ays in
conformity with God. One is sometimes uppermost, sometimes subdued,
but rules in the long run, for it is eternal, while the other is
temporal."

Gordon was a remarkable instance of the truth of the text, "The people
that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits," a truth which
is as applicable to individuals as it is to nations. Gifted by nature
with a strong character, its strength was greatly developed by the way
in which he came into personal contact with God in the study of His
Word. He yielded no slavish subservience to any Church or priest,
however good, but tested all doctrines by the unerring standard of
God's truth. "Take the Holy Spirit," he used to say, "for your teacher,
and you will never want another word from man on questions of
doctrine." He never shrank from facing difficulties, or new theories,
as some do who are not quite sure of the ground on which they stand,
but would ask all who propounded novel doctrines for chapter and verse
for their authority. When difficulties arose, he used to treat them as
that great scholar, the late Dean Alford did, as shown in the following
words: "I find difficulties in the Bible as well as others, but I am so
convinced of the general truth of that sacred volume as a whole, that I
can easily afford to suspend my judgment on those matters which for
some purpose perhaps God has not permitted me to understand."

The Bible was to Gordon a living oracle, to which he used to apply at
all times. Here are extracts from two of his letters showing how he
regarded it:--

"Out of commiseration for our dual condition, God _has_ given us an
oracle which will answer any question, advise, instruct, and guide
us; now this oracle must be His voice, for, if not, it would not be
His word. He has in His infinite wisdom incarnated His voice in the
Scriptures; His voice is to be understood by the highest or lowest
intellect; it gives answers, &c., through all time. To the carnal
man it is an ordinary book, to the spiritual man it is alive and
makes alive."

"Whether we may apprehend it or not, the Scripture contains the
mind of Christ, and is, when illuminated with the Spirit, as if
Christ was ever talking to us. Now, we should think that if Christ
was ever near to talk with us, _that_ should suffice us, and
consequently, _as I believe that in theory_, I try to realise it in
practice."

Knowing the hig