orld in, between the two
attitudes of mind. On the one side of the gulf is salvation, on the
other side of the gulf there may be loss. Of course, I know that it is
hard, though I do not believe it is impossible, to erect the structure
of a saving faith on a very, very imperfect intellectual apprehension
of Scripture truth. That has nothing to do with my present point. What I
am saying is that, unless you erect that structure of a faith which is
an act of your will and of your whole nature, and not the mere assent of
your understanding, upon your belief, your belief is impotent, and is of
no use at all, and you might as well not have it.

What is the office of our creed in regard to our conduct? To give us
principles, to give us motives, to give us guidance, to give us weapons.
If it does these things then it does its work. If it lies in our heads a
mere acceptance of certain propositions, it is just as useless and as
dead as the withered seeds that rattle inside a dried poppy-head in the
autumn winds. You are meant to begin with accepting truth, and then you
are meant to take that truth as being a power in your lives that shall
shape your conduct. To know, and there an end, is enough in matters of
mere science, but in matters of religion and in matters of morality or
righteousness knowing is only the first step in the process, and we are
made to know in order that, knowing, we may do.

But some professing Christians seem to have their natures built, like
ocean-going steamers, with water-tight compartments, on the one side of
which they keep their creed, and there is no kind of communication
between that and the other side where their conduct is originated.
'Little children, let no man deceive you; he that doeth righteousness is
righteous.'

Again, my text suggests conduct and not emotion.

Now there is a type of Christian life which is more attractive in
appearance than that of the hard, fossilised, orthodox believer--viz.,
the warmly emotional and fervent Christian. But that type, all
experience shows, has a pit dug close beside it into which it is apt to
fall. For there is a strange connection between emotional Christianity
and a want of straightforwardness in daily business life, and of
self-control and government of the appetites and the senses. That has
been sadly shown, over and again, and if we had time one could easily
point to the reasons in human nature, and its strange contexture, why it
should be so. Now