Christ；　perhaps　all　that　can　be　done　is　to　help　him　to　step　on
  to　it　by　still　plainer　analogies　from　common　life。　　How　do　I　know
  Shakespere　or　Dante？　　By　communing　with　their　words　and　thoughts。
  Many　men　know　Dante　better　than　their　own　fathers。　　Many　men　know
  Dante　better　than　their　own　fathers。　　He　influences　them　more。　　As
  a　spiritual　presence　he　is　more　near　to　them；　as　a　spiritual　force
  more　real。　　Is　there　any　reason　why　a　greater　than　Shakspere　or
  Dante；　who　also　walked　this　earth；　who　left　great　words　behind　Him；
  who　has　greater　works　everywhere　in　the　world　now；　should　not　also
  instruct；　inspire　and　mould　the　characters　of　men？　　I　do　not　limit
  Christ's　influence　to　this：　　it　is　this；　and　it　is　more。　　But　Christ；
  so　far　from　resenting　or　discouraging　this　relation　of　Friendship；
  Himself　proposed　it。　　〃Abide　in　me〃　was　almost　His　last　word　to
  the　world。　　And　He　partly　met　the　difficulty　of　those　who　feel　its
  intangibleness　by　adding　the　practical　clause；　〃If　ye　abide　in　Me；
  AND　MY　WORDS　ABIDE　IN　YOU。〃
  Begin　with　His　words。　　Words　can　scarcely　ever　be　long　impersonal。
  Christ　himself　was　a　Word；　a　word　made　Flesh。　　Make　His　words　flesh；
  do　them；　live　them；　and　you　must　live　Christ。　　〃HE　THAT　KEEPETH
  MY　COMMANDMENTS；　he　it　is　that　loveth　Me。〃　　Obey　Him　and　you　must
  love　Him。　　Abide　in　Him；　and　you　must　obey　Him。　　CULTIVATE　His
  Friendship。　　Live　after　Christ；　in　His　Spirit；　as　in　His　Presence；
  and　it　is　difficult　to　think　what　more　you　can　do。　　Take　this　at
  least　as　a　first　lesson；　as　introduction。
  If　you　cannot　at　once　and　always　feel　the　play　of　His　life　upon
  yours；　watch　for　it　also　indirectly。　　〃The　whole　earth　is　full　of
  the　character　of　the　Lord。〃　　Christ　is　the　Light　of　the　world；　and
  much　of　his　Light　is　reflected　from　things　in　the　worldeven　from
  clouds。　　Sunlight　is　stored　in　every　leaf；　from　leaf　through　coal；
  and　it　comforts　us　thence　when　days　are　dark　and　we　cannot　see　the
  sun。　　Christ　shines　through　men；　through　books；　through　history；
  through　nature；　music；　art。　　Look　for　Him　there。　　〃Every　day　one
  should　either　look　at　a　beautiful　picture；　or　hear　beautiful　music；
  or　read　a　beautiful　poem。〃　　The　real　danger　of　mysticism　is　not
  making　it　broad　enough。
  Do　not　think　that　nothing　is　happening　because　you　do　not　see
  yourself　grow；　or　hear　the　whir　of　the　machinery。　　All　great　things
  grow　noiselessly。　　You　can　see　a　mushroom　grow；　but　never　a　child。
  Paul　said　for　the　comforting　of　all　slowly　perfecting　souls　that
  they　grew　〃from　character　to　character。〃　　〃The　inward　man；〃　he
  says　elsewhere；　〃is　renewed　from　day　to　day。〃　　All　thorough　work
  is　slow；　all　true　development　by　minute；　slight　and　insensible
  metamorphoses。　　The　higher　the　structure；　moreover；　the　slower　the
  progress。　　As　the　biologist　runs　his　eye　over　the　long　Ascent　of
  Life；　he　sees　the　lowest　forms　of　animals　develop　in　an　hour；　the
  next　above　these　reach　maturity　in　a　day；　those　higher　still　take
  weeks　or　months　to　perfect；　but　the　few　at　the　top　demand　the　long
  experiment　of　years。　　If　a　child　and　an　ape　are　born　on　the　same
  day；　the　last　will　be　in　full　possession　of　its　faculties　and　doing
  the　active　work　of　life　before　the　child　has　left　its　cradle。　　Life
  is　the　cradle　of　eternity。　　As　the　man　is　to　the　animal　in　the
  slowness　of　his　evolution；　so　is　the　spiritual　man　to　the　natural
  man。　　Foundations　which　have　to　bear　the　weight　of　an　eternal　life
  must　be　surely　laid。　　Character　is　to　wear　forever；　who　will　wonder
  or　grudge　that　it　cannot　be　developed　in　a　day？
  To　await　the　growing　of　a　soul；　nevertheless；　is　an　almost　Divine
  act　of　faith。　　How　pardonable；　surely；　the　impatience　of　deformity
  with　itself；　of　a　consciously　despicable　character　standing　before
  Christ；　wondering；　yearning；　hungering　to　be　like　that！　　Yet　must
  one　trust　the　process　fearlessly　and　without　misgiving。　　〃The　Lord
  the　Spirit〃　will　do　His　part。　　The　tempting　expedient　is；　in　haste
  for　abrupt　or　visible　progress；　to　try　some　method　less　spiritual；
  or　to　defeat　the　end　by　watching　for　effects　instead　of　keeping
  the　eye　on　the　Cause。　　A　photograph　prints　from　the　negative　only
  while　exposed　to　the　sun。　　While　the　artist　is　looking　to　see
  how　it　is　getting　on　he　simply　stops　the　getting　on。　　Whatever　of
  wise　supervision　the　soul　may　need；　it　is　certain　it　can　never　be
  over…exposed；　or　that；　being　exposed；　anything　else　in　the　world
  can　improve　the　result　or　quicken　it。　　The　creation　of　a　new　heart；
  the　renewing　of　a　right　spirit；　is　an　omnipotent　work　of　God。
  Leave　it　to　the　Creator。　　〃He　which　hath　begun　a　good　work　in　you
  will　perfect　it　unto　that　day。〃
  No　man；　nevertheless；　who　feels　the　worth　and　solemnity　of　what　is
  at　stake　will　be　careless　as　to　his　progress。　　To　become
  Like　Christ
  is　the　only　thing　in　the　world　worth　caring　for；　the　thing　before
  which　every　ambition　of　man　is　folly；　and　all　lower　achievement
  vain。
  Those　only　who　make　this　quest　the　supreme　desire　and　passion　of
  their　lives　can　ever　begin　to　hope　to　reach　it。　　If；　therefore；　it
  has　seemed　up　to　this　point　as　if　all　depended　on　passivity；　let
  me　now　assert；　with　conviction　more　intense；　that　all　depends　on
  activity。　　A　religion　of　effortless　adoration　may　be　a　religion
  for　an　angel；　but　never　for　a　man。　　No　in　the　contemplative；　but
  in　the　active；　lies　true　hope；　not　in　rapture；　but　in　reality；　lies
  true　life；　not　in　the　realm　of　ideals；　but　among　tangible　things；
  is　man's　sanctification　wrought。　　Resolution；　effort；　pain；
  self…crucifixion；　agonyall　the　things　already　dismissed　as
  futile　in　themselves；　must　now　be　restored　to　office；　and　a　tenfold
  responsibility　laid　upon　them。　　For　what　is　their　office？　　Nothing
  less　than　to　move　the　vast　inertia　of　the　soul；　and　place　it；　and
  keep　it　where　the　spiritual　forces　will　act　upon　it。　　It　is　to　rally
  the　forces　of　the　will；　and　keep　the　surface　of　the　mirror　bright
  and　ever　in　position。　　It　is　to　uncover　the　face　which　is　to　look
  at　Christ；　and　draw　down　the　veil　when　unhallowed　sights　are　near。
  You　have；　perhaps；　gone　with　an　astronomer　to　watch　him　photograph
  the　spectrum　of　a　star。　　As　you　enter　the　dark　vault　of　the
  observatory　you　saw　him　being　by　lighting　a　candle。　　To　see　the
  star　with？　　No；　but　to　adjust　the　instrument　to　see　the　star　with。
  It　was　the　star　that　was　going　to　take　the　photograph；　it　was；
  also；　the　astronomer。　　For　a　long　time　he　worked　in　the　dimness；
  screwing　tubes　and　polishing　lenses　and　adjusting　reflectors；　and
  only　after　much　labor　the　finely　focused　instrument　was　brought
  to　bear。　　Then　he　blew　out　the　light；　and　left　the　start　to　do　its
  work　upon　the　plate　alone。
  The　day's　task　for　the　Christian　is　to　bring　his　instrument　to　bear。
  Having　done　that　he　may　blow　out　his　candle。　　All　the　evidences　of
  Christianity　which　have　brought　him　there；　all　aids　to　Faith；　all
  acts　of　worship；　all　the　leverages　of　the　Church；　all　Prayer　and
  Meditation；　all　girding　of　the　Willthese　lesser　processes；　these
  candle…light　activities　for　that　supreme　hour；　may　be　set　aside。
  But；　remember；　it　is　but　for　an　hour。　　The　wise　man　will　be　he　who
  quickest　lights　his　candle；　the　wisest　he　who　never　lets　it　out。
  Tomorrow；　the　next　moment；　he；　a　poor；　darkened；　blurred　soul；　may
  need　it　again　to　focus　the　Image　better；　to　take　a　mote　off　the
  lens；　to　clear　the　mirror　from　a　breath　with　which　the　world　has
  dulled　it。
  No　readjustment　is　ever　required　on　behalf　of　the　Star。　　That　is
  one　great　fixed　point　in　this　shifting　universe。　　But　THE　WORLD
  MOVES。　　And　each　day；　each　hour；　demands　a　further　motion　and
  readjustment　for　the　soul。　　A　telescope　in　an　observatory　follows
  a　star　by　clockwork；　but　the　clockwork　of　the　soul　is　called　THE
  WILL。　　Hence；　while　the　soul　in　passivity　reflects　the　Image　of
  the　Lord；　the　Will　in　intense　activity　holds　the　mirror　in　position
  lest　the　drifting　motion　of　the　world　bear　it　beyond　the　line　of
  vision。　　To　〃follow　Christ〃　is　largely　to　keep　the　soul　in　such
  position　as　will　allow　for　the　motion　of　the　earth。　　And　this
  calculated　counteracting　of　the　movements　of　the　world；　this　holding
  of　the　mirror　exactly　opposite　to　the　Mirrored；　this　steadying　of
  the　faculties　unerringly　through　cloud　and　earthquake；　fire　and
  sword；　is　the　stupendous　co…operating　labor　of　the　Will。　　It　is
  all　man's　work。　　It　is　all　Christ's　work。　　In　practice　it　is　both；
  in　theory　it　is　both。　　But　the　wise　man　will　say　in　practice；　〃It
  depends　upon　myself。〃
  In　the　Gallerie　des　Beaux　Arts　in　Paris　there　stands　a　famous
  statue。　　It　was　the　last　work　of　a　great　genius；　who；　like　many　a
  genius；　was　very　poor　and　lived　in　a　garret；　which　served　as　a　studio
  and　sleeping…room　alike。　　When　the　statue　was　all　but　finished；　one
  midnight　a　sudden　frost　fell　upon　Paris。　　The　sculptor　lay　awake
  in　the　fireless　room　and　thought　of　the　still　moist　clay；　thought
  how　the　water　would　freeze　in　the　pores　and　destroy　in　an　hour　th