[48] The most charming chapter of Adolphe Monod's _Saint Paul_ is on the subject of these two paragraphs. It is difficult to quote from it, because one would like to quote it all; but I allow myself the pleasure of borrowing these golden sentences: "C'est qu'en depit de tant de promesses faites a la foi, nous sommes toujours plus on moins affaiblis par un reste de force propre, comme nous sommes toujours plus on moins troubles par un reste de propre justice, que les plus humbles eux-memes trainent partout avec eux. Cette malheureuse force propre, cette eloquence propre, cette science propre, cette influence propre, forme en nous comme un petit sanctuaire favori, que notre orgueil jaloux tient ferme a la force Dieu, pour s'y reserver un dernier refuge. Mais si nous pouvions devenir enfin faibles tout de bon et desesperer absolument de nous-memes, la force de Dieu, se repandant dans tout notre homme interieur et s' infiltrant jusque dans ses plus secrets replis, nous remplirait jusqu'en toute plenitude de Dieu; par ou, la force de l'homme etant echangee contre la force de Dieu, rien ne nous serait impossible, parce que rien n'est impossible a Dieu." [49] Stearns, _The Evidence of Christian Experience_; Dale, _The Living Christ and the Four Gospels_. [50] "I feel most strongly that man, in all that he does or can do which is beautiful, great or good, is but the organ and the vehicle of something or some one higher than himself. This feeling is religion. The religious man takes part with a tremor of sacred joy in those phenomena of which he is the intermediary but not the source, of which he is the scene but not the author, or rather the poet. He lends them voice, hand, will and help, but he is respectfully careful to efface himself, that he may alter as little as possible the higher work of the Genius who is making a momentary use of him. A pure emotion deprives him of personality and annihilates the self in him. Self must perforce disappear when it is the Holy Spirit who speaks, when it is God who acts. This is the mood in which the prophet hears the call, the young mother feels the movement of the child within, the preacher watches the tears of his audience. So long as we are conscious of self, we are limited, selfish, held in bondage."--AMIEL. [51] As enthusiasm for Christ is the soul of preaching as far as the preacher is concerned, so in a spiritual congregation there will always be found a jealous desire for this element in what they hear. [52] See an article by the Rev. John Kennedy, D.D., in _The Evangelical Magazine_, April, 1891.