〃meek　and　lowly　in　heart；〃　and　you　catch　that　spirit。　　That　is　a
  bit　of　His　character　being　reflected　into　yours。　　Instead　of　being
  critical　and　self…asserting；　you　become　humble　and　have　the　mind
  of　a　little　child。
  I　think；　further；　the　only　way　of　learning　what　FAITH　is　is　to
  know　Christ　and　be　in　His　company。　　You　hear　sermons　about　the　nine
  different　kinds　of　faithdistinctions　drawn　between　the　right
  kind　of　faith　and　the　wrongand　sermons　telling　you　how　to　get
  faith。　　So　far　as　I　can　see；　there　is
  Only　one　way
  in　which　faith　is　got；　and　it　is　the　same　in　the　religious　world
  as　it　is　in　the　world　of　men　and　women。　　I　learn　to　trust　you；　my
  brother；　just　as　I　get　to　trust　me　just　as　you　get　to　know　me。　　I
  do　not　trust　you　as　a　stranger；　but　as　I　come　into　contact　with
  you；　and　watch　you；　and　live　with　you；　I　find　out　that　you　are
  trustworthy；　and　I　come　to　trust　myself　to　you；　and　to　lean　upon
  you。　　But　I　do　not　do　that　to　a　stranger。
  The　way　to　trust　Christ　is　to　know　Christ。　　You　cannot　help　trusting
  Him　them。　　You　are　changed。　　By　knowing　Him　faith　is　begotten　in　you；
  as　cause　and　effect。　　To　trust　Him　without　knowing　Him　as　thousands
  do；　is　not　faith；　but　credulity。　　I　believe　a　great　deal　of　prayer
  for　faith　is　thrown　away。　　What　we　should　pray　for　is　that　we　may
  be　able　to　fulfill　the　condition；　and　when　we　have　fulfilled　the
  condition；　the　faith　necessarily　follows。　　The　way；　therefore；　to
  increase　our　faith　is　to　increase　our　intimacy　with　Christ。　　We
  trust　Him　more　and　more　the　better　we　know　Him。
  And　then　another　immediate　effect　of　this　way　of　sanctifying　the
  character　is　the　tranquility　that　it　brings　over　the　Christian
  life。　　How　disturbed　and　distressed　and　anxious　Christian　people
  are　about　their　growth　in　grace！　　Now；　the　moment　you　give　that
  over　into　Christ's　carethe　moment　you　see　that　you　are　BEING
  changedthat　anxiety　passes　away。　　You　see　that　it　must　follow
  by　an　inevitable　process　and　by　a　natural　law　if　you　fulfill　the
  simple　condition；　so　that　peace　is　the　reward　of　that　life　and
  fellowship　with　Christ。
  Many　other　things　follow。　　A　man's　usefulness　depends　to　a　large
  extent　upon　his　fellowship　with　Christ。　　That　is　obvious。　　Only　Christ
  can　influence　the　world；　but　all　that　the　world　sees　of　Christ　is
  what　it　sees　of　you　and　me。　　Christ　said：　　〃The　world　seeth　Me　no
  more；　but　ye　see　Me。〃　　You　see　Him；　and　standing　in　front　of　Him
  reflect　Him；　and　the　world　sees　the　reflection。　　It　cannot　see　Him。
  So　that　a　Christian's　usefulness　depends　solely　upon　that　relationship。
  Now；　I　have　only　pointed　out　a　few　of　the　things　that　follow　from
  the　standing　before　Christfrom　the　abiding　in　Christ。　　You　will
  find；　if　you　run　over　the　texts　about　abiding　in　Christ；　many
  other　things　will　suggest　themselves　in　the　same　relations。　　Almost
  everything　in　Christian　experience　and　character　follows　and
  follows　necessarily；　from　standing　before　Christ　and　reflecting
  his　character。　　But　the　supreme　consummation　is　that　we　are　changed
  into　THE　SAME　IMAGE；　〃even　as　by　the　Lord　the　Spirit。〃　　That　is　to
  say　that　in　some　way；　unknown　to　us；　but　possibly　not　more　mysterious
  than　the　doctrine　of　personal　influence；　we　are　changed　into　the
  image　of　Christ。
  This　method　cannot　fail。　　I　am　not　setting　before　you　an　opinion
  or　a　theory；　but　this　is
  A　certainly　successful　means
  of　sanctification。　　〃We　all；　with　unveiled　face；　reflecting　in　a
  mirror　the　glory　of　Christ　（the　character　of　Christ）　assuredlywithout
  any　miscarriagewithout　any　possibility　of　miscarriageare　changed
  into　the　same　image。〃　　It　is　an　immense　thing　to　be　anchored　in
  some　great　principle　like　that。　　Emerson　says：　　〃The　hero　is　the
  man　who　is　immovably　centered。〃　　Get　immovably　centered　in　that
  doctrine　of　sanctification。　　Do　not　be　carried　away　by　the　hundred
  and　one　theories　of　sanctification　that　are　floating　about　in
  religious　literature　of　the　country　at　the　present　time；　but　go　to
  the　bottom　of　the　thing　for　yourself；　and　see　the　RATIONALE　of　it
  for　yourself；　and　you　will　come　to　see　that　it　is　a　matter　of　cause
  and　effect；　and　that　if　you　will　fulfill　the　condition　laid　down
  by　Christ；　the　effect　must　follow　by　a　natural　law。
  What　a　prospect！　　To　be　changed　into　the　same　image。　　Think　of
  that！　　That　is　what　we　are　here　for。　　That　is　what　we　are　elected
  for。　　Not　to　be　saved；　in　the　common　acceptation；　but　〃whom　He　did
  foreknow　He　also　did　predestinate　to　be　conformed　to　the　image　of
  His　Son。〃　　Not　merely　to　be　saved；　but　TO　BE　CONFORMED　TO　THE　IMAGE
  OF　HIS　SON。　　Conserve　that　principle。　　And　as　we　must　spend　time
  in　cultivating　our　earthly　friendships　if　we　are　to　have　their
  blessings；　so　we　must
  Spend　time
  in　cultivating　the　fellowship　and　companionship　of　Christ。　　And
  there　is　nothing　so　much　worth　taking　into　our　lives　as　a　profounder
  sense　of　what　is　to　be　had　by　living　in　communion　with　Christ；　and
  by　getting　nearer　to　Him。　　It　will　matter　much　if　we　take　away　with
  us　some　of　the　thoughts　about　theology；　and　some　of　the　new　light
  that　has　been　shed　upon　the　text　of　Scripture；　it　will　matter
  infinitely　more　if　our　fellowship　with　the　Lord　Jesus　become　a　little
  closer；　and　our　theory　of　holy　living　a　little　more　rational。　　And
  then　as　we　go　forth；　men　will　take　knowledge　of　us；　that　we　have
  been　with　Jesus；　and　as　we　reflect　Him　upon　them；　they　will　begin
  to　be　changed　into　the　same　image。
  It　seems　to　me　the　preaching　is　of　infinitely　smaller　account　than
  the　life　which　mirrors　Christ。　　That　is　bound　to　tell；　without
  speech　or　languagelike　the　voices　of　the　stars。　　It　throws　out
  its　impressions　on　every　side。　　The　one　simple　thing　we　have　to　do
  is　to　be　therein　the　right　relation；　to　go　through　life　hand　in
  hand　with　Him；　to　have　Him　in　the　room　with　us；　and　keeping　us　company
  wherever　we　go；　to　depend　upon　Him　and　lean　upon　Him；　and　so　have
  His　life　reflected　in　the　fullness　of　its　beauty　and　perfection
  into　ours。
  III。　　The　first　experiment。
  Then　you　reduce　religion　to　a　common　Friendship？　　A　common
  Friendshipwho　talks　of　a　COMMON　Friendship？　　There　is　no　such
  thing　in　the　world。
  On　earth　no　word　is　more　sublime。　　Friendship　is　the　nearest　thing
  we　know　to　what　religion　is。　　God　is　love。　　And　to　make　religion
  akin　to　Friendship　is　simply　to　give　it　the　highest　expression
  conceivable　by　man。　　But　if　by　demurring　to　〃a　common　friendship〃　is
  meant　a　protest　against　the　greatest　and　the　holiest　in　religion
  being　spoken　of　in　intelligible　terms；　then　I　am　afraid　the
  objection　is　all　to　real。　　Men　always　look　for　a　mystery　when　one
  talks　of　sanctification；　some　mystery　apart　from　that　which　must　ever
  be　mysterious　wherever　Spirit　works。　　It　is　thought　some　peculiar
  secret　lies　behind　it；　some　occult　experience　which　only　the
  initiated　know。　　Thousands　of　persons　go　to　church　every　Sunday
  hoping　to　solve　this　mystery。　　At　meeting；　at　conferences；　many
  a　time　they　have　reached　what　they　thought　was　the　very　brink　of
  it；　but　somehow　no　further　revelation　came。　　Poring　over　religious
  books；　how　often　were　they　not　within　a　paragraph　of　it；　the　next
  page；　the　next　sentence；　would　discover　all；　and　they　would　be
  borne　on　a　flowing　tide　forever。　　But　nothing　happened。　　The　next
  sentence　and　the　next　page　were　read；　and　still　it　eluded　them；
  and　though　the　promise　of　its　coming　kept　faithfully　up　to　the　end；
  the　last　chapter　found　them　still　pursuing。
  Why　did　nothing　happen？　　Because　there　was　nothing　to　happennothing
  of　the　kind　they　were　looking　for。　Why　did　it　elude　them？　　Because
  there　was　no　〃it。〃　　　When　shall　we　learn　that　the　pursuit　of　holiness
  is　simply
  The　pursuit　of　Christ？
  When　shall　we　substitute　for　the　〃it〃　of　a　fictitious　aspiration；
  the　approach　to　a　Living　Friend？　　Sanctity　is　in　character　and　not
  in　moods；　Divinity　in　our　own　plain　calm　humanity；　and　in　no　mystic
  rapture　of　the　soul。
  And　yet　there　are　others　who；　for　exactly　a　contrary　reason；
  will　find　scant　satisfaction　here。　　Their　complaint　is　not　that　a
  religion　expressed　in　terms　of　Friendship　is　too　homely；　but　that
  it　is　still　too　mystical。　　To　〃abide〃　in　Christ；　to　〃make　Christ
  our　most　constant　companion；〃　is　to　them　the　purest　mysticism。　　They
  want　something　absolutely　tangible　and　absolutely　direct。　　These
  are　not　the　poetical　souls　who　seek　a　sign；　a　mysticism　in　excess；
  but　the　prosaic　natures　whose　want　is　mathematical　definition　in
  details。　　Yet　it　is　perhaps　not　possible　to　reduce　this　problem　to
  much　more　rigid　elements。　　The　beauty　of　Friendship　is　its　infinity。
  One　can　never　evacuate　life　of　mysticism。　　Home　is　full　of　it；　love
  is　full　of　it；　religion　is　full　of　it。　　Why　stumble　at　that　in　the
  relation　of　man　to　Christ　which　is　natural　in　the　relation　of　man
  to　man？
  If　any　one　cannot　conceive　or　realize　a　mystical　relation　with
  Christ；　perhaps　all　that　can　be　done　is　to　help