more sharply outlined as ,he drew  
on1 those crossed logs in the road1     
growing bigger and darker and more      
forbidding as ,he pushed on4 ,but ,he   
could not be stopped by that1 for ,he   
was thinking about us1 and about ,his   
,father4 ,he pushed steadily on1 past   
crossed logs all overgrown and tangled  
with thorn bushes and poison ivy vines1 
bearing the marks of logs and thorns and
 poison ivy1 but ,he went through to the
 end of the road1 ,he reached ,his      

world2 ,he reached our hearts4 ,and now 
,he is longing to reach through our     
hearts to the hearts of the others4     
,but none of the ransomed ever knew     
,how deep were the waters crossed2      
,nor how dark was the night that the    
,lord passed through1         ',ere ,he 
found ,his sheep that were lost4        
',lord1 whence are those blood-drops all
 the way         ,that mark out the     
mountain's track8'     ',they were shed 
for one who had gone astray         ,ere
 the ,shepherd could bring him back4'   
,but all through the mountains1         
thunder-riven1         ,and up from the 
rocky steep1     ,there arose a glad cry
 to the gate of heaven1                 
',rejoice6 ,i have found my sheep4'#bf  
,but there was something more on that   
road4 ,do you know how the wind blows   
through the trees on the steep mountain 
side1 and will make music in your heart1
 if your heart is tuned to its music1   
even while you are pushing your way     
through thorny tanglewood and           

undergrowth8 ,do you know how1 as you go
 down the deep mountain ravines1 with   
the wild rushing torrent far below1     
where a single misstep would mean so    
much1 how the breeze playing through the
 leaves makes sweetest melody1 if your  
heart's tuned to it8  ,well1 this great 
,lone ,man had a heart tuned for the    
music of this road4 ,the strong wind of 
,his ,father's love blew down through   
the wild mountains into ,his face1 and  
made sweetest music1 and ,his ear was in
 tune and heard it4 ,he had a           
tuning-fork that gave ,him the true     
pitch for the rarest music1 while ,his  
feet travelled cautiously the deep      
wilderness ravines1 and boldly climbed  
through the thorny undergrowth of that  
steep hill just outside the city wall4  
,obedience is the rhythm of two wills1  
that blends their action into rarest    
harmony4 ,some of us need to use ,his   
tuning-fork1#bg so as to enjoy the music
 of the road4    ,the ,pleading ,call   
,to ,follow    ,hungry for the ,human   

,touch4   ,god hungers for the human    
touch4 ,there's an inner hesitancy in   
saying this1 and in hearing it4 ,we feel
 it can hardly be so1 even though our   
inner hearts would wish it were so4  ,we
 know that we men hunger for the human  
touch1 the strongest of us4 ,and in our 
hour of sore need we know that our inner
 hearts look up1 and wish we could have 
a really close touch with ,god4 ,well1  
this is a bit of the image of ,god in   
us4 ,we were made so1 like ,himself4 ,in
 seeing ourselves here1 we are getting a
 closer look at the heart of ,god4 ,he  
longs for the human touch4 ,when ,he    
made us ,he breathed into our nostrils  
the breath of ,his own life4 ,and this  
is not simply a bit of the first        
,genesis chapter4 ,it is a bit of every 
human life4 ,there's the breath of ,god 
in every new life born into the world4  
,he gives a bit of ,himself4 ,we are not
 complete creatively until part of      
,himself has come to be part of us4     
,and ,jesus' coming was but the same    

thing put in yet more intense1 close1   
appealing shape to us4 ,he came to get  
us in touch again after the break of    
sin4 ,he gave ,his blood that we might  
have life again after the sin-break had 
broken off our life1 and commenced to   
dry it up4 ,this was an even closer     
touch4 ,the breath of ,god came in ,eden
 to breathe in our lungs4 ,the blood of 
,his ,son came on ,calvary to give      
life-action to our hearts4 ,could there 
be anything to make clearer ,his hunger 
for the human touch8  ,the ,holy        
,spirit's presence spells out the same  
thing once more4 ,there has been every  
sort of thing to induce ,him to go away4
 ,he has been ignored1 left out of all  
reckoning1 and talked against4 ,yet with
 a patience beyond what that word means 
to us1 ,he has remained creatively in   
every man as the very breath of his     
life4 ,and ,he comes and remains the    
very breath of the spirit life in those 
who yield to ,his pleading call4  ,jesus
 was ,god coming after us4 ,we had gone 

away4 ,he came to woo us back into close
 touch again4 ,he came to the nation of 
,israel1 that through it ,he might reach
 out to all men4 ,when ,he comes again  
it will be again to use ,israel as ,his 
messenger1 while ,he ,himself will be   
present on the earth in a new way to woo
 men to ,himself4 ,when that nation's   
leaders rejected ,john's announcement1  
and so rejected our ,lord ,jesus1 ,he   
began to appeal to individual men1 while
 waiting for the nation4 ,and the work  
with individuals was also ,his call to  
the nation4  ,so the chief thing ,he did
 was to call men4 ,his presence was a   
call1 and the crowds flocked to ,him    
wherever ,he went4 ,his life of purity  
and sympathy was felt as an earnest call
 and responded to eagerly4 ,his doings  
were a very intense call4 ,every healed 
man and woman1 every one set free of    
demon influence1 every one of the fed   
multitudes1 felt called to this man who 
had helped him so4 ,his teaching was a  
continual call1 and ,his preaching4 ,but

 above all else stood out the personal  
call ,he gave men4 ,for our ,lord ,jesus
 was not content to deal with the crowds
 simply2 ,he dealt with men one by one  
in intimate heart touch4    ,called to  
,go4   ,there are a number of           
invitations ,he used in calling men4 ,it
 was as though in ,his eagerness ,he    
used every sort that might go home4 ,and
 yet there was more than this2 these    
invitations are like successive steps up
 into the life ,he wanted them to have4 
,he said1 ,come unto ,me4#bh ,this was  
always the first1 and still remains     
first4 ,it led1 and it leads1 into rest 
of heart and life1 peace with ,god4 ,he 
quickly followed it with ,come ye after 
,me4#bi ,they must come to ,him before  
they could come after ,him4 ,this was   
found to mean discipleship1 learning the
 road4 ,he would make them like ,himself
 in going after others4 ,he said1 take  
,my yoke upon you4#cj,this meant a      
bending down to get into the yoke1 a    
surrender of will and heart to ,himself1

 and then partnership1 fellowship       
side-by-side with ,himself4  ,then ,he  
spoke another word to the innermost     
circle1 on the night in which ,he was   
betrayed4 ,he had a long talk that      
evening with the eleven around the      
supper table1 and walking down to the   
grove of olives at the ,brook of the    
,cedars4#ca ,several times that evening 
,he used this new word1 abide1 abide in 
,me4 ,that means staying with ,him1 not 
leaving1 living continuously with ,him4 
,it means a continued separation from   
anything that would separate from ,him4 
,and then it means a fulness of life    
coming from ,himself into us as we draw 
all our life from ,himself1 a rich      
ripeness1 a rounded maturity1 a depth of
 life1 and these always becoming        
more1--richer1 rounder1 deeper4  ,then  
after the awful days of the cross were  
past1 on the evening of the resurrection
 day1 in the upper room with ten of the 
inner disciples1 ,he practically said1  
,you be ,myself2 as the ,father sent    

,me1 even so send ,i you#cb2 ,you be ,i4
 ,i wonder if any one of us has ever    
been taken or mistaken for the ,lord    
,jesus4 ,we would never know it1 of     
course4 ,but ,he meant it to be so4  ,a 
,scottish lady missionary in ,india     
tells of a ,bible class of girls which  
she had4 ,she was teaching them about   
the life and character of the ,lord     
,jesus4 ,one day a new girl came in1    
fresh from the heathenism in which she  
grew up1 knowing nothing of the ,gospel4
 ,she listened1 and then became quite   
intense and excited in her childish way1
 as she heard them talking about some   
,one1 how good ,he was1 how gentle1 how 
,he was always teaching and helping the 
people around ,him4 ,at last she could  
restrain her eagerness no longer1 but   
blurted out1 ,i know that man2 he lives 
near us4 ,it was found that she did not 
know about ,christ1 but supposed they   
were speaking of a very earnest native  
,christian man living in her            
neighbourhood4 ,she had mistaken her    

neighbour for ,jesus4 ,how glad that man
 must have been if he ever knew4 ,this  
was a part of our ,lord's plan4  ,and at
 the very end1 these successive         
invitations took the shape of a command1
 which was both a permission and an     
order1--,go ye4#cc ,men who had taken to
 heart1 one after another1 these        
invitations were ready for the command4 
,they would be eager for it4 ,the       
invitations were the ,master's          
preparation for the command4 ,he could  
trust such men to go1 and to keep steady
 and true as they went1 in the power ,he
 gave them4 ,there is one word that you 
find in all these invitations--,me4     
,they all centre about the ,lord ,jesus4
 ,he is the centre of gravity drawing   
every one1 in ever growing nearness and 
meaning1 to ,himself4 ,it is only when  
we have been drawn into closest touch   
with ,him that we are qualified to go to
 others4 ,it's only ,himself in us1 only
 as much of ,himself as is in us1 that  
will be helpful to any one else1 or will

 make any one else willing to break with
 his old way4 ,he is the only magnet to 
draw men away from the old life up to   
,himself4    ,follow ,me4   ,but there's
 one other invitation which belongs in  
this list4 ,it proves to be the greatest
 of them all1 because you come to find  
it includes all these others4 ,it's ,his
 ,follow ,me4 ,it seems at first glance 
to be the same as that ,come after ,me4 
,but it is the word ,he repeated again  
and again1 under different              
circumstances1 with added explanations1 
to the same men1 until you feel that ,he
 meant it to stand out as the great     
invitation to ,his disciples4 ,it seems 
to mean different things at different   
times4 ,that is to say1 it grew in its  
significance4 ,it came to mean more than
 it had seemed to4  ,peter is a good    
illustration here4 ,the word really came
 to him five times1 with a different1 an
 added1 meaning each time4 ,his first   
following meant acquaintance4#cd ,john  
the ,herald had sent his disciples1     

,john and ,andrew1 along after ,jesus as
 ,he was walking one day on the ,jordan 
river road4 ,they followed ,jesus to    
their first acquaintance in a two hours'
 talk1 which quite satisfied their      
hearts as to who ,he was4 ,john never   
forgot that first following4 ,every     
detail of it stands out in his memory   
when long years after he began to write 
his story of the ,master4 ,andrew went  
at once to hunt up ,peter1 and brought  
him face-to-face with his newly found   
,friend and ,master4 ,that interview    
settled things for ,peter4 ,andrew's    
following now included his4 ,following  
meant the beginning of the personal     
friendship which was to mean so much for
 both of them4  ,it was about a year    
after1 that ,follow ,me had a new       
meaning to ,peter and some others4#ce   
,the invitation was an illustrated one  
this time1 illustrated by a living      
picture of just what it meant4 ,it was  
one morning by the ,lake of ,galilee4   
,peter and his partners had had a poor  

night's fishing1 and were out on shore  
washing their nets4 ,the ,master had    
come along1 with a great crowd pressing 
in to get closer and hear better4 ,there
 was danger of the crowd pushing the    
,master into the water4 ,the ,master    
borrowed ,peter's boat for a pulpit4    
,peter sat facing the crowd while the   
,master talked to them4  ,was that the  
first time the spell of a crowd began to
 get its subtle heart-hold on ,peter as 
he looked into their hungry eyes8 ,who  
can withstand the great appeal of the   
crowd's eyes8 ,not our ,lord1 nor any   
that have caught ,his spirit4 ,then the 
great draught of fishes1 after the      
fishless night1 made ,peter feel the    
,master's power4 ,fishes would make him 
feel it1 being a fisherman1 as nothing  
else would4 ,the sense of ,jesus' power1
 and with it a sense of                 
purity--interesting how the power made  
him feel the purity--this brought him to
 his knees at our ,lord's feet with the 
confession of his own sinfulness4       

,peter was greatly moved that morning1  
greatly shaken4 ,a new experience of    
tremendous power had come to him4 ,and  
out of it came a new life1 a radical    
change as he left the old occupation1   
fishing1 boats1 father1 means of        
livelihood1 and entered upon the new    
life4 ,follow ,me meant a radical change
 of life1 constant companionship with   
,jesus1 sharing ,his life1 going to     
school1 getting ready for leadership and
 service2 yes1 and for suffering too4   
,he entered the ,master's itinerant     
training school that morning4 ,a man    
needs a sight of the ,lord ,jesus'      
power1 a feel of it1 before he is fit to
 serve1 or even to go to school to get  
ready for service4  ,it was some months 
after this that another meaning grew    
into the words ,follow ,me1 and grew out
 of them4 ,the words are not spoken this
 time1 but acted4 ,out of the group of  
disciples that ,he had gathered about   
,him our ,lord prayerfully chose out    
,peter with the others to be sent out as

 ,his messenger to others4#cf,part of   
the schooling was over2 now a new part1 
a new term of school1 was to begin4 ,he 
gave them a special talk that morning1  
and sent them out to teach and heal and 
do for the crowds what ,he had been     
doing4  ,he called them ,apostles1      
,sent-ones1 ,missionaries4 ,follow ,me  
now meant going to others4 ,it meant    
more--power1 power to do for men all the
 ,master ,himself had done4 ,first1     
power felt that early morning by the    
lake1 now power given4 ,that was a great
 advance in training4 ,power had to be  
felt before it could be given1 and has  
to be felt before it can be used4 ,only 
as the power takes hold of our inner    
hearts to the feeling point1 will it    
ever take hold of others4 ,and no life  
is changed through our service till     
power takes hold of us to the feeling   
point4    ,the ,deeper ,meaning4   ,but 
there was a special session of the      
,follow ,me school one day1 a very      
serious session4#cg,they had to be shown

 the red threads in the weave of the    
word4 ,the words had to be held under   
the knife1 so they could look into the  
cut1 and see the deeper meaning4 ,follow
 ,me had to take deeper hold of them    
yet1 if ,his power was to get the deeper
 hold of them1 and1 by and by1 get hold 
of the needy crowds4 ,the very setting  
of the words gives the new meaning to   
them4 ,john had felt the keen edge of   
,herod's axe blade1 and was now in the  
upper presence4 ,they were up in the far
 northern part because of the growing   
danger threatening ,him by the leaders4 
,it is the turning point where our ,lord
 ,jesus begins to tell them that ,he was
 to suffer4 ,their ears could not take  
in the words4 ,their dazed eyes show    
that they think they could not have     
heard aright1--,he to suffer6 ,what     
could this mean8 ,they hadn't figured on
 this when they left the nets and boats 
to follow4 ,there had been a rosy       
glamour filling impulsive ,peter's      
self-confident sky4 ,now this black     

storm cloud6 ,then to ,peter's foolhardy
 daring came words spoken with a new    
intense quietness that made the words   
quiver3 ,if any man would come after    
,me1 let him deny himself and take up   
his cross daily and ',follow ,me4'#ch   
,this was startling to a terrific       
degree4 ,here was a new1 strange1       
perplexing combination--deny himself1   
and cross1 coupled with ,his ,follow    
,me4 ,what could ,he mean8 ,this was    
surely some of ,his intensely figurative
 language again1 they think4 ,yes1 it   
surely was2 and it stood for a yet      
intenser experience4 ,follow ,me means  
sacrifice4 ,it means a going down as    
well as a going up4 ,and it proves to   
mean that one can go up in power and    
service1 only as far as he has gone down
 in the obedience that includes         
sacrifice4 ,did ,peter take in the      
meaning that day8 ,i think not4 ,actions
 speak louder than words4  ,that        
betrayal night a few short months after1
 when the actual cross was almost in    

actual sight1 he followed ,him afar     
off4#ci ,without knowing it1 that was as
 far as he had ever really followed thus
 far4 ,he wanted to keep as far off from
 that cross as possible4 ,he always had4
 ,he baulked at its first mention1      
baulked tremendously4 ,yet he followed4 
,poor ,peter6 he was in a terrible      
strait betwixt two1 this wondrous       
,master whom he really loved1 and this  
threatening cross of nails and thongs   
and thorns4 ,it was a stiff struggle    
between heart and flesh2 between the    
longing of his love and the shrinking   
from pain and hardship and shame4 ,and  
,peter's kinsfolk are still having the  
same struggle4 ,a great many stop here4 
,this is going too far6 ,they prefer    
staying by the easier ,follow ,me's1 and
 forgetting this one4 ,yes1 and go on   
living powerless lives1 and engaging in 
powerless service1 when the crowds were 
never so needy4  ,peter didn't follow   
this time4 ,the road was too rough4 ,he 
stumbled and fell badly4 ,badly8 ,still 

no worse than many others4 ,when he got 
up he was still facing the same way4    
,you can always tell a man's mettle by  
the way he faces as he gets up after a  
bad fall4  ,six months or so after there
 came another ,follow ,me1 to ,peter4   
,no1 it wasn't another2 it was the same 
one1 the one he hadn't accepted4 ,peter 
was to have another opportunity at the  
same place where he fell so badly4 ,how 
patient our ,lord ,jesus was--and is4   
,it was one morning just after          
breakfast--a rare breakfast--on the edge
 of the lake1 after as poor a night's   
fishing as that other time4#dj ,again   
the touch of power revealed the         
,master's presence4 ,again ,peter had a 
special word with the ,master while the 
others are hauling in the fish4 ,now    
breakfast's over and the seven are      
grouped about the ,one1 listening4 ,the 
,lord's quiet skilled hand touches the  
heart meaning of ,follow ,me4 ,its real 
meaning is a love meaning4 ,do you love8
 ,then ,follow ,me4 ,then you must      

follow1 your love draws you after1 even 
though the path be rough and broken4    
,this is the same ,follow ,me that      
,peter baulked at so badly months       
before4 ,its meaning had not changed4   
,it would mean a death1 ,peter is       
plainly told4 ,but now ,peter baulks no 
longer4 ,the ,master's great love had   
taught ,him how really to love4 ,and now
 not even a cross for himself would or  
could keep him from following close up  
to such a ,master4  ,here is the meaning
 of ,follow ,me as it worked out in     
,peter's experience--acquaintance1 a new
 life1 schooling1 service1 a sight of   
sacrifice1 and a baulking1 then--a sight
 of ,jesus on the cross1 and then a     
willingness to go on even though it     
meant the sorest sacrifice4 ,this is an 
etching of the road ,peter actually     
went1 an etching in black and white1    
with the black very black4 ,is it a     
picture of your road8 ,but perhaps you  
have never filled out the last          
part--still back at that baulking place4

 ,in the thick of our present life1 in  
the noise and din of the street of      
modern life1 comes as of old the quiet1 
clear1 insistent call ,follow ,me4      
,getting in ,behind4   ,but1 some one   
says1 how can we really follow this     
,lone ,man1 our ,lord ,jesus ,christ8   
,he was so pure in ,his life1 stainless 
in motive1 and unstained in character4  
,and we--well1 the nearer we get to ,him
 the more instinctively we find ,peter's
 lakeshore cry starting up within1 ,i am
 a sinful man4 ,his very presence makes 
us feel the sin1 the sin-instinct1 the  
old selfish something within4 ,how can  
we really follow8 ,and the answer that  
comes is a real answer4 ,it answers the 
inner heart-cry4  ,it is this3 we begin 
where ,he ended4 ,the cross was the end 
of ,his life4 ,it must be the beginning 
of ours4 ,it was the climax of ,his     
obedience4 ,all the lines of ,his life  
come together at the cross4 ,it is the  
beginning for us4 ,all the lines of our 
lives1 the lines of purity1 of          

character1 of service1 of power1 run    
back to the one starting point4 ,and we 
come to find--some of us pretty         
slowly--that it is only the lines that  
do start there that lead to anything    
worth while4 ,the starting point for the
 true life1 and for real service is very
 clear4 ,and if any of us have made a   
false start1 it will be a tremendous    
saving to drop things and go back and   
get the true start4 ,the blood of ,jesus
 ,his ,son cleanseth from all sin--this 
is the only point from which to start   
the ,follow ,me life4 ,follow ,me does  
not mean imitation4 ,it means           
reincarnation4 ,it's some ,one coming to
 re-live ,his life in us4 ,he died that 
,his life might be loosed out to be     
relived in us4  ,i have already spoken  
of this as being a call to friendship4  
,all the rest that comes is meant to be 
what naturally grows out of this        
friendship4 ,peter never forgot his last
 ,follow ,me call4 ,lovest thou ,me8    
,then thou mayest follow4 ,this greatly 

sweetens all the rest4 ,it's all for    
,him6--our friend4 ,out of this personal
 relation comes service1 power in       
service1 suffering because of opposition
 to ,him whom we serve1 and joy because 
we may suffer on ,his account4#da       
,matthew became ,his friend that day    
down at the little customs-shed at the  
,capernaum water edge4 ,and out of that 
friendship grew our first gospel4 ,john 
lived very close1 and out of his        
intimacy came the gospel that reveals to
 us most the inner heart of our ,lord1  
and ,his own intimacy of relation with  
the ,father4 ,and out of that friendship
 came1 too1 not only ,john's wonderful  
little abiding epistle1#db but the      
,revelation book1 which gives us an     
inkling of the coming in of the ,kingdom
 time that lies so near to our ,lord's  
heart4 ,out of such intimacy of touch   
grew ,stephen's ringing address before  
the ,jewish council1 and--his stormy1   
stony exit1 out and up into his         
,master's presence4  ,and time would    

fail me to tell of those in every corner
 of the earth1 and every generation     
since our ,lord was here1 who have      
served and suffered because they loved  
,him and followed4 ,hidden away in the  
rocks and caves of ,france from the     
fires of persecution1 the ,huguenots    
sang their favourite hymn3      ,i have 
a friend so precious1       ,so very    
dear to me1     ,he loves me with such  
tender love1       ,he loves so         
faithfully4      ,i could not live apart
 from ,him1       ,i love to feel ,him  
nigh1     ,and so we dwell together1    
,my ,lord and ,i4  ,when ,i was in      
,china a year ago1 my heart caught some 
of the distant echoes of that sort of   
singing1 by ,chinese ,christians1 in the
 midst of the fiery persecutions of the 
,boxer time4 ,and ,i heard the same sad1
 glad undertone last year out in ,corea1
 in the homes we visited1 whose loved   
ones were behind prison bars for their  
,friend's sake4  ,one of the latest     
chapters of this friendship's outcome is

 only just closed in the story of that  
quiet1 young friend of the ,lord ,jesus1
 ,william ,whiting ,borden1 who sat down
 a little while ago1 and so placed the  
wealth left him that the world might    
learn of his ,friend1 and then went out 
and laid down his life in ,egypt in this
 same passion of friendship4 ,so the    
earth's sod in every corner has known   
the fertilizing of such friendship      
blood1 and shall some day know a        
wondrous harvest under our great        
,friend's own gleaning4  ,and this is   
why ,he asks us to follow4 ,he needs our
 help4 ,our ,lord ,jesus gave ,his      
precious life blood to redeem the world1
 to set it free from its sin-slavery4   
,but there are two parts to that        
redemption1 ,his and ours4 ,these two   
parts are strikingly brought out by a   
single word in the beginning of the book
 of ,acts1#dc the word began4 ,luke says
 that what he has been writing in his   
,gospel of the life and death of ,jesus 
was only a beginning4 ,this was what ,he

 began both to do and to teach4 ,it is  
usually explained that what our ,lord   
,jesus began in the ,gospels1 the ,holy 
,spirit continued to do in the ,acts1   
and to teach in the ,epistles4 ,and this
 is no doubt true4 ,but there is still  
more here4 ,the ,holy ,spirit continued 
and continues through men what ,he began
 through ,jesus4 ,there is a second part
 to the work of redemption1 our part1   
the ,holy ,spirit working through us4   
,there had to be a first part2 that was 
the great part4 ,there could be no      
second without a first4 ,that first part
 was done when our ,lord ,jesus was hurt
 to death for us4 ,that is the great    
first part4 ,yet in doing that ,he had  
but begun something4 ,he touched        
,palestine4 ,we are to cover the earth4 
,he touched one nation2 we are to go to 
all nations4 ,we are to continue what   
,he began4 ,the work of redemption was  
finished on the cross so far as ,he was 
concerned2 but not yet finished so far  
as its being taken to all the world was 

concerned4 ,he needs us4 ,this is why   
,he asks us to follow4 ,he needs our    
co-operation4  ,the second great factor 
in carrying out what ,he began is--how  
shall ,i put it8 ,shall ,i say1 men and 
the ,holy ,spirit8 ,you say1 ,no1 change
 that1 say the ,holy ,spirit and men4   
,put the ,spirit first4 ,well1 the order
 of these two depends on where you are  
standing4 ,if you are standing at the   
,father's right hand1 you say the ,holy 
,spirit and men4 ,for the power is all  
in the ,holy ,spirit4 ,he is the power4 
,there can be nothing done without ,him4
 ,whatever is done in which ,he is not  
dominant amounts to nothing4 ,how ,i    
wish we men might have that tremendous  
fact grip us in these days when the     
whole emphasis is on organization4      
,but1 very reverently let me say this1  
and ,i say it thus plainly that we may  
know how much our ,lord ,jesus is       
depending on us1 how really ,he needs   
us1--this1 that since we are on the     
earth1 in the place of human action1    

where the fighting is to be done1 it is 
accurate to say with utmost reverence1  
men and the ,holy ,spirit4 ,for mark    
keenly1 the initiative is in human      
hands4 ,god's action has always waited  
on human action4 ,the power is only in  
the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the most astute and 
strong leadership amounts to nothing    
without ,him flooding it with ,his      
presence4 ,but the power needs a        
channel4 ,the ,spirit needs men strongly
 pliant to ,his will4 ,the great        
world-plan waits1 and always has waited1
 for willing men4 ,and so our great     
,friend asks us to follow because ,he   
really needs us in ,his plan4  ,have you
 ever noticed the picture in the word   
follow8 ,you remember that the earliest 
language was picture language4 ,and it  
is a great help sometimes to dig down   
under a word and get the picture4 ,here1
 it is a man standing on a roadway1     
earnestly beckoning1 and pointing to the
 road he is in4 ,the ,old ,testament    
word means literally same road4 ,the    

very word the ,master ,himself used     
means in behind4  ,to-night this        
wondrous ,lord ,jesus stands just ahead4
 ,his face still shows where the thorns 
cut and the thongs tore4 ,but there is a
 marvellous tenderness and pleading in  
those great patient eyes4 ,his hand is  
reached out beckoning1 and you cannot   
miss the hole in the palm of it4 ,the   
hand points to the road ,he trod for us4
 ,and ,his voice calls pleadingly1 ,take
 this same road2 get in behind4 ,i need 
your help with ,my world4    ,selling   
,all4   ,and yet--and yet----4 ,do you  
remember one time our ,lord turned to   
the crowds that were following and told 
them it would be better to count up the 
cost before deciding to be ,his         
disciples8#dd ,he feared if they didn't 
there would be mocking by outsiders     
because ,his followers' lives didn't    
square with their profession4 ,his fear 
seems to have been well founded4 ,there 
seems to be quite a bit of that sort of 
mocking4 ,it's better to count the cost1

 to know what following really means4 ,a
 ,salvation ,army officer in ,calcutta  
tells about a young handsome ,hindu of  
an aristocratic family4 ,one day he came
 in1 drew out a ,new ,testament1 and    
asked the meaning of the words1 sell    
whatsoever thou hast1 in the story of   
the rich young ruler4#de ,the           
,salvationist told him it meant that if 
a man's possessions stood in the way of 
his becoming a ,christian he must be    
willing1 if need be1 to dispose of them 
for the needy4 ,to his surprise the     
young man quietly said1 ,i fear you     
don't understand4  ,do you want to be a 
,christian8  ,yes1 but ,i'm not willing 
to sell all that ,i possess4  ,after a  
little more talk the young ,indian left4
 ,sometime after he appeared at one of  
the ,salvation ,army meetings1 and when 
the opportunity was given for those who 
would accept ,christ to kneel at the    
altar1 at once he started forward4 ,but 
instantly a storm broke out in the      
crowded meeting4 ,a group of men rushed 

forward1 shouting angrily1 seized the   
young man and bore him bodily out while 
the crowd watched in terror4 ,a few     
weeks later the young man turned up     
again1 asking to be taken in and quietly
 saying1 ,i have begun to sell all4     
,then his story came out4 ,a ,bible had 
come into his hands2 the character and  
call of the ,lord ,jesus made a great   
appeal to him4 ,he was haunted by the   
words1 sell whatsoever thou hast4 ,he   
felt he knew what it meant for him4 ,his
 family heard of his interest in        
,christianity4 ,they belonged to the    
highest class1 were wealthy and         
officially connected with the heathen   
temple-worship4 ,they did their best to 
dissuade him1 then finding that useless1
 they kept watch1 and had him forcibly  
taken from the meeting where he was     
about to openly confess ,christ4 ,the   
entreaties of his father and mother     
shook him greatly but failed to change  
his decision4 ,he had been imprisoned1  
chained hand and foot1 and scantily fed1

 but all to no purpose4 ,then he managed
 to escape and came to the one          
,christian place he knew1 the ,salvation
 ,army1 and asked to be taken in4       
,after about two weeks he disappeared as
 abruptly as he came4 ,then one day he  
came back1 and told his ,salvation      
friend that he had been carried to      
,benares1 their holy city1 and forced to
 bathe in the ,ganges4 ,but1 he said1 as
 ,i stood in the water of the ,ganges1  
,i said1 ',lord ,jesus1 wash me in ,thy 
precious blood1' and when ,i was forced 
to bow to idols1 ,i bowed my soul to the
 eternal ,father and said1 ',thou art   
,god alone4' ,his mother had implored   
him on her knees not to disgrace them2  
his tutor1 whom he loved dearly1 and his
 brothers had joined the father in their
 plea not to bring such shame on the    
family4 ,well1 the ,salvationist said1  
now1 you know the meaning of 'sell      
whatsoever thou hast' ,not yet1 he said1
 but ,i have sold nearly all4  ,again he
 came back and said quietly1 ,i have    

sold all4 ,he appeared deeply           
grief-stricken1 and yet there was a     
light shining in his eye4 ,in answer to 
questions he said1 ,i have not only     
ceased to be a ,brahmin1 ,i have ceased 
to be a human being4 ,i am not only an  
outcast1 ,i am dead4 ,i have neither    
father1 mother1 brothers1 nor sisters4  
,i have been burned in effigy1 and the  
ashes buried4 ,it was not the effigy    
they burned2 it was ,i4 ,my father would
 not recognize me now if he met me on   
the street1 nor would my mother4 ,i am  
dead4 ,i have been buried4 ,it is the   
end4 ,i have sold all4#df ,he had       
counted the cost4 ,then though it meant 
so much1 he followed4 ,the rich young   
,jew to whom the words were first       
spoken1 saw things bigger than ,jesus2  
the rich young ,hindu saw ,jesus bigger4
 ,each held to what he prized most1 and 
let the other go4 ,would it not be      
better if we were to count the cost1 and
 then deliberately decide8 and if it be 
to follow1 then follow all the way8 ,i  

want to talk a little later about what  
it means to follow4 ,i hope this will   
help us a little in our calculations1 in
 counting the cost before starting in to
 follow fully4  ,and yet1 and yet1 may  
the vision of the ,lone ,man in the     
road1 beckoning1 flood our eyes while we
 count the cost1 even as with the young 
,hindu4     ,what ,following ,means     
#a4 ,a ,look ,ahead4 #b4 ,the ,main     
,road4 #c4 ,the ,valleys4 #d4 ,the      
,hilltops4     #a4 ,a ,look ,ahead      
,saltless ,salt4   ,the ,lord ,jesus    
never tried to make things look easier  
than they are4 ,he wanted you to see the
 road just as it is1 and asked you to   
look at it carefully4 ,he knew this was 
the only right way to do4 ,he knew that 
so the sinews would be grown in         
character that would stand the tests    
coming1 and only so4  ,it was never ,his
 plan to increase the numbers by cutting
 down the doorsills so men could get in 
more easily4 ,that was a later          
arrangement4 ,he was never concerned for

 numbers1 but for right and truth4 ,a   
man walking alone down the middle of the
 one true path was more to ,him1        
immensely more1 than a great crowd      
wabbling along on the edge1 half out1   
half in1 neither in nor out1 and so     
really out but not knowing it4 ,if they 
were really out and knew it1 it would be
 better1 for they could see more        
distinctly the path they were not in1   
its straightness and attractiveness4    
,this sort of thing grew more marked    
with our ,lord ,jesus as the end drew   
on1 the tragic end4 ,the crowds         
thickened about ,him those last months4 
,they liked good bread1 and plenty of   
it1 and healed bodies1 pain gone4 ,and  
,he liked to give them these4 ,he helped
 just as far as they would let ,him4    
,but ,he wanted to give them more4 ,he  
knew this other was only temporary4 ,he 
was more concerned about healing the    
spirit of its disease1 and giving the   
more abundant life4 ,and full well ,he  
knew that only the knife could help     

many4 ,and the knife had to be freshly  
sharpened1 and used with strong decisive
 hand1 if healing and life were to come4
  ,and men haven't changed1 nor the     
diseases that hurt their life1 nor the  
,master1 nor the tender love of ,his    
heart4 ,but there's more than knife2    
there's fulness of life following4 ,he  
would have us get the life even though  
it means the knife4 ,most times--every  
time1 shall ,i say8--the life comes only
 through the knife4 ,yet when the life  
has come1 with its great tireless       
strength1 and its deep breathing1 and   
sheer delight of living1 you are        
grateful for the knife that led the way 
to such life4  ,one day our ,lord       
entered a vigorous protest against the  
wrong sort of salt1#dg saltless salt1   
the sort that seemed to be salt1 and you
 used it and depended on it1 and then   
found how unsalty it was1 for the thing 
you depended on it to preserve1 had gone
 bad4 ,the great need is for salty salt4
 ,there still seems to be a great lot of

 this saltless salt in use4 ,it's       
labelled salt1 and so it's used as salt1
 but it befools you4 ,the saltiness has 
been lost out1 and the man using it     
wakes up to find out how great is the   
loss1 loss of what he thought he had    
salted1 and loss of time1 character and 
time1 the character of that salted with 
saltless salt1 and the time spent4  ,it 
would be an immense clearing of the     
religious situation to-day on both sides
 of the ,atlantic1 if the saltless salt 
could be got rid of1 either by removing 
the unsaltiness in it--though that seems
 a hopeless task1 it's so unsalty1 and  
there is so much of it1 and such a large
 proportion of it1 and it's so well     
content with being just as unsalty as it
 is4 ,or1 the only other thing is put   
very simply and vigorously by the ,lord 
in a short intense sentence1 ,cast it   
out4 ,out with it4 ,and lots of it is   
out so far as preservative usefulness is
 concerned4  ,and yet with wondrous     
patience ,he puts up with a great deal  

of salt that seems to have nearly       
reached the utterly saltless stage1     
hoping to get rid of the unsaltiness1   
and then to give it a new saltiness4    
,for1 be it keenly marked1 when the     
saltiness has quite gone out of the     
salt1 when the preservative quality has 
quite gone out from that body of people 
which ,he has placed in the world as its
 moral preservative1--then look out4    
,aye1 look up1#dh for that's the only   
direction from which any help can       
relieve the desperateness of the        
situation4 ,and lift up your heads1 for 
then comes a new preservative to the    
rotting earth-life4 ,but some of us will
 smell the smell of the decay before the
 new salt begins to work4    ,the ,thing
 in ,us ,that ,wants ,things4   ,it was 
along toward that tragic end1 when the  
tension was tightening up to the        
snapping point1 the bitter hatred of the
 leaders yet more bitter1 the crowds yet
 denser1 the terms of discipleship yet  
more plainly put with loving1 faithful  

plainness1 that a characteristic        
incident happened4#di ,a young man of   
gentle blood and breeding1 and          
influential position1 came eagerly1     
courteously elbowing his way through the
 crowd that gathered thick about4 ,our  
,lord had just risen from where ,he had 
been sitting teaching1 when this young  
man1 in his eagerness1 came running to  
,him4 ,with deep reverence of spirit he 
knelt down in the road1 and began asking
 about the true life1 the secret of     
living it4 ,our ,lord begins talking    
about being true in all his dealings    
with his fellow-men4 ,the young man     
earnestly assured ,him that he had paid 
great attention to this1 and felt that  
there was nothing lacking in him on this
 score4 ,the utter sincerity and        
earnestness of his spirit was so clear  
that the ,master's love was drawn out to
 him4 ,and ,he showed ,his love in a way
 characteristic of ,him in dealing with 
those who want to go to the whole length
 of the true road4 ,that is1 ,he talked 

very plainly to him4 ,there were four   
things to do beforehand1 ,he said1 four 
starting steps into this life he was so 
eager to enter4 ,four words tell the    
four steps3 go1 sell1 give1 and come4   
,go meant the decisive starting in on   
this way2 sell meant putting everything 
into the ,father's hand for ,his        
disposal as ,he alone might choose4     
,give meant using everything1 everything
 you are1 and have1 and can influence1  
as ,he bids you4 ,come meant this new   
man1 this decisive1 emptied1 now trusted
 man1 trusted as a trustee1 coming into 
a new personal relation with the ,lord  
,jesus4  ,the first three things were   
important because they revealed the man4
 ,but the thing was that the man1 this  
new-emptied and now ,god-trusted man1   
should come into personal touch with the
 ,lord ,jesus4 ,the things he had and   
held on to came in between4 ,when they  
no longer came in to separate1 then1 and
 only then1 was he ready to get in      
behind and follow along the same road4  

,for this is the friendship road4 ,only 
friends are allowed here1 inner friends1
 those who come in by that gateway4     
,there must be the personal touch4      
,things that stand in the way of that   
must be straightened out4  ,it was      
rather a startling answer4 ,the young   
man was startled tremendously4 ,the way 
to come in is first to go out4 ,the way 
to get is first to give4 ,the way to buy
 what you want is to sell what you have4
 ,that is to say1 the way for this young
 man to get what he was so eager for was
 to get rid of what he already had4 ,and
 yet it wasn't getting rid of the things
 the ,master was thinking about1 but    
getting rid of the thing in him that    
wanted the things1 getting rid of their 
hold upon him4 ,our ,lord ,jesus wanted1
 and wants1 free men1 emptied men4 ,he  
wants the strength in the man that the  
emptying and selling process gives4     
,this is the laboratory where the       
unsaltiness is being burned out1 and the
 new salty saltiness being generated1   

put in4  ,this young fellow couldn't    
stand the test4 ,so many can't4 ,no1    
,i'm getting the words wrong4 ,he       
wouldn't stand it2 so many won't4 ,the  
slavery of things was too much4 ,the    
thing in him that wanted the things was 
stronger than the thing that wanted the 
true life4 ,he was too weak to make that
 go decision4 ,he belonged to the weakly
 fellowship of the saltless ones4 ,they 
are not wholly saltless1 but that's the 
chief thing that marks them4 ,it's a    
long-lived fellowship1 continuing to    
this day1 with a large membership in    
good and regular standing4  ,i think the
 real trouble with this fine-grained    
lovable young man was in his eyes1 the  
way they looked1 what they saw4 ,it was 
a matter of seeing things in true       
perspective4 ,he didn't get a good look 
at the ,man he asked his question of4   
,he was looking so intently at the      
things that he couldn't get the use of  
his eyes for a good look at the ,man4   
,this is a very common eye-trouble4 ,he 

was all right outward1 toward his       
fellows1 but he wasn't all right upward 
toward the ,father4  ,and yet even that 
statement must be changed4 ,for a man   
cannot be right with his fellows who is 
not right with ,god4 ,when ,god doesn't 
have the passion of the heart1 our      
fellows don't have all they should      
properly have from us2 there is a lack4 
,the common law may be kept1 the pounds 
and yards may weigh and measure off     
fully what is due them from us1 but the 
uncommon law1 the love-law is not being 
kept4 ,the warm spirit that should      
breathe out through all our dealings is 
lacking4 ,it's been checked by the check
 in the upper movement4 ,only the spirit
 that flows freely up1 ever flows freely
 out4  ,that young ,indian aristocrat we
 spoke of elsewhere got a sight of      
,jesus4 ,that settled things for him1   
including even such sacred things as    
human loves4 ,this young ,jewish        
aristocrat couldn't get his eyes off of 
the things4 ,so many thing-slaves there 

are1 so much thing-slavery4 ,if only    
there were the sight of ,his face6 ,his 
face2 torn8 yes2 scarred8 yes again1 but
 oh1 the strength and light and love in 
it6  ,do you remember that other young  
,jewish1 university-trained aristocrat8 
,he got a look1 one good long           
look-in-the-face look of that face1 one 
day1 on the road up to the northern     
,syrian capital4 ,the light of it       
flooded his face1 and strangely affected
 him4 ,he said when ,i could not see for
 the glory of that light4#ej ,he        
couldn't see things for ,him4 ,the sight
 of ,him blurred out the things4 ,the   
great need to-day is for a sight of     
,him4 ,lord ,jesus1 if ,thou wouldst    
show us ,thy hands and feet again1 and  
torn face1 even as in the upper room    
that resurrection evening1#ea for that's
 what we are needing4 ,and yet1 ,thou   
art doing just that1 but the things so  
hold our vision6 ,and the ,master's     
answer is the same as to the young ,jew4
 ,we need the decisive go2 the incisive1

 inclusive sell2 the privileged give2   
the new-meaninged come into ,his        
presence4 ,and then we may get in behind
 ,him1 and follow close up in the same  
road1 with eyes for naught but ,himself4
    ,outstanding ,experiences4   ,i want
 to follow the ,master's plan1 and ask  
you to take a good look at ,his ,follow 
,me road4 ,you remember that we have had
 one talk together about the            
characteristics of our ,lord ,jesus'    
life4 ,now we want to talk a little     
about the experiences of ,his life4 ,and
 ,i do not mean that we are to try to   
imitate these experiences1 or any of    
them4 ,the meaning goes much deeper than
 this1 and yet it marks out a simpler   
road for our feet4 ,i mean that as we   
actually go along with this ,master of  
ours1 these experiences will work out in
 our lives4  ,as we let ,him in as      
actual ,lord1 and get our ears trained  
for ,his quiet voice1 there will come to
 us some of the same things that come to
 ,him4  ,the same ,spirit at work within

 us1 and the same sort of a world at    
work without1 will so work against each 
other as to produce certain other       
results1 now as then4 ,it is not to be  
an attempt at imitation2 it's far more4 
,it is to be obedience on our part1 a   
real ,presence within on ,his part1 and 
a bitter antagonism without on the      
world's part2 rhythmic full glad        
obedience1 a sympathetic powerful real  
,presence1 a tense and intensifying     
subtle1 relentless1 but                 
continually-being-thwarted opposition4  
,the key-note for us is simple1 full    
obedience4  ,there were certain great   
outstanding experiences in our ,lord    
,jesus' life4 ,let us briefly notice    
what these were and group them together4
 ,there was the ,bethlehem ,birth4 ,that
 was a thing altogether distinctive in  
itself4 ,it was a supernatural birth1   
the ,spirit of ,god working along purely
 human lines1 in a new special way1 for 
a special purpose4 ,it was a rare       
blending of ,god and man in the action  

of life4 ,it was followed by the        
,nazareth ,life2 that was a commonplace 
life1 lived in a commonplace village1   
but hallowed by the presence of the     
,father1 and sweetened by the salt of   
everything being done under that        
,father's loving eye4 ,the ,father's    
presence accepted as a real thing became
 the fragrance of that commonplace daily
 life4 ,and this life covered most of   
those human years4  ,then our ,lord     
turned from the hidden life of ,nazareth
 to the public ministry4 ,at its        
beginning stands the ,jordan ,baptism of
 ,power4 ,in the path of simple         
obedience ,he had gone to the ,jordan1  
taken a place among the crowds1 and     
accepted ,john's baptism4 ,and in this  
act of obedience1 there comes the       
gracious act of ,his ,father's approval1
 the ,holy ,spirit came down upon ,him  
in gracious1 almighty power4 ,and from  
this moment ,he was under the sway of   
the ,spirit of ,power4 ,this was the    
special preparation and fitting for all 

that was to follow4  ,at once the       
,spirit driveth ,him into the           
,wilderness4 ,and for forty days ,he    
goes through the great experience of the
 ,wilderness ,temptation4 ,in intensity 
and in prolonged action1 it was the     
greatest experience thus far in ,his    
life4 ,he suffered1 being tempted4 ,it  
was a concentration of the continuous   
temptation of the following years of    
action4 ,but the ,wilderness spelled out
 two words1 temptation and victory2     
temptation such as had never yet been   
brought1 and met1 and fought2 victory   
beyond what the race had known4         
,temptation came to have a new spelling 
for man1 v-i-c-t-o-r-y4 ,it came to have
 a new spelling for the tempter1        
d-e-f-e-a-t4  ,after ,his virtual       
rejection by the nation as its          
,messiah1#eb and the imprisonment of him
 who stood nearest ,him as              
,messiah1--,john the ,herald1 there     
followed the ,galilean ,ministry4 ,for  
those brief years ,he was utterly       

absorbed in personally meeting and      
ministering to the crying needs of the  
crowds4 ,compassion for needy men became
 the ruling under-passion4 ,he was spent
 out in responding to the needs of men4 
,it was not restricted to ,galilee1 but 
that stands out as the chief scene of   
this tireless unceasing service4 ,the   
,galilean ministry meant a life spent in
 meeting personally the needs of men4   
,in the midst of that1 made increasingly
 difficult by the ever-increasing       
opposition1 there came the experience of
 the ,transfiguration ,mount4 ,it comes 
at a decisive turning point1 where ,he  
is beginning the higher training of the 
,twelve for the tragic ending1 so       
surprising and wholly unexpected to     
them4 ,for a brief moment the dazzling  
light within was allowed to shine       
through the garments of ,his humanity4  
,what was within transfigured the outer1
 the human face and form4 ,and the      
overwhelming outshining light was       
evidence to those three men of the      

divine glory1 the more-than-human glory 
hidden away within this human man4      
,then within a week of the end came the 
,gethsemane ,agony4 ,that was the lone1 
sore stress of spirit under the load of 
the sin of others4 ,in ,gethsemane ,he  
went through in spirit what on the      
morrow ,he went through in actual       
experience4 ,gethsemane was the         
beginning1 the anticipation of ,calvary1
 so far as that could be anticipated4   
,anticipation here was terrific2 yet    
less terrific than the actual           
experience4  ,and then came the climax1 
the overtopping experience of all for   
,him1 as for us1 the ,calvary ,cross4   
,there ,he died of ,his own free will4  
,he died for us4 ,he died that we might 
not die4 ,he took upon ,himself what sin
 brings to us1 while the ,father's face 
was hidden4 ,so ,he freed us from the   
slavery of sin1 made a way for us back  
to real life1 and so touched our hearts 
by ,his love that we were willing to go 
back4  ,and close upon the heels of that

 came the burial in ,joseph's tomb4 ,the
 burial was the completion of the death4
 ,the tomb was the climax of the cross4 
,he was actually dead and buried4 ,the  
corn of wheat had fallen down into the  
ground and been covered up4 ,there was  
nothing lacking to make full and clear  
that ,jesus had died4  ,then came the   
stupendous experience of the            
,resurrection ,morning4 ,our ,lord      
,jesus yielded to death fully and       
wholly4 ,then ,he seized death by the   
throat and strangled it4 ,he put death  
to death4 ,then ,he quietly yielded to  
the upward gravity of ,his sinless life 
and rose up4 ,he lived the dependent    
life even so far as yielding to death1  
and now the ,father quietly brought ,him
 back again to life1 to a new life4     
,and after waiting a while on earth     
among men1 long enough to make it quite 
clear to ,his disciples that it was     
really ,himself really back again1 ,he  
quietly yielded further to the upward   
gravity1 and entered upon the ,ascension

 ,life1 up in the ,father's presence4   
,that life is one of intercession4 ,he  
ever liveth to make intercession for    
us4#ec ,he is our pleading advocate at  
the ,father's right hand4#ed ,thirty    
years of the ,nazareth life1 three and a
 half years of personal service1        
nineteen hundred years1 almost1 of      
praying4 ,what an acted-out lesson to us
 on prayer1 the big place it had and has
 with ,him1 the true proportion of      
prayer to all else6  ,these are the     
experiences of our ,lord ,jesus that    
stand out clear above the mountain range
 of ,his life4 ,it was all a high       
mountain range2 these are the great     
peaks jutting sharply up above the      
range4    ,at the ,loom4   ,now these   
peaks1 these outstanding experiences1 as
 you look at them a bit1 seem to fall   
naturally into three groups4 ,there were
 certain experiences of power and of    
privilege1 the ,bethlehem ,birth1 the   
,jordan ,baptism1 the ,nazareth ,life1  
and the ,galilean ,ministry4  ,there    

were experiences of suffering and       
sacrifice1 the ,wilderness ,temptation1 
the ,gethsemane ,agony1 the ,calvary    
,death1 and the ,joseph's ,tomb of      
,burial4  ,and then there were certain  
experiences of gladness and great glory1
 the ,transfiguration ,mount1 the       
,resurrection ,morning1 the ,ascension  
,life1 and1 we shall find a fourth here 
also1 a future experience1 the ,kingdom 
,reign and ,glory4  ,these outstanding  
events1 while distinct in themselves1   
are also representative of continual    
experiences4 ,the ,jordan ,baptism      
stands not only for that event1 but for 
the power throughout those forty and two
 months4 ,the same sort of suffering    
that came in ,gethsemane had run all    
through ,his life1 but is strongest in  
,gethsemane4 ,so each of these          
experiences is really like a peak       
resting upon the mountain range of      
constant similar experience4 ,and these 
three groups of experience continuously 
intermingled1 interlaced and interwoven1

 made up the pattern of that wondrous   
life4  ,now these same experiences of   
,his are also the great experiences that
 will characterize the ,follow ,me life1
 for every one who will follow fully4   
,it will always remain true that these  
experiences were distinctive of ,him4   
,they meant more to ,him than they will 
or can mean to any other4 ,but it is    
also true that they will come to us in a
 degree that will mean everything to us4
  ,i want to change the figure of speech
 here4 ,i think it will help4 ,this     
invitation1 ,follow ,me1 is the language
 of a road1 the picture of one walking  
behind another in a road4 ,and that will
 remain in our minds as the chief       
picture of this pleading call4 ,but     
there's another bit of picture talking  
that will help4 ,that is the picture of 
a weaver's loom1 with the warp threads  
running lengthwise1 the shuttle threads 
running crosswise1 and the cross beam   
7or batten7 driving each shuttle thread 
into place in the cloth with a sharp    

blow4  ,these three groups of           
experiences are like so many hanks of   
threads in the loom1 in which the       
pattern of life is being woven4 ,the    
experiences of power and privilege are  
the warp threads running lengthwise of  
the loom1 into which the others are     
woven4 ,these make up the foundation of 
the fabric4  ,the other two groups make 
up the shuttle threads1 running         
crosswise1 being woven into the warp4   
,the experiences of suffering and       
sacrifice are the dark threads1 the gray
 threads1 sometimes quite black1 and the
 red threads1 blood red4 ,the           
experiences of gladness and glory are   
the bright threads1 yellow1 golden1     
sunny threads4  ,and the daily round of 
life1 the decisions1 the actual step    
after step in living out the decisions1 
the patient steady pushing on1 is the   
beam that with sharp blow pushes each   
thread into its place in the fabric     
being woven4  ,as we allow the same     
,spirit that swayed our ,lord's life to 

control us1 ,he will work out in us     
certain of these same experiences4 ,and 
the enmity aroused1 and working against 
that ,spirit's presence and control1    
will bring certain other experiences4   
,our part will be simple obedience1     
listening1 looking1 studying quietness  
so as to insure keener ears and         
eyes--it's the quiet spirit that hears  
what ,he is saying--then obeying1 using 
all the strength of will1 and all the   
grace at our disposal1 simply to hold   
steady and true1 and to obey1 no matter 
what threatens to come1 or what actually
 does come4 ,this will be found to be   
like weaving4  ,probably you have often 
heard of how the weavers work in the    
famous ,gobelin tapestry factories in   
,paris4 ,they know nothing of the beauty
 of the pattern being woven4 ,they work 
on the wrong side1 the under side of the
 web4 ,they miss the inspiration of     
seeing the rare beauty they themselves  
are making4 ,all the weaver sees is the 
apparent tangle of many coloured threads

 and thread ends1 while he thrusts in   
his needles according to the card of    
instructions4 ,the more faithfully and  
skilfully he can follow the directions  
the better a piece of weaving work is   
done4  ,we simply obey4 ,we use all the 
strength we have1 and the skill we can  
acquire1 in obeying4 ,we are not to     
depend on what we can see or feel for   
inspiration1 only on the ,master        
,looms-man2 on ,his word1 written1 and  
spoken in our hearts1 and on ,his       
answering peace within4 ,obedience is   
the one key-note for all the music4     
,surrender is the first act of full     
obedience4 ,obedience is the habitual   
surrender4 ,our part is to hear right   
and do what ,he bids4  ,some day we     
shall be fairly swept off our feet by   
the beauty of the pattern ,he has been  
weaving--if we've let ,him have ,his way
 at the loom4     #b4 ,the ,main        
,road--,experiences of ,power ,and      
,privilege    ,the ,bethlehem ,birth4   
,there were four of these experiences in

 our ,lord's life4 ,at the very         
beginning came the ,bethlehem ,birth4   
,that meant for ,him a birth out of the 
usual course of nature1 yet working     
within nature's usual processes4 ,it was
 something more-than-the-natural coming 
down into the natural4 ,the power of the
 ,holy ,spirit came upon the pure gentle
 maiden of ,nazareth and a new human    
life was begotten by ,him within her1   
and in due course came to the maturity  
of birth4 ,this was a distinctive thing 
with ,jesus4  ,now1 in quite a different
 sense1 but in a very real sense1 there 
will be for us1 too1 a ,bethlehem       
,birth4 ,the ,holy ,spirit will come in 
and begin a new life within us4 ,this is
 the only beginning of the ,follow ,me  
life for any of us4 ,there's a something
 on the ,spirit's part before there can 
be a beginning on my part4 ,yet that    
hardly tells the whole story4 ,my part  
is really first2 ,i open the door for   
,him to come in4 ,when ,i accept ,jesus 
as my ,saviour1 that's opening the door4

 ,the ,spirit comes in and begins the   
new life within me4 ,and yet there's    
another first before that first act of  
mine4 ,he woos me with ,his patient1    
tender love4 ,that is the first first4  
,then ,i open the door3 at once ,he     
comes in1 and does the thing which only 
,he can do4 ,so begins the ,follow ,me  
life4 ,this is the real1 the only       
beginning4  ,and yet there's more here  
of the practical sort than we have      
thought of1 most of us4 ,it means that  
there is within us a life higher than   
the natural life1 and this higher life  
is to be higher1 it is to be the        
controlling life4 ,it is to hold the    
upper hand over the natural life4 ,the  
control is to be from above4 ,that is to
 say1 the motives and desires of the    
upper life are to be dominant in my     
daily round4 ,it is the ,father-pleasing
 life as contrasted with the natural    
life1 of which we talked a while ago4   
,wherever the two come in conflict1 the 
upper is to rule4  ,now1 ,i know this   

rather runs across the grain of a good  
deal of our so-called ,christian life4  
,there are a good many people who1 let  
us really believe1 have been born again1
 to use the familiar phrase1 yet they   
seem to have stayed in the being-born   
stage1 the infancy stage4 ,that which   
was born again in them seems not to have
 been developed4 ,it has never been     
allowed to grow4 ,the under life has    
been given the upper hand1 and the upper
 life kept strictly down4 ,the salt     
isn't salty4 ,the common round of life  
is seasoned wholly by the old seasoning4
  ,our ,lord's ,follow ,me becomes a    
radical1 decisive thing at the very     
start4 ,it means that we will allow this
 new life of the ,spirit to grow into   
lusty vigour1 and to become the         
controlling life ,so it will be the     
chief thing4 ,all the life shall be     
directed and controlled from above4     
,this is a result that will come of     
itself if we really follow4 ,obedience1 
and back of that the quiet time on the  

knees with the ,book1 will give food and
 air and growing space to this new life1
 and its growth will crowd down the     
other4    ,the ,jordan ,baptism of      
,power4   ,then there was a ,jordan     
,baptism of ,power in our ,lord's life4 
,this stood at the beginning of ,his    
leadership1 ,his life-work1 ,his service
 among men4 ,as ,he came up out of the  
,jordan waters ,he stood waiting in     
prayer4 ,he was expecting something4    
,his whole being was absorbed in the    
expectancy of what had been promised4#ee
 ,and that expectancy was not           
disappointed4 ,none that wait on ,god   
shall be put to confusion by any        
disappointment4#ef ,the blue above was  
rift through1 the ,holy ,spirit as a    
gentle dove came1 and remained upon     
,him1 and the ,father's voice of pleased
 approval spoke to ,his grateful1       
obedient heart4 ,from that time the     
whole control of ,his life was          
absolutely in the hands of the ,holy    
,spirit4  ,this does not mean an inert  

passivity on ,jesus' part2 it meant a   
strong1 intelligent yielding to the     
,holy ,spirit4 ,it does not mean that   
,his natural faculties of mind and will 
and heart were held down1 not to be     
used4 ,it means that they were actively1
 studiously used in discerning the ,holy
 ,spirit's leading1 and in doing as ,he 
directed4 ,and it means that so there   
came a fulness of life1 an increasing   
life1 into ,his faculties1 mind and will
 and heart4 ,our ,lord ,jesus used all  
,his powers in yielding to the          
inspiration and direction and control of
 the ,holy ,spirit1 keeping ever open to
 ,his suggestion1 and making that       
suggestion the law of ,his own action4  
,and the ,spirit of ,omnipotence1       
working with the gentleness of a dove1  
breathed upon those yielded powers1 and 
breathed through them1 even as had been 
planned with the first breathing of this
 sort1 in ,eden4 ,so from the           
,wilderness clear up to the last ,olivet
 command to the disciples1 everything   

was done at the bidding1 the direction  
of this ,spirit4 ,and so the almighty   
power was breathed into every word and  
action and bit of suffering4 ,the one   
key-note of the ,master's action was    
obedience2 the result was the flooding  
of the ,spirit's omnipotence through    
,his obedient faculties and life4  ,now1
 as we follow1 this same sort of        
experience will be ours4 ,what a        
tremendous thing to say6 ,yet the road  
was being beaten down for our feet4 ,the
 ,son of ,man was simply showing to ,his
 brother-men the road we were all meant 
to go1 showing it by going in it4 ,all  
the power that came into ,jesus' life   
will come into ours1 if ,he is given    
,his way4 ,for the ,holy ,spirit is not 
measured out1 either to ,him or to      
us1#eg but poured out without stint4#eh 
,as we follow we shall be led along     
behind the ,man going before4  ,there   
will need to be instruction1 for we're  
so new to this road4 ,and human teachers
 are sent by the ,holy ,spirit to help  

us understand1 teachers in print1 and   
teachers in shoes4 ,there will need to  
be the initial act of full surrender to 
the ,lord ,jesus as ,lord indeed1 for   
most of us have been going another way  
than this4 ,there will need to be a     
house-cleaning time1 for we have let in 
so much of another sort4  ,a soft1 but  
very honest1 searching light will come  
flooding in through the sky-light       
windows4 ,and as we instinctively go to 
our knees and faces because of what that
 light brings to light1 there will be a 
wondrous cleansing1 both by blood and by
 fire4 ,then will come a filling of our 
very being by this wondrous ,spirit of  
,god4  ,how shall we know this filling1 
do you ask8 ,there will be a quiet1 deep
 peace1 at times a great joy that sings1
 but ever the deep peace that holds you1
 a new hunger for the old ,book1 and a  
new soft light on its pages4 ,there will
 be an inner drawing to talk with ,god1 
and an intense desire to please ,him1 to
 find out what ,he wants you to do1 and 

then to do it4  ,there will come other  
things too1 of a less pleasant sort1    
temptation will come anew1 and a        
sense--sometimes very acute--of sin1 a  
feeling that there's a something within 
you fighting you1 the new you4 ,there   
will be an increased sensitiveness to   
sin1 and an intense hatred of it4 ,this 
is what the filling means4 ,these things
 will tell you that ,he1 the ,spirit1   
has taken possession of what you        
surrendered1 and that ,he is now at work
 within4 ,these are ,his finger-prints4 
,then there will be the outflowing side 
of this filling4 ,a passion that all men
 may know this compassionate ,god1 will 
come as a fire burning in your bones4   
,its flames will envelop and go through 
everything you are and have and can do4 
,but under all will be the passion for  
pleasing the ,lord ,jesus4 ,obedience   
will become the chief thing1 holding    
everything else in check1 obedience to  
,him1 pleasing ,him1 doing ,his will4   
,the ,bethlehem ,birth is the beginning 

of a new1 a supernatural life within2   
this will be the actual life itself1 in 
full vigour and power4 ,that is the     
supernatural birth1 this the            
supernatural life4 ,that is1 there is at
 work within you1 very quietly and      
simply1 a power more than the natural1  
working through the natural order1 and  
sometimes upsetting what we may have    
grown to think of as the natural order4 
,this is the ,jordan ,baptism of ,power1
 the ,holy ,spirit taking charge1 and   
you living a ,spirit-controlled life4   
,there's a new sign hung out over your  
life1 this life is being conducted under
 new management4 ,you won't say it2 it  
won't be shouted out4 ,it'll be louder  
yet4 ,your life will be telling it      
continually4    ,power ,is in the       
,current4   ,the word to emphasize here 
is control4 ,you will find new meanings1
 that you had not thought of1 gradually 
working out of it4 ,if the ,holy ,spirit
 had control of us as ,he had           
of--,philip1 for instance4 ,he picked   

,philip up out of the midst of the      
,samaritan crowd1 where he was the human
 centre of things1 and put him down away
 off here in the desert1--strange       
contrast6--and with one lone traveller1 
greater contrast yet6#ei ,if ,he were   
free to pick you and me up like that1   
out of these surroundings1 congenial and
 pleasant1 and set us down where we had 
no thought of going1 and never would    
have gone of our own choice1 and we sing
 as we are picked up1 and keep on       
singing where we find ourselves amidst  
the uncongenial perhaps1 the strange1   
the unprecedented and hard1--if ,he were
 free to control like that these days1  
there would be a present-day ,pentecost 
beside which the ,acts-,pentecost was   
but the beginnings of the throbbings of 
power4  ,there are some peculiarities of
 this ,follow ,me road here4 ,there     
comes a strangely new sense of          
proportion4 ,as you follow close up     
behind the ,man ahead1 you will grow    
smaller1 and ,he will grow larger4 ,no1 

that's not an accurate statement2 you   
won't grow any smaller1 you will only   
find out how small you are4 ,he won't   
grow any larger1 you will simply be     
finding out1 and then finding out more1 
how large ,he is4 ,it'll seem strange to
 most of us1 finding out our real size1 
or lack of the size we always supposed  
we were4 ,but it will come with a great 
awing1 heart-subduing sense1 to find how
 marvellous in size this great ,man is2 
and yet ,he is our brother1 as well as  
so immensely more4  ,you come to find   
out that power1 that thing that used to 
be so much talked about1 and defined1   
and yet chiefly wondered about1 that    
power is a matter of position4 ,the man 
close in behind the ,lord ,jesus doesn't
 need to be concerned about power4 ,in  
fact he isn't concerned about it1 only  
concerned with keeping close in touch4  
,all the rest comes without our being   
concerned4 ,it comes from him1 the ,man 
ahead4 ,there is far more power1 the    
very power of ,god1 softly flowing and  

flooding its way in and through and out1
 than you are ever conscious of4 ,others
 will know more of the power than you4  
,you are thinking about the ,man ahead1 
keeping in touch1 pleasing ,him4        
,obedience has become a new word to you4
 ,it's the music of keeping step1       
keeping step with ,him4  ,have you      
noticed how much the current of the     
stream will do for you if you are out in
 a row-boat8 ,all you need to do is to  
keep up enough motion to hold the boat  
within the sweep of the current4 ,then  
your chief task is steering4 ,you're not
 concerned about power2 only about the  
steering4 ,there's more power in the    
current than you can ever use4 ,your one
 concern is to keep out of the shallows 
and sucking side-eddies1 away from snag 
and rock1 and in the current4 ,the      
power's in the current4 ,right steering 
brings all that power to bear on your   
little boat4  ,now1 power here is a     
matter of steering1 so far as our part  
is concerned4 ,we steer to get into the 

current of our ,lord ,jesus' will1 and1 
by ,his grace1 we use all our will power
 in keeping in that current1 and out of 
the shallows and suction-eddies at the  
side4 ,the ,lord ,jesus1 once spit upon 
and crucified1 now seated far above all 
rule1 and authority1 and power1 and     
dominion1 and every name that is named1 
and at work on earth through ,his ,holy 
,spirit1--this ,lord ,jesus1 free to do 
as ,he chooses1--this is power4 ,he is  
power4  ,power is the ,lord ,jesus in   
action1 and the action is always through
 some man's life4 ,we steer so as to    
keep in touch4 ,he acts through the man 
in touch4 ,and the hungry1 needy crowds 
know a something coming to them1 with   
irresistible grateful sweep4    ,living 
a ,nazareth ,life4   ,there was a third 
experience in this group4 ,our ,lord    
,jesus lived the ,nazareth ,life4 ,in   
actual order of time this came before   
the baptism of power4 ,i have changed   
the order here1 and named it third      
simply for the practical help in the    

change4 ,with the ,lord ,jesus1 the     
whole of the life was under the sway of 
the ,holy ,spirit from birth on1 through
 the earliest conscious years1 and all  
the years4 ,with us1 in actual          
experience1 we are all free to confess  
that it has not been so from our        
,spirit-birth on4  ,that baptism of     
power at ,jordan was without doubt a    
baptism of power for leadership and     
service4 ,service and leadership ever   
need the time of special waiting on     
,god1 and the fresh anointing by the    
,holy ,spirit's touch1 the fresh        
consciousness of ,himself1 as the only  
source of power in the service and      
leadership4  ,in our actual experience  
the ,holy ,spirit1 coming in power1 has 
had much to do in changing our habits1  
ourselves1 and our lives1 as well as in 
our service4 ,there has been so much    
service that has not been backed up by  
the life1 that many have come to feel1  
and to feel very deeply1 that the power 
in service must have its roots in the   

human side1 deep down in the daily habit
 of life4 ,with our ,lord ,jesus that   
,jordan experience made no difference of
 this sort in ,his life4 ,there was     
nothing needing to be changed4 ,that    
,nazareth life had been lived           
continuously under the control of the   
,holy ,spirit4  ,look a moment at that  
,nazareth life of ,his4 ,it means simply
 a commonplace1 treadmill round of life 
lived under the hallowing touch of the  
,father's presence4 ,this was according 
to the original plan4 ,it is ,god's     
presence recognized that hallows what is
 common4 ,it is the absence of ,his     
presence1 that is1 the leaving of ,him  
out1 that makes common things common2   
that is1 it makes the familiar thing and
 round seem and feel common4 ,it's the  
unhallowed and unhallowing touch of the 
selfish1 of sin1 that makes things seem 
common1 in the sense of not being holy  
and sweet and pure and refreshing4 ,sin 
makes things grow stale to you4         
,selfishness affects your eye1 the way  

things look to you4 ,god's presence     
recognized keeps things fresh4 ,his     
touch upon us1 ever afresh1 makes us    
fresh4 ,everything we touch and see is  
touched by a ,god-freshened hand1 and   
seen through a ,god-freshened eye4  ,now
 ,jesus lived this commonplace round of 
life1 and lived it under the            
ever-freshening touch of ,his ,father's 
presence4 ,it isn't the thing you do1   
nor the things that surround you1 that  
make your life1 but the spirit that     
breathes out of you in the midst of the 
things4 ,it's the you in you that makes 
the life1 regardless of surroundings4   
,the outer things are the accidents1    
you1 the spirit that breathes out of    
you1--this is the real thing4  ,jesus   
lived it4 ,that is the tremendous fact  
that ,nazareth stands for4 ,he lived    
what ,he taught1 and ,he lived it first1
 and ,he lived it far more deeply and   
really than it could be taught to       
others4 ,this was the basis of those few
 service years4 ,nazareth lies under the

 ,galilean ministry4 ,there were thirty 
years under the three-and-a-half-years4 
,and the thirty years crop up into and  
out of the three-and-a-half4 ,the life  
lived was the great fact at work1 as the
 ,man went about doing good4 ,the hidden
 life of ,nazareth lies open in the     
,galilean ministry4  ,when you are      
reading the wonderful works among the   
needy throngs1 you are reading the      
biography of the ,nazareth years1 in    
their outer reach4 ,the life you live is
 the thing that tells6 ,this is the     
meaning of the thirty hidden years4 ,the
 ,father said1 ,my ,son shall spend most
 of ,his years down there living1 just  
living a true1 simple ,eden life2 living
 with ,me in the midst of home and      
carpenter shop and village4 ,this is    
what the world needs so much to be      
taught1 how to live4 ,and the teaching  
must be by living1 teaching by action4  
,the message must be lived4  ,if we men 
might live ,jesus6 ,that's what the     
world needs4 ,at one of the smaller     

meetings of the ,edinburgh ,conference1 
in #aiaj1 a ,christian gentleman from   
,india1 native of that land1 said1 ,we  
don't need more ,bibles in ,india4 ,and 
then to this surprising statement1 he   
added1 ,we have enough ,bibles4 ,if the 
,christians in ,india would live the    
,bible1 ,india would be converted4 ,and 
,i thought1 that will do for ,america1  
and ,england1 and for all the world4    
,jesus lived it4 ,as a man in ,his      
decisions and actions1 ,his habits and  
daily round1 ,he lived the truth4  ,the 
story is told of a missionary in some   
part of ,africa who had not had much    
success in his work4 ,he was in the     
habit of explaining some portion of the 
,new ,testament to the people at ,his   
house4 ,one day the portion contained   
the words1 give to him that asketh thee1
 and from him that would borrow of thee 
turn thou not away4#fj ,the people asked
 him if this meant what it said4 ,he    
told them that it did4 ,one of them said
 he would like to have the table1       

pointing to it2 another asked for a     
chair1 another for the bed1 and so on4  
,the missionary was rather startled at  
such literal taking of his teaching4 ,he
 told them to come again on the morrow1 
and he would give his answer4  ,when    
they had gone1 he and his wife had      
rather a heart-searching time together4 
,they felt they had not reached the     
hearts of the people yet4 ,but to do as 
they asked meant real sacrifice of a    
very personal sort4 ,at last with much  
prayer they decided to meet the people  
where they had opened the way4 ,and so  
the next day they gave their answer1 and
 soon the house was literally bare of   
all its furnishings4 ,and that night    
they slept on the floor1 yet with a     
sweet peace in their hearts in the midst
 of this strange experience4  ,the next 
day the people came back1 carrying the  
furniture4 ,they had really been testing
 these new-comers4 ,now1 they said1 we  
believe you4 ,you live your ,book4 ,we  
want you to teach us4 ,and with open    

hearts they listened anew to the ,gospel
 story1 and many of them accepted       
,christ4  ,the little incident reveals  
the unity of the race4 ,those ,africans 
said what ,england and ,america and all 
the world is saying1 ,live it4 ,is your 
religion livable8 ,what the world needs 
to-day is a ,jesus lived1 not simply    
taught1 nor preached about1 but lived in
 the power of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,how   
the fire1 the holy fire1 of that sort of
 thing would catch and spread6 ,oh1 yes1
 it might mean sleeping on the bare     
floor6 ,that's what living-it means1 the
 actual life overriding any mere thing  
that stands in the way4    ,live ,it4   
,i stood one day on the abrupt edge of a
 little hill in a ,southern ,japanese   
city4 ,there1 in a great tree hanging   
out over the edge1 had hung the bell    
that called together the faithful       
retainers of the lord of the province1  
when they were needed4 ,there1 nearly   
thirty years ago1 a little band of      
,japanese youth1 of noble families1 had 

gone out at break of day one ,sabbath   
morning1 and solemnly covenanted to     
follow the ,lord ,jesus1 and to devote  
their lives to making ,him known        
throughout their land4 ,boys still in   
their tender teens most of them were4   
,and that covenant was not lightly made1
 for already the fires of persecution   
had been kindled1 and these fires burned
 fiercely but could not compete with the
 fire in their hearts4 ,and as one goes 
up and down the island empire of the    
,pacific to-day1 he can find traces of  
their lives cropping up everywhere1 like
 gold veins above the soil4  ,and as ,i 
sought to trace the hidden springs of   
the power at work behind all this1 ,i   
found it was in the life of one young   
man1 a simple1 holy life burning with a 
passion for ,jesus4 ,in this life could 
be found the kindling of the tender     
flames burning so hotly in these young  
hearts4 ,he was a young ,american       
officer engaged1 by the feudal lord of  
the province1 to teach military tactics 

and ,english4 ,he dared not teach       
,christianity2 that would have meant    
instant dismissal4 ,so for two years he 
lived the message1 so simply and        
lovingly that he won the love of his    
pupils4 ,then they came ,sundays to his 
house to hear him read the ,english     
,bible1 because they loved him4 ,as he  
prayed the tears would run down his     
face1 and they laughed to think a man   
would weep1 but they came because they  
loved him4 ,he really loved them into   
the ,christian life4 ,i was reminded of 
the line in ,hezekiah's song of         
thanksgiving after his illness1 ,thou   
hast loved my soul up from the pit4#fa  
,this young teacher lived his pupils to 
the ,lord ,jesus4 ,the latter part of   
his life was a sad one1 but nothing can 
change the record of those earlier      
years4  ,i saw recently a news item     
telling how many million copies of the  
,bible are being printed every year4    
,the item slurringly remarked that the  
statisticians didn't seem concerned yet 

with figuring up how many of them were  
read4 ,but1 ,i thought1 what these      
,bibles need is a new binding4 ,this    
,bible ,i carry is bound in the best    
sealskin1 with kid-lining4 ,it is       
supposed to be the best binding for hard
 wear4 ,but there's a much better sort  
of leather than that for ,bible binding2
 ,i mean shoe leather4 ,the people want 
the ,bible bound in shoe leather4 ,when 
we tread this ,bible out in our daily   
walk1 when what we are becomes an       
illustrated copy of the ,bible1 the     
greatest revival the earth has known    
will come4 ,with utmost reverence let me
 say that our ,lord ,jesus wants to come
 and walk around in our shoes1 and live 
inside our garments1 and touch men      
through us4  ,i remember something in my
 early ,christian life that was a sore  
temptation to me4 ,there were some      
,christian leaders who had helped me    
greatly by their preaching and writings4
 ,then it chanced that ,i was thrown    
into personal contact with them1 now    

one1 now another4 ,and ,i had a sore    
disappointment4 ,it's hard to find that 
your idol has clay feet4 ,it's doubtless
 wrong to have idols4 ,yet youth is the 
time of such idol worship4 ,the         
disappointment was a very sore one4     
,then out of it ,i was led to see that  
the ,master never disappoints4 ,and     
there was a drawing nearer to ,himself  
alone4  ,and then a questioning arose3  
was some one perhaps looking at me8 ,and
 a burning desire came to be more in    
life than in speech1 not only for the   
sake of some one1 perchance looking2 but
 for the sake of that other ,one1 the   
,man with eyes of flame1 ,his looking4  
,i need hardly tell you that it has been
 my blessed privilege to have had       
personal contact with leaders whose     
fragrant lives are so much more than    
word or act4  ,the ,nazareth life means 
that the ,lord ,jesus lived ,his        
message1 amid commonplace surroundings1 
in the midst of what is called the dull 
monotony of the daily round4 ,that is1  

in the place where it is hardest to do  
it1 ,he lived every bit of what ,he     
taught4 ,and as we follow1 simply1      
obediently1 the ,spirit will lead us    
along this same road4 ,the same         
experience will happen to us4 ,could    
there be a greater evidence of the power
 of this ,holy ,spirit than to do such a
 thing with such as we know ourselves to
 be8 ,yet ,he will1 if we let ,him4 ,a  
big if you say8 ,but not too big to be  
taken out of the way1 out of ,his way4  
,he will live out through us what ,he   
puts into us1 by and with our constant  
consent4  ,this is the meaning of the   
,nazareth life4 ,our part is obedience1 
simple1 intelligent1 strong obedience to
 ,him4 ,the result will be this same    
experience1 a ,nazareth life of purity  
and power lived by the ,spirit's power4 
,this was the thought in the mind of    
,horatius ,bonar1 as he wrote of the    
unnamed woman who anointed our ,lord's  
head1 and of whom ,jesus said that what 
she had done should be told as a        

memorial of her1 wherever the ,gospel   
should be preached4      ,up and away   
like dew in the morning1       ,soaring 
from earth to its home in the sun1      
,so let me steal away1 gently and       
lovingly1       ,only remembered by what
 ,i have done4      ,my name and my     
place and my tomb all forgotten1        
,the brief race of time well and        
patiently run1     ,so let me pass away 
peacefully1 silently1       ,only       
remembered by what ,i have done4        
,gladly away from this toil would ,i    
hasten1       ,up to the crown that for 
me has been won1     ,unthought of by   
man in reward and in praises1           
,only remembered by what ,i have done4  
,up and away like the odours of sunset  
,that sweeten the twilight as darkness  
comes on1     ,so be my life--a thing   
felt but not noticed1       ,and ,i but 
remembered by what ,i have done4        
,yes1 like the fragrance that wanders in
 freshness1       ,when the flowers that
 it comes from are closed up and gone1  

,so would ,i be to this world's weary   
dwellers1       ,only remembered by what
 ,i have done4      ,i need not be      
missed if my life has been bearing1     
,as the summer and autumn move silently 
on1     ,the bloom and the fruit and the
 seed of its season2       ,i still am  
remembered by what ,i have done4      ,i
 need not be missed if another succeed  
me1         ,to reap down these fields  
that in spring           ,i have sown2  
,he who ploughed and who sowed is not   
missed by the reaper2     ,he is only   
remembered by what he has done4         
,not myself but the truth that in life  
,i have spoken1         ,not myself but 
the seed in life ,i have sown1          
,shall pass on to ages--all about me    
forgotten1         ,save the truth ,i   
have spoken1 the things           ,i    
have done4      ,so let my living be1 so
 be my dying1         ,so let my name be
 emblazoned1 unknown1--     ,unraised   
and unmissed ,i shall still be          
remembered1         ,yes1--but          

remembered by what ,i have done4    ,the
 ,galilean ,ministry4   ,the fourth     
experience in this group was the        
,galilean ,ministry4 ,our ,lord ,jesus  
gave ,himself up to helping those in    
need4 ,he devoted ,himself to personal  
service among men4 ,after ,john's       
imprisonment ,he withdrew to ,galilee   
and ministered to the needy4  ,there    
were crowds of them4 ,they were in      
sorest need of body and spirit4 ,and ,he
 gave ,himself freely out to them in    
glad helpful service4 ,he met their     
need4 ,he did whatever their condition  
called for4 ,he ministered to their     
bodily needs4 ,he mingled among them    
freely as an older brother or friend1   
holding their children on ,his knees    
while ,he talked with them over their   
concerns and troubles4 ,but ,he didn't  
stop there4 ,having won their hearts1   
,he met their deeper needs4 ,he         
comforted their hearts1 talked to them  
one by one1 drawing out their hearts1   
and speaking of the ,father4  ,and as   

the crowds thickened1 ,he taught and    
preached to the multitudes4 ,he was a   
preacher1 proclaiming the ,gospel of the
 ,kingdom4 ,he was a teacher1 bit by    
bit1 line upon line1 patiently teaching 
and explaining to them about the        
,father's love1 and about the true life 
and how to live it4 ,three words are    
used several times to characterize that 
,galilean ministry1 teaching and        
preaching and healing4#fb  ,he warned   
against sin1 patiently wooing erring men
 and women away from their sin into     
lives of purity1 and strengthening the  
young and earnest in their purposes4    
,the need of the crowd swept ,him like a
 strong wind in the young trees4 ,he    
couldn't resist their plea4 ,the        
presence of a man in need1 of either    
body or spirit1 took hold of ,his heart4
 ,over and over we are told that ,he was
 moved with compassion4 ,what a life it 
was6 ,what a heart ,he had6  ,now our   
,lord ,jesus calls us along this bit of 
the road4 ,that is to say1 the ,holy    

,spirit within us will make our hearts  
tender and compassionate1 even as our   
,lord ,jesus was4 ,the crowds always    
moved ,him tremendously4 ,he couldn't   
stand the great dumb cry that the mere  
presence of a multitude rang in ,his    
ears4 ,the mere presence of some one in 
need1 earnestly seeking1 played upon the
 strings of ,his heart4  ,does the crowd
 get hold of your heart as you elbow    
your way through them1 or look down into
 their faces8 ,is it just a crowd to    
you8 ,or is it a great company of hungry
 hearts1 half-starved lives1 so needy   
for what only this ,lord ,jesus can     
give8 ,the dumb cry of the crowds1 in   
crowds and one by one1 comes up in our  
ears to-day4 ,do you hear it8 ,i say    
dumb1 for they don't know themselves    
what it is they need4 ,they feel the    
need4 ,restless and chafing1 they feel  
without knowing just what it is they    
lack and need4  ,when the ,spirit that  
swayed the ,lord ,jesus comes in1 ,he   
mightily affects your heart4 ,you feel  

with something of our ,lord's feeling4  
,and you must help4 ,you know that the  
one thing1 the only thing1 that can     
really radically meet their need is this
 ,saviour ,jesus4 ,you must do something
 to get them really to know ,him4 ,and  
that something comes to be everything4  
,service isn't a pastime2 it's a        
passion4 ,that must sends you out on    
glad unheralded errands to help in any  
way you can1 and in every way by which  
the ,jesus message can get to them4     
,the must of ,his tender passion within 
keeps you steadily pushing ahead1       
regardless of not being understood by   
some1 nor your efforts appreciated by   
others4 ,the flame of that must takes   
hold of time and strength and           
possessions4 ,it becomes the delight of 
your life to minister to the needs of   
men1 even as ,he did4 ,you see them     
through ,his eyes4 ,you feel their need 
through ,his heart4 ,and--this is a     
great and--if you really follow as      
simply and fully as ,he leads1 you will 

find the same power working out through 
your effort as through ,his1 though     
there will be immensely more of it than 
you will know about4  ,but--there's a   
but that needs to be put in here--the   
key-note will not be service1 but       
obedience4 ,the need will not be the    
controlling thing4 ,it will move you    
tremendously2 it will kindle a sweet    
fever in your heart1 a fever to help2 it
 will take hold of your heart strings   
and play upon them until you almost lose
 control4 ,but it must not be allowed to
 control4 ,that belongs to ,him alone4  
,the key-note is not need1 nor service  
to meet the need1 but obedience4 ,there 
is a ,lord to the harvest4 ,his plans   
are worked carefully out4 ,he takes     
,philip away from the crowded meetings  
in ,samaria to talk with one man4 ,it   
was doubtless a strategic move to touch 
lives in ,africa1 as well as to meet    
this one man's need4 ,he feels the need 
more than you ever do or can4 ,his ears 
are keener1 ,his heart more tender4 ,he 

is in command4 ,you do as ,he bids4 ,so 
you help most in meeting the need4  ,he 
,himself when down here left the crowds1
 when they were so great that the towns 
were overwhelmed and they had to be     
taken out to the country places4 ,he    
would leave these crowds and go off     
quietly to get alone with ,his          
,father4#fc ,all that tireless ministry 
was under the direction of ,another4 ,he
 went off for close touch1 and fresh    
consultation with ,his ,father4    ,the 
,father's ,image in the ,common ,crowd4 
,have you ever wondered what there was  
in those common crowds to attract our   
,lord ,jesus8 ,perhaps if you have ever 
walked in those narrow crowded alleys   
called streets1 in ,china or ,japan1 you
 may have wondered1 sometimes4 ,tired1  
dirty1 pinched faces1 eyes vacantly     
staring1 or else fired with low passion1
 high-keyed voices bickering and        
jangling1--all this crowds in and out on
 every hand4 ,dirt1 disease1 low        
passion1 selfishness1 apparent absence  

of anything noble or refined1 are all   
tangled inextricably up with these in   
human form4  ,and our ,lord ,jesus lived
 in an ,oriental world4 ,is there any   
world quite like it1 except indeed it be
 the slums of our western world cities1 
,european and ,american8 ,city slums    
seem to be our western point of contact 
with the greater part of the eastern    
world4 ,what was there to attract the   
,lord ,jesus to these crowds8 ,their    
need1 you answer4 ,yes1 no doubt1 their 
terrible need did move ,him with        
compassion1 to the hurting point4  ,but 
was there more than this8 ,something ,he
 said one time has made me think there  
was something more1 a pathetic1         
tremendous more1 that took hold of ,his 
heart4 ,could it be that ,he saw some   
lingering trace of the ,father's face in
 these faces8 ,his eyes were very keen4 
,he had seeing eyes4 ,and these men have
 all been made in the ,father's image4  
,has that image ever been wholly        
lost8--terribly blurred and scarred by  

sin1 yes2 but wholly lost8 ,do you think
 so8 ,i think not4  ,those wondrous eyes
 of ,his looking into men's tired1      
pinched faces1 disfigured with passion  
or sorrow1 or with sheer weariness of   
existence--did ,he see something of the 
,father's face looking appealingly up to
 be helped out of their sad plight8 ,i  
wonder4 ,was it as though the ,father's 
face cried out to ,him out of these poor
 beaten faces8 ,i think so4 ,do you     
remember that time when our ,lord ,jesus
 associated ,himself so closely with    
just such men and women1 in talking of a
 coming day8 ,he says inasmuch as ye did
 it to one of these ,my brethren1 these 
least1 ye did it unto ,me4#fd ,listen to
 those words1 ,my brethren6 ,he is      
thinking of just such crowds as ,he     
,himself ministered to1 and as you find 
to-day in ,oriental city and in         
,european and ,american slum4 ,what is  
done for them is done to ,him4 ,their   
need is ,his need2 their cry1 ,his4     
,it's ,jesus coming to us in these      

crowds4 ,their need is ,jesus ,himself  
appealing to us4 ,and the ,jesus within 
us will answer with heart and life to   
this ,jesus coming to us in the pitiable
 need of the crowds4  ,i do not mean to 
use that word pitiable chiefly in the   
bodily sense1 though there's so much of 
that4 ,but it has a deeper meaning4     
,here is this fair young face turned to 
yours in the social group1 here this    
strong young man needing nothing that   
money can buy1 but yet very needy1 both 
of them4 ,in their young1 eager faces   
the hidden away image1 the              
not-yet-touched-into-new-life image of  
the ,father looks out asking for help1  
help out into growth amidst so much that
 holds back4 ,inasmuch as your light1   
tactful touch is given here1 it is done 
unto ,jesus4 ,jesus is helped into the  
life1 the ,god-image crowded back within
 is helped to get out into free         
expression4  ,you may not be sent to    
some distant field as young ,borden was4
 ,your personal place may be at home4   

,but the crowd1 the need1 is everywhere2
 at home1 in the social circle1 and     
among the men driven by the passion for 
business and for pleasure1 in this      
dangerously prosperous land of ours4    
,need of body even here1 and deeper need
 of spirit4 ,much more tact is required1
 ,spirit-born tact and patience and     
alertness1 to touch and help these4     
,but the ,spirit will guide4 ,he has a  
passion for men in their need4 ,he has  
exquisite tact in touching men under all
 circumstances4 ,he will take command of
 your life here as elsewhere4 ,he will  
lead you into a life of personal service
 in helping men4 ,and ,he will lead you 
in that service4 ,this is the ,galilean 
,ministry which will work out in your   
experience as the ,holy ,spirit has     
control4 ,this is a bit of the ,follow  
,me roadway4  ,these are the four       
experiences of power and privilege4     
,they are as the great underlying       
experiences of our ,lord's career4 ,the 
other experiences grew up out of these4 

,these were the warp threads in the loom
 of ,his life4 ,the others were woven   
into these4 ,this is the main road that 
,he trod4 ,it is the main road of this  
,follow ,me journey4 ,it is along this  
road1 between its beginning and end1    
that we shall run down into the         
valley-road stretches1 and run up to the
 stretches along the hilltops4     #c4  
,the ,valleys--experiences of ,suffering
 ,and ,sacrifice    ,the ,never-absent  
,minor4   ,here the road begins to drop 
down into the valleys4 ,it runs sharply 
down1 and on1 through some wild gulches 
and ravines thick with lurking danger1  
with the upper-lights almost lost in the
 deep black darkness4 ,it is darkness   
that can be felt more than the ,egyptian
 darkness ever was4 ,it proves to be the
 valley of the shadow of death1 then--of
 death itself1 before the upward turn   
comes4  ,the weaver we were speaking of 
finds some strange shuttle-threads to be
 woven into the pattern1 gray black1    
ugly black threads1 and red threads     

almost wet and sticky in their          
blood-like redness4  ,yet this is part  
of the road that was trodden1 and that  
is still waiting to be trodden by feet  
sturdy and bold enough to go on down    
into the shadows1 before the upward turn
 is reached again4 ,and these threads   
will work out a rare beauty in the      
pattern being woven4  ,is there perfect 
music without the underchording of the  
minor8 ,not to human ears4 ,for they are
 attuned to life as it has really come  
to be4 ,and the minor chord is in real  
life1 never quite absent2 and the minor 
chord is in the true human heart1 never 
wholly absent4 ,and only the music with 
the minor blended in is the real music  
of human life4 ,only it can play upon   
the finest strings of the human heart4  
,but this sort of thing1 the getting of 
beauty out of ugly threads1 the getting 
of music where there is discord1 the    
upward turn again of the valley road1   
all this is a bit of the touch of ,god  
upon life1 where the hurt of sin has    

come in4 ,only the ,lord ,jesus can make
 music where sin had brought in and     
wrought out such discord4 ,only ,he can 
change the weaving into beauty1 where   
the ugly slimy sin-threads have come in4
 ,he can lead up again out of the       
depths1 but only ,he4 ,his blood1       
,himself1 is the thing added that makes 
music where no melody had ever been a   
possible thing2 and gives the weaver's  
threads the transforming touch that     
works beauty where there was only the   
ugly2 and pulls you up again to the     
higher levels4 ,the good never comes out
 of bad4 ,it comes only by something    
radically different coming in and       
overcoming the bad4  ,in ,seoul they    
showed us the great bell hung at the    
crossing of certain chief streets there4
 ,and then they told us the bell's      
legend4 ,in early twilight times an     
artisan had made a great bell at the    
king's command1 but the tone of it was  
not pleasing to the royal ears4 ,so a   
second one was made1 and a third1 but   

neither was satisfactory4 ,then the king
 said that if the man did not make a    
bell with pleasing tones his life should
 be forfeited for his failure4 ,this was
 very distressing for the poor          
unfortunate bell-moulder4  ,his         
daughter1 a young girl in her teens1    
either had a vision1 or felt within     
herself that a sacrifice was the thing  
needful to give the bell its true tone4 
,and so she resolved to give herself to 
save her father1 and with rare fortitude
 one night she plunged into the great   
pot of molten metal4 ,and the tone of   
the bell was so sweet and musical that  
the king was delighted4 ,and the maker1 
instead of being killed1 was highly     
honoured4 ,so ran the simple bit of     
,korean folklore4  ,we ran across       
legends quite like it in other parts of 
the ,orient4 ,they all seemed to point1 
with other similar evidence1 to the     
feeling deep down in human consciousness
 of the need of sacrifice4 ,is it a bit 
of an innate instinct in our common     

human nature1 that only through         
sacrifice can the hurt of life be       
healed8 ,however this be1 it certainly  
is true1 that the touch of ,him who gave
 ,his life clear out for men1 that touch
 is the thing1 and the only thing1 that 
can make music where there was only     
discord4 ,it is only ,his pierced hand  
upon weaver and web that touches ugly   
threads into beauty as they are woven   
into the fabric of life4 ,only ,he can  
lead us up out of the valley of death up
 to the road of life along the high     
hilltops4    ,the ,wilderness4   ,you   
remember1 there were four experiences of
 suffering and sacrifice in our ,lord   
,jesus' life4 ,the first of these was   
the ,wilderness ,temptation4 ,that rough
 road ,he took led straight to and      
through a wilderness4 ,he was tempted4  
,he was tempted like as we are4 ,he was 
tempted more cunningly and stormily than
 we ever have been4  ,it was a pitched  
battle1 planned for carefully1 and      
fought with all the desperateness of the

 ,evil ,one at bay against overwhelming 
forces4 ,it was planned by the ,holy    
,spirit1 and fought out by our ,lord in 
the ,spirit's strength4 ,for forty full 
lone days it ran its terrific course4   
,but our ,lord's line of defence never  
flinched4 ,the ,wilderness and          
,waterloo1 those two terrific matchings 
of strength1 the one of the spirit1 the 
other of the physical1 both were fought 
out on the same lines4 ,wellington's    
only plan for that battle was to stand1 
to resist every attempt to break his    
lines all that fateful day4 ,the ,french
 did the attacking all day1 until       
,wellington's famous charge came at its 
close4  ,our ,lord ,jesus' only plan for
 the ,wilderness battle was to stand1   
having done all to stand1 to resist     
every effort to move ,him a hair's      
breadth from ,his position4 ,that battle
 brought ,him great suffering2 it took1 
and it tested1 all ,his strength of     
discernment1 and decision1 of determined
 set persistence1 and of dependent1     

deep-breathed praying4 ,and through     
these the gracious power of the ,spirit 
worked1 and so the victory1 full joyous 
victory1 came4  ,now it comes as a      
surprise to some of us to find that the 
,follow ,me road leads straight to the  
same ,wilderness4 ,no1 it is not just   
the same1 none of these experiences mean
 as much to us as they did to ,him4     
,they are always less4 ,but then they   
mean everything to us6 ,we will be      
tempted4 ,so surely as one sets himself 
to follow the blessed ,master1 there's  
one thing he can always count           
upon--temptation4 ,sooner or later it   
will come1 usually sooner and later4 ,so
 the ,evil ,one serves notice to contest
 our allegiance to the new ,master4     
,the tempter sees to it that you are    
tempted4 ,that belongs to his side of   
the conflict4 ,and quickly and          
skilfully1 and with good heart he goes  
at his task4 ,through the weak or evil  
impulses and desires within us1 and     
through every avenue without1 those     

dearest to us1 and every other1 he will 
begin and continue his cunning          
approaches4 ,it is well to understand   
this clearly1 and so be ready4 ,the     
closer you follow this ,man ahead1 the  
more1 and the more surely1 will you be  
tempted4 ,it is one of the things you   
can count on--temptation4  ,but1 steady 
there1 steady6 the tempter can't go a   
step beyond attacking1 without your     
help4 ,he can't make a single break in  
your lines from without4 ,the only knob 
to the door of your life is on the      
inside4 ,temptation never gets in       
without help from within4 ,i have said  
that the ,wilderness spelled two words  
for our ,lord ,jesus1 temptation and    
victory4 ,we may use ,his spelling if we
 will4 ,a temptation is a chance for a  
victory4 ,begin singing when temptation 
comes2 out of it1 resisted1 comes a new 
steadiness in step1 and a new confidence
 in the victorious ,man of the          
,wilderness4#fe  ,but let me tell you   
how the victory comes4 ,it comes through

 our ,lord ,jesus4 ,and it comes by ,his
 working through your decision to resist
 to the last ditch4    ,lead ,us ,not4  
,the ,lord ,jesus gave us two special   
temptation prayers to make4 ,the one is3
 ,lead us not into temptation4#ff ,that 
petition has been a practical puzzle to 
many of us1 and the explanations not    
always quite clear4 ,would ,god lead us 
into temptation8 we instinctively ask4  
,and the answer seems to be both yes and
 no4  ,the yes means that character can 
come only through right choice4 ,we must
 decide what our attitude toward wrong  
shall be4 ,it is only temptation        
resisted that makes the beginnings of   
strength4 ,before temptation comes there
 may be innocence but never virtue4     
,innocence resisting temptation becomes 
virtue4 ,the temptation is the intense  
fire in which the raw iron of innocence 
changes into the toughened1 tempered    
steel of virtue4 ,it is essential to    
character that it resist the wrong4 ,it 
is choice that makes character4 ,the    

angels in the presence of ,god are      
continually choosing to remain loyal to 
,him4 ,choice includes choosing not to  
choose the evil1 to refuse it4 ,adam was
 tempted2 the temptation was bad1 only  
bad2 but it could have been made an     
opportunity to rise up into newness of  
strength4 ,job was led into temptation1 
and he failed when the fires grew in    
heat1 and touched him close enough2 and 
then he learned new dependence on ,god  
alone instead of on his own integrity4  
,that's the yes side of the answer4 ,we 
must decide what we will do with evil4  
,the presence of evil forces choice upon
 us4 ,the one thing ,god longs for is   
our choice1 free and full choice4       
,freedom of choice is the image of ,god 
in which every man is made4 ,we are like
 ,him in power1 in the right to choose2 
we become like ,him in character when we
 choose only the right4 ,god would lead 
us into opportunity for the choice on   
which everything else hinges4 ,the      
prayer says3 ,lead us not into          

temptation4 ,the prayer becomes the     
choice4 ,it reveals the decision of your
 heart4 ,the man who thoughtfully makes 
the prayer makes the choice4  ,and with 
that goes the no side4 ,certainly ,god  
would not lead us into the temptation to
 do wrong4#fg ,and so ,he has made a    
way--it's a new way since our ,lord     
,jesus was here--a way by which we can  
have the full opportunity for choice1   
and yet be sure of always choosing the  
right1 and so growing into ,his image in
 character4 ,to pray1 ,lead us not into 
temptation1 is practically saying1 ,i   
will go as ,thou leadest4 ,lead me4 ,i  
am willing to be led4 ,i was not ever   
thus1 nor prayed that ,thou shouldst    
lead me on4 ,i loved to choose and see  
my path1 but now--but now1 lead ,thou me
 on4 ,here ,i am1 willing to be led4 ,i 
put out my hands for ,thee to grasp and 
lead where ,thou wilt4 ,i'll sing1      
',where ,he may ,lead1 ,i'll ,follow4   
,this is the only safe road through the 
,wilderness4 ,we yield wholly to ,his   

control4  ,may ,i say reverently1 this  
was the way our ,lord entered and passed
 through the ,wilderness1 wholly under  
the control of ,another--the ,holy      
,spirit4 ,he chose to yield to that     
control4 ,the ,spirit acted through ,his
 yielding consent1 and flooded in the   
power that brought the victory4 ,even   
,he in ,his purity needs so to do4 ,how 
much more we in our absence of purity1  
and so absence of strength4 ,lead us not
 means practically1 that we get in      
behind this victorious ,lord ,jesus4 ,we
 refuse to go alone4  ,the ,wilderness  
spells only defeat for the man who goes 
alone4 ,we must yield wholly to this    
great lone ,man who went before4 ,we    
lean upon ,him4 ,we trust ,him as       
,saviour from the sin that temptation   
yielded to has already brought4 ,we will
 trust ,his lead wholly now as          
temptation comes4 ,we will stick close  
and be wholly pliant in ,his hands4     
,this is the first temptation prayer our
 ,lord gives us4 ,it means our utter    

surrender to ,his leadership4  ,then    
there is a second prayer for temptation 
use3 ,watch and pray that ye enter not  
into temptation4#fh ,this goes with the 
other4 ,it is the partner prayer4 ,be   
ever on the watch1 and pray1 that you   
may not enter into temptation4 ,guard   
prayerfully against acting independently
 of your ,leader4 ,watch against the    
temptation4 ,watch yourself lest you be 
inclined to go off alone1 to break away 
from ,his lead4 ,for there will be only 
one result then1 defeat4 ,these two     
prayers together show the way to turn   
temptation into victory1--lead not1     
enter not4 ,a temptation is a chance for
 a victory if you never meet it alone1  
but always under the lead of the great  
,victor of the ,wilderness4  ,then it   
may help to put the thing in another    
way4 ,there are two steps in victory    
over temptation4 ,the first is          
recognition4 ,to recognize that the     
thing coming for decision is a          
temptation to something wrong1--that's  

the first step in victory4 ,it pushes   
the temptation out into the open4 ,you  
say plainly1 ,this is something to be   
resisted4 ,the second step as you set   
yourself to resist is to plead the blood
 of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,that means       
pleading ,his victory over the tempter4 
,that's the getting in behind ,him and  
depending wholly upon ,him4  ,follow ,me
 takes us into the ,wilderness1 and     
leads us into victory there4 ,there we  
will learn more about prayer1 and music1
 and the ,master1 and get new strength  
and courage on this stretch of the      
valley road4    ,gethsemane4   ,at the  
farther extreme of the service years1   
there came to the ,lord ,jesus the other
 three of these dark experiences1 all   
three close together4 ,on the night of  
the betrayal came the ,gethsemane       
,agony4 ,that was a very full evening4  
,around the supper table they had       
gathered and talked1 and the ,lord      
,jesus had made ,his last1 tender but   
fruitless effort to touch ,judas' heart 

by touching his feet4 ,there was the    
long quiet heart-talk in the supper room
 after ,judas had gone out1 and it was  
night for poor ,judas4#fi  ,then the    
talk continued as they walked across the
 city within view of the great brass    
vine on ,herod's temple1 so beautiful in
 the light of the full moon4 ,and then1 
as they walk through the narrow1        
shadowed streets1 the shadows come into 
the ,lord ,jesus' spirit and words4#gj  
,now they are outside the wall of the   
city1 out in the open1 under the blue1  
and with upturned face1 the great       
pleading prayer is breathed out4#ga ,now
 they are across the ,kidron1 and now in
 among the shadows of the huge olive    
trees of the garden called ,gethsemane4 
,it's quite dark and late4 ,he leaves   
the disciples to rest under the trees1  
and with the inner three ,he pushes a   
bit farther on4 ,and now ,he pushes on  
quite alone in the farther lone recesses
 of the woods4 ,and now the intensity of
 ,his spirit bends ,his body as ,he     

kneels1 then is prostrate4 ,and the     
agony is upon ,him4 ,he is fighting out 
the battle of the morrow4 ,he is        
sinless1 but on the morrow ,he is to get
 under the load of a world's sin2 no1 it
 was yet more than that1 ,he was to be  
,himself reckoned and dealt with as sin 
itself4 ,all the horror of that broke   
upon ,him under those trees1 more       
intensely than it had yet4 ,the         
brightness of the full moon made the    
shadows of the trees very dark and      
black1 but they seemed as nothing to    
this awful inky black shadow of the sin 
load that would come1 no longer in      
shadow but actually1 on the morrow4     
,the agony of it is upon ,him as ,he    
falls prostrate on the ground1 under the
 tense strain of spirit4 ,out of the    
struggle a bit of prayer reaches our    
awed ears1 ,if it be possible let this  
cup pass away from ,me2 yet not as ,i   
will1 but as ,thou wilt4 ,and so tense  
is the strain that an angel comes to    
strengthen4 ,with what reverent touch   

must he have given his help4 ,even after
 that the great drops of bloody sweat   
came4 ,but now a calmer mood comes4 ,the
 look full in the face of what was      
coming1 the realizing more clearly how  
the ,father's plan must work out1 these 
help to steady ,him4 ,again a bit of    
prayer is heard1 ,since this cannot pass
 away2 since only so can ,thy plan for  
the world be accomplished               
,thy--will--be--done4 ,the load of the  
world's sin almost broke ,his heart that
 dark night under the olives4 ,it       
actually did break ,his heart on the    
morrow4 ,this is the meaning of         
,gethsemane1 intense suffering of spirit
 because of the sin of others4  ,and at 
first thought you say1 surely there can 
be no following for any of us in this   
sore lonely experience of ,his4 ,and    
there cannot4 ,he was alone there as on 
the morrow4 ,none of us can go through  
what ,he went through there4 ,for1 it   
was for us1 and for our sin that ,he    
went through it4 ,and yet there is a    

following1 if different in degree and in
 depth of meaning1 yet a very real      
following4 ,while ,gethsemane stands a  
lone experience for ,jesus1 yet there   
will be a ,gethsemane for him who       
follows fully where ,he asks us to go4  
,there will be a real suffering of      
spirit because of the sin of others4 ,we
 will see the world around us through   
those pure1 seeing eyes of ,his4 ,we    
will feel the ravages of sin in those we
 touch1 with something of the feeling of
 ,his heart4 ,close walking with ,christ
 brings pain and it will bring it more1 
and more acutely4 ,we will see sin as   
,he does1 in part4 ,we will feel with   
our fellow-men toiling in its grip and  
snare as ,he did1 in part4 ,there will  
be sore suffering of spirit4 ,this is   
the ,gethsemane experience1 and it will 
not grow less but more4      ',o ,god1' 
,i cried1 'why may ,i not forget8       
,these halt and hurt in life's hard     
battle         ,throng me yet4     ,am  
,i their keeper8 ,only ,i8 ,to bear     

,this constant burden of their grief and
 care8     ,why must ,i suffer for the  
others' sin8     ,would ,god my eyes had
 never opened been6'      ,and the      
,thorn-crowned and ,patient ,one        
,replied1 ',they thronged ,me too4 ,i   
too have seen4'      ',but1 ,lord1 ,thy 
other children go at will1'         ,i  
said1 protesting still4     ',they go1  
unheeding4 ,but these sick and sad1     
,these blind and orphan1 yea and those  
that sin     ,drag at my heart4 ,for    
them ,i serve and groan4     ,why is it8
 ,let me rest1 ,lord4 ,i have tried--'  
,he turned and looked at me3            
',but ,i have died6'      ',but1 ,lord1 
this ceaseless travail of my soul6      
,this stress6 ,this often fruitless toil
     ,these souls to win6     ,they are 
not mine4 ,i brought not forth this host
     ,of needy creatures1 struggling1   
tempest-tossed--         ,they are not  
mine4'      ,he looked at them--the look
 of ,one divine2     ,he turned and     
looked at me4 ',but they are mine6'     

',o ,god1 ,i said1 ',i understand at    
last4     ,forgive6 ,and henceforth ,i  
will bond-slave be     ,to thy least1   
weakest1 vilest ones2     ,i would not  
more be free4'      ,he smiled and said1
         ',it is to me4'#gb  ,the word  
,gethsemane has not been used accurately
 sometimes4 ,and it is not good that it 
is so1 for it keeps us from appreciating
 what the real meaning is4 ,in poetry   
and otherwise it has been used for some 
great experience of sorrow in which the 
soul has struggled alone4 ,but there are
 two things in the ,gethsemane          
experience that give it a meaning quite 
different from such4 ,the ,gethsemane   
sorrow is on account of the sin of      
others1 and it comes to us through our  
own consent1 of our own action4 ,we need
 not go through the ,gethsemane         
experience save as we make the choice   
that comes to include this4 ,it is only 
as we choose to follow fully1 close up  
to ,his bleeding side1 where the ,lord  
,jesus is leading1 that this experience 

of pain will come4  ,moses knew what    
this meant4 ,as he came from the        
presence of ,god in the mount the sin of
 the people seemed so terrible1 that the
 fear that possibly it could not be     
forgiven unless he made some sacrifice  
sweeps over him and came out as a great 
sob4#gc ,the sight of their sin brought 
sorest pain to his spirit4 ,paul tells  
us there was a continual cutting of a   
knife at his heart because of his racial
 kinsfolk1 their sin1 their stubbornness
 in sin1 the awful blight upon their    
lives4#gd ,there was sore1 lone1        
unspeakable pain of spirit because he   
felt so keenly the sin of others4 ,this 
is the ,gethsemane experience4 ,have you
 felt something like this as you have   
come in touch with the sin1 the blighted
 lives1 the wreckage of lives among both
 poor and rich1 lower class and better8 
,you will if you follow where ,he leads4
    ,calvary4   ,then came the morrow4  
,the experience of ,calvary came hard on
 the heels of ,gethsemane4 ,the pain of 

spirit became both pain of body and pain
 of spirit1 intensified clear beyond    
what the night before had anticipated4  
,how shall ,i trust myself to speak of  
that morrow1 or you to listen8 ,yet1 let
 us hold still1 and1 for a great        
purpose1 look at it again1 if only for a
 moment1 that the meaning of it1 the    
flame of it may take fresh hold1 and    
consume us anew4  ,gethsemane was       
followed by a sleepless night1 while    
bitter hate brought its utmost iniquity 
and persistence to hound this ,man to   
death4 ,nine1 of the next morning1 found
 ,him hanging1 nailed on the cross1     
crowned with the cruel mocking thorn    
crown4 ,from nine till three ,he hung1  
while the strange darkness came down    
over all nature from noon till three1   
the blackness of midnight shutting out  
the brightness of noon4 ,the ,father's  
presence was withdrawn4 ,this tells the 
bitterness of the cross for ,jesus as   
does nothing else4  ,it was out of a    
breaking heart that the cry was wrung1  

,my ,god1 ,my ,god1 why didst ,thou     
forsake ,me8 ,when you can penetrate    
that darkness you may be able to tell   
how really ,jesus took our place1 and   
suffered as sin for us1--not before4    
,then with a great shout of victory ,he 
gave up ,his life4 ,his great heart     
broke4 ,he died4 ,he died literally of a
 broken heart4 ,the walls of that muscle
 were burst asunder by the terrific     
strain on ,his spirit4  ,he died for us4
 ,he who so easily held off the         
murderous mob with their stones1 now    
holds ,himself to that cross1--for us4  
,this is the ,calvary experience4 ,it   
can be felt1 but never explained fully2 
words fail4 ,it can be yielded to until 
our hearts are melted to sobs1 but never
 fully told in its tenderness and       
strength to others4 ,it can bring us    
down on knees and face at ,his feet as  
,his love-slaves for ever1--so is its   
story best told to others4 ,that        
breaking heart breaks ours4 ,that       
pierced side pierces through all our    

stubborn resistance4 ,that face haunts  
us4 ,its scars tell of sin1 ours4 ,its  
patient eyes tell of love1 ,his4 ,was   
there ever such sin8 ,was there ever    
such love8 ,was there ever such a       
meeting of sin and purity1 of love and  
hate1 of ,god's best and ,satan's worst8
  ,surely there can be no following     
here6 ,and1 strange to say1 the answer  
is both a no1 with a double underscoring
 of emphasis1 and a yes1 that will come 
to have a like emphatic underlining4    
,no1 there can be no following4 ,here1  
,he is the ,lone ,man who went before4  
,and ,he remains the ,lone ,man in what 
,he did1 and in the extent of ,his      
suffering4 ,there is only one ,calvary4 
,there was only the ,one whose death    
could settle the sin score for us men4  
,it is only by ,his death for our sin   
that there is any way out of our sore   
plight of sin1 and sin's own result4    
,there the ,lord ,jesus did something   
that had to be done1 for the ,father's  
sake2 there ,he broke the slavery of our

 sin2 there ,he broke our hearts by ,his
 love4 ,there ,he stands utterly alone  
in what ,he did4 ,calvary has no        
duplicate1 nor ever can have4 ,that is  
the emphatic no side of the answer4     
,there can be no following on that road4
  ,and yet1--and yet1 there can be4     
,there is a yes side to the true1 full  
answer4 ,there will be a ,calvary       
experience for every one who really     
follows4 ,his was the ,calvary          
experience1 ours is a ,calvary          
experience4 ,it does not mean what ,his 
meant for the world4 ,but it enters into
 the marrow of our very being1 and means
 everything to us4 ,it means that as ,i 
really follow there will come to me     
experiences of sacrifice that will take 
the very life of my life--if ,i do not  
pull back1 but persist on following the 
beckoning hand4 ,and it means too1 that 
there will be in a secondary1 a minor   
sense1 a redemptive value in my         
suffering4 ,that suffering will be a    
real thing in completing the work of    

some man's redemption4  ,listen to      
,paul4 ,he has been writing to the      
,corinthian ,christians in much detail1 
of the suffering he has been going      
through of both body and spirit1 and    
then he adds1 so then death working in  
me worketh life in you4#ge ,the same    
thought underlies that wonderful bit of 
tender1 tactful pleading in the eleventh
 and twelfth chapters of the same       
letter4 ,the same thing is put in a     
rather startling way in the epistle to  
the ,colossians1#gf ,i 444 fill up on my
 part1 in my flesh1 that which is       
lacking of the afflictions of ,christ   
for ,his body's sake1 which is the      
,church4  ,this fits in with the thought
 in that word began in the beginning of 
the book of ,acts4#gg ,in a very real   
sense our ,lord depends upon our        
faithful following to supplement among  
men the great thing which only ,he could
 do4 ,paul knew a ,calvary experience1  
and ,peter and ,john1 and so has1 and   
will1 every one who follows the pierced 

hand that beckons4 ,ask ,horace ,tracey 
,pitkin at ,paotingfu if he understands 
this4 ,and the ,china soil wet with his 
blood gives answer1 and so do the lives 
of those who were won to ,christ through
 such suffering throughout ,china4 ,ask 
,david ,livingstone away in the inner   
heart of ,africa1 and those whom no man 
can number in every nation1 who have    
known this sort of thing by a bitter1   
sweet experience1 some by violence1 some
 by the yet more difficult daily giving 
out of the life in hidden away corners4 
,the ,underground ,road4   ,and hard    
following this came the ,burial in      
,joseph's ,tomb4 ,christ died for our   
sins and 444 ,he was buried4#gh ,joseph 
took the body1 444 and laid it in his   
own new tomb1 which he had hewn out in  
the rock1 and he rolled a great stone to
 the door of the tomb4#gi ,the chief    
priests and the ,pharisees 444 went1 and
 made the sepulchre sure1 sealing the   
stone1 the guard 7of ,roman soldiers7   
being with them4#hj  ,out of that sealed

 tomb comes with the emphasis of action1
 the emphasis of death1 this word1      
except a grain of wheat fall into the   
ground and die1 it abideth by itself    
alone4#ha ,the only pathway of life is  
the underground road4 ,for our ,lord1   
,joseph's tomb made the death clear     
beyond doubt4 ,the tomb was the climax  
of the death4 ,he was dead and buried4  
,for him who follows it means this1 a   
burial clear out of sight in the soil of
 the need of men's lives4 ,he who simply
 gets in behind and faithfully follows  
will find himself actually being buried 
in the needs of men4 ,and only where    
there is such a burial can there come   
resurrection power into the life4  ,i   
remember a friend in ,philadelphia1 a   
young man who resigned an influential   
position to go out as a missionary in   
,india4 ,and another friend not at all  
in sympathy remarked sneeringly in my   
hearing1 ,he's gone to bury himself in  
,india4 ,he spoke more aptly than he    
knew4 ,the years since have told what a 

blessed burial that was4 ,for scores of 
lives in ,southern ,india have known the
 resurrection power of the ,lord ,jesus 
through his service4  ,do you remember  
when the ,greeks came to ,philip with   
their great plea1 ,sir1 we would see    
,jesus8#hb ,whether really from ,greece1
 or ,greek-speaking people from         
elsewhere1 or simply non-,jewish people1
 they represented the outer1 non-,jewish
 world coming to ,jesus4 ,the ,jew door 
was slammed violently in ,his face1 but 
here was the great outer-world door     
opening4 ,and ,he had come to a world6  
,but instantly1 across the vision so    
attractive to ,his eyes1 there came     
another vision1 never absent from ,his  
spirit those last weeks1 the vision     
black and forbidding1 of a cross4 ,and  
,he knew that only through this vision  
of a cross could the vision of a world  
coming be realized4 ,and out of the sore
 stress of spirit1 that for a few brief 
moments shook ,him1 came the quietly    
spoken1 tense words1 ,except a grain of 

wheat fall into the earth and die1 it   
abideth by itself alone4  ,the road to  
,greece is not over the sea here to the 
west1 not the overland caravan route up 
north through ,asia ,minor2 it is the   
road down through ,joseph's tomb4 ,that 
was true for ,him4 ,it was by that road 
that ,he so marvellously reached the    
,greeks and all the world4 ,and this is 
true for us4 ,it is only by this road   
that we can reach out to the crowds with
 the reach-in that touches heart and    
life4  ,these are the four experiences  
of suffering and sacrifice4 ,this is the
 dip-down in the ,follow ,me road where 
it runs through a darkly shadowed       
valley4 ,these are the dark and red     
shuttle-threads being woven into the    
web1 by repeated sharp blows of the     
batten-beam4 ,these are the minor chords
 that1 coming up through the strains of 
music1 give a peculiar sweetness to it4 
,what ,is ,sacrifice8   ,now you will   
note that the chief thing in all this is
 sacrifice4 ,the chief thing in all of  

our ,lord's life1 clear from ,bethlehem 
to ,calvary and the tomb1 was sacrifice4
 ,it runs ever throughout2 it finds its 
tremendous climax in the cross4 ,and the
 word to put in here in quietest        
tone--the quietest is tensest1 and goes 
in deepest--the word is this3 ,following
 means sacrifice4 ,it means sacrifice as
 really for the follower as for the     
,lone ,man ahead4  ,that word sacrifice 
has practically been dropped out of the 
dictionary of the ,christian ,church of 
the western world4 ,it has not been     
wholly lost4 ,there is much real        
sacrifice1 no doubt1 under the surface4 
,but1 in the main1 it is one of the lost
 words in our generation of the ,church4
 ,we are rich1 and increased in goods1  
and have need of nothing that we cannot 
provide by the lavish use of money2 so  
we think4 ,and the loss of that word    
explains the loss from our working      
dictionaries of another word1 power4    
,for the two words always go together4  
,but please note what sacrifice means4  

,for we may get confused in the use of  
words1 and like the ,hebrews in         
,isaiah's day call things by the wrong  
names4#hc ,sacrifice does not merely    
mean suffering1 though there may be much
 suffering included in it4 ,but there   
may be suffering where there is no      
sacrifice4 ,it does not mean privation1 
though there may be real painful        
privation in it4 ,but again there may be
 much privation and pain without any    
element of sacrifice entering in4  ,the 
heart of sacrifice is that it is        
voluntary1 and that it really costs you 
something4 ,it is something that would  
not come to you unless you decide to let
 it come4 ,it is wholly within your     
power to keep it away1 and it brings    
with it real pain or cost of some kind4 
,sacrifice means doing something1 or    
doing without something1 that so help   
may come to another1 even though it     
costs you some real personal suffering  
of spirit1 or of body1 or both1 or lack 
of what you should have and would enjoy4

  ,and please note that sacrifice is not
 the key-note of the ,follow ,me life4  
,we are not to seek for sacrifice4      
,perhaps that is quite a needless       
remark4 ,we are not likely to seek for  
it4 ,no one loves a cross any more than 
did ,peter1 when he had the hardiness to
 rebuke his ,master4#hd ,and yet we     
remember those earnest souls in earlier 
times1 who shut themselves up behind    
monastic walls1 and inflicted pain upon 
themselves by privation and by bodily   
self-infliction4 ,and we cannot help    
admiring their earnestness and          
saintliness1 even while we see how      
morbid was their conception of life1 and
 how completely they got the true order 
reversed4 ,and there can be found some  
here and there1 among us to-day1 with   
the same idea4  ,but the key-note of the
 true life is not sacrifice4 ,it is     
obedience4 ,sacrifice is something      
coming in the pathway of obedience4     
,there come the places and times where  
you cannot obey without making a        

sacrifice4 ,obedience involves          
sacrifice4 ,and the sacrifice may be of 
the very real1 cutting1 hurting sort1   
personally4 ,the whole instinct of one's
 being is against it4 ,this seems to be 
carrying things quite too far1 we think4
 ,and so the test is on4 ,the sacrifice 
is not sought4 ,it is shrunk from with  
all the vigour of one's nature4         
,obedience means that you go steadily   
on1 no matter how it cuts1 or how much  
it costs4  ,and the motive under the    
obedience is usually the decisive thing4
 ,if that motive be a personal passion  
for the ,lord ,jesus1 then you only wait
 long enough to be quite clear of ,his  
leading1 of what ,he would have you do4 
,and then you go on1 regardless of the  
personal loss or pain to yourself4 ,the 
key-note of the ,follow ,me music is    
obedience1 simple1 sane1 poised1 full   
obedience4    ,how ,much ,it ,cost ,god4
   ,one day out in ,illinois1 while     
visiting a small church college1 ,i was 
told this story of one of the students4 

,he had felt very deeply the need of the
 foreign mission lands1 and the plea    
being made for men to volunteer to go   
out as missionaries4 ,and after much    
thought and prayer he had decided to    
volunteer4 ,but he felt he must first   
get his mother's consent4 ,so he wrote  
of his purpose and asked if she were    
willing that he should go4 ,in due time 
the reply came back4 ,it was a mother's 
letter to her son1 full of a mother's   
endearments4 ,but the paper was marked  
with tear-stains4 ,she gave her consent4
 ,she said1 ,i'm glad my boy wants to   
go1 and ,i'm glad to have you go1       
but--and here the writing was blurred   
with the teardrops that had plainly     
fallen as she wrote--,i never knew      
before how much it cost ,god to give    
,his ,son4  ,there was the whole story  
of sacrifice as it came to that mother4 
,there was the sore need of the people  
in foreign lands for the ,gospel of     
,christ4 ,that need had not been met4   
,the need in its sore pressure had      

become an emergency1 largely an         
unappreciated emergency4 ,the tragedy of
 an unmet emergency had moved the son's 
heart to action1 under the touch of the 
,holy ,spirit1 and then it came to the  
mother's heart4 ,the decision rested    
with her4 ,her inner heart told her the 
,master's desire4 ,she obeyed1 with     
exquisite pain in her heart over the    
separation1 maybe separation for life1  
from her son4 ,the key-note is          
obedience1 even though it may mean      
cutting pain4  ,the whole test of love  
and of life is in sacrifice yielded to  
as the need may come4 ,in ,god's first  
plan of life there is no sacrifice4 ,god
 never chooses sacrifice as ,his first  
choice for any one1 not even for ,his   
,son4 ,but sin is here1 an abnormal1    
foreign thing4 ,life is shot through and
 through with its ugly markings4 ,you   
can't go a foot's length down the       
pathway of obedience without finding the
 keen edge of a knife1 freshly          
sharpened1 held across the path with its

 cutting edge toward you1 challenging   
your advance1 doing its utmost to hold  
you back4  ,and only as the breast is   
bared to the cutting until a bit of your
 red life stains the knife1 only so can 
there be any of the power of ,god in1 or
 through1 or out of1 your life4 ,but    
turn that sentence around1 and smile in 
your heart as you remember this1 as you 
do push quietly on past the cutting     
knife1 and say never a word about the   
knife or the sharp pain--the best folks 
never talk about their sacrifices1 they 
are too intent on the ,man just         
ahead1--as a man so does1 there come    
into his life a fire and a fragrance    
that burns and breathes out wherever he 
goes4  ,it is sin that makes sacrifice4 
,sin did the carpenter work on the      
cross1 our sin4 ,sin grew the thorns1   
and then served as weaver to make the   
mocking1 cutting crown--our sin1 yours  
and mine4 ,love yields to the sacrifice1
 ,his love for us1 ,his love in us for  
the others4 ,sin is everywhere4 ,its    

finger-print is in nature1 and its scar 
on human life4 ,and sin's ravages make  
cruel need1 and need intensified makes  
emergency1 and these involve sacrifice  
as we rise to meet need and emergency4  
,and love is everywhere4 ,that is1 it   
would be1 it will be1 if it can find    
human feet to carry it4 ,it will be if  
our ,lord may have ,his way4 ,sacrifice 
is ,love's healing shadow4 ,sacrifice is
 love giving the oil and wine of its own
 life to bind up the wounds that sin has
 made4 ,the ,follow ,me road is marked  
red1 so you trace ,his footprints who   
went ahead1 and theirs who follow4      
,what ,obedience ,has ,meant for ,some4 
,but1 no one can decide for another what
 obedience may mean for him4 ,you may   
not tell me1 nor ,i you4 ,it is         
intensely interesting to note what      
obedience has meant to some4 ,it led    
,paul to give up inheritance and family 
prestige1 social standing1 fellowship in
 university circles1 a home life of     
scholarly quiet and research1 and to be 

reproached and ostracized1 to be        
homeless having no certain abiding      
place1 dependent on his own hands for   
daily bread1 as he went burning like a  
flame from end to end of the ,roman     
world4 ,and at the end it meant a       
prison1 and block and axe4  ,i met a    
rare ,christian nobleman in ,london1 of 
an old1 honoured family1 of whom a      
friend told me this4 ,this nobleman had 
a large inheritance4 ,among other things
 a certain estate4 ,he felt led to place
 the estate on the market1 get the best 
possible return for it1 and then with   
his shrewd business sense1 prayerfully  
to place the proceeds where he felt they
 would help best the cause of ,christ4  
,and to a friend who expressed          
appreciation and approval of such       
unusual action1 he quietly said1 ,i want
 no praise for this2 if the poor ,jew   
had to give one-tenth1 surely a rich    
,christian can do very much more4 ,that 
was what obedience1 at that point1 meant
 to him4  ,i knew a ,canadian woman who 

had been led to a higher level in her   
,christian life4 ,a friend put into her 
hands a bit of manuscript1 to which she 
had access1 thinking it would help her  
in her new life4 ,the manuscript was    
read1 and returned through the friend to
 its writer4 ,he had intended having it 
published with some others1 if a        
publisher could be found willing to     
accept it4 ,then he had felt that he    
would do nothing with it until very     
clear leading came4 ,he did not want to 
do anything1 except as he was led4 ,if  
the ,master wanted to use the writing1  
it was there if ,he chose to give the   
word for its use4  ,sometime after as   
the woman was busy with her nursing work
 she was on night duty1 and had her     
quiet time in an interval of the night's
 round4 ,as she was reading her ,bible  
and praying1 she said1 ,a voice said to 
me very quietly1 ',send ,mr4 ,blank     
twenty-five dollars to publish ----'    
naming the title of the article she had 
read4 ,twenty-five dollars taken out of 

her frugal savings would leave quite a  
hole4 ,but the impression that came with
 the message was unmistakable4 ,and so  
the money was sent4 ,and it was received
 by the writer of the manuscript as the 
,master's answer for which he had been  
waiting4 ,and that was the beginning of 
some little books whose messages have   
been graciously used to bring help to   
many lives4 ,her bit of obedience was a 
link in the chain1 and so a bit of her  
life is in the printed messages the     
,master has been using4 ,the tracing of 
red was on the gold1 and on the messages
 sent out4 ,that was what obedience     
meant that time to her4 ,and obedience  
usually has its hardest time when its   
struggle is over a bit of gold4  ,a     
friend took us driving one day up in    
,scotland1 and told this story as we    
passed through a beautiful estate4 ,a   
few generations back it belonged to one 
who followed fully4 ,and in response to 
the clear inner leading the estate was  
sold1 and the proceeds used in sending  

the message of a crucified1 risen       
,christ1 out to the farther ends of the 
earth4  ,it was at the same time that a 
like incident came personally to me of  
another ,scottish friend of our ,lord   
,jesus4 ,the beckoning call was so      
distinct1 and the answering need so     
clear in its echo1 that he planned a    
moderate annuity for the remainder of   
his life1 and loosed out all the rest of
 his wealth on the same sort of errand4 
,i do not say you should do something of
 this sort4 ,and you may not tell me    
what ,i shall do4 ,only the ,master has 
that privilege4 ,but we can urge each   
other to have trained ears1 and soft    
heart1 and obedient will2 ears for what 
the ,master is saying1 a heart softened 
by the warmth of ,his1 a will gladly    
obedient to ,his slightest wish4        
,necessity--,luxury4   ,and our ,lord   
,jesus speaks very distinctly1 though so
 quietly4 ,his meaning is unmistakably  
plain to listening ears4 ,he is quite   
apt to take you off for a little walk   

and talk4 ,what kind of a house do you  
live in8 ,what proportion of your income
 do you spend on yourself8 ,what is in  
those safety-deposit boxes8 ,how much   
would it mean to ,him if your signature 
at the bottom of legal papers put some  
property at ,his disposal8 ,take a look 
through your wardrobe2 who and what     
controls there8 ,no1 ,i'm not talking   
about money1 nor about missions1 only   
about a personal passion for the ,lord  
,jesus1 and about the passion in ,him   
for ,his world4  ,but1 you say to       
yourself1 there's danger of going to    
extremes here1 is there not8 ,yes1 there
 is2 you are quite right4 ,extremes are 
bad1 we should be on our guard against  
them4 ,there is nothing more desirable  
in these days than sane1 poised         
judgment1 a sound mind4 ,and be it      
keenly marked that the man who is really
 swayed by the ,holy ,spirit is         
peculiarly a sane1 well-balanced man4   
,that is one mark of the ,spirit's      
presence4  ,yet there's more to be said4

 ,our ,lord ,jesus went to extremes4 ,he
 went to a great extreme on the cross1  
did ,he not8 ,is there any extreme like 
that of ,gethsemane8 and ,calvary8 ,it  
is because ,he went to such extremes1   
and the ,west knows about it1 that the  
,west is so radically different from the
 ,east1 and that you and ,i are redeemed
 from the slavery of sin1 with a sweet  
peace in our hearts1 and so much        
happiness in our lives4  ,the           
distressing thing is that there is so   
much of going to extremes4 ,go through  
the ,christian homes of the western     
world to-day1 and you find home         
appointments1 wardrobes1 safety-deposit 
boxes1 bank books1 title deeds1 all     
spelling out one word1 spelled in       
capital letters1 ,,extremes4 ,but that  
key-note1 named several times already1  
gives the only safe way--obedience4 ,we 
need to be on our guard1 not so much    
lest we go to extremes at either        
extreme1 but that we obey our ,lord     
,jesus4 ,that1 and that only1 leads to  

the wise1 well-balanced judgment and    
action4 ,obedience to ,him means true   
sanity4  ,where do you draw the deciding
 line between necessity and luxury8 ,how
 do you define those two words8 ,what is
 necessity8 ,and what is luxury8 ,simple
 definitions help much in getting clear 
ideas4 ,the dictionary says1 a necessity
 is something you must have4 ,and a     
luxury1 in its root meaning1 is an      
extravagance1 something wandering beyond
 the proper boundary4 ,the trouble is to
 know how to draw the line when it comes
 to one's own affairs4 ,there is such a 
big difference between what you want and
 what you need4 ,and often we don't want
 to go into such distinctions4 ,they    
might bother our consciences a bit4 ,it 
seems difficult to keep one's poise in  
such things4 ,some godly people go to   
extremes in not providing sufficiently  
for real needs4 ,most of us go to the   
other extreme4 ,where does the true     
dividing line come in8  ,well1 ,i think 
you can say truly that whatever keeps up

 and adds to your strength can properly 
be called a necessity4 ,all beyond that 
line is luxury4 ,it is the part of      
wisdom to provide carefully and well for
 necessities4 ,luxury is bad1 for it    
really saps our strength4 ,it makes a   
man less vigorous in every way4 ,and yet
 more can be said4 ,the question of need
 comes in4 ,luxury is wrong because of  
the crying need of men for what the     
money spent in luxury would bring to    
them4 ,i think chiefly now of the need  
of their lives for what can come only   
through a knowledge of ,christ4 ,the    
bitter cry of the common people against 
,louis ,,xvi1 at the time of the ,french
 ,revolution1 was that the royal family 
lived on the costliest delicacies while 
many of the common people were actually 
starving4 ,they thought that was the    
chief crime to be expiated at the       
guillotine4  ,what is necessary for     
one's strength moves on a sliding scale4
 ,as years come1 and the sort of work   
one does and his strength change1 his   

needs increase4 ,what might at one time 
have been reckoned luxury is now a real 
necessity for his best strength and     
work4 ,whatever ministers to one's      
strength is a necessity4 ,all above this
 becomes luxury1 and so is both hurtful 
to strength1 and wrong in itself4  ,a   
missionary returning to his home-land1  
on furlough1 noted on his first return  
home that what had been considered      
luxuries before he left1 were now       
reckoned necessities2 on his second     
furlough he noted again that what had   
been reckoned luxury on his first return
 was now counted necessity4 ,and each   
return home found this condition        
repeating itself4  ,it reminded me of   
the experience of ,sir ,john ,franklin  
in one of his ,arctic explorations4 ,his
 ship was hemmed in by an ice-field so  
that progress was impossible4 ,all he   
could do was to calculate his longitude 
and latitude1 and wait4 ,the next day he
 was still hemmed in1 and so far as he  
could see1 was exactly where he had been

 on the previous day4 ,but on           
calculating longitude and latitude      
again1 he was surprised to find that the
 ship had drifted several miles backward
 from the position of the previous day4 
,it would be a sensible thing for us to 
make frequent calculations1 and find out
 where we are1 and prayerfully steer a  
changed course if we've been drifting4  
,but we can't decide such questions for 
each other1 and they can't be decided by
 what another does4 ,they can only be   
decided alone on one's knees with the   
,master1 with the ,book1 and perhaps a  
map of the world at hand4 ,we need both 
the ,word of ,god1 and a view of the    
world of ,god to shape our judgment4    
,no1 it's not a question of money       
primarily1 nor of missions1 only of     
personal loyalty to our ,lord ,jesus1   
and to the passion of ,his heart4       
,grafted4   ,have you noticed the       
significance of that word abide which   
our ,lord used on the night of ,his     
betrayal8#he ,abide means a grafting    

process2 we were branches in the vine1  
but we were broken off by sin4 ,the only
 way to abide in that vine is by being  
grafted in4 ,abide means grafted4 ,but  
the grafting process has two wounds4 ,it
 means a knife used twice4 ,it means a  
wound in the vine-stock1 and our ,master
 flinched not there4 ,it means likewise 
a wound in the branch to be grafted in4 
,just as surely as the knife must make  
the incision into the stock1 it must    
also cut the end of the branch before it
 can be grafted in4 ,our ,master        
flinched not4 ,how about you and me when
 it comes to the knife1 with its sharp  
cutting edge1 and slash and sting8      
,perhaps this explains why there's so   
little life1 so little sap-flow1 so     
little fruit4 ,if you follow along the  
narrow road your progress is sure to be 
barred by a knife thrust out across the 
path4 ,and the whole instinct of our    
nature is to shrink from the knife4 ,the
 sacrificial knife becomes the pruning1 
the grafting knife4 ,there can be no    

life without that knife4 ,failure to    
obey cuts off the supply of life4  ,i   
became greatly interested in a young man
 whom ,i met in ,japan4 ,he comes of a  
noble1 wealthy family4 ,he attended a   
mission school to study ,english1       
learned to read the ,bible1 became      
intensely interested1 and then decided  
to become a ,christian4 ,but his family 
was violently opposed1 and pleaded      
earnestly with him4 ,he would in time be
 the head of his family1 but if he      
insisted now on being a ,christian he   
would be disowned4 ,he was to be trained
 in the ,imperial ,university1 and could
 have chosen a public national career   
including the probability of membership 
in the ,imperial diet1 but he remained  
true to his decision4 ,and he was       
disowned in disgrace1 cast adrift       
without a cent4 ,now he is devoting     
himself to mission work in the city     
where ,i met him1 working among the     
neediest and lowest4 ,i was told that   
the police gladly say that his mission  

has greater power than they in          
preserving order in that worst quarter  
of the city4  ,the night ,i stood by his
 side1 speaking through his             
interpretation1 a ,japanese policeman   
dragged up a couple of youths who had   
been giving trouble1 and pushed them in1
 saying1 ,here's the place for you2 now 
listen to that4 ,and ,i have never been 
in a simple service where the quiet     
intense power of ,god was more marked4  
,this is what obedience meant to him4   
,and this too is what abiding meant4 ,he
 yielded to the grafting knife1 and the 
life of the vine-stock came flowing     
freely through1 bearing abundant fruit4 
,a few years ago ,i read a simple story 
in ,the ,sunday-school ,times that      
brought a lump in my throat4 ,the writer
 told of a south-bound train stopping at
 a station near ,washington ,city4 ,at  
the last moment1 an old negro with white
 hair came hurriedly forward and        
clambered on the last coach as the train
 pulled out4 ,he was very black1 and    

very dusty1 and single occupants of     
seats looked apprehensive as he shuffled
 along looking for a seat4 ,but he did  
not offer to intrude1 but stood at the  
end of the car1 looking with big        
wondering eyes down the car4 ,he was    
evidently very tired4 ,then a young man 
offered him space in his seat1 for which
 he seemed very grateful1 and with      
child-like simplicity began talking4    
,he was going back home to ,georgy2 had 
been up in ,virginia for years with the 
rare old slave loyalty serving his old  
master between times1 while earning his 
own way4 ,now his master was dead and he
 was going back down to the old home    
state1 back to ,georgy1 and the words   
came softly1 while his hand tenderly    
patted the seat cushion4 ,clearly       
,georgia was the acme of happiness and  
content for him4 ,as the train boy came 
through1 the young man bought some      
sandwiches for the old negro4 ,he was   
very grateful4 ,yes1 he was hungry1 and 
had walked several miles to get the     

train4 ,he couldn't spend money for     
victuals2 money's too skase fur buying  
things on the road1 he said1 ,i was     
'lowin' ter fill up arter ,i done reach 
,georgy4  ,then the conductor came in   
for tickets4 ,the black man anxiously   
fumbled through one pocket after        
another1 and finally remembered that his
 ticket was pinned to the lining of his 
hat4 ,done tuk ebery cent ,i could      
scrape up to get dat ticket1 he said1   
but dat's all right4 ,i kin wuk1 an'    
fo'ks don' need money when dey's home4  
,the conductor had passed on to the next
 seat behind4 ,there sat a shabbily     
dressed woman1 with anxious1            
frightened-looking face1 the seat full  
of bundles and a pale-faced baby in     
arms4  ,tickets1 please4  ,the woman's  
face flushed red1 and then grew white   
and set1 as she said1 ,i haven't any4   
,have to get off then2 save me the      
trouble of putting you off4  ,the woman 
sprang up with terror in her big eyes1  
,don't put me off2 my husband's dying2  

the doctor said he must go ,south2 we've
 sold everything left to send him2 now  
he's dying2 ,i must go to him4 ,but ,i  
have no money1 don't put me off4 ,my    
,god--my ,god--if you-- ,her plea poured
 out in excited1 jerky sentences4 ,but  
the conductor could do nothing4 ,he must
 obey his instructions1 or be           
discharged4 ,the woman sank back        
sobbing1 in the seat4 ,the conductor    
turned back to get the old negro's      
ticket4  ,i'se feared you'll have to put
 me off1 boss1 he said humbly1 don't    
expect a pore ole nigger like me to     
raise enuf fur a ticket4 ,the conductor 
harshly ordered him off the train at the
 next station1 saying there was some    
excuse for the poor woman1 but none for 
him4 ,the train began to slow up for the
 station4 ,the old negro quietly dropped
 his ticket into the lap of the woman1  
saying1 ,here's yo' ticket1 missus4 ,i  
do hopes yo' find dat husban' o' yourn  
ain' so bad as yo'se afeared4 ,and      
before her dazed eyes could take in what

 he was doing1 the old man had shuffled 
out of the car1 and as the train pulled 
on he was seen quietly plodding along1  
still bound for ,georgy4  ,and there was
 no mention of ,christ in the story1 but
 one who knows the old typical slave    
class to which he belongs needs not to  
be told of the motive down in his heart4
 ,that's what obedience1 unanalyzed1    
undeliberated about1 meant to him4 ,have
 you ever worn the ,georgy shoes8 ,have 
you ever tramped to ,georgy8 ,if some of
 us might find out the old man's cobbler
 and get some ,georgy tramping shoes6   
,the way of obedience is a way of       
sacrifice4     #d4 ,the                 
,hilltops--,experiences of ,gladness and
 ,glory    ,valley ,music4   ,there was 
a third group of experiences in our     
,lord ,jesus' life4 ,but it will be good
 for us to remember that the third comes
 after the second4 ,there can be no     
third until there has been a second4 ,it
 is impossible to take first and third  
and omit the second4 ,the third can come

 only after the second4 ,there can be   
experiences of gladness and glory only  
to him who follows all the way4 ,the    
hilltop experiences come after going    
down through the valley4 ,and there is  
no way of reaching the hills except     
through the valley4  ,but there is a    
hilltop roadway of exhilarating air and 
outlook for him who has been through the
 valley4 ,the valley is only part of the
 way4 ,there are heights1 too1 as well  
as depths4 ,and if the depths have      
seemed very deep1 yet remember the      
valley depth tells how high the height  
is4 ,the only way up is down4 ,and you  
go as high up as you have gone down1 and
 then a bit higher4 ,for you started    
down from the level of the main road1   
and you go up above the level4 ,but you 
go up higher than you go down4 ,the     
hilltops are higher above the main road 
than the valley is below4 ,the glory    
comes to be more than the sacrifice4    
,sacrifice is only one-half of a        
chapter1 the first half2 there is a     

second half1 the musical half4 ,there's 
a wondrous singing in the heart1 even   
while the knife is cutting1 such as only
 he knows who goes this way4 ,there's a 
breeze from the hilltops that comes     
sweeping down through the trees1 while  
you are slowly picking your way along   
the rough1 narrow valley road4 ,that    
breeze plays upon your inner strings and
 makes rare olian melody4 ,it is the    
breeze of ,god playing upon the         
heart-strings of your soul4 ,but this   
music is heard only in this valley road4
 ,lovers of music say there is nothing  
to compare with it4  ,you remember the  
words1 who for the joy that was set     
before ,him4#hf ,ah1 the joy6 ,as the   
,master's feet slipped down into the    
dark shadows--the shame1 the cross1 the 
tomb--there was something else under the
 pain ,he was suffering4 ,there was a   
low underchording of sweet minor music1 
the rhythmic swinging of ,his will with 
,his ,father's4 ,and that music still   
sang as ,he slipped down quite out of   

sight under the cold waters of the river
 at the bottom of the gorge4    ,the    
,transfiguration ,mount4   ,there were  
three of these glory experiences in our 
,lord's life1 with a fourth one yet to  
come4 ,midway in the last year came the 
,transfiguration ,mount4 ,in a sore     
emergency1 for the sake of the leaders  
of ,his little band of disciples1 the   
inner glory of ,his being was allowed to
 shine out through ,his humanity4 ,the  
glory of ,god shined out from within    
,him4 ,the usual fashion of ,his        
countenance was altered by the dazzling 
beauty-light shining out through it4    
,and this too will be true of those who 
follow truly4 ,as we live with our faces
 ever held open to ,him1 the glory of   
,his face will be reflected in ours1 and
 we shall be changed more and more into 
,his image4#hg ,i have frequently told  
the story of the jurist who lived in our
 middle-west country two generations    
ago1 a confirmed but honest sceptic1 and
 who was converted by the face of a     

fellow townsman4 ,the sceptic became    
thoroughly convinced that the thing in  
his neighbour's face which so attracted 
him was his ,christian faith1 and it was
 this that led the sceptic to accept    
,christ4 ,last year1 ,i met out in the  
,orient a kinswoman of the man with the 
convincing face4  ,i remember distinctly
 one night1 years ago1 in northern      
,missouri1 a young woman waited at the  
close of a meeting with her friend4 ,we 
talked and prayed together and she made 
the great decision4 ,i can remember     
looking after the two as they went out1 
wondering to myself how much it meant to
 her4 ,i could not judge from her       
demeanour4 ,but the next night they were
 back again1 and instantly ,i knew that 
it had meant much1 everything1 to her4  
,the transfiguring peace was upon her   
face4 ,i would have called her face     
plain the evening before4 ,now it was   
really beautiful in the sweet clear     
light shining out of it4  ,two things   
stand out sharply in my memory of ,ping 

,yang1 in ,korea4 ,one is the visit to  
the home of a ,christian family1 whose  
head was one of those being held in     
prison in the famous conspiracy case4 ,i
 still feel the pathos of face and voice
 as the dear old mother1 and the gentle 
wife1 asked so eagerly1 ,when will he be
 back8  ,the other1 was the faces of    
certain of the women in the church      
service there4 ,i found myself time and 
again turning to look at their faces as 
,i was speaking4 ,there was a sweet     
light that transfigured their worn      
faces1 and gave them a real beauty4 ,it 
was the more striking against the       
background of the faces one sees in     
those ,oriental lands4  ,the story has  
been told in various ways of the        
,european artist sent to a ,salvation   
,army meeting to make a caricature4 ,he 
was an infidel1 with a sinful life1 an  
uneasy conscience1 and a sore heart4    
,but the faces he saw there of those    
redeemed out of the depths of sin1      
convinced him that they had what he     

needed1 and what he afterwards got1 at  
the same place as they1 the feet of     
,christ4 ,one who has looked into the   
faces at some of the ,salvation ,army   
meetings has no trouble believing the   
story4  ,now this is part of our        
,master's great plan for reaching ,his  
world4 ,he comes in to us1 if we let    
,him4 ,he changes us as we yield to     
,him4 ,the beauty of this wondrous ,one 
within shines out of face and eyes1 and 
touches those whom we touch4 ,his       
presence transfigures when ,he is       
allowed to dominate4 ,we are changed    
from within4 ,though like ,moses and    
,stephen we will not wist of the        
transfiguration1 only of the ,great ,one
 whose presence within it is that makes 
the change4 ,we know the peace and music
 within2 others know more of the change 
in face and life4    ,resurrection      
,power--,a ,present ,experience4        
,there is a second experience in this   
group4 ,in sharpest contrast with       
,jacob's tomb stands out the            

,resurrection ,morning4 ,our ,lord      
,jesus rose up out of death4 ,the       
strongest bars that death could         
make--and surely every one of us has    
some sore experience of their strength  
in holding dear ones from us--those     
strongest bars were snapped1 as a woman 
breaks the cotton thread in her sewing4 
,our ,lord ,jesus rose up again into    
life1 and into a new1 a higher1 a       
different sort of life4 ,the personal   
identity was unchanged4 ,his disciples  
recognized ,his voice and face and form1
 as they talked and ate with ,him4 ,but 
the limitations were gone4 ,the control 
of spirit over body was complete4  ,and 
it is a bit of ,his gracious plan that  
we shall follow ,him here1 too4 ,when   
,he returns in glory there will be a    
resurrection for those who have followed
 ,him4 ,as ,he comes down on the clouds1
 the dead bodies of those who have the  
warm vital touch with ,him1 that the    
word believeth stands for1 will be      
touched into a new life and be reunited 

with the spirits that had lived in them4
  ,there will be a wondrous meeting in  
the air with ,himself1 and an equally   
wondrous reunion in ,his presence of    
those bound to us and to ,him by ties of
 love4 ,our personal identity will be   
the same1 loved ones instantly          
recognizing loved ones4 ,but the bodies 
will be of a new sort1 free of all the  
limitations and weaknesses of our earth 
life4 ,and our ,lord's return is        
peculiarly precious because it is the   
time of this change and reunion4  ,but  
there is yet more than this4 ,this is   
something future4 ,there is a present   
meaning of the resurrection-life for us1
 to-day1 if we'll accept it1 and live in
 the power of it4 ,there may be the     
resurrection life and power coming into 
our bodies now4 ,as the need comes1 it  
is our privilege to look up1 and ask    
for1 and experience resurrection power  
coming down into our bodies1 overcoming 
their weaknesses and diseased           
conditions4  ,the subject of healing    

involves much more1 for a full poised   
understanding of the ,scripture         
teaching1 than can be satisfactorily    
talked over in the brief limits here4   
,but the great fact can be thus simply  
stated1 that there is full healing for  
our bodies by ,god's direct touch upon  
them4 ,but this means on our part living
 a real faith life1 looking up moment by
 moment1 receiving from ,his hand       
constantly what is needed1 and using it 
wholly for ,him4 ,it is actually a      
living of the dependent life as regards 
the bodily needs4  ,paul is clearly     
speaking of a present experience when he
 says1 ,if the ,spirit of ,him who      
raised up ,jesus from the dead dwelleth 
in you1 ,he that raised up ,christ      
,jesus from the dead shall give life    
also to your dying bodies by means of   
,his ,spirit that dwelleth in you4#hh   
,but this resurrection power coming in  
to affect our bodily conditions is      
frequently in the midst of most         
difficult trying circumstances4 ,it is  

as though a subtle hindering power were 
tenaciously at work1 and this were being
 offset and overcome by the resurrection
 power4  ,it was under just such        
circumstances that ,paul writes these   
words3 ,we who live are always delivered
 unto death for ,jesus' sake1 that the  
life also--the resurrection life--of    
,jesus may be manifested in our dying   
bodies4#hi ,this as plainly means a     
present experience of power in our      
bodies1 overcoming weakness1 disease1   
and the tendency to death4  ,this is the
 present meaning of the resurrection for
 us4 ,but it is possible only for those 
who will live the resurrection life of  
separation and of union2 separation from
 all that separates from the closest    
union of life with our ,lord ,jesus4    
,and it comes oftentimes through much   
conflict and difficulty4 ,this bit of   
the road is much contested4    ,the     
,ascension ,life--,power in ,possession4
   ,when our ,lord ,jesus had tarried   
long enough to make clear to ,his       

disciples ,his actual bodily            
resurrection1 ,he ascended to the       
,father's right hand1 and was seated    
there in the place of highest honour and
 power4 ,so ,he began living the        
,ascension ,life4 ,that means two       
things1 it is the life of fullest power 
in actual possession2 and that power is 
exercised through prayer1#ij ,his1 and  
then--ours4 ,through ,his intercession  
with the ,father1 and through our       
intercession in ,christ's ,name1 the    
power comes from the ,father through    
,christ to us1 and so through us4  ,our 
,lord ,jesus is eager to have us follow 
,him here also4 ,following this time    
means1 actually using the power that has
 been placed at our disposal4 ,it means 
receiving from ,his pierced hand all ,he
 has actually redeemed for us by ,his   
precious blood4 ,there is so much that  
is ours by right that we do not take and
 use4 ,some do not take because they    
don't live where they can take4 ,and    
some live where they can take1 who yet  

do not take4  ,since the ,father thinks 
of us as risen with ,christ and seated  
with ,him in the place of highest power1
 we should seek to live up there1 by    
,his grace4#ia ,the ascension life for  
us means simply living the actual life  
of power that has been made possible for
 us1 and using that power through       
prayer4  ,it helps to remember here just
 how much may be included in that word  
prayer4 ,one cannot be all the time on  
his knees1 praying with his lips4 ,and  
it certainly was not meant that we      
should be4 ,yet there can be prayer     
without ceasing4 ,prayer is an act1 the 
kneeling1 and giving voice to the       
desires of our hearts4 ,then the act    
grows into a habit1 as this becomes one 
of the fixed things of our daily round4 
,and the habit full grown1 becomes a    
life4 ,all the life grows out of that   
bit of kneeling-time1 and all the life  
is carried to it4 ,the hidden springs of
 the life are here4  ,and prayer becomes
 a mental attitude4 ,you think of       

everything that comes up1 opportunity1  
difficulty1 emergency1 crisis1          
plannings1--you instinctively come to   
think about each thing from the         
standpoint of the kneeling-time4 ,and so
 prayer grows to be an atmosphere4 ,you 
live your life in ,his presence to whom 
you kneel4 ,he is always present4 ,you  
come to recognize ,his presence1 which  
means that ,his presence dominates all  
your life4 ,he1 this ,one whom you go to
 meet at the kneeling-time1 ,he is      
always here with you1 listening to the  
unspoken thoughts4 ,by and by you come  
instinctively to think your thoughts as 
in ,his presence4 ,your longings1       
plannings1 difficulties are held open   
before ,him4 ,prayer becomes the        
atmosphere you breathe4  ,and so prayer 
comes to be a person4 ,you are the      
prayer4 ,the ,father looking down comes 
to recognize you1 by your very attitude 
of heart1 as a prayer1 a continual1     
walking1 living prayer1 as you go       
quietly about your simple1 homely round4

 ,and the powers of evil1 too1 so       
recognize it4 ,and the ,man at the      
,father's right hand recognizes in you  
one whom ,he has redeemed1 and who1 by  
,his grace1 would be and do and have1 in
 actual life1 all ,he has gotten for    
you4  ,and through that six-fold        
continuous prayer1 by the man who yields
 all1 and reaches out for all that is   
now his1 the power of ,god is being     
continually loosened out among men1 and 
the ,father's plan being worked out4    
,so1 our ,lord's ascension life at the  
,father's right hand1 finds its echo in 
the ascension life being lived by ,his  
follower on the earth4    ,the ,coming  
,glory4   ,then comes the glorious      
future experience1 the ,kingdom ,reign  
and ,glory4 ,some day our ,lord ,jesus  
will rise up from ,his seat1 and step   
again into the direct action of the     
affairs of earth4 ,soon after that day  
,he will begin reigning over the earth  
as its ,king4 ,the later pages of the   
,old ,testament are all aglow with the  

glory of that time4 ,he shall reign from
 the ,mediterranean1 at the centre of   
the earth1 out to the farthest sea-coast
 line1 and from the ,euphrates east and 
west to the most distant ends of the    
earth4#ib  ,and those who have followed 
,him during these trying days of ,his   
absence1 shall reign with ,him over all 
the earth1 and be sharers in ,his       
glory4#ic ,he will give both grace and  
glory4#id ,grace is the beginning of    
glory1 and glory is the fulness of      
grace4 ,it is all grace1 free unmerited 
favour4  ,now ,i have grouped these     
experiences in this way to get a clear  
understanding of them4 ,but we must     
remember that they did not come in      
groups in ,christ's life1 and they won't
 in ours4 ,the red and yellow threads1  
the dark and bright1 are interwoven     
throughout the web1 to make the beauty  
of the pattern4 ,the minor chords come  
up here and there through the others1   
sometimes overcoming1 sometimes yielding
 to1 the joyous notes4 ,the road of life

 runs valley and hill1 valley and hill1 
up and down4  ,there were great crises  
in ,christ's life1 and there may be1    
there quite likely will be1 crisis      
points in ours1 but in the main the hard
 places intersperse with the smooth     
going4 ,the weaver sitting at his loom  
runs in a dark shuttle-thread1 and then 
a sharp blow of the beam puts it in     
place2 then a bright thread and a sharp 
blow of the beam1 and so1 slowly1       
patiently1 threads and blows follow each
 other till the design has been worked  
out4  ,even so will it be in this       
,follow ,me road4 ,a glad1 joyous       
experience may be followed by the one   
that is bitter and that hurts2 and that 
again1 perhaps1 by something gladsome   
and cheery1 while the daily round of    
life plods slowly on1 day after day1    
week in and out1 as the calendar works  
its steady way to the end1 and then     
begins anew4  ,but all the while there's
 the presence of the wondrous ,one1     
unseen by outer eyes1 but unmistakably  

real4 ,and ,his presence gives peace4   
,and there's an unfailing1 guiding hand1
 whose grasp steadies you as you push   
along4  ,this is the road4 ,and yonder1 
just ahead1 is the ,lone ,man1 whose    
wondrous face calls1 and the reach of   
,his pierced hand beckons4 ,let us take 
a careful look at the road1 and a long  
look at the ,man1 and then----4         
,shall ,we ,go8    ,the ,deeper ,meaning
 of ,friendship4   ,a friend in need is 
a friend indeed4 ,our ,lord ,jesus was  
our friend in our need4 ,it was a       
desperate need4 ,it could not be worse4 
,we had been badly hurt by sin4 ,the    
hurt was so bad that we could do nothing
 without help4 ,our ,lord ,jesus came to
 our help4  ,it was not easy for ,him to
 be our friend4 ,friendship is sometimes
 very costly4 ,his reputation went1 and 
then ,his life4 ,but ,he never flinched4
 ,he was thinking of us4 ,our need      
controlled ,him4 ,there were two        
controlling words in our ,lord ,jesus'  
life--passion and compassion4 ,he had a 

passion for ,his ,father4 ,he had       
compassion for us4 ,the two dovetailed  
perfectly4 ,the ,father had an          
overwhelming compassion for us4 ,the    
passion for the ,father in our ,lord's  
heart included the throbbing1 sobbing   
compassion for us4 ,the compassion was  
the manward expression of the passion   
for the ,father4  ,it was this          
compassion that controlled ,him those   
human years4 ,it drove ,him hard along  
the road we've been looking at4 ,he was 
driven into the ,wilderness1 through the
 years of sacrificial service1 out into 
the grove of the olive trees1 up the    
steep hill of ,calvary1 down into the   
depths of ,joseph's tomb4 ,step-by-step 
,he pushed ,his way along1 for ,he was  
thinking of ,his ,father and of us4 ,the
 passion for the ,father meant a        
compassion for us4 ,things proved worse 
in realization as ,he came up close to  
them1 as they began to touch ,his very  
life4 ,but ,he never wavered4 ,he never 
flinched1 for ,he was thinking of us4   

,he was our ,friend1 our ,friend in our 
desperate need4 ,a friend in need is a  
friend indeed4 ,it was by deeds that ,he
 met our needs4  ,but friendship is     
mutual4 ,it has two sides1 its          
enjoyments and its obligations4 ,that   
word friendship has two meanings4 ,it   
means fellowship4 ,two who are congenial
 in thought and aim and spirit can have 
sweet fellowship together as they make  
exchange with each other of the deep    
things of their spirits4 ,this is one   
meaning1 and a sweet1 hallowed meaning1 
too4 ,then there is the other4 ,you are 
in some sore need4 ,it is a desperate   
emergency in your life1 and out of the  
circle of your friends one singles      
himself out1 and comes to your aid4 ,at 
real cost or sacrifice to himself       
perhaps1 he gives you that which meets  
and tides over your emergency4  ,this is
 the deeper1 the rarer meaning of the   
word1 rarer both in being less frequent 
and in being very precious4 ,fellowship 
friends may be many2 emergency friends  

very1 very few4 ,and if circumstances so
 turn out that this man who has so      
rarely proven himself your friend1 is   
himself in some emergency1 and you are  
now in position to help him1 as once he 
helped you1 you count it not only an    
obligation of the highest sort1 but the 
rarest of privileges4 ,and with great   
joy you come to his help without        
stopping to count the cost in the       
doubtful1 questioning way4 ,friendship  
is mutual4  ,now this second1 this deep1
 rare meaning1 is the one we're using   
just now4 ,it comes to include the      
fellowship meaning1 so enriching the    
emergency friendship yet more4 ,but the 
emphasis is on the emergency meaning of 
the word friendship4 ,our ,friend was a 
friend in this deepest1 rarest way1 in  
the desperate emergency of our lives4   
,and now this ,friend of ours is in     
need1 a need so great that it is an     
emergency4 ,and this seems a startling  
thing to say4 ,you may think ,i'm       
indulging some rhetorical figure of     

speech merely4 ,he1 the ,lord ,jesus1 in
 need6 ,he is now seated at the         
,father's right hand in glory4 ,he is   
far above all rule and authority and    
power and dominion4 ,he is the sovereign
 ruler of our world4 ,how can it be     
said1 with any soberness of practical   
meaning1 that ,he is in need1 and in    
desperate need8 ,yet1 let me repeat very
 quietly1 that it is even so4  ,he needs
 our co-operation4 ,he needs the human  
means through which to work out ,his    
plans4 ,the power of ,god has always    
flowed through human channels4 ,and ,his
 plans have waited1 have been delayed   
because ,he has not always been able to 
find men willing to let ,him use them as
 ,he will4 ,this is the only explanation
 of the long1 weary waiting of the earth
 for ,his promised ,kingdom4 ,this1     
only1 explains centuries of delay in the
 working out of ,his plans4 ,the delay1 
the dark centuries1 the misery1--these  
have been no part of ,his plan1 but dead
 set against ,his plan4      ,the       

restless millions wait the ,light1      
,whose coming maketh all things new4    
,christ also waits2 but men are slow and
 late4       ,have we done what we      
could8 ,have ,i8 ,have you8  ,some      
unknown friend1 on seeing the statue of 
,general ,gordon1 as it stands facing   
the great desert and the ,soudan at     
,khartoum1 made these lines3      ,the  
strings of camels come in single file1  
,bearing their burdens o'er the desert  
sand3     ,swiftly the boats go plying  
on the ,nile4       ,the needs of men   
are met on every hand1     ,but still ,i
 wait     ,for the messenger of ,god who
 cometh late4      ,i see the clouds of 
dust rise in the plain1       ,the      
measured tread of troops falls on the   
ear2     ,the soldier comes the empire  
to maintain1       ,bringing the pomp of
 war1 the reign of fear1     ,but still 
,i wait     ,the messenger of peace1 he 
cometh late4      ,they set me brooding 
o'er the desert drear1       ,where     
broodeth darkness as the deepest night4 

,from many a mosque there comes the call
 to prayer2       ,i hear no voice that 
calls on ,christ for light4     ,but    
still ,i wait     ,for the messenger of 
,christ1 who cometh late4#ie            
,following ,wholly4   ,our ,friend is in
 need4 ,the world's condition spells out
 the desperateness of that need4 ,the   
world's need is ,his need4 ,it is ,his  
world4 ,this world is ,god's prodigal   
son4 ,it is the passion of our ,lord    
,jesus' heart to win ,his world back1   
and save it4 ,that passion has been     
revealed most1 thus far1 in ,his going  
to the great extreme of dying4 ,that    
passion is still unsatisfied4 ,yonder   
,he sits1 with scarred face and form1   
expecting4#if ,bending eagerly forward  
with longing eyes ,he is expecting4 ,he 
is expectantly waiting our response1    
expectantly waiting the day when things 
will have ripened on the earth for the  
next step in the great plan4  ,and down 
from the throne comes the same eager cry
 ,he used when amongst us on earth1     

,follow ,me4 ,this is the one call1 with
 many variations1 that runs through the 
seven-fold message to ,his followers in 
the book of the ,revelation4#ig  ,but   
,he calls for real followers4 ,he needs 
,calebs1 who are willing1 if need be1 to
 face a whole nation dead-bent on going 
the other way1 and yet who never flinch 
but insist on following fully4 ,caleb's 
following was so unflinching1 so against
 the current of his whole time1 that it 
stands out with the peculiar emphasis of
 a six-fold mention4#ih  ,those who     
follow wholly seem scarce sometimes4 ,i 
was struck recently with an utterance by
 a man prominent in business circles and
 in ,christian activity for years4 ,he  
was speaking of how he had been active  
in a certain form of ,christian         
activity1 and declared that it had never
 occasioned him any loss1 or been a     
detriment to him in his business4 ,the  
words had a strange1 suspicious sound4  
,the ,master told those who would follow
 fully that they might expect much loss 

and detriment4  ,the ,master was very   
careful to give the if's a prominent    
place4 ,if any man would come after     
,me4#ii ,if any man would serve ,me let 
him follow ,me4#ajj ,those if's are the 
cautionary signals4 ,they mean obstacles
 needing to be considered before one    
decides4 ,we must determine whether we  
will take them away or not4 ,half-way   
following1 part-way following1 has      
become very common in some of the other 
parts of the world1 where we don't live4
 ,i'll leave you to judge how it is in  
your own neighbourhood4  ,i have seen   
people start down this ,follow ,me road 
with great enthusiasm and real          
earnestness1 singing as they go4 ,then  
the road begins to narrow a bit4 ,the   
thorn bushes on the side have grown so  
thick and rank that they push over the  
sides of the road1 and narrow it down4  
,you can't go along without the thorns  
scratching face and hands badly as you  
push through4  ,and then you suddenly   
find a knife1 a sharpedged knife1 being 

held out across the road1 by an unseen  
hand back in the bushes4 ,the cutting   
edge is toward you4 ,it is held firmly4 
,it is clearly impossible to go on      
without a clash with that knife4 ,the   
real meaning of that ,follow ,me is     
beginning to be seen now4 ,just ahead   
beyond the knife stands the ,master1    
looking longingly1 beckoning earnestly1 
calling still4 ,but that knife6 ,it     
takes your eyes1 and the question is on 
in real earnest4  ,and it is very       
grievous to say that some stop there4   
,they pitch their tents this side the   
knife4 ,they may have had the courage to
 push through the thorns1 but this knife
 stops them4 ,they're not honest enough 
to back clear out of the road4 ,so they 
hold meetings on the roadway1           
conferences for the deepening of the    
,christian life1 with earnest addresses1
 and consecration meetings1 and soft    
singing4 ,and if perchance some one     
calls attention to the ,master standing 
ahead there1 beyond the knife1          

beckoning1--well1 they sing louder and  
pray longer so as to ease their         
consciences a bit1 and deaden unpleasant
 sounds1 but they make no move toward   
striking tents and pushing on4  ,and    
many coming up along the road are       
hindered4 ,the crowds1 the meetings1 the
 singing1 the earnestness1--these take  
hold of them and keep them from         
discerning that all this is an          
obstruction in the way4 ,the ,master's  
ahead yonder1 past that cutting knife4  
,in a very clear voice that rises above 
meetings and music1 ,he calls1 ,if any  
man would serve ,me1 let him follow ,me1
 let him get in behind ,me1 and come up 
close after ,me4 ,he who would serve1 he
 who would help1 must not stop here1 but
 push on to where the ,master is        
beckoning1--yes1 past the knife6  ,but  
there are big crowds at the half-way    
place1 this side the knife4 ,and there  
are still larger crowds looking on and  
sneering1 sneering at those whose       
following hasn't got much beyond the    

singing stage4 ,the outside crowd does  
love sincerity1 and is very keen for the
 faults and flaws in those who call     
themselves followers4    ,the           
,tuning-,fork for the ,best ,music4     
,but some push on2 they go forward2 and 
as they reach the knife they grasp it   
firmly by the blade4 ,yes1 it cuts1 and 
cuts deep4 ,but they push on1 on after  
the ,master4 ,they turn the knife into a
 tuning-fork4 ,do you know about this   
sort of thing8 ,the steel in a knife can
 be used to make a tuning-fork4 ,the    
touch of obedience brings music out of  
sacrifice4  ,this is the only           
tuning-fork that can give the true pitch
 for that sweetest music we were        
speaking of a little while ago4 ,this is
 a bit of the power of obedience4 ,it   
can change a challenging knife into an  
instrument of music4 ,this is a bit of  
the strategy of obedience1 the fine     
tactics of sacrifice4 ,the tempter with 
the knife would hold us back4 ,we seize 
his knife from his grasp4 ,he can never 

use that knife again4 ,and we use it to 
make sweet music to help the marching4  
,what was meant to hold us back now     
helps us forward4  ,this is the         
tuning-fork the ,master used4 ,he would 
have us use it1 too4 ,but each one must 
take it himself1 out of the threatening 
hand that would hold us back4 ,as the   
call to follow comes we must go on1 no  
matter what it involves4 ,no            
circumstance1 no possible loss1 no      
sacrifice1 must hold us back1 for a     
moment1 or a step1 from following where 
our ,friend calls2 only so can we be    
,his friend4  ,shall we go on all the   
way8 ,or1 shall we join the company at  
the half-way stopping place8 ,well1 it's
 a matter of your eyes1 how you use     
them4 ,if the knife holds your eyes1    
you'll never get past it4 ,that knife is
 like the deadly serpent's glittering   
eye4 ,if the cobra's eye can get your   
eye1 you are held fast in that awful1   
deadly fascination4  ,if you'll lift    
your eyes1 to the ,master's face6--ah1  

that's the one thing1 the only thing1   
that can hold our eyes with gaze        
steadier than any serpent eye4 ,the face
 of ,christ ,jesus1 torn by thorns1     
scarred by thongs1 but with the wondrous
 beauty light shining out1 and those    
great patient1 pleading eyes6 ,this it  
was that held that young ,indian        
aristocrat steady1 while he sold        
all--bit by bit1 of such precious       
things--sold all4  ,this it was that    
held steady the young ,jewish           
aristocrat1 ,paul4 ,he never forgot the 
light on that caravan road north1 above 
the shining of the sun4 ,he never could 
forget it4 ,it blinded him4 ,he could   
not see for the glory of that light4    
,old ambitions blurred out4 ,old        
attachments faded1 and then faded clear 
out before the blaze of that light4     
,family ties1 inheritance1 social       
prestige1 reputation1 old friendships1  
old honoured standards1--all faded out  
in the light of ,jesus' face on that    
northern road4    ,how to ,follow4      

,shall we take a look at that face8 a   
long look8 ,shall we go8 ,practically   
going means three things1 a decision1 a 
habit and a purpose2 a thoughtful1      
calculating decision1 a daily unbroken  
habit1 an unalterable north-star sort of
 purpose4  ,go alone in some quiet      
corner where you can think things out4  
,look at what it may mean for you to    
follow1 so far as you know now4 ,most of
 it you don't know1 and won't know1     
can't know except as it works out in    
your life4 ,take a long1 quiet1         
thoughtful look at the road4 ,then take 
a longer1 quieter1 steadier look at     
,him1 ,christ ,jesus1 once crucified for
 you1 now seated in glory with all      
power1 and asking you to-day to be a    
channel for ,his power4 ,then decide4   
,say1 ,lord ,jesus1 ,i will follow      
,thee4 ,this is my decision4 ,by ,thy   
help1 ,i follow ,thee1 ,i'll follow     
,thee all the way4 ,that's the first    
step1 the decision4  ,as ,i entered the 
tent at ,keswick one morning1 a friend  

handed me these lines1 which came to her
 pen at the close of a previous meeting3
      ,i will follow ,thee1 dear        
,master1     ,though the road be rough  
and steep1     ,thou wilt hold me lest  
,i falter1     ,thy strong hand must    
safely keep4      ,enter in1 ,lord1     
cleanse ,thy temple1     ,give the grace
 to put away     ,all that hinders1 all 
that's doubtful1     ,o'er my life hold 
blessed sway4      ,use me1 ,master1 for
 ,thy glory1     ,live out ,thine own   
life through me1     ,that my life may  
tell the story1     ,and win others unto
 ,thee4      ,keep me trusting ,thee1   
,lord ,jesus1     ,walking closely by   
,thy side1     ,keep me resting1 sweetly
 resting1     ,as ,i in ,thy love abide4
  ,then plan your work and time so as to
 get a bit of time off alone every day  
with the ,book and with the ,master4    
,the chief thing is not to pray1 though 
you will pray4 ,it is not for ,bible    
study1 though that will be there too4   
,the chief thing is to meet with the    

,lord ,jesus ,himself4 ,he will come to 
you through the ,book4 ,he will fit its 
messages into your questions and        
perplexities4 ,he ,himself will come to 
meet with you when you so go to meet    
with ,him4 ,you won't always realize    
,his presence1 for you may sometimes be 
tired4 ,but you can recognize ,his      
presence4 ,you can cultivate the habit  
of recognizing ,his presence4  ,this is 
your bit of daily school-time1 with the 
,book and the ,master4 ,it will keep    
your spirit sweet1 your heart hot1 and  
your judgment sane and poised4 ,this is 
the second thing1 the habit4 ,it is the 
thing you cannot get along without4 ,it 
must go in daily4 ,without it things    
will tangle2 your heart will cool1 your 
spirit sometimes take on an edge that   
isn't good1 your judgment get warped and
 twisted1 and your will grow either     
wabbly or stubborn4 ,this second thing  
must be put in the daily round1 and kept
 in4 ,it helps to hold you steady to the
 first thing4  ,then the third is the   

purpose to be true to whatever the      
,master tells you1 to be true to        
,himself2 never to fail ,him4 ,you may  
flinch within your feelings4 ,you       
probably will4 ,yet you need never      
flinch in action4 ,follow the beckoning 
,figure just ahead in the road1         
regardless of thorny bush or cutting    
knife4 ,keep your spirit sweet1 your    
tongue gentle and slow1 your touch soft 
and even1 your purpose as inflexible as 
wrought steel1 or as granite1 as        
unmovable as the ,north ,star4 ,that's  
the third thing1 the purpose4  ,and the 
three make the three-fold cord with     
which to tie you fast and hard to the   
,lone ,man ahead4 ,he is less alone as  
we follow close up4 ,the three together 
help you understand the meaning of      
obedience4 ,the decision is the         
beginning of obedience2 the habit       
teaches you what you are to obey and    
gives you strength to do it2 the purpose
 is the actual obedience in daily round1
 the holding true to what ,he has told  

you4  ,years ago1 a young ,jewess1 of a 
wealthy family1 that stood high in the  
,jewry of ,new ,york1 heard the call of 
the despised ,nazarene4 ,it came to her 
with great1 gentle power1 and she       
decided that she must follow4 ,her      
father was very angry1 and threatened   
disinheritance if she so disgraced the  
family4 ,but she remained quietly1      
gently1 inflexibly1 true to her         
decision4 ,at last the father planned a 
social occasion at the home to which    
large numbers were invited4 ,and he said
 to his daughter1 ,you must sing at this
 reception1 and make this your disavowal
 of the ,christian faith4 ,and she      
quietly said1 ,father1 ,i will sing4    
,the evening came1 the parlours were    
filled1 the time came for her to sing1  
and all listened eagerly1 for they knew 
the beauty of her voice4 ,with her heart
 in both eyes and voice1 she began      
singing3      ,jesus1 ,i my cross have  
taken1       ,all to leave and follow   
,thee2     ,destitute1 despised1        

forsaken1       ,thou1 from hence1 my   
all shalt be4      ,perish every fond   
ambition1       ,all ,i've sought1 and  
hoped1 and known3     ,yet how rich is  
my condition6       ,god and heaven are 
all my own4  ,and she passed out into   
the night of disinheritance on earth1   
into an inheritance incorruptible1 and  
undefiled1 and that fadeth not away4    
,this was her decision4 ,she had seen   
,his face6 ,all else paled in its light4
  ,shall we go1 too8     ,finger-,posts 
,the ,parable of the ,finger-,posts4    
,waiting is harder work than working4   
,it takes more out of you4 ,and it puts 
more into you1 too1 of fine-grained1    
steady strength1 if you can stand the   
strain of it4 ,and if1 to the waiting is
 added perplexity1 the pull upon your   
strength is much greater4 ,it is harder 
to hold steady1 and not break4 ,and if  
the thing you've put your very life into
 seems at stake1 that taxes the wearing 
power of your strength to the utmost4   
,such a time1 and just such a test1 came

 to the little band of disciples after  
the resurrection1 and before the        
ascension4 ,the story of it is told in  
that added chapter of ,john's ,gospel4  
,you remember that last chapter is one  
of the added touches4 ,the ,gospel is   
finished with the finish of the         
twentieth chapter4 ,then ,john is led by
 the ,spirit1 to add something more4    
,that added chapter becomes to us like  
an acted parable1 the parable of the    
added touch4 ,there is always the added 
touch1 the extra touch of power1 of     
love1 of answer to prayer4 ,our ,lord   
has a way of giving more4 ,the prayer   
itself is answered1 and then some added 
touch is given for full measure4 ,so it 
is in all ,his dealings1 when ,he is    
allowed to have ,his own way4 ,he is the
 ,lord of the added touch4 ,he does     
exceeding abundantly above what we ask1 
or think1 or expect4  ,these disciples  
were now to have one of these added     
touches4 ,it was a time of sore         
perplexity4 ,the crucifixion had left   

them dazed1 stupefied4 ,it was wholly   
unexpected4 ,they were utterly at sea1  
with neither compass1 nor steering      
apparatus of any sort4 ,that ,saturday  
to them was one of the longest1         
dreariest1 heaviest days ever spent by  
any one4 ,they had all proven untrue to 
their dead ,friend1 save one4  ,then as 
unexpectedly came the resurrection4     
,they're dazed again1 this time with    
joy4 ,they haven't taken it in yet4 ,to 
say that the two shocks1 each so        
radically different from the other1     
shook them tremendously1 is stating it  
very mildly4 ,they don't know           
themselves4 ,they haven't found their   
feet4 ,they haven't adjusted yet to     
their swiftly changing surroundings4    
,they don't know what next4 ,they don't 
know what to do4  ,so the old impulsive 
,simon in ,peter proposed something4    
,simon1 the unsteady1 was much in       
evidence those days4 ,peter the rock-man
 hadn't arrived yet4 ,this was ,simon   
,peter's specialty1 proposing something4

 ,he said1 ,well1 ,i'm going fishing4   
,and the others quickly said1 ,we'll go 
along4 ,the mere doing something would  
be a relief4 ,but they caught nothing4  
,it was a poor night4 ,the morning      
brought only heavy hearts with light    
nets and boats4 ,they had failed at     
following2 now they were failing even at
 their old specialty1 fishing4 ,couldn't
 they do anything8  ,in the dim light of
 the breaking dawn there's some ,one    
standing on the beach1 a ,stranger4 ,he 
seems interested in them1 and calls out 
familiarily1 ,have you caught anything8 
,and you feel the heaviness of their    
hearts over something else in the shout 
,no4 ,and the gentle voice calls out1   
with a certain tone of quiet authority  
in it1 ,throw over on the right there1  
and you'll get some fish4 ,and they cast
 the nets out again1 feeling a strong   
impulse to obey this kindly ,stranger1  
without stopping to think out why4  ,and
 at once the ropes pull so hard that it 
takes all their strength to hold them4  

,it's ,john's quick insight that        
recognizes the ,stranger4 ,with his     
heart in his throat1 in awe-touched     
voice1 he quietly says1 ,it's the ,lord4
 ,that's enough for ,peter4 ,he takes   
the shortest way to shore4 ,he has some 
things to talk over with the ,master4   
,and as the seven tired men landed the  
fish1 they found breakfast waiting on   
the sands4 ,who built that fire8 ,who   
cooked that fish8 ,who was thinking     
about them and caring for their personal
 needs1 when they were so tired and     
hungry8 ,and when breakfast was         
finished1 there's the quiet talk        
together1 about love and service1 while 
the sun is climbing up in the east4 ,it 
is addressed to ,peter1 but it is meant1
 too1 for those who were so fleet-footed
 a few nights before4  ,all this was the
 answer to their perplexity4 ,they were 
willing and waiting to follow1 but they 
had failed so badly4 ,they were not     
quite sure where they stood4 ,they had  
no finger-posts4 ,now the finger-posts  

were put up to show the way4 ,this      
fishing scene was an acted parable1 the 
,parable of the ,finger-posts4    ,the  
,lineage of ,service4   ,look at these  
finger-posts a little4 ,there was the   
,lord ,jesus4 ,they didn't recognize    
,him4 ,but ,he was there4 ,he had a     
plan4 ,he took authoritative command of 
their movements4 ,he gave directions4   
,they obeyed ,him4 ,then came the great 
haul of fish4 ,then came the quiet talk 
about love and service1 but with the    
emphasis on love4  ,the love was the    
chief thing4 ,the service was something 
growing out of love4 ,lovest thou ,me8  
,then thou mayest serve1 thou hast the  
chiefest qualification4 ,our ,lord gave 
them the lineage of service that        
morning4 ,these are the generations of  
true service4 ,a sight of ,jesus begets 
love1 a tender1 gentle1 strong1         
passionate thing of rarest beauty that  
is immortal1 but must have the constant 
sight of its father's face for vigorous 
life4 ,and love at once begets          

obedience1 which grows strong and stout 
and skilled1 as long as it stays in its 
father's presence4 ,and obedience begets
 service1 untiring1 glad1 patient       
service4  ,there are some outsiders that
 have come into this family1 but they do
 not have the fine traits of blood-kin4 
,duty is one of these4 ,it serves       
because it must4 ,and at times it       
renders fine1 high service4 ,but its    
service comes out of the will1 rather   
than out of the heart4 ,it is ruled more
 by a sense of propriety1 never by a    
passion of the heart4  ,privilege is    
near of kin to duty1 and it is a        
high-born1 fine-grained thing4 ,it      
serves because it is an honour to do so4
 ,it is enjoyable to be so highly       
connected4 ,but it constantly needs     
proper recognition and appreciation of  
its work and skill4 ,but these are      
really outsiders4 ,they have married in1
 and do not have the real family traits4
 ,the one word1 and the only one1 that  
may properly be used for true service is

 that fine word1 passion4 ,true service 
is a thing of love1 a thing of the      
heart1 a flame that pervades and        
permeates and envelops the whole life   
within and without1 a fire that consumes
 and controls4  ,the ,lord ,jesus1 ,his 
presence1 ,his plan1 ,his authoritative 
leadership1 their obedience1 love thrice
 asked and given1 service because of    
love1--these are the finger-posts for   
these perplexed men4 ,they can be put   
into very simple shape for our guidance4
 ,three finger-posts hung up will       
include all of them1--clear vision1 a   
spirit of obedience1 a heart of tender  
love4 ,these are the three great        
essentials of all true1 full following4 
,and there will not be1 there cannot be1
 true full following without all three  
of these4 ,there may be much earnest1   
honest service1 much faithful plodding1 
and hard work1 and much good done4 ,but 
there's always less than the best4      
,there is less than should be4 ,the best
 results are not being got for the      

effort expended1 except where these     
three are blended4  ,a clear vision     
means simply a clear understanding of   
things as they are1 and of what needs to
 be done1 with all the facts in that    
belong in4 ,a spirit of obedience means 
not only an obedience in spirit1 a      
spirited obedience1 but an obedience    
that fits into the spirit of the ,leader
 and ,his plans4 ,and through these as a
 fine fragrance breathes a heart of     
tender undiscourageable love4    ,not   
,quite ,in ,is ,outside4   ,these three 
things must be kept in poise4 ,so the   
,master plans4 ,this is the parable of  
the fishing4 ,there are many            
illustrations of one only of these1 or  
two1 in action4 ,and the bad or poor    
result that works out can be plainly    
seen4 ,the ,holy ,spirit with great     
plainness and faithfulness has hung up  
cautionary signs along the road4  ,there
 may be clear vision without obedience4 
,that is1 a clear understanding of the  
,master's plan1 but a failure to fit in4

 ,that will mean a dimming vision4 ,and 
if persisted in1 it will mean spiritual 
disaster4 ,the great illustration of    
this is ,judas4 ,judas had as clear a   
vision1 in all likelihood1 as the others
 when he was chosen for discipleship1   
and later for apostleship4 ,there was   
the possibility of a ,john in ,judas1   
even as there was the possibility of a  
,judas in ,john4 ,both are in every man4
 ,but ,judas was not true to the vision 
he had4 ,he wanted to use the ,master to
 further his own plans and advantage4   
,and the vision slowly blurred and      
dimmed1 as the under nature was given   
the upper hand4 ,the ,master's clear    
insight recognized the demon spirit that
 ,judas had allowed to come in1 though  
,judas did not4#aja ,then came the      
dastardly act of betrayal4 ,and ,judas  
has been held up to universal scorn and 
condemnation4  ,but ,judas isn't so     
lonely1 if you think into the thing a   
bit4 ,he only put personal advantage    
above loyalty to the ,lord ,jesus4 ,he  

simply preferred his own plans to the   
,master's plans4 ,that was all4 ,and he 
tried to force his own through1 without 
suspecting how the thing would turn out1
 and how tremendously much was involved4
 ,the great events being worked out have
 thrown his contemptible act into the   
limelight of history4 ,but the act      
itself wasn't uncommon4 ,possibly you   
may know some one living quite near1    
with some of this same sort of trait4   
,one of the saddest things in the record
 of ,christian leadership is just this1 
clear vision with a gradually lessening 
obedience1 then a gradually dimming     
vision1 and that decrease of both       
increasing1 as the slant down increases4
 ,the old-time motions in public        
ministering continue1 more or less      
mechanically1 but the power has long    
since passed away4 ,and sadder yet1 like
 the strong man of old1 these shorn men 
wist it not4 ,one's lips refuse to      
repeat the word ,judas of them1 even in 
the inner thoughts4 ,yet these class    

themselves under the same               
description1--clear vision without full 
obedience to it2 personal plans and     
preferences put above loyalty to the    
,master4  ,a second illustration is that
 of ,king ,saul4 ,clear vision1 failure 
to obey1 forcing himself to wrong action
 to keep his popularity1 rebellion1     
stubbornness1--these are the simple     
successive steps in his story4 ,and the 
black night falls upon the utter        
spiritual disaster of his career1 as he 
lies prone on the earth before the      
witch4  ,these two characters become    
formulas2 they need only to be filled in
 with other names to make accurate      
modern biography of some4  ,there may be
 clear vision with make-believe or      
partial obedience4 ,it hurts to speak of
 such a thing4 ,the word hypocrisy is a 
very hard one to get out at the lips4   
,it should never be used except to help1
 and then very1 very sparingly1 and only
 in humblest spirit1 and with earnest1  
secret prayer4 ,ananias and ,sapphira   

quickly come to mind here4 ,they wanted 
men to think them wholly surrendered1   
though they knew they were not4 ,that   
was all2 not so unusual a thing1 after  
all4 ,there are sore temptations here   
for many4 ,the swiftness of the         
punishment that came does not mean that 
their wrong was worse than that of      
others who do the same thing4 ,that     
modern religious lying of this sort is  
not as quickly judged merely tells the  
marvellous patience of ,god4  ,there may
 be clear vision and obedience without  
love4 ,this means a hard1 cold1 stern   
righteousness4 ,it is truth without     
grace4 ,nothing can be made to seem more
 repulsive4 ,one incident in ,elijah's  
career furnishes the illustration here4 
,let us say such a thing very softly of 
such a mighty man of ,god1 and say it in
 fewest words1 and only to help4 ,he was
 a man of marvellous faith1 and prayer1 
and bold daring1 in the midst of a very 
crooked and perverse generation4 ,israel
 was at its very lowest moral ebb thus  

far4  ,elijah had a clear understanding 
of what should be done to check the     
awful impurity which was sweeping over  
the nation like a flood-tide4 ,he was   
true to his conviction in sending the   
four hundred priests of horribly        
licentious worship to their death4 ,but 
was he brokenhearted over them8 ,was he 
utterly broken down with grief as he led
 them to the little running brook of    
,kishon for the nation's sake8 ,god     
touched the sore spot1 when1 down at    
,horeb1 the mount of thunder and fire1  
,he spoke to this man of fire and       
thunder in that exquisitely soft sound  
of gentle stillness4 ,this was a new    
revelation of ,god to this stern prophet
 of righteousness4  ,there may be a sort
 of letter-obedience1 a formal obedience
 to the vision you have4 ,in one's own  
estimation1 there may seem to be a      
knowledge of what is right1 and a       
self-satisfied doing of it4 ,there may  
be a painstaking attention to the forms 
of obedience1 and a self-righteous      

content in doing the required things4   
,is this the underlying thought in      
,peter's self-complacent remark1 ,lo1 we
 have left all and followed ,thee4#ajb  
,we're so much better than this rich    
young ruler who couldn't stand the test 
you put to him4 ,we----8 ,poor1         
self-confident ,peter6 ,when the fire   
test did come1 and come so hot1 how his 
we did crumble6  ,light ,obeyed         
,increaseth ,light4  ,there may be      
obedience without clear vision4 ,that   
is1 there may be a doing of what is     
thought to be right1 but without a clear
 understanding of what is the right     
thing to do4 ,this results in           
fanaticism4 ,moses killing the ,egyptian
 and hiding his body in the sand had no 
clear vision of ,god's plan4 ,he knew   
something was wrong1 and that something 
needed to be done4 ,and so he proposed  
doing something4 ,and the poor ,egyptian
 who happened in his way that day felt  
the weight of his zeal4 ,it's a not     
uncommon way of attempting to righten   

wrongs4 ,he forgot that there is a ,god1
 and a plan1 and that he who does not   
work into the plan of ,god is hitting   
wrong4 ,there has been a lot of wreckage
 scattered along this beach4  ,saul     
persecuting the ,christians is another  
illustration here4 ,he is a sad1        
striking example of conscientiousness   
without sufficient knowledge1 of        
earnestness without clear light4 ,he was
 conscientiously doing the wrong thing1 
as earnestly as he could1 supposing it  
to be the right thing4 ,john wanted to  
call down fire from heaven and burn up  
some people that didn't fit in with     
their plans4#ajc ,earnest intensity     
without sufficient light has kindled a  
good many fires of this sort4           
,sometimes this does not go as far as   
hurtful fanaticism1 but leads to        
blundering and confusion and delay4     
,abraham was acting without clear light 
when he yielded to ,sarah's plan of     
compromise for getting an heir4#ajd ,a  
bit of quiet holding of her suggestion  

before ,god for light would have cleared
 his mind4 ,the result was wholly       
bad1--a confusion in his own mind1 a    
mental cloudiness about ,god's plan and 
promise1 an element of discord          
introduced in the tribal life1 and a    
delay of many years1 apparently1 before 
the conditions were ripe for the coming 
of the heir of faith1 on ,god's own     
plan4  ,peter eating with his ,gentile  
,christian brothers1 and then refusing  
to eat with them1 when some ,jewish     
,christians came down from ,jerusalem1  
made very bitter feeling in the ,church 
at ,antioch1 for a time4#aje ,paul's    
clearer light helped4 ,time spent in    
waiting for clearer light is always time
 wisely spent1 even though we may seem  
slow4  ,there may be love without clear 
vision4 ,the love makes intense desire  
to do something1 but with no clear idea 
of what would best be done4 ,peter's    
awkward sword-thrust was an attempt to  
help1 because of real love in his heart 
for his ,master1 now in personal danger4

 ,the ,master's quiet healing touch     
recognized the love1 and also rebuked   
and corrected the hasty1 ill-advised    
action4 ,but there's worse yet here1    
mean contemptible cowardice4 ,peter     
actually denying his relation with his  
,friend and ,master1 and making his     
denial seem more natural by the addition
 of the oaths that the maid well knew no
 follower of this ,jesus could have     
uttered--what mean contemptible         
cowardice6 ,but go gently there in using
 such hard words4 ,he was only afraid of
 being hurt4 ,he merely wanted to save  
himself4 ,that isn't such an uncommon   
thing4 ,haven't you sometimes known     
something of this sort--among others8   
,the cowardly nine1 making a new record 
for fleet-footedness1 down the road1 in 
the dark1 were only doing the same thing
 in more cowardly1 less-spirited        
fashion4 ,these men loved ,jesus4 ,no   
one may doubt that4 ,but there was no   
clear understanding of that night's     
doings1 though the ,master had          

faithfully and plainly tried to tell    
them4 ,fear for their own safety        
overcame the real love in their hearts  
for the ,man they forsook that dark     
night4  ,clear vision and love without  
obedience is--impossible6 ,where there  
is no obedience1 or faulty obedience1   
either the vision has blurred or dimmed1
 or the love is burning low4  ,clear    
vision and loving obedience mean power1 
sweet1 gentle1 fragrant1 helpful power4 
,it means a grateful crowd1 and a       
pleased ,master1 who has been able once 
again to reach the crowd4  ,clear vision
 and love as a passion1 an intense      
passion1 means irresistible power4 ,that
 is to say it means a perfect human     
medium through which our ,lord ,jesus   
can act and manifest ,himself4 ,and this
 is the real meaning of power1 power to 
the full1--,jesus ,christ in free       
action4 ,john1 the fisherman1 had a     
gradually but steadily clearing vision4 
,he did not understand fully4 ,but he   
understood enough to know that there was

 more to come which would clear things  
up4 ,he could follow where ,he did not  
understand4 ,his love for the ,man      
controlled1 while his understanding was 
clearing4 ,he went in with ,jesus that  
awful night4 ,i imagine he never left   
,his side4 ,can we ever be grateful     
enough that at least one of us was true 
that night6  ,there was the same danger 
as with the others1 and it was made more
 acute by ,his simple1 open stand at his
 ,friend's side4 ,but love1 with at     
least some understanding1 held him      
steady4 ,he could understand that ,jesus
 must be doing the right thing1 even    
though he could not understand the run  
of events that centred about ,jesus4    
,the intensity that would call down     
fire1 changed1 under the influence of   
the changing1 clearing vision1 into an  
intensity of love4 ,it was a mellower1  
gentler1 evener1 but not less intense   
flame4 ,the disciple whom ,jesus loved  
became the disciple of love4 ,love and  
vision worked upon each other from      

earliest times with him4 ,love made the 
vision clearer1 the clearing vision made
 the love stronger1 till they worked    
together into a perfect blend4  ,paul's 
unmistakable vision on the ,damascus    
road brought a passion of love1 and an  
answering obedience1 that swept him like
 a great flame4 ,the fire-marks of that 
flame could be found all over the ,roman
 ,empire4 ,he made mistakes doubtless1  
but these but made the trend of his     
whole life stand out the more4 ,paul was
 a wonderful combination of brain and   
heart and will1 held in remarkable      
poise4 ,the finest classic on love is   
from his pen4 ,john could love4 ,paul   
could love1 and could tell about love4  
,but a peculiar tenderness comes into   
one's heart as we remember that there   
was just one ,man who held these three  
in perfect poise4 ,and let us not forget
 that though ,he was more than man1 yet 
it was a man1 one of ourselves1 who so  
held these three in such fine balance4  
,it was a human poise1 even as planned  

by the ,father for the human life4 ,the 
clear vision early began coming to      
,him1#ajf and it became clearer and     
fuller and unmistakable until it had had
 its fulfilment4 ,obedience was the     
touchstone of all ,his life1 from       
,nazareth to ,olivet4 ,and who1 like    
,him1 had the heart of tender love1 the 
heart that was ever moved with          
compassion at sight of need1 the heart  
that broke at the last under the sore   
grief of its burden of love8    ,the    
,olivet ,vision4   ,shall we take a     
moment more to look at these three      
finger-posts a little more closely8     
,just what is meant by a clear vision8  
,i could say at once that it means a    
vision of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,and
 yet that language has sometimes been   
used in a vague sort of way4 ,and some  
of us have taken it in a vague          
indefinite way1 and not thought into its
 practical meaning4 ,clear vision here  
means an understanding of who ,christ   
,jesus is1 and what ,he is1 and what    

plans ,he has4 ,then it means that that 
understanding is so clear that it       
becomes intense1 intense to the point of
 being overwhelming4 ,that is1 it       
becomes the dominant thing that controls
 your thinking1 and affections1 and     
actions1--your life4  ,i think ,i may   
say correctly that the place for getting
 such a clear1 full vision of ,christ   
,jesus is ,olivet4 ,olivet is a good    
place to pitch your tent for a little   
while1 until your vision clears4 ,then  
you'll not stay there1 though you may   
return to keep the lines of your vision 
clear and clean2 you will be down in the
 valleys with the crowds4  ,one day the 
,master led ,his disciples out to the   
,mount of ,olives4 ,it was the last time
 they were together4 ,and the group of  
men stand there talking1 the eleven     
grouped about the ,one4 ,he is talking  
with them quietly and earnestly4 ,then1 
to their utter amazement1 ,his feet are 
off the ground1 ,he is rising upward in 
the air1 then higher1 and higher1 until 

a bit of cloud moves across1 and they   
see ,him no more4 ,this is all you would
 see at a distance4  ,but let us come a 
bit nearer1 and stand with them1 and    
listen1 and watch4 ,olivet is the last  
bit of earth to feel the presence of the
 ,master's feet4 ,off yonder to the     
west1 down in the valley1 you see a     
clump of trees2 that is ,gethsemane1 the
 place of the bloody sweat and the tense
 agony of spirit4 ,across the valley1   
still looking west1 lies the city1      
outside whose wall is the little knoll  
called ,calvary1 where ,jesus gave ,his 
life out4 ,over here to the east and    
south lies little ,bethany1 which speaks
 of ,his resurrection power4 ,and a bit 
farther off are the bare wilds sloping  
down1--that is the place of the sore    
temptation4 ,far away to the north1 up  
in the clouds1 lies the snow-clad       
mountain1 beyond your outer vision1 yet 
coming now to your inner vision1 where  
the ,god within shined out through the  
,man4  ,but while a quick glance takes  

all this in1 your eyes are caught and   
held by the ,man in the midst4 ,his     
presence embodies and intensifies all   
that these places suggest4 ,his face    
bears the impress of the ,wilderness1   
and of the ,garden4 ,the scars plainly  
there tell of ,calvary1 as no piece of  
geography ever can4 ,his mere presence  
tells unmistakably of the resurrection4 
,and you know who ,he is1 and what4 ,he 
made the world and breathed ,his breath 
of life into man's nostrils4 ,later ,he 
came in amongst us as one of ourselves4 
,he was tempted like as we1 suffered    
like as we never suffered1 gave ,his    
life for us1 went down into death1 rose 
up again out of death4 ,this is the     
,jesus of ,olivet4  ,but the action of  
,his face and pose are part of the      
sight4 ,his eyes are looking outward4   
,the set of ,his face is out4 ,his hands
 point out4 ,and ,he is talking2 listen3
 ,he is talking about a world4 ,and the 
outward turn of face and eyes and       
pointing hand become the emphasis of    

that word1 world4 ,he died for a world4 
,he is thinking about a world4 ,he has a
 plan of action for a world4  ,but      
another word gets your ear--ye4 ,he is  
thinking about these disciples1 about   
,his followers4 ,he has a plan of action
 for them4 ,and these two plans1 for the
 world1 for their lives1 these two are  
tied up together4 ,and a third word     
stands out--,i4 ,i am with you1 ,i am in
 command4 ,and now three things stand   
out together1 a world-plan1 a plan for  
the follower's life fitting into the    
world-plan1 and in the midst--,jesus1   
the ,christ1 my ,saviour1 my ,lord4     
,this is the ,olivet vision4 ,this1 the 
clear1 full vision3 of ,jesus1          
crucified1 risen1 empowered2 of ,his    
world-plan2 of ,his plan for my life as 
part of the world-plan4  ,olivet faces  
four ways4 ,backward1 it points to the  
sympathy1 the humanness1 the suffering1 
the cross1 of ,jesus4 ,upward1 it looks 
to ,himself1 now sitting above the      
clouds at the ,father's right hand1 far 

above all rule1 and authority1 and      
power1 and dominion1 and every name that
 is named1 with all things in subjection
 under ,his feet4 ,outward1 it reaches  
to the world ,he died for1 and plans    
for1 and is still brooding over with    
more than a mother's love4 ,forward1 it 
anticipates eagerly the time when ,he   
will come back to finish up what ,he    
began1 and we are to continue4 ,when ,he
 returns it will be to this same        
,olivet4#ajg ,he picks up the line of   
action exactly where ,he left it4       
,olivet is to know a second pressure of 
those feet4  ,this is the clear1 full   
vision1 the three-fold vision we need   
and must have for true following3       
,himself1 ,his world-plan1 ,his plan for
 each one's life4 ,this means seeing    
things as they are4 ,they fall into true
 perspective4 ,you see how              
disproportioned and grotesque the common
 perspective of earth is4 ,you see      
things through ,his eyes4 ,his eyes take
 out of yours the personal colouring1   

the colour blindness of personal        
interest and advantage which so         
strangely and strongly affect all our   
sight4  ,we need frequent visits to     
,olivet's top1 until constant looking at
 its outlooking landscape1 at ,himself1 
fills and floods our eyes4 ,we need the 
quiet time alone with ,himself and ,his 
,word1 and some map-picture of ,his     
world1 as a habit1 until these1         
,himself1 and ,his word1 and ,his world1
 are burned into eyes and heart1 until  
they fire as a sweet fever the whole    
life4    ,the ,spirit of ,obedience4    
,out of the vision comes the spirit of  
obedience4 ,we have spoken of the act of
 obedience1 and the habit of obedience1 
but deeper down is the spirit of        
obedience1 which lies under act and     
habit4 ,i have used the words1 spirit of
 obedience1 rather than simply the word1
 obedience1 because obedience sometimes 
stands for a bondage to rules1 a slavery
 to things4 ,the obedience itself must  
be deeper than rule or outward thing4   

,the spirit of obedience sees into the  
spirit of the rule1 and through the     
outward thing1 and floods it with a new 
spirit of life4 ,this spirit of         
obedience is the one finger-post found  
oftenest along this road4 ,so only can  
we be true to the vision4 ,and obedience
 itself is not true obedience1 nor true 
to the vision1 save as it is a          
love-obedience4 ,real obedience breathes
 in the spirit of the ,one being obeyed4
 ,it breathes out the love-spirit of him
 who obeys4  ,the touchstone of the     
,follow ,me life is not need1 nor       
service1 nor sacrifice4 ,the need is    
felt to the paining point4 ,the service 
is given joyously to the limit of       
strength4 ,the sacrifice is yielded to  
to the bleeding point4 ,but these all   
come as they come1 through and out of   
obedience4 ,yet need is the controlling 
thing1 too1 but not the need as we see  
it1 but as ,he sees it1 who sees all1   
and feels most deeply4 ,the need is best
 met1 the service best given1 the       

sacrifice most healing in its power1 as 
each grows out of obedience4  ,the      
standard of obedience is three-fold1 the
 ,word of ,god1 the ,spirit of ,god1 and
 one's own judgment and spirit-insight4 
,these three are meant to fit together4 
,this is the natural result when things 
are1 even measurably1 as they should be4
 ,when ,god is allowed to sway the life 
as ,he wishes1 these three fit and blend
 perfectly4 ,the ,word of ,god taken    
alone will lead to superstitious regard 
for a book and to a cramped judgment and
 action4 ,to say that we are guided by  
the ,spirit1 without due regard for the 
,book ,he has been the principal one in 
writing1 leads to fanaticism1 or at     
least to ill-advised1 unbalanced1       
unnatural opinions and action4          
,naturally one's own judgment and       
spirit-insight play a large part1 for   
they make the personal decision1 they   
interpret both ,word and ,spirit to us4 
,it is through one's judgment and       
spirit-insight that the ,holy ,spirit   

and the ,word influence the decision and
 action4 ,the great essential is the    
habitual1 quiet1 broad1 thoughtful study
 of ,god's ,word1 with the will and life
 utterly yielded to the ,holy ,spirit4  
,so one's spirit is trained to          
understand1 and one's judgment to form  
its conclusions4 ,the ,holy ,spirit     
makes us understand ,god's purpose as   
revealed in ,his ,word1 and fits this   
into the need of practical life4        
,obedience1 intelligent and full1       
depends upon the quiet time alone with  
,god over ,his ,word4  ,i want to add   
something more here4 ,it is something   
startling4 ,there are no break-downs in 
the path of obedience4 ,i say that very 
softly1 as a guilty sinner in the matter
 of break-downs4 ,i remember that the   
record of ,christian service is like one
 continuous record of break-downs1      
broken bodies1 wrecked nerves1 sometimes
 wrecked minds4 ,and ,i am not saying it
 to criticize any one1 except it be     
myself4 ,out of a long personal         

experience of constant going1 unwise    
overwork1 and serious break-downs1 ,i am
 but confessing my own sins1 when ,i say
 there are no break-downs in the path of
 obedience4 ,does that mean that there  
is much earnest service that we have not
 been told to do8 ,and the answer must  
be a very gentle1 but very clear1 ,yes4 
,but the ,man in command has perfect    
knowledge of what you can do4 ,and ,he  
never asks you to do anything beyond    
your strength4 ,or1 if ,he does need you
 to meet some emergency beyond your     
strength1 ,he gives the strength        
required4 ,he sends in a fresh supply of
 resurrection life to repair the waste  
of your body1 and then1 too1 ,he calls  
into use strength1 resources1 talents1  
that you have not known you had4 ,now ,i
 know that if this be taken seriously1  
it will lead some to a heart-searching  
time alone with the ,master4 ,i am sure 
that if obedience alone is to be the    
key-note1 it will mean many a           
readjustment4 ,and it will mean1 too1 a 

new flood stream of power flowing       
through and out as the connecting parts 
are re-adjusted4  ,there's a helpful    
literal reading of a verse in           
,hebrews4#ajh ,now the ,god of peace1   
who brought again from the dead our     
,lord ,jesus1 the great ,shepherd of the
 sheep1 with the blood of an eternal    
covenant1 put you in joint with ,himself
 to do ,his will in every good work1    
working in you or through you that which
 is well-pleasing in ,his sight4        
,obedience puts us in joint with ,him1  
if we are out4 ,it keeps us in joint2   
then the power flows from ,him1 through 
that joint1 out where our life touches4 
,obedience is really a music word4 ,it  
is the rhythmic swinging together of two
 wills1 ,his and ours4 ,rhythm of action
 is power4 ,rhythm of colour is beauty4 
,rhythm of sound is music4 ,but it's    
really all music4 ,for power is music of
 action4 ,beauty is music to the eye4   
,rhythmic sound is music to the ear and 
heart4 ,if there might be more of this  

music1 ,he and we in perfect accord1 how
 the crowds would be caught by its      
melody and come eagerly to listen4      
,the ,heart of ,love4   ,and out of the 
vision comes the heart of love4 ,the    
sight of the ,lord ,jesus' face begets  
love2 and love begets obedience4 ,but   
obedience never can keep true away from 
its father4 ,it is never true full      
obedience except it have the throbbing  
heart of love in it4 ,this is the       
unfailing mark4 ,it's so easy to fail   
here4 ,yet love never faileth4 ,the     
classical ,thirteenth of ,first         
,corinthians becomes an indictment4 ,we 
know it better in the ,book than in     
life4 ,love suffereth long1 444 envieth 
not 444 is not puffed up2 doth not      
behave itself unbecomingly or           
inconsistently1 seeketh not even its    
own1 is not provoked4 ,love beareth with
 all things in the one loved1 which it  
would gladly have different1 believeth  
all possibly good things of him1 hopeth 
for all desirable things in him1        

endureth all things in him that hurt and
 pain4 ,love never faileth4 ,in         
conversation one day with an unusually  
earnest worker in the ,orient1 we were  
talking of these things4 ,his work was  
beset by many sore perplexities4 ,ah1 he
 said1 there is where ,i have failed4 ,i
 have not had the heart of love4 ,and ,i
 thought how many of us could say the   
same thing4  ,there are in the ,bible   
three great illustrations of the heart  
of love4 ,as ,moses came down from the  
presence of ,god1 and found the people  
dancing about the golden calf1 he was   
hotly indignant4 ,but as he goes back to
 plead with ,god1 the greatness of his  
love and grief comes out4 ,in ,god's    
presence their sin is seen to be so much
 greater4 ,he cries1 ,oh1 this people   
have sinned a great sin1 and have made  
them gods of gold4 ,yet now if ,thou    
wilt forgive their sin---- ,and a great 
sob breaks the sentence abruptly off1   
and it is never finished4 ,the          
possibility seems to come to his mind1  

in this holy presence1 that such sin1 by
 these so greatly blest1 could not be   
forgiven4 ,and that seems to him        
unbearable4 ,and if not1 if it cannot be
 forgiven1 blot me1 ,i pray ,thee1 out  
of ,thy ,book2 but don't blot them      
out4#aji  ,in the beginning of the great
 ,jew section of ,romans1 ,paul is      
speaking of the intense pain of heart he
 had over the unbelief and stubbornness 
of his racial kinsfolk4 ,he says1 ,i    
have great sorrow and unceasing pain in 
my heart4 ,for ,i could wish that ,i    
myself were accursed from ,christ for my
 brethren's sake1 my kinsmen1 that so   
they might not be accursed4#aaj ,yet    
neither ,moses nor ,paul could so       
sacrifice himself for another's sin4 ,no
 man can by any means redeem his        
brother1 nor give to ,god a ransom for  
him4#aaa ,but ,jesus1 the pure1 sinless 
one1 was blotted out4 ,he was made a    
curse4 ,moses and ,paul would if they   
could4 ,jesus both could and did4 ,was  
there ever such a heart of love6 ,and   

that heart was greatest in its action of
 love when it broke4  ,a simple story   
has come to me1 ,i cannot remember      
where1 of a woman in southern ,china in 
the province of ,kwangtung4 ,she had a  
serious illness and was taken to a      
mission hospital in ,canton for         
treatment4 ,there for the first time she
 heard of ,christ1 of ,his love and     
death4 ,and that story coming so new and
 fresh transformed her1 as she opened   
her heart to the ,saviour4 ,and a great 
peace came into her heart1 and showed   
plainly in her face4 ,then her thought  
began turning to her own village4 ,not a
 soul there knew of this wondrous       
,saviour4 ,if they but knew4 ,but what  
could she do1 her illness was very      
serious4  ,the next time the physician  
came by she asked him how long she would
 live if she stayed there4 ,he said that
 he did not know1 but he thought about  
six months4 ,and how long if she left   
the hospital and returned home4 ,he     
didn't know2 maybe three months4 ,and   

after he had gone she quietly announced 
that she was going home4 ,and those     
about her were greatly astonished4 ,why1
 they said1 you'll lose half your life6 
,and the tears came into her eyes1 as a 
gentle smile overspread her poor worn   
face1 and she simply said1 ,jesus gave  
,his whole life for me2 don't you think 
,i'm glad to give half mine for ,him8 ,i
 don't know how long she lived4 ,the    
story didn't say1 but it did tell that  
most of the people in her village knew a
 long life1 even an everlasting life1   
because of her simple telling of the    
,gospel story4  ,there were the three   
essentials1 though never so thought of  
or analyzed by her4 ,she had the vision 
of ,jesus ,christ her ,saviour1 then of 
those who had never heard of ,him1 and  
then of her own part in the plan of     
telling them4 ,the impulse to tell them 
was obeyed gladly4 ,and the heart of    
love counted not her life dear unto     
herself if only others might be told of 
this wondrous ,christ ,jesus4           

,fellow-,followers    ,god's ,problem4  
,god needs men4 ,that is the tremendous 
fact that stands out in every           
generation4 ,there never has been a     
corner since ,adam walked out of ,eden  
where that need was not thrust into some
 man's face1 and thrust into ,god's     
face4 ,it is being thrust into our faces
 to-day as ever before1 and as never    
before4 ,for the ends of the earth are  
come upon us1 for the helping touch of  
our hands1 or for the drag-back to be   
overcome by some one's else helping     
touch4  ,god is a needy ,god4 ,that fact
 is spelled out by every page of this   
old ,book of ,his4 ,and it is spelling  
itself out anew by the book of the life 
of the race whose current chapter is    
being written by our generation4 ,god's 
wonderful plan for man lies at the root 
of ,his need4 ,in ,his great            
graciousness ,he made us in ,his own    
image4 ,that is1 ,he gave to us the     
right of full free choice4 ,he has never
 infringed upon that image1 that right  

of choice1 by so much as a whispered    
breath or the moving of a hair4 ,he gave
 man the sovereignty of the earth and   
its life4 ,and every move ,god has made 
among men on earth has been through a   
man1 and through his free consent4  ,the
 tragedy of sin has intensified ,god's  
need tremendously4 ,it has intensified  
everything1 man's misunderstanding and  
hatred of ,god1 the love of ,god's heart
 for man1 and the distance between the  
two4 ,it is constantly intensifying     
pain1 sorrow1 man's need1 and the blight
 upon nature4 ,it increases ,god's      
difficulty in working out ,his will of  
love for man4 ,for it makes it          
increasingly hard to get even ,christian
 men to see things through ,god's eyes1 
and gladly give themselves up to ,his   
purposes4  ,poor ,god6 ,such a needy    
,god6 ,rich in power1 in character1 in  
the loving worship of the upper world1  
in ,his love for all1 rich beyond power 
of human calculation2 so poor in the    
response of men to the wooing of ,his   

heart4 ,so poor in the glad1 intelligent
 co-operation of those who trust ,him   
for salvation in the next world1 but are
 content with very little of it in this4
 ,so needy in the lack of those who     
bring love and life1 intellect and      
wealth1 and lay all at ,his feet4  ,this
 has been ,god's problem1 to respect the
 rights ,he has given man1 and yet work 
through him in carrying out ,his great  
plan of love4 ,this is the warp into    
which the whole of the ,bible fabric is 
woven--the tragedy of sin1 of sin-hurt1 
sin-stubborned men1 the patience of ,god
 in wooing men back1 and ,his exquisite 
tact and unlimited patience is always   
working through men's consent1 and      
through human channels4  ,to-day ,he    
comes to you and me1 pleadingly asking  
us to help ,him in ,his passionate plan 
for ,his race4 ,some few have the gift  
of leadership4 ,most of us are moulded  
to follow4 ,he needs both leader and    
follower4 ,he needs the life4 ,he needs 
the love4 ,through these1 whether in    

prominent place or shadowed1 in         
leadership or in following along some   
well-beaten path1 through these--the    
life1 the love1 ,he works in ,his great 
simple plan for overcoming the tragedy  
of sin4 ,that plan includes the whole   
race4 ,god has no favourites among the  
nations4 ,when the hour is ripe for an  
advance step1 a man is found ripened for
 leadership4 ,this is the real final    
explanation of certain great leaders4   
,it was not the man himself alone1 but  
the coming together of the time1 the    
man1 and the plan2 the time for an      
advance step1 the man who had yielded to
 ,god up to the ripening point1 the plan
 of ,god4 ,and the decisive thing was   
the plan of ,god4  ,president ,finney   
used to insist very earnestly that      
revivals followed a fixed law of action4
 ,when men would with all their hearts  
fit into the great laws of grace1 there 
would follow the gracious revival       
results even as effect follows cause in 
nature2 and without question he was     

wholly right4 ,in addition to this1     
however1 there is a further fact to     
note1 of which ,finney himself was a    
striking illustration4 ,in ,god's       
broader plans for the race when the time
 is ripe for an advance step1 ,he has   
some man in training for leadership in  
that hour1 and so ripeness of time and  
of man and of plan come together4 ,but  
the chief factor at work is ,god        
,himself4  ,this1 and only this1        
explains fully certain great religious  
movements and leaders4 ,such men in     
later centuries as ,luther in ,germany1 
,zwingli in ,switzerland1 ,calvin in    
,france and ,switzerland1 ,wesley and   
,whitefield in ,england1 and ,finney in 
both ,america and ,england4 ,only this  
can satisfactorily explain ,moody's     
unusual career4 ,he was a man of strong 
native parts1 of marked individuality1  
and of utter surrender to ,god4 ,and    
this combination would have brought     
great results under any circumstances1  
but it does not explain the great       

movement in which he was the leader4 ,it
 was ,god's hour for an advance         
movement1 the man so untrained in men's 
schools1 was slowly made ready in ,god's
 school1 and man and hour and plan      
fitted together4 ,but the chief emphasis
 remains on the fact that it was the    
time in ,god's gracious plan for an     
advance4 ,and the nations of the earth  
have been feeling the blessed impulse of
 that advance ever since4  ,but the     
leaders are few2 and what could they do 
without the great mass of followers8    
,god needs the faithful ones1 unknown by
 name1 hidden away in quiet corners1    
each the centre of a group which is     
touching a larger group1 and so on1 ever
 widening4 ,everything turns on         
this1--letting ,god have the full use of
 us2 living as though ,god were the     
realest thing in this matter-of-fact1   
every-day world2 going on the           
supposition that the ,bible is indeed   
,his ,word1 and is a workable book for  
daily problems and needs1 the one       

workable book2 making everything bend   
toward getting ,his will done4 ,when we 
get up into ,his presence1 this will be 
found to have been the one thing worth  
while4 ,when the race story has been all
 told1 the biography of earth brought to
 its last page1 this will be the one    
thing that will stand out1 and remain1  
that we let ,him use us just as ,he     
would1 and that we have brought         
everything at our disposal to bear on   
doing ,his will of love4  ,he comes to  
you and me afresh to-day with ,his      
old-time winsome patience1 asking the   
use of us4 ,he always thinks of us in   
two ways1 for our own sakes and for our 
help in reaching the others4 ,followers 
are messengers4 ,some are special       
messengers in speech4 ,but all are      
messengers in their lives2 that is1 they
 are meant to be4 ,this is our ,lord's  
plan4 ,he wants us to live the message4 
,that old word witness has grown to mean
 three things1 that you know something1 
that you tell it1 and that you tell it  

with your life4 ,every time the word    
witness is used in the ,new ,testament  
it stands for some form of the word     
underneath from which our ,english word 
martyr comes4 ,we have come to associate
 that word martyr with the idea of      
giving one's life in a violent way for  
the truth believed4 ,this is the meaning
 that has grown into the word4 ,but the 
practical meaning of this martyr-witness
 word goes a bit deeper yet than this4  
,it is not merely giving the life out in
 the crisis of dying1 but that the whole
 life is being given out in a continual 
martyrdom1 that is1 a continual         
witnessing4 ,these words1 follower1     
messenger1 witness1 run together4 ,in   
following we are witnesses4 ,we know    
something about this ,man who goes      
before1 a blessed something that has    
entered into the marrow and joints of   
one's being4 ,we tell it4 ,we tell it   
chiefly by living it4 ,we are           
messengers4 ,the whole life is a message
 of what ,christ ,jesus has done for us1

 and is to us4    ,a ,confession of     
,faith in ,wood and ,nails4   ,now1 this
 is the thing--this living it--that ,god
 has always counted on most4 ,there are 
in the ,bible most striking             
illustrations of lived or acted         
messages4 ,one man actually preached a  
sermon nearly fifteen months long merely
 by the position of his body4 ,you would
 call that a long sermon1 but it had the
 desired result1 at least partly4 ,the  
man got the ears of the people4 ,they   
were hardened sermon listeners4 ,the    
talked sermons had no effect4 ,so they  
were given an acted sermon4  ,i think it
 may help to look at a few of the       
old-time followers4 ,the one chief thing
 that marked these men was that they    
lived the messages4 ,they experienced   
the truth they stood for1 sometimes to  
the extent of much suffering4 ,this     
experience became part of the man's     
life4 ,and this it was that ,god used as
 ,his message4 ,you cannot be a follower
 fully without the thing taking your    

very life1 and taking it to the feeling1
 deep-feeling1 point4  ,one of the      
earliest of these followers was ,enoch4 
,his brief story is like the first      
crocus of spring coming up through the  
cold snow1 like a pretty flower growing 
up out of the thin crack of earth       
between great stones4 ,there was such a 
contrast with the surroundings4 ,it is  
in the ,fifth of ,genesis1 one of the   
most tiresome chapters in the whole     
,bible4 ,its tiresome monotony is an    
evidence of its inspiration2 for it is a
 picture of life with ,god left out4    
,there are five chapters in ,enoch's    
biography4 ,he was born2 with that he   
had nothing to do4 ,like his lineal     
descendants and his neighbours he just  
lived for a while1 went through the     
usual physical and mental and social    
motions of life1 no more4 ,then a babe  
came into his household1 a fresh act of 
,god1 a fresh call of ,god1 one of      
,god's loudest calls4 ,this was the     
turning point4 ,he must have heard and  

answered that call1 for a new life      
began4 ,he walked with ,god4 ,this      
became his chief trait4 ,it stands in   
contrast with his former life4 ,before  
he merely lived2 now he was on a higher 
plane1 he walked with ,god4 ,the final  
chapter1--,god took him4 ,they two had a
 long walk one day along the            
hilltops--or was it only a short        
walk8--and ,enoch never came back4 ,god 
kept him4  ,now1 in all this ,enoch was 
,god's messenger to the whole race4     
,jude speaks of his prophesying or      
preaching4 ,but the emphasis of this    
simple ,genesis biography is not on his 
preaching but on himself4 ,that man     
walking about in his simple daily touch 
of heart with ,god1--that was the       
message4 ,it wasn't an easy thing to do4
 ,the whole set of his time was against 
it4 ,it was an evil time2 impurity and  
violence were its outstanding traits4   
,enoch's life cut straight across the   
grain of his time4 ,he was the leader of
 the first racial family1 the chief one 

in the direct line from ,adam4 ,and he  
insisted on living habitually a simple1 
holy1 pure life1 walking with ,god1     
never out of touch4 ,following meant    
keeping in step with ,god1 never missing
 step4  ,and this was talked about4     
,every one knew it4 ,he was doubtless   
felt to be out of touch with his time4  
,and he was1 blessedly out of touch4 ,it
 was probably never harder to walk with 
,god4 ,but he did it4 ,this is how he   
helped ,god4 ,this is what he was asked 
to do4 ,god was speaking to the whole   
race through this great man's simple    
habit of life4 ,and ,he spoke still     
louder when1 one day1 ,he took him away4
 ,enoch's absence was the talk of the   
race4 ,he was not found4 ,clearly they  
looked for him1 looked everywhere and   
discussed him and his peculiar manner of
 life1 his strange disappearance1 and   
his freedom from death4  ,so he met     
,god's need4 ,he became ,god's medium of
 communication to the entire race1      
simply in what he was1 and so it is that

 most of us may help ,god4 ,and if we   
will1 ,he will be less needy1 for ,he   
will speak through our lives to all whom
 we touch4 ,following means walking with
 ,god4 ,so we help ,god in ,his need4   
,and ,enoch helped ,god to get ,noah4   
,the touch of ,enoch is on his          
great-grandson4 ,grace is hereditary1   
when there's enough of it4 ,enoch had   
the boldness to set a new standard4 ,it 
was easier for ,noah to reach up toward 
it1 when it was already set4 ,now1 ,noah
 was asked to do something more4 ,enoch 
walked with ,god1 the personal life was 
the one thing4 ,noah walked with ,god1  
and did something more4  ,he was asked  
to believe something unusual4 ,it was   
something that could be believed only by
 accepting ,god's word against every    
other circumstance and probability2 that
 is1 that a flood was coming to cover   
the whole earth1 and destroy the race4  
,and he was asked further to put his    
belief into the shape of an immense     
house-boat probably built where it      

wouldn't float except such a flood did  
come4 ,that huge boat was his confession
 of faith4 ,he acted his faith4 ,it     
would be a costly thing1 perhaps taking 
all ,noah's wealth1 and taking some     
years to build4 ,that belief was about  
the unlikeliest thing imaginable from   
every natural standpoint1 with ,god left
 out4 ,and ,god is practically left out1
 except as a very last questionable     
consideration1 then1 and ever since1 and
 to-day4 ,probably ,noah was the butt of
 gossip and ridicule1 quite possibly of 
scandal and reproach1 year after year1  
by the whole race2 and he would feel it1
 and feel it for his family's sake4     
,that boat and its dreaming builder were
 the standing joke of the time4 ,he was 
regarded as a fool1 a fanatic1 a poor1  
unbalanced enthusiast1 building his     
gigantic boat on dry land6 ,perhaps some
 regretted that he brought the cause of 
religion into reproach by being such an 
extremist4  ,yet the only thing he did  
was to believe ,god's word1 and to shape

 his conduct accordingly4 ,he simply did
 as ,god asked4 ,he heard ,god          
correctly4 ,his ears were trained to    
hear4 ,he did what ,god wanted1         
regardless of what people thought4 ,that
 was how he helped ,god in ,his need4   
,the race was saved through this fresh  
start1 else it had burned out long ago4 
,following meant a true life lived1 and 
faith in ,god expressed in wood and     
nails1 and in good money paid out1 while
 men met him coldly on the road1 or     
jeered4    ,befriending ,god4   ,long   
years afterward there was another man   
who helped ,god so decidedly that he    
became known as the friend of ,god4 ,and
 the word friend is used this time in   
the emergency sense4 ,he did the thing  
,god asked him to do1 and this helped   
,god in a plan ,he was working out for  
the whole race4 ,god had to have a man4 
,abraham was willing to be the man4 ,and
 in that he became ,god's helpful       
friend4 ,the thing ,god asked him to do 
seems very simple1 and yet it was a     

radical thing for this man to do4 ,he   
was to leave his father's family1 and   
all his kinsfolk1 and live a separated  
life1 both from them and from all       
others4 ,it is almost impossible for the
 ,west to realize how close and strong  
family ties are in the ,orient4         
,separation meant an unusual1 sad break 
in holiest ties4 ,god was trying a new  
step in ,his fight against sin4 ,he had 
separated the leader of sin from all    
others4#aab ,he had removed all the race
 except a seed of good4#aac ,both of    
these plans had failed1 through man's   
failure4 ,now a new1 farther-reaching   
plan is begun4 ,a man is separated from 
all others1 to become the seed of a new 
nation1 a faith nation1 which should be 
a different people from others1         
embodying in themselves ,god's ideals   
for all4  ,abraham is asked to become a 
separated man in a peculiar sense1      
separate outwardly1 separate in his     
worship of the true ,god1 and separate  
in living a faith life4 ,it was to be a 

life dependent wholly on ,god regardless
 of outer circumstance or difficulty4   
,there was a training time of           
twenty-five years before ,abraham was   
ready for the next step1--the bringing  
of the next in line of this new faith   
stock4 ,separation1 then still further  
separation1 an open stand for ,god in   
the land of strangers1 then a series of 
close personal tests1 each entering into
 the marrow of his life1--this was the  
training to get the man ready to be a   
faith father to his son1 the next in    
line of a faith people4 ,and the hardest
 test of all came after the child of    
faith had grown to manhood4 ,then he    
became a child of faith in his own      
experience1 as well as in his father's4 
,following meant separation4 ,it meant  
believing ,god against the unlikeliest  
circumstances1 against nature itself1   
hoping in the midst of hopelessness4    
,everything spelled out hopelessness4   
,god alone spelled out hope4 ,he took   
,god against everything else4 ,it meant 

going to school to ,god1 until he could 
be used as ,god planned4 ,and ,abraham  
consented4 ,he followed4 ,he helped ,god
 in ,his need4 ,he befriended ,god2 he  
became ,his friend in ,his need4  ,but  
every generation needs men4 ,each new   
step in the plan needs a new man4 ,in a 
sore crisis of that plan1 long after1   
another man's name1 ,moses1 is known to 
us1 only because he singled himself out 
as being willing to let ,god use him4   
,in his unconscious training1 the       
training of circumstances into which it 
was natural to fit1 he was peculiarly   
prepared for the future task4 ,bred in  
,egypt as the son of the ruler's        
household1 he received the best school  
training of his day1 with all the       
peculiar advantages of his position in  
the royal family4  ,following meant more
 to ,moses1 in what he gave up of       
worldly advantage1 than to any other    
named in the ,bible record4 ,egypt was  
the world empire of that day4 ,moses was
 in the innermost imperial circles1 and 

could easily have become the dominant   
spirit of the court1 if not the         
successor to the ,pharaoh's throne4 ,but
 he heard the call4 ,his mother helped  
train his ears4 ,he answered ,yes to    
,god1 without knowing how much was      
involved4 ,following meant giving up1   
then a long course of training in the   
university of the desert1 with the sheep
 and the stars and--,god4 ,it meant a   
repeated risking of his life not only in
 his bold dealings with ,pharaoh1 but   
afterward with the nation-mob1          
mob-nation1 whose leader1 and father and
 school-teacher1 and everything else1 he
 had to be for forty years4 ,and it     
meant much on the other side1 too4      
,had ,moses failed to go1 had ,god      
,granted his prayer1 there would have   
been       ,for him no leadership to    
win2     ,no pillared fire2 no magic    
rod1     ,no smiting of the sea2 no     
tears       ,ecstatic1 shed on ,sinai's 
steep2       ,no ,nebo1 with a ,god to  
keep     ,his burial2 only forty years  

,of desert1 watching with his sheep4    
,a ,yet ,deeper ,meaning4   ,when we    
turn to the leaders of the latter years 
of the ,kingdom time of ,god's          
teacher-nation1 the prophetic time1     
there is one thing that stands out      
sharply in the men ,god used4 ,it was   
this1 a man's inner personal life and   
experience were made use of to an       
unusual degree4 ,it is as though the    
sacred inner life were sacrificed4 ,the 
holy privacies were laid bare to the    
public gaze4 ,the sweets of the inner   
holy of holies of the personal life were
 given up4 ,the people were so far      
,god-hardened that only acted preaching1
 lived messages1 that took it out of    
one's very life1 with pain in the       
taking1 had any effect4  ,this is most  
markedly so in the case of ,hosea1 whose
 experience it seems almost if not      
wholly impossible for us to take in4#aad
 ,it is true that the ,christianized    
,west has conceptions of personal       
privacy to which the ,east is a         

stranger4 ,yet1 even so1 the way in     
which these men were asked to yield up  
their inner personal lives1 must have   
been a most marked thing to these       
,orientals4 ,for ,god used it as the one
 thing apparently1 the extreme thing1 to
 touch their hearts with ,his appeal4   
,isaiah had just such peculiar          
experiences4 ,the birth of a son is     
planned for1 and told of for the purpose
 of making more emphatic the message to 
the dull ears and slow heart of the     
nation4#aae ,his two sons bore names of 
strange meaning1 as a means of teaching 
truths that were peculiarly distasteful 
to the people4 ,isaiah takes one of     
these strangely named sons as he goes to
 deliver a message to the king4 ,and the
 son standing by his father's side is a 
reminder in his name of a disagreeable  
truth4#aaf ,a little later the man is   
actually required to go about           
barefooted1 and without clothing        
sufficient for conventional             
respectability1 and to continue this for

 three years4#aag ,when we remember that
 he was not an erratic extremist1 but a 
sober-minded1 fine-grained gentleman of 
refinement and of a good family1 it     
helps us to understand a little how     
hard-hearted and stubborn were a people 
that could be appealed to only in such a
 way4  ,and it tells us1 too1 how       
utterly surrendered was the man who was 
willing thus to give up his private     
personal life4 ,how much easier to have 
been simply an earnest1 eloquent        
preacher1 with his inner personal life  
lived free from public gaze1 a thing    
sacred to himself4 ,following meant the 
giving up of the sacred private life to 
a strangely marked degree1 for ,god to  
use4  ,even more marked are the         
experiences that ,jeremiah was asked and
 consented to go through4 ,it would seem
 as though the repeated conspiracies    
against his life1 the repeated          
imprisonments in vile dungeons dangerous
 to health and life1 and the shame of   
being put in the public stocks before   

the rabble1 would have been much for    
,god to ask1 and for a man to give4 ,but
 there is something that goes much      
farther and deeper into the very marrow 
of his life than these4 ,he is bidden   
not to marry1 not to have a family life 
of his own4#aah ,and he obeyed4 ,this   
was to be so only and solely as a       
message to the people4 ,a message       
couched in such startling language they 
might listen to4 ,again we must remember
 the ,oriental setting to appreciate the
 significance of this4 ,in the ,east the
 unit of society is not the individual  
but the family4 ,a man's marriage is    
planned for by the family1 as a means of
 building up the family4 ,to be         
childless and especially son-less was   
felt to be peculiarly unfortunate1      
almost bordering on disgrace4  ,this    
meant for ,jeremiah not only the loss of
 personal joys and delights1 but that   
his line would be broken off from his   
father's family4 ,he would be without   
heir1 or future1 in the family history4 

,so following meant going yet deeper    
into the inner personal life1 for the   
sake of ,god's plan4 ,this giant's      
strength is revealed in nothing more    
than in his tear-wet laments over his   
people4 ,and he gave all this strength  
to following4 ,he said ,yes to ,god's   
need and request1 though it must have   
taken his very life to say it4  ,but    
,ezekiel was asked to do something even 
beyond this4 ,he was the messenger of   
,god to the colony of ,hebrew exiles in 
,assyria4 ,his accounts of the visions  
of ,god reveal a remarkable power of    
detailed description1 and a remarkably  
strong mentality4 ,strange to say1 these
 people in captivity are yet harder to  
reach than were their fathers in their  
native land4 ,yet1 not strange1 for the 
human heart is the same when it won't   
open to the purifying of the upper      
currents of air4 ,here the man himself  
literally became the message4 ,he       
actually lay upon his left side for     
thirteen months and then on his right   

side for six weeks longer4  ,during all 
that time he ate food that was          
particularly repugnant1 and it was      
carefully weighed out1 and the water as 
carefully measured out for his use4 ,he 
had to rise1 no doubt1 for various      
reasons1 but the bulk of the time for   
nearly fifteen months he lay out where  
all could see him4 ,his fellow-exiles1  
,i suppose1 looked and wondered1 laughed
 and gossiped perhaps1 and then as time 
wore on1 they thought and thought more1 
and were awed as they began slowly to   
take in the meaning of this strange     
message of ,god4 ,thereafter ,ezekiel   
was the leader1 to whose house the      
leaders of the colony came1 and to whose
 words they intently listened4  ,but    
there was a yet deeper meaning to       
following than we have found yet4 ,it is
 a meaning that awes one's heart into   
amazed silence4 ,he was married4 ,his   
wife is spoken of very tenderly as the  
desire of thine eyes4 ,he was told that 
she would be taken away out of his life4

 ,she would die4 ,that was the great    
thing4 ,then he was not to mourn        
outwardly for her2 this was the second  
thing4 ,he was to be before the people  
as though the greatest sorrow of his    
life had not happened4 ,is it any wonder
 the people came astonished to know what
 this meant8 ,the simple brevity with   
which he tells of the occurrence takes  
hold of one's heart4 ,so ,i spake unto  
the people in the morning2 and at even  
my wife died2 and ,i did in the morning 
as ,i was commanded4#aai ,there was no  
questioning1 no hesitancy of action1 but
 a simple1 prompt obedience1 even though
 his heart was breaking4 ,this was what 
,god asked of him4 ,god needed this in  
,his dealings with these people of ,his 
in whom ,his world-plan centred4 ,how   
desperate must have been the need that  
called for such an experience as this6  
,ezekiel said ,yes even to this4 ,surely
 there was here some of that ,calvary   
meaning1 of the secondary sort1 of which
 we have spoken together4 ,following    

meant not only giving his personality   
and life1 but now it meant giving what  
must have been more than life itself4   
,through ,fire4   ,to ,daniel following 
meant something essentially different4  
,he was not a messenger to his own      
people1 nor their leader4 ,he was a     
messenger to the great world-rulers of  
his time1 through the visions he        
interpreted1 and through his unbending  
faithfulness and purity of life2 ,the   
thing that stands out largest is the    
life he lived1 a life of simplicity in  
habit1 of purity and consistency1 with  
an unwavering faith in ,god4 ,god could 
use him to speak to the great emperors4 
,so he helped ,god to get ,his message  
to men so hard to reach through a human 
channel4  ,following meant a pure life4 
,it was ,daniel's insistence on being   
pure and true that shut him up with the 
wild beasts4 ,and it was through his    
unflinching fidelity and persistence    
that ,god could send ,his message anew1 
in the most public manner1 out to all   

the millions of that great world-empire4
 ,following meant to a marked degree a  
pure life as the basis of the service   
rendered4 ,it proved to mean a lions'   
den1 and the power of ,god overcoming   
the instincts of ravenous beasts4 ,but  
clear beyond these it meant that ,god   
could reach ,his world with ,his message
 to an unusual extent4  ,daniel's three 
companions helped ,god by means of a    
most thrilling experience1 a really     
terrible experience4 ,god had been      
pleading with the great ,nebuchadnezzar 
through ,daniel's message4 ,now ,he     
wants to speak again in a way that will 
compel attention4 ,he needs these three 
young men4 ,they consent to be ,his     
messengers4 ,it meant going through a   
terrible ordeal4 ,they simply remained  
true in their personal devotion to ,god4
 ,this was the thing ,god needed1 and   
used4 ,everything of use to ,god roots  
down in the life4 ,the personal plea of 
the great king1 and the prospect of a   
horrible death fail alike to move them4 

,they probably had quite resigned       
themselves to the fate of being burned  
alive for the truth4 ,but ,god had a    
different purpose4 ,he was thinking     
about this ruler with whom ,he dealt so 
personally and unusually1 time and      
again4  ,the three men1 walking quietly 
up and down in the seven-times heated   
furnace in company with a glorious      
looking person like a son of the        
gods--this was the message ,god wanted  
spoken to the ruler ,he was pleading    
with4 ,his strangely marvellous power1  
and ,his personal regard for ,his       
faithful followers--this was what ,god  
was trying to say to ,nebuchadnezzar4   
,he asked the use of these three young  
men4 ,their personal loyalty to ,himself
 even unto death--this was what ,he     
wanted4 ,through this ,he reached the   
heart of the man ,he was after4  ,the   
experience of these men is an intensely 
interesting study4 ,it was a fearful    
ordeal that they went through4 ,yet it  
was wholly mental1 and of the spirit4   

,they suffered no pain of body1 nor     
inconvenience4 ,the fire only made them 
free1 burned up the bonds that held     
them4 ,it took great strength of will1  
of decision1 to stay steady through all 
the fearful test4 ,yet nothing happened 
to their bodies except to help them4    
,god took care of that4 ,they gave ,him 
what ,he asked4 ,he gave them more than 
they expected4 ,they probably expected  
death and were willing4 ,god had a      
deeper plan ,he was working out4 ,how   
glad they must have been that they      
followed fully1 that they didn't        
disappoint ,god4  ,following meant      
simply being true1 even though the road 
led through a furnace4 ,god would attend
 to the furnace4 ,their part was simply 
to follow where ,he led4 ,and our ,god  
is needing just such acted messages     
to-day4 ,he is longing for just such    
opportunities to reveal ,his power and  
love1 not merely to us1 but through us  
to ,his world4  ,let us take time for   
one more of these faithful followers4   

,this time it is a young woman4 ,it is  
at the most critical juncture of ,god's 
plan1 thus far4 ,he needed a woman whom 
,he could use to bring ,his ,son1 and   
could use further to mother that ,son's 
early years4 ,all unconsciously ,mary of
 ,nazareth and of ,bethlehem was fitting
 into ,his plan in her life1 her simple1
 pure1 godly1 personal life4 ,we can    
understand that ,god wooed her          
especially to such a life of heart      
devotion as a preparation for the after 
part4 ,and she said ,yes to all ,his    
wooings1 never suspecting what was to   
come of it4 ,you never know how much a  
simple ,yes to ,god may mean1 or a ,no4 
,you never know how much of service may 
grow out of the true life4 ,yet all true
 service is something coming out of the 
life4  ,then the plan of ,god was made  
known to her1--the marvellous plan1 yet 
so simple to ,him4 ,and again she said a
 simple1 awed ,yes4 ,she waits only long
 enough to ask the natural1 woman's     
question as to method4 ,there was no    

questioning of ,god's power1 what ,he   
could do1 and would do4 ,it came to mean
 hurting suspicion1 peculiarly hurting  
to as pure and gentle a soul as she4    
,apparently this was unavoidable4 ,it   
speaks volumes for her openness of both 
mind and heart to ,god1 that she        
instantly took in ,gabriel's meaning1   
and could take it in that such an       
unprecedented thing was possible4 ,it   
would have saved her the cruel suspicion
 if ,joseph had been told beforehand1   
but the whole probability is that he    
could not have taken it in that such a  
thing was possible4  ,following meant   
the glad ,yes to the early wooing up to 
a pure devoted life4 ,it meant saying a 
further ,yes to the plan of ,god even   
though something so unusual1 and with it
 the misunderstanding and cruel         
suspicion1 on the one point most        
sensitive to a woman1 and by the one    
nearest her4 ,but she said ,yes both    
times4 ,she let ,god have the use of her
 life for ,his plan4 ,that was all ,he  

asked4 ,that is all ,he asks4 ,but that 
is what ,he asks4  ,these are a few of  
the glorious company of followers1 the  
goodly fellowship of those who have     
helped ,god in ,his passionate plan for 
,his world1 the noble army of willing   
ones4 ,but the number is incomplete4    
,the plan is not yet fully worked out4  
,the need is not yet wholly met4 ,it was
 never more urgent4 ,to-day the         
insistent voice still comes as of old1  
asking you and me to follow4  ,and no   
one can tell how much his following may 
mean to ,god in reaching ,his world4    
,the ,glory ,of ,the ,goal1--,face to   
,face    ,with ,you ,always44   ,have   
you ever seen ,christ8 ,no1 ,i don't    
mean have you been to some uplifting    
convention1 and been tremendously caught
 by some talented1 earnest speaker1 and 
been swayed by the atmosphere of the    
hour and place1 and felt that all was   
not just as it should be with you2 and  
then you prayed more1 and made some new 
resolves1 or re-made some old ones1 and 

left off some things1 and put on some   
things2 ,i don't mean that1 but         
this--have you ever seen ,christ8  ,no1 
of course1 you don't see ,him with these
 outer eyes4 ,well1 then just what do ,i
 mean practically8 ,this--has there come
 to you a real sense of ,himself8 of    
,his presence8 of the tremendous plea   
,his presence makes8 and1 possibly1 you 
don't know just how to answer4 ,you say1
 ,i'm not just sure1 or ,how can ,i     
know8 ,well1 you'll never say it that   
way1 nor ask that question again after  
the experience has come4  ,may ,i tell  
you a little bit about it8 ,yet1 mark   
you1 only a little bit4 ,you can never  
tell another one what it means to see   
,him4 ,when once the sight has come1    
every word you utter about it1 or ,him1 
seems so lame and weak that you despair 
of ever being able to let out at your   
lips what has gotten into you4 ,but let 
me try1 even if lamely1 in the eager    
yearning that it may help you know if1  
thus far1 you have missed seeing ,him1  

and maybe--so much better--help you to  
see ,him4 ,for until you have--well1    
nothing1 absolutely nothing1 is worth   
while4  ,when you see ,him there comes  
such a sense of ,his purity that1       
instantly1 you are down on your face in 
utter despair1 because of your own      
self--your impurity2 your lack of       
purity2 the sharp contrast between ,him 
and you4 ,you feel that young ,isaiah's 
outcry in the temple that morning is    
wholly inadequate4 ,unclean lips1 is it8
 ,why1 the whole thing1 from innermost  
recesses clear through and out1 is      
unclean4 ,then it dawns upon you that   
this is really what ,isaiah is feeling  
and trying to express in his woe and    
undone4  ,and that vivid sense of       
contrast between ,him and you never     
grows less1 but more acute and deeper4  
,even when you come to know ,him better1
 and the sweet peace comes with its     
untellable balm to your spirit1 yet you 
are always conscious of the contrast1   
and you know that you are not pure2 only

 ,he is2 and all you can do is to keep  
under the cleansing stream of ,his      
blood1 very low down4      ,never higher
 than ,his piercd feet1     ,never      
farther than ,his bleeding side4  ,with 
that comes such a sense of ,himself1 of 
,his--what word can tell it8--,his      
glory1--which means simply ,his         
character1 what ,he is in ,himself--that
 again words can never tell out the     
sense of your own littleness2 no1 that  
is not the word1 your own nothingness4  
,and now you recall1 with an inner      
shrinking1 how well you have thought of 
yourself1 how much you have talked about
 yourself and your view of things1      
perhaps in the language of a properly   
phrased humility4 ,now you are dumb4    
,his presence dumbs you4 ,you begin to  
wonder at the strange self-confidence   
and self-complacence that have been so  
common even in your holiest moments and 
experiences4 ,it seems1 in this         
,presence1 as though you could never    
open your lips again--except to speak of

 ,him4  ,then your eyes are drawn more  
intently to ,his person1--,his face1    
,his wounds4 ,the scars where the thorns
 tore ,his great1 patient face2 the     
grief-whitened hair1 draped above those 
deep1 tender1 unspeakable eyes2 that    
strangely rough place in the palm so    
lovingly outstretched2 the spear-scar1  
the nail-marks in those feet coming over
 to you1--these grip you4 ,their meaning
 begins to come4 ,there's cleansing2    
yes1 blessed fact6 there's cleansing    
from this horrid impurity whose stain   
you are so conscious of4 ,yet1 what it  
cost ,him6 ,what my impurity forced upon
 ,him6 ,yes1 cleansed2 blessed ,jesus6  
,what a relief to be cleansed6 ,yet ,i  
must stay under the stream2 only so can 
the sense of relief be continual4 ,and  
,i must stay down on my face at ,his    
feet4 ,it is the only place for such as 
,i discover myself to be4 ,yet what     
grace to let me stay at ,his feet6      
,have you seen ,christ8 ,this is what   
begins to come when you have--,his      

purity1 your contrasted lack2 ,his      
glorious self1 your own nothingness in  
yourself2 ,his suffering--the price of  
your cleansing4 ,this is only a         
beginning1 yet a beginning that comes to
 be the continuous thing4    ,closer    
,acquaintance4   ,after a little1 as you
 are sitting still in ,his presence1 and
 have become a bit quieter after that   
flush of first emotions at seeing ,him1 
you begin to be caught all anew with how
 lovable ,he is4 ,this takes great hold 
of you4 ,i overheard a once-drunken1 now
 thoroughly changed man1 up in          
,scotland1 as he was fairly pouring out 
his heart in prayer in his sweet1 broad 
,scotch1--,once ,thou didst have no form
 or comeliness to me1 but now--and it   
seemed as if all the pent-up feelings   
within rushed at once to flood-tide--now
 ,thou art the chiefest among ten       
thousand1 and the ,one altogether       
lovely4 ,and the high-water mark of the 
flood was touched on chiefest and       
altogether4  ,that first look made you  

think mostly of your-self--an inner     
loathing4 ,now you think of ,him4 ,he is
 so lovable1 so true and tender1 and    
patient and pure2 again your language   
gives out1 and you feel better content  
just to look without trying to use      
words4 ,they're such poor things when it
 comes to telling about ,him4 ,he is so 
much more than anything that can be said
 about ,him4 ,his will is so wise and   
thoughtful and far-reaching and loving4 
,strange how stupid you have been in    
insisting so strenuously and blindly on 
having your own way4 ,his plan1 ,his    
thought about everything concerning you1
 is so superb4 ,and ,he asks me to be   
,his follower4 ,what joy6 ,what if the  
way be a bit rough2 it's following ,him2
 that's enough4 ,he calls me to be ,his 
personal friend4 ,i can hardly take it  
in1--,his friend8 ,yes1 that's ,his own 
word4 ,well1 let any thorns tear because
 of the narrowing of the road2 ,i'm ,his
 friend1 man1 do you hear8 ,his         
friend1--do you get hold of that word8  

,what can any thorn thing do against    
that6  ,we may go hand in hand          
now1--,his is pierced2 ,i feel the scar 
where our hands touch4 ,but we're       
together at last1 the thing ,he has been
 working for4 ,i can feel ,his presence4
 ,i can hear the low music of ,his voice
 within4 ,thorns don't count here4 ,oh1 
yes1 ,i feel them2 they haven't lost    
their power to slash and                
sting1--but--with ,him so close         
alongside6--,wondrous ,christ1 here ,i  
am at ,thy feet1 ,thy glad slave        
forever4 ,i'm wholly ,thine4 ,it's my   
own choice4 ,i'll never go any other way
 by ,thy grace4 ,this is the second bit 
that comes1 the glad surrender of life  
to ,his mastery4 ,do you know about     
this8 ,you will1 when you've seen       
,christ4  ,then you come to know1       
without being able to tell just how1    
that ,he is not only with you1 but      
within you4 ,at first ,his presence may 
have seemed as something outside        
yourself4 ,you were looking away at some

 ,one who was looking at you4 ,and ,his 
look at you broke your heart1 and made  
your will1 once so strangely strong in  
itself1 now as strangely pliable to ,his
 as only a strong will can be4 ,but now 
,he is living within you4 ,you may not  
be clear just how the change came4 ,but 
you do know that there's a something    
which you come to know is a some ,one1  
who is within4 ,his presence is peace   
past understanding1 but not past        
appreciation4 ,there's a longing for    
,his ,word1 a desire to talk with ,him  
even when you don't want to ask for     
something1 a deep heart-cry for purity1 
a burning within to please ,him4 ,these 
all seem to come from ,him1 and at the  
same time to be satisfied by ,himself1  
even while they remain and increase4    
,and yet more1 while this ,presence     
within seems so quietly real and        
exquisitely peace-bringing1 there is    
still the outer presence1 the ,one whose
 presence it was at the first that      
brought all this change4 ,two presences1

 one above1 enthroned there2 one within1
 enthroned there2 yet they seem the     
same1 as though one personality with two
 presences had come into your           
consciousness4 ,there's the ,lord ,jesus
 above at the ,father's right hand2     
here's the ,holy ,spirit within at my   
right hand1#abj yet in practical effect 
they are as one1 while one's thought is 
always directed to the ,lord ,jesus both
 within and above4  ,the ,presence      
within makes you think wholly of the    
,presence above1 who yet seems also to  
be within4 ,you are getting a taste of  
the practical meaning of the ,trinity   
now1 three that in effect are as one4   
,but you are too much taken up with the 
gladness of it to think about the       
metaphysics of it4 ,he--whether within1 
or above1 or both--is so much more than 
words4 ,the experience is so much more  
than any explanation4 ,you are not      
concerned about the explanation so long 
as you can have the sweet experience4   
,the ,final ,goal4   ,this is the third 

bit that comes when you've seen ,christ1
 the gracious indwelling of the ,lord   
,jesus' other self1 the ,holy ,spirit4  
,but if you have seen ,him1 you are     
probably not counting steps nor         
analyzing processes1 but just singing a 
bit of joyous praise to ,him4  ,then    
there's the outer turn2 ,he does that4  
,he draws you to ,himself1 and yet at   
the same time sends you away--no1 not   
from ,him--for ,him1 out to the others  
,he hungers after1 even as after you4   
,up1 in1 out1--so ,he draws and directs1
 up to ,himself1 in by contrast to one's
 self with a holding hard to ,him while 
looking within1 then a sending out to   
the others4 ,he kindles a fire1 ,he is a
 fire1 drawing1 burning1 cleansing1     
warming1 then driving you forth1 and    
doing all at the same time4 ,wondrous   
fine1 this fire of love--of ,his        
heart--of ,himself4 ,the common word for
 this is service4 ,the word doesn't     
matter much4 ,service is a good word4   
,but the thing that comes seems so much 

more than this word seems to contain4   
,that hand that was pierced1 which has  
been to you so tender and warm1 and in  
its clasp so expressive of this wondrous
 friendship--that hand now leads you    
where you had not thought of going4 ,and
 you go1--aghast almost at first at the 
radical change in your carefully worked 
out plans1 losing your breath for a     
moment as you wonder what they will     
think 7though they never will           
understand1 unless--ah1 yes1 unless they
 see ,him74 ,that hand reaches in where 
your life touches others1 in the family1
 the business circle1 the social circle1
 and moulds you over anew in the old    
relationships1 not taking you away from 
them 7though there may be some          
partings71 but making you a new presence
 in the midst of them4  ,that hand      
reaches into your pocket1 and your      
safety-deposit box1 in among the title  
papers and securities1 and shakes off   
the dust and rust1 and sends them out on
 an errand after the others4 ,that      

fire--,himself--draws all into the      
smelting-pot4 ,its alchemy transmutes   
possessions into lives1 redeemed1       
sweetened1 ,jesus-touched1              
,christ-renewed lives1 made like        
,himself4 ,and the sweet music of their 
new lives comes up into ,his gladdened  
ears1 and a few of the strains come to  
cheer you4 ,one may have at first a     
strange feeling of bareness1 for things 
that we've always clung to as essential 
have gone out from us to others4 ,but   
with the outgoing of things has come an 
incoming of ,himself1 in greater        
abundance than we dreamed possible4 ,he1
 within1 completely overbalances what   
,he has sent out from us into use4      
,he--,he is everything4  ,the usual word
 for all this is service1 a blessed     
word4 ,yet service seems to suggest your
 doing something for ,him among others4 
,this is quite different4 ,it is ,his   
doing something with you for others4    
,the thing itself is so much more than  
any word4 ,christ is so much more than  

anything you say about ,him4 ,the truth 
is always less than ,himself4 ,but one  
never understands how much that means   
till he has seen ,christ4 ,have you seen
 ,christ8 ,then others shall see ,him1  
too1 in you1 and through you4  ,this is 
the glory of the goal--face to face with
 ,himself4 ,it begins now4 ,it is a very
 real thing4 ,this is a bit of the      
meaning of that mountain beatitude1 the 
pure in heart 444 shall see ,god4 ,yet  
only he who sees understands what seeing
 means4 ,the subtle intensity of ,god's 
presence cannot be explained1 only      
understood by the purified in heart4    
,only the opened eyes see4  ,but this is
 only a beginning4 ,there will be the   
far greater glory of the final goal1 as 
we come into ,his immediate presence1   
literally face to face4 ,that may be    
when we are called away from the lower  
road up to the higher reaches1 above the
 clouds and the blue1 the glory-reaches1
 up where ,he now sits4 ,it may be by   
that goal coming nearer1 by ,himself    

actually coming on the clouds in great  
glory1 for ,his own and for the next    
chapter in ,his great world-plan4 ,then 
we shall be caught up into ,his         
presence4 ,then we shall be fully like  
,him1 for we shall see ,him as ,he is4  
,and we shall be sharers in ,his glory1 
in the ,kingdom time of glad earth      
service4 ,but we shall be thinking only 
of ,himself--face to face4              
,footnotes   #a ,john i4 #a1 #b1 #ad1   
#ah2 ,colossians i4 #ae2 ,,ii           
,corinthians iv4 #d2 ,philippians ii4   
#f2 ,hebrews i4 #c4  #b ,john xv4 #ae2  
,psalm xxv4 #ad2 ,isaiah xli4 #h2 ,,ii  
,chronicles xx4 #g2 ,james ii4 #bc4  #c 
,matthew iv4 #d2 where the emphatic word
 is man1 standing in contrast with ,son 
of ,god in verse #c4  #d ,acts xvii4    
#bh2 ,job xii4 #aj2 ,daniel v4 #bc l4c42
 ,psalm cxxxix4 #a-af4  #e ,philippians 
ii4 #f-h4  #f ,romans xii4 #ai2         
,deuteronomy xxxii4 #ce2 ,psalm xciv4   
#a2 ,proverbs xx4 #bb2 ,i ,peter ii4    
#bc2 ,i ,corinthians xiii4 #e1 second   

clause4  #g ,john xi4 #da1 #db2 xii4    
#bg1 #bh2 ,luke x4 #ba4  #h ,deuteronomy
 viii4 #ag1 #ah4  #i ,matthew v4 #c4    
#aj ,john viii4 #bh1 #bi4  #aa ,genesis 
i4 #bf-bh4  #ab #a ,philippians ii4 #h2 
,hebrews v4 #h2 ,romans v4 #ai l4c42    
,john x4 #ah l4c4  #ac ,hebrews ii4 #ah4
  #ad ,hebrews xii4 #bi4  #ae ,romans   
iii4 #bf1 latter half2 free             
reading--that ,he 7,god7 might be seen  
to be just and righteous in forgiving a 
man's sin when he trusted in ,jesus4    
#af ,eden3 delight4  #ag ,genesis ii4   
#h-bj4  #ah ,genesis iii4 #h1 #i  #ai   
,genesis iv4-vi4  #bj ,genesis vi4 #f2  
,deuteronomy v4 #bi2 ,psalm lxxxi4 #ac2 
,isaiah xlviii4 #ah4  #ba ,mark xii4    
#a-h2 ,,ii ,chronicles xxxvi4 #ae1      
#af--,these passages1 and many similar1 
while speaking directly of the one      
nation ,israel1 are giving a picture of 
the heart of ,god toward all men1 and   
,his habit of action4 ,israel itself was
 the messenger-nation1 whose life was   
meant to be ,god's message of love to   

all the race4  #bb ,john i4 #a-ah1      
especially verses #a-e1 #ad4  #bc ,john 
i4 #ad f4c4  #bd ,matthew ii4 #bb1 #bc4 
#be ,john i4 #ai-bh4  #bf ,e4 ,c4       
,clephane4  #bg ,psalm xl4 #h f4c42     
,john iv4 #cd2 ,hebrews xii4 #b4  #bh   
,matthew xi4 #bh4  #bi ,matthew iv4 #ai1
 with ,luke v4 #a-aa4  #cj ,matthew xi4 
#bi1 #cj4  #ca ,john xiii4 #ca-xvi4 #cc4
  #cb ,john xx4 #ba4  #cc ,matthew      
xxviii4 #ah-bj4  #cd ,john i4 #ce-db4   
#ce ,matthew iv4 #ah-bb1 with ,luke v4  
#a-aa4  #cf ,matthew x4 #a-e2 ,mark iii4
 #ad-ai2 ,luke vi4 #ab-ag4  #cg ,matthew
 xvi4 #ac-bh4  #ch ,matthew xvi4 #bd2   
,mark viii4 #cd2 ,luke ix4 #bc4  #ci    
,matthew xxvi4 #eh4  #dj ,john xxi4     
#ae-ai4  #da ,acts v4 #da4  #db ,i      
,john4  #dc ,acts i1 #a4  #dd ,luke xiv4
 #be-ce4  #de ,mark x4 #ag-bb4  #df ,in 
,other ,sheep1 by ,harold ,begbie4  #dg 
,luke xiv4 #be-ce1 with ,matthew v4 #ac4
  #dh ,luke xxi4 #bh4  #di ,mark x4     
#ag-bb4  #ej ,acts xxii4 #aa1 with ix4  
#a-i4  #ea ,luke xxiv4 #dj2 ,john xx4   

#bj4  #eb ,john i4 #ai-bh4  #ec ,romans 
viii4 #cd2 ,hebrews vii4 #be4  #ed ,i   
,john ii4 #a2 ,hebrews ix4 #bd4  #ee    
,isaiah xi #b2 lxi4 #a1 with ,luke iv4  
#ah-ba4  #ef ,psalm xxv4 #c f4c4  #eg   
,john iii4 #cd f4c4  #eh ,isaiah xliv4  
#c2 ,john vii4 #cg-ci4  #ei ,acts viii4 
#d-h1 #bf-dj4  #fj ,matthew v4 #db4  #fa
 ,isaiah xxxviii4 #ag1 margin4  #fb     
,matthew iv4 #bc2 ix4 #ce4  #fc ,luke v4
 #ae1 #af4 ,the language underneath here
 suggests a habitual going aside to     
pray1 as an offset to the work with the 
crowds4  #fd ,matthew xxv4 #dj4  #fe    
,james i4 #b1 #c4  #ff ,matthew vi4 #ac4
  #fg ,james i4 #ac4  #fh ,matthew xxvi4
 #da4  #fi ,john xiii41 xiv4  #gj ,john 
xv41 xvi4  #ga ,john xvii4  #gb ,lucy   
,rider ,meyer4  #gc ,exodus xxxii4 #ca1 
#cb  #gd ,romans ix4 #a-c4  #ge ,,ii    
,corinthians iv4 #ab4  #gf ,colossians  
i4 #bd4  #gg ,i ,corinthians xv4 #c1 #d4
  #gh ,acts i4 #a4  #gi ,matthew xxvii4 
#ei1 #fj4  #hj ,matthew xxvii4 #fb1 #ff4
  #ha ,john xii4 #bd4  #hb ,john xii4   

#bj-cb4  #hc ,isaiah v4 #bj4  #hd       
,matthew xvi4 #ba-bh4  #he ,john xv4    
#hf ,hebrews xii4 #b4  #hg ,,ii         
,corinthians iii4 #ah4  #hh ,romans     
viii4 #aa4  #hi ,,ii ,corinthians iv4   
#aa4 ,dying in these two passages does  
not mean being in the process of        
dissolution1 but that the body is       
subject to death4  #ij ,ephesians i4    
#bj1 #ba2 ,acts ii4 #cc2 ,john xiv4 #ab1
 #ac2 ,romans viii4 #cd2 ,hebrews vii4  
#be2 ix4 #bd4  #ia ,colossians iii4 ,i2 
,ephesians ii4 #f4  #ib ,psalm xxii4 #h1
 #i4  #ic ,revelation ii4 #bf1 #bg2 v4  
#aj2 xx4 #d4  #id ,psalm lxxxiv4 #aa4   
#ie ,anonymous1 in ,egyptian ,mission   
,news1 copied from ,s4 ,m4 ,zwemer's    
,unoccupied ,fields of the ,world4  #if 
,hebrews x4 #ab1 #ac4  #ig ,revelation  
ii41 iii4  #ih ,numbers xiv4 #bd xxxii4 
#ab2 ,deuteronomy i4 #cf2 ,joshua xiv4  
#h1 #i1 #ad4  #ii ,matthew xvi4 #bd4    
#ajj ,john xii4 #bf4  #aja ,john vi4    
#gj4  #ajb ,matthew xix4 #bg4  #ajc     
,luke ix4 #ea-ed4  #ajd ,genesis xvi4   

#aje ,galatians ii #aa-ad4  #ajf ,luke  
ii4 #di4  #ajg ,zechariah xiv4 #d4  #ajh
 ,hebrews xiii4 #bj1 #ba4  #aji ,exodus 
xxxii4 #ca1 #cb4  #aaj ,romans ix4 #a-c4
  #aaa ,psalm xlix4 #g4  #aab ,genesis  
iv4 #ab-af4  #aac ,genesis vi4 #ag1 #ah4
  #aad ,hosea i4 #b-i2 iii #a-c4  #aae  
,isaiah vii4 #c-ag4  #aaf ,isaiah viii4 
#a-c4  #aag ,isaiah xx4 #a-d4  #aah     
,jeremiah xvi4 #a-d4  #aai ,ezekiel     
xxiv4 #ae-ai4  #abj ,psalm xvi4 #h4