ll.

It is this simplicity, this love of One who is omnipotent, uncreate,
illimitable, eternal, that makes me reverence Him, adore Him, live for
Him, love Him.

Simplicity is wonderfully attractive. The man who knows least of sin
is most helpful to me, because {58} he is most simple and Godlike. The
'man of the world' is most repulsive, because he is most like the Devil.

_To E. N. L., on the occasion of his ordination._

Cambridge: March 10, 1892.

It gives me great pleasure to think that on Sunday next you will be
made a Deacon in God's Church. I thank God that He has called you to
one of the highest offices on earth, that henceforth you will be 'in'
or (shall we say?) 'under' orders--God's orders--that you willingly
renounce your life, your thoughts, your hopes, your ambitions to Him.
You will probably hear much and be told much at this time. I have
nothing to say that you have not heard and will not hear said far
better by others. Our Church gives the keynote in the collect for
Sunday: 'We have no power.' I never realised my weakness, my pride, my
hollowness so much as I did at my ordination. God has been teaching
me, even in the short time since I was ordained, wonderful
lessons--lessons of strength being perfected in weakness. He alone
knows the depths of our hypocrisy, our vanity, our atheism, and He
alone can help us. To get nearer to Him, to know Him better--this is
what I want, this is eternal life. As we believe in a Person who is by
our side, who is helping us, training us, we shall be able to proclaim
Him to others. Do not mind about feelings. You may have beautiful
feelings at your ordination time. Thank God if you have. He sends
them. You may have none. Thank God if you have not, for He has kept
them back. We do {59} not want to _feel_ better and stronger; we want
to _be_ better and stronger. And He _has_ made us better and stronger.
He has given us His Spirit as we knelt before the bishop. We must go
forth in that strength. We must use it, live on it, and it will be
ours. _Kata ten pistin humon genetheto humin_. When we feel most
hopeless, most wretched, most distant from God, remember 'feelings
don't matter.' Remember that God's Son felt the same temptation,
remember that He too was forsaken by His God. And when all seems lost,
Satan seems master, we are misunderstood; remember that 'I believe in
the Holy Ghost,' who is stronger than separation or death, than
feelings,