irit. The Spirit of God and of Christ. Keep that in
mind, for that is the only way, the right way, to mortify and kill
in us these vices and passions, which, unless we kill them, will
kill us. The only way. For men have tried other ways in old times,
do try other ways now: but they fail. I could mention many plans
which they have tried. But I will only mention the one which you
and I are likely to try.

A young man runs wild for a few years, as young men are too apt to
do: but at last he finds that ill-living does not _pay_. It hurts
his health, his pocket, his character. He makes himself ill; he
cannot get employed; he has ruin staring him in the face, from his
wild living. He must mend. If he intends to keep out of the
workhouse, the gaol, the grave, he must mortify the deeds of the
body. He must bridle his passions, give up lying about, drinking,
swearing, cheating, running after bad women: and if he has a strong
will, he does it from mere selfish prudence. But is he safe? I
think not, as long as he loves still the bad ways he has given up.
He has given them up, not because he hates them, because he is
ashamed of them, because he knows them to be hateful to God, and
ruinous to his own soul: but because they do not pay. The man
himself is not changed. His heart within is not converted. The
outside of his life is whitewashed; but his heart may be as foul as
ever; as full as ever of selfishness, greediness, meanness. And
what happens to him? Too often, what happened to the man in the
parable, when the unclean spirit went out of him, and came back
again. The unclean spirit found his home swept and garnished: but
empty. All very neat and respectable: but empty. There was no
other spirit dwelling there. No good spirit, who could fight the
unclean spirit and keep him out. So he took to himself seven other
spirits worse than himself--hypocrisy, cant, cunning, covetousness,
and all the smooth-shaven sins which beset middle-aged and elderly
men; and they dwell there, and so does the unclean spirit of youth
too.

Alas! How often have I seen men whom that description would fit but
too well--men who have kept themselves respectable till they have
got back their character in the world's eyes: and when they get
into years, and have risen perhaps in life, and made money, are
looked up to by their fellows: but what are they at heart? As
great scoundrels as they were thirty years before--cunning, fa