ething so
much better. He loses all taste for them.

A lady once came to Mr. Moody and said, "Mr. Moody, I do not like you." He
asked, "Why not?" She said, "Because you are too narrow." "Narrow! I did
not know that I was narrow." "Yes, you are too narrow. You don't believe
in the theatre; you don't believe in cards; you don't believe in dancing."
"How do you know I don't believe in the theatre?" he asked. "Oh," she
said, "I know you don't." Mr. Moody replied, "I go to the theatre whenever
I want to." "What," cried the woman, "you go to the theatre whenever you
want to?" "Yes, I go to the theatre whenever I want to." "Oh," she said,
"Mr. Moody, you are a much broader man than I thought you were. I am so
glad to hear you say it, that you go to the theatre whenever you want to."
"Yes, I go to the theatre whenever I want to. I don't want to." Any one
who has really received the Holy Spirit, and in whom the Holy Spirit
dwells and is unhindered in His working will not want to. Why is it then
that so many professed Christians do go after these worldly amusements?
For one of two reasons; either because they have never definitely received
the Holy Spirit, or else because the fountain is choked. It is quite
possible for a fountain to become choked. The best well in one of our
inland cities was choked and dry for many months because an old rag carpet
had been thrust into the opening from which the water flowed. When the rag
was pulled out, the water flowed again pure and cool and invigorating.
There are many in the Church to-day who once knew the matchless joy of the
Holy Spirit, but some sin or worldly conformity, some act of disobedience,
more or less conscious disobedience, to God has come in and the fountain
is choked. Let us pull out the old rags to-day that this wondrous fountain
may burst forth again, springing up every day and hour into everlasting
life.

CHAPTER XI. THE HOLY SPIRIT SETTING THE BELIEVER FREE FROM THE POWER OF
INDWELLING SIN.

In Rom. viii. 2 the Apostle Paul writes, "The law of the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." What the
law of sin and death is we learn from the preceding chapter, the ninth to
the twenty-fourth verses. Paul tells us that there was a time in his life
when he was "alive apart from the law" (v. 9). But the time came when he
was brought face to face with the law of God; he saw that this law was
holy and the commandment holy and just