ire those former things or be troubled by them but we no
longer "respond" to that which is base, even though we be brought
into visual contact with such things as would formerly have
inevitably excited at least a passing response in us. Can any man
free himself in such a manner from his own nature? Common sense
forbids us imagine it. It is then a Living Power within us, slowly
transforming us to higher levels, from the fleshly to the spiritual, and
shaping us to meet the purity of God. And such is the tender
consideration of this Power for our weakness that while we are
learning to give up these baser pleasures He teaches us the higher
pleasures of the soul--we are not left comfortless. So in our earlier
stages we may have many very wonderful ecstasies which later are
altogether dispensed with, and indeed are eventually not desired by
the soul, or even the more greedy heart and mind, which all now ask
and desire one favour only--to be on earth in continual fellowship
with Christ Jesus and ever able to enter into the love of God. To be
without this glorious power of entering Responsive Love of God, to
be cut off from this, is the great and only fear of the soul. This fear it
is which holds the soul and the creature towards God both day and
night lest by the least forgetfulness or wrongful attitude they should
lose Him or displease Him.

All these changes no man can bring about for himself--they are
accomplished for him by the Holy Spirit; but this he can and _must_
do for himself, invite Sweet Jesus into his heart and enthrone Him
there as Ruler. This once accomplished, that mysterious monitor
within us commonly known as "Conscience" grows until it attains an
excessive sensitiveness which penetrates the minutest acts of life
and the deepest recesses of heart and mind. It becomes inexorable, it
demands instant and complete obedience. Because of it relations
with other persons undergo a drastic change. Complete, instant,
entire forgiveness for every offence is demanded, and at last even a
momentary annoyance must be effaced; no matter how great the
cause of annoyance, it must be effaced in the same instant as that in
which it crosses the mind, for a single adverse thought eventually
proves as injurious to the Spirit as a grain of sand is to the eyes.

The petty human aims, the smallness of all our former standards, the
instinct for "retaliation" must all be overcome, laid upon one side--a
slow task of much humiliation to