It　is　only　in　the　details　of　execution　that　it　fails。
  4。　　A　fourth　method　I　need　scarcely　mention；　for　it　is　a　variation
  on　those　already　named。　　It　is
  The　very　young　man's　method；
  and　the　pure　earnestness　of　it　makes　it　almost　desecration　to　touch
  it。　　It　is　to　keep　a　private　note…book　with　columns　for　the　days
  of　the　week；　and　a　list　of　virtues；　with　spaces　against　each　for
  marks。　　this；　with　many　stern　rules　for　preface；　is　stored　away　in
  a　secret　place；　and　from　time　to　time；　at　nightfall；　the　soul　is
  arraigned　before　it　as　before　a　private　judgment　bar。
  This　living　by　code　was　Franklin's　method；　and　I　suppose　thousands
  more　could　tell　how　they　had　hung　up　in　their　bedrooms；　or　hid　in
  locked…fast　drawers；　the　rules　which　one　solemn　day　they　drew　up
  to　shape　their　lives。
  This　method　is　not　erroneous；　only　somehow　its　success　is　poor。
  You　bear　me　witness　that　it　fails。　　And　it　fails　generally　for　very
  matter…of…fact　reasonsmost　likely　because　one　day　we　forget　the
  rules。
  All　these　methods　that　have　been　namedthe　self…sufficient　method；
  the　self…crucifixion　method；　the　mimetic　method；　and　the　diary
  methodare　perfectly　human；　perfectly　natural；　perfectly　ignorant；　and
  as　they　stand　perfectly　inadequate。　　It　is　not　argued；　I　repeat；
  that　they　must　be　abandoned。　　Their　harm　is　rather　that　they　distract
  attention　from　the　true　working　method；　and　secure　a　fair　result
  at　the　expense　of　the　perfect　one。　　What　that　perfect　method　is　we
  shall　now　go　on　to　ask。
  I。　　The　formula　of　sanctification。
  A　formula；　a　receipt　for　Sanctificationcan　one　seriously　speak
  of　this　mighty　change　as　if　the　process　were　as　definite　as　for
  the　production　of　so　many　volts　of　electricity？
  It　is　impossible　to　doubt　it。　　Shall　a　mechanical　experiment
  succeed　infallibly；　and　the　one　vital　experiment　of　humanity　remain
  a　chance？　　Is　corn　to　grow　by　method；　and　character　by　caprice？
  If　we　cannot　calculate　to　a　certainty　that　the　forces　of　religion
  will　do　their　work；　then　is　religion　vain。　　And　if　we　cannot　express
  the　law　of　these　forces　in　simple　words；　then　is　Christianity　not
  the　world's　religion；　but　the　world's　conundrum。
  Where；　then；　shall　one　look　for　such　a　formula？　　Where　one　would
  look　for　any　formulaamong　the　text…books。　　And　if　we　turn　to　the
  text…books　of　Christianity　we　shall　find　a　formula　for　this　problem
  as　clear　and　precise　as　any　in　the　mechanical　sciences。　　If　this
  simple　rule；　moreover；　be　but　followed　fearlessly；　it　will　yield
  the　result　of　a　perfect　character　as　surely　as　any　result　that　is
  guaranteed　by　the　laws　of　nature。
  The　finest　expression　of　this　rule　in　Scripture；　or　indeed　in　any
  literature；　is　probably　one　drawn　up　and　condensed　into　a　single
  verse　by　Paul。　　You　will　find　it　in　a　letterthe　second　to　the
  Corinthianswritten　by　him　to　some　Christian　people　who；　in　a　city
  which　was　a　byword　for　depravity　and　licentiousness；　were　seeking
  the　higher　life。　　To　see　the　point　of　the　words　we　must　take　them
  from　the　immensely　improved　rendering　of　the　Revised　translation；
  for　the　older　Version　in　this　case　greatly　obscures　the　sense。
  They　are　these：
  〃We　all；　with　unveiled　face　reflecting　as　a　mirror　the　glory　of
  the　Lord；　are　transformed　into　the　same　image　from　glory　to　glory；
  even　as　from　the　Lord；　the　Spirit。〃
  Now　observe　at　the　outset　the　entire　contraction　of　all　our　previous
  efforts；　in　the　simple　passive：　　〃WE　ARE　TRANSFORMED。〃
  We　ARE　CHANGED；　as　the　Old　Version　has　itwe　do　not　change
  ourselves。　　No　man　can　change　himself。　　Throughout　the　New　Testament
  you　will　find　that　wherever　these　moral　and　spiritual　transformations
  are　described　the　verbs　are　in　the　passive。　　Presently　it　will　be
  pointed　out　that　there　is　a　RATIONALE　in　this；　but　meantime　do　not
  toss　these　words　aside　as　if　this　passivity　denied　all　human　effort
  or　ignored　intelligible　law。　　What　is　implied　for　the　soul　here
  is　no　more　than　is　everywhere　claimed　for　the　body。　　In　physiology
  the　verbs　describing　the　processes　of　growth　are　in　the　passive。
  Growth　is　not　voluntary；　it　takes　place；　it　happens；　it　is　wrought
  upon　matter。　　So　here。　　〃Ye　must　be　born　again〃we　cannot　be　born
  ourselves。　　〃Be　not　conformed　to　this　world；　but　BE　YE　TRANSFORMED〃we
  are　subjects　to　transforming　influence；　we　do　not　transform　ourselves。
  Not　more　certain　is　it　that　it　is　something　outside　the　thermometer
  that　produces　a　change　in　the　thermometer；　that　it　is
  Something　outside　the　soul　of　man
  that　produces　a　moral　change　upon　him。　　That　he　must　be　susceptible
  to　that　change；　that　he　must　be　a　party　to　it；　goes　without　saying；
  but　that　neither　his　aptitude　nor　his　will　can　produce　it；　is
  equally　certain。
  Obvious　as　it　ought　to　seem；　this　may　be　to　some　an　almost　startling
  revelation。　　The　change　we　have　been　striving　after　is　not　to
  be　produced　by　any　more　striving。　　It　is　to　be　wrought　upon　us　by
  the　moulding　of　hands　beyond　our　own。　　As　the　branch　ascends；　and
  the　bud　bursts；　and　the　fruit　reddens　under　the　co…operation　of
  influences　from　the　outside　air；　so　man　rises　to　the　higher　stature
  under　invisible　pressures　from　without。　　the　radical　defect　of　all
  our　former　methods　of　sanctification　was　the　attempt　to　generate
  from　within　that　which　can　only　be　wrought　upon　us　from　without。
  The　radical　defect　of　all　our　former　methods　of　sanctification　was
  the　attempt　to　generate　from　within　that　which　can　only　be　wrought
  upon　us　from　without。　　According　to　the　first　Law　of　Motion；
  every　body　continues　in　its　state　of　rest；　or　of　uniform　motion
  in　a　straight　line；　except　in　so　far　as　it　may　be　compelled　BY
  IMPRESSED　FORCES　to　change　that　state。　　This　is　also　a　first　law　of
  Christianity。　　Every　man's　character　remains　as　it　is；　or　continues
  in　the　direction　in　which　it　is　going；　until　it　is　compelled　BY
  IMPRESSED　FORCES　to　change　that　state。　　Our　failure　has　been　the
  failure　to　put　ourselves　in　the　way　of　the　impressed　forces。　　There
  is　a　clay；　and　there　is　a　Potter；　we　have　tried　to　get　the　clay　to
  mould　the　clay。
  Whence；　then；　these　pressures；　and　where　this　Potter？　　The　answer
  of　the　formula　is〃By　reflecting　as　a　mirror　the　glory　of　the　Lord
  we　are　changed。〃　　But　this　is　not　very　clear。　　What　is　the　〃glory〃
  of　the　Lord；　and　how　can　mortal　man　reflect　it；　and　how　can　that
  act　as　an　〃impressed　force〃　in　moulding　him　to　a　nobler　form？　　The
  word　〃glory〃the　word　which　has　to　bear　the　weight　of　holding
  these　〃impressed　forces〃is　a　stranger　in　current　speech；　and　our
  first　duty　is　to　seek　out　its　equivalent　in　working　English。　　It
  suggests　at　first　a　radiance　of　some　kind；　something　dazzling　or
  glittering；　some　halo　such　as　the　old　masters　loved　to　paint　round
  the　head　of　their　Ecce　Homos。　　But　that　is　paint；　mere　matter；　the
  visible　symbol　of　some　unseen　thing。　　What　is　that　unseen　thing？　　It
  is　that　of　all　unseen　things　the　most　radiant；　the　most　beautiful；
  the　most　Divine；　and　that　is　CHARACTER。　　On　earth；　in　Heaven；
  there　is　nothing　so　great；　so　glorious　as　this。　　The　word　has　many
  meanings；　in　ethics　it　can　have　but　one。　　Glory　is　character；　and
  nothing　less；　and　it　can　be　nothing　more。　　The　earth　is　〃full　of
  the　glory　of　the　Lord；〃　because　it　is　full　of　His　character。　　The
  〃Beauty　of　the　Lord〃　is　character。　　〃The　Glory　of　the　Only
  Begotten〃　is　character；　the　character　which　is　〃fullness　of　grace
  and　truth。〃　　And　when　God　told　His　people　HIS　NAME；　He　simply　gave
  them　His　character；　His　character　which　was　Himself：　　〃And　the　Lord
  proclaimed　the　name　for　the　Lord。。。the　Lord；　the　Lord　God；　merciful
  and　gracious；　long…suffering　and　abundant　in　goodness　and　truth。〃
  Glory　then　is　not　something　intangible；　or　ghostly；　or　transcendental。
  If　it　were　this；　how　could　Paul　ask　men　to　reflect　it？　　Stripped
  of　its　physical　enswathement　it　is　Beauty；　moral　and　spiritual
  Beauty；　Beauty　infinitely　real；　infinitely　exalted；　yet　infinitely
  near　and　infinitely　communicable。
  With　this　explanation　read　over　the　sentence　once　more　in
  paraphrase：　　We　all　reflecting　as　a　mirror　the　character　of　Christ
  are　transformed　into　the　same　Image　from　character　to　characterfrom
  a　poor　character　to　a　better　one；　from　a　better　one　to　a　little
  better　still；　from　that　to　one　still　more　complete；　until　by　slow
  degrees　the　Perfect　Image　is　attained。　　Here
  The　solution　of　the　problem　of　sanctification
  is　compressed　into　a　sentence：　　Reflect　the　character　of　Christ。
  You　will　be　changed；　in　spite　of　yourself　and　unknown　to　yourself；
  into　the　same　image　from　character　to　character。
  （I。）　　All　men　are　reflectorsthat　is
  The　first　law
  on　which　this　formula　is　based。　　One　of　the　aptest　descriptions　of
  a　human　being　is　that　he　is　a　mirror。　　As　we　sat　at　table　to…night
  the　world　in　which　each　of　us　lived　and　moved　through　this　day　was
  focused　in　the　room。　　What　we　saw　when　we　looked　at　one　another　was
  not　one　another；　but　one　another's　world。