g that comes from actually doing it. The
abandonment of their old mode of life is like dust in the balance. It
is done gradually, incidentally, imperceptibly. Thus the whole
question of the abandonment of luxury is no question at all, but a mere
incident to another question, namely, the degree to which we abandon
ourselves to the remorseless logic of our love for others."[197]

[197] J. J. Chapman, in the Political Nursery, vol. iv. p. 4, April,
1900, abridged.

But in all these matters of sentiment one must have "been there" one's
self in order to understand them. No American can ever attain to
understanding the loyalty of a Briton towards his king, of a German
towards his emperor; nor can a Briton or German ever understand the
peace of heart of an American in having no king, no Kaiser, no spurious
nonsense, between him and the common God of all. If sentiments as
simple as these are mysteries which one must receive as gifts of birth,
how much more is this the case with those subtler religious sentiments
which we have been considering! One can never fathom an emotion or
divine its dictates by standing outside of it. In the glowing hour of
excitement, however, all incomprehensibilities are solved, and what was
so enigmatical from without becomes transparently obvious. Each
emotion obeys a logic of its own, and makes deductions which no other
logic can draw. Piety and charity live in a different universe from
worldly lusts and fears, and form another centre of energy altogether.
As in a supreme sorrow lesser vexations may become a consolation; as a
supreme love may turn minor sacrifices into gain; so a supreme trust
may render common safeguards odious, and in certain glows of generous
excitement it may appear unspeakably mean to retain one's hold of
personal possessions. The only sound plan, if we are ourselves outside
the pale of such emotions, is to observe as well as we are able those
who feel them, and to record faithfully what we observe; and this, I
need hardly say, is what I have striven to do in these last two
descriptive lectures, which I now hope will have covered the ground
sufficiently for our present needs.

Lectures XIV and XV

THE VALUE OF SAINTLINESS

We have now passed in review the more important of the phenomena which
are regarded as fruits of genuine religion and characteristics of men
who are devout. Today we have to change our attitude from that of
description to that of appr