its sense may, as if suddenly, break upon us,
in a way it never did before. Some thought may suggest itself to us,
which is a key to a great deal in Scripture, or which suggests a great
many other thoughts. A new light may be thrown on the precepts of our
Lord and His Apostles. We may be able to enter into the manner of life
of the early Christians, as recorded in Scripture, which before was
hidden from us, and into the simple maxims on which Scripture bases it.
We may be led to understand that it is very different from the life
which men live now. Now knowledge is a call to action: an insight into
the way of perfection is a call to perfection.

Once more, it may so happen that we find ourselves, how or why we
cannot tell, much more able to obey God in certain respects than
heretofore. Our minds are so strangely constituted, it is impossible
to say whether it is from the growth of habit suddenly showing itself,
or from an unusual gift of Divine grace poured into our hearts, but so
it is; let our temptation be to sloth, or irresolution, or worldly
anxiety, or pride, or to other more base and miserable sins, we may
suddenly find ourselves possessed of a power of self-command which we
had not before. Or again, we may have a resolution grow on us to serve
God more strictly in His house and in private than heretofore. This is
a call to higher things; let us beware lest we receive the grace of God
in vain. Let us beware of lapsing back; let us avoid temptation. Let
us strive by quietness and caution to cherish the feeble flame, and
shelter it from the storms of this world. God may be bringing us into
a higher world of religious truth, let us work with Him.

To conclude. Nothing is more certain in matter of fact, than that some
men do feel themselves called to high duties and works, to which others
are not called. Why this is we do not know, whether it be that those
who are not called, forfeit the call from having failed in former
trials, or have been called and have not followed, or that though God
gives baptismal grace to all, yet He really does call some men by His
free grace to higher things than others; but so it is; this man sees
sights which that man does not see, has a larger faith, a more ardent
love, and a more spiritual understanding. No one has any leave to take
another's lower standard of holiness for his own. It is nothing to us
what others are. If God calls us to greater renunciation of the world