accord
with spiritual prosperity, there is a real desire in your soul which you
do not realize. Sister, if you pass the millinery-store and see a display
of worldly hats and something seems to say, "Just to be honest, I should
like to have one of those," your soul is hungry. Go home and feed it. Go
to your closet, fall upon your knees, and get a good feast of the "bread
from heaven" and "water of life," and then go back and look in that window
again and see if there is any hunger. There is not a bit, is there? Do you
not see you were mistaken? Your soul wanted more of God, and you did not
know yourself any better than to think it was a fine hat you desired.

Or you, brother, if you feel as if you wanted people to notice you more
and say nice things about you and tell how talented you are, you are
hungry. Go and give your soul a feast of heavenly manna--not just a taste;
eat plenty, feast on it. Now come back in the crowd, and when that man
goes to praising you, it makes you feel ashamed. You did not really know
what you did want, did you?

And you who desire to be a big preacher and stir the world and be like a
mighty man of war among the people. You are getting real hungry. It will
take a lot to fill you up, but God has plenty, and you had better get to
the table quickly. When you get full, though, you will find you do not
really want to be a big preacher at all, have not the least desire to be.
Why, you will feel so small, just as if you wanted to hide behind the
cross where nobody would see you at all.

After we have a good, square meal on divine food, any sort of worldliness
will "go against our stomachs," and we can not bear it, sight or smell.

And you there, you want to have your own way in everything, do you not?
Your judgment is so good that all the brethren must accept it and act upon
it or all the sweetness in your soul turns to vinegar right away. Go and
eat some of the "honey out of the rock." Do not come back until you get
enough. When you get filled up once, you will wake up in the night and
catch yourself saying, "Not my will, but thine be done."

God is what you want. Everything else is husks. You can eat husks all you
please and not get satisfied. You may get a bad case of spiritual
dyspepsia or die altogether. Better find out what you really do want, and
then "eat in plenty and be satisfied." Do not try fine dresses and rings
and flowers and feathers and houses and lands and honors for soul-diet.