2. And, whatever it is, it is not the same thing as moral goodness — not quite the same. One may be very good, very kind, honour- able, benevolent, and tender-hearted without being spiritual in one's mind. Spirituality is moral excellence with something added. That additional something is what heat is to light. Has spirituality anything to do with one's occupation in life ? Is it a thing of temperament, or circumstances, or will ? Is it something that men achieve, as they would win a fortune or acquire an education? Or is it a Divine gift, a supernatural bestowment, which only those have, or can have, who have had certain religious experiences ?
3. The first feeling about spirituality, before it can come to any good and healthy growth, must be that it penetrates every- where. There are not certain objects only for the spiritual mind to exercise itself upon, but every subject has its spiritual side ; and each man carries for himself the responsibility as to whether he will deal spiritually or unspiritually with everything which the Lord puts in his way. For the truth is for ever true, and yet for ever forgotten, that spirituality is a quality of the human soul, and not of the things that the soul deals with, And
394 THE CARNAL AND THE SPIRITUAL
so there is nothing high or low which the soul may not deal with spiritually or unspiritually, as it will.
(1) To begin with our worship. Worship is sanctified and intensified by this inward vision of God. " God is the king of all the earth : sing ye praises with understanding " (Ps. xlvii. 7). " I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also ; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the under- standing also" (1 Cor. xiv. 15). Neither the vain conceits of human philosophy, nor the outward show of ceremony, must come between our souls and God ; or hinder the knitting together and concentration of all our hearts' affections and powers upon the exaltation of His holy Name.
(2) In the use and application of the Scriptures we do not adapt them to our theories, or wrest words from their contexts to prove our point — mistaking for God's guidance the tenacious grasp of our own will upon some isolated phrase out of God's Word, as if it held the whole truth unbalanced by the teaching of other passages. But we yield sensitively to the Spirit's leading as He orders our steps in the Word, reproving or correcting us, instructing us in righteousness or in doctrine, as He may see fit ; bringing us through the Scriptures into living contact with God Himself, and forming in us the mind of Christ. Nevermore can we rest satisfied with the mere " form of knowledge and of the truth," even though our familiarity with the " letter " of Scripture may have grown to that of the Scribes and Pharisees, and we may have become the teachers of others. From henceforth our hearts cry out for the living God in His Word, to hear His voice, to seek His face, to understand the secret of the Lord which is with them that fear Him.
(3) We learn to find God in everything. We perceive His power and purpose in the very things which before appalled or perplexed us; we trace His wisdom and His hand at work in nature, in providence, and in grace ; being ever drawn closer to His heart in love, and more deeply convinced of the reasonable- ness and simplicity of faith. Visible and material things do not absorb or terrify us as before ; or blind our minds to the light. The consciousness of God, and of the unseen forces at work for our provision and protection, are more real to our spiritual sense than are the things which are seen and passing, to our natural sight.
ROMANS viii. 6 395
(4) A new inspiration enters into our prayer life, if this illumination of heart is ours through the Spirit and the Word. Our ignorance of how and what we should pray for as we ought is exchanged for the pleading of the Holy Ghost in and through us according to the will of God, " the mind of the Spirit " which is " the mind of Christ," stirring within us such prayer as God has pledged Himself to answer.
(5) Surely, also, as we learn to know and understand our God more, we shall not rest satisfied with knowledge only. It must become experimental, fruitful ; translated into a living factor and force in character and life. Every fresh view of Christ will become a new motive power within us for practical daily progress. Any opening of our understanding to apprehend the exceeding greatness of the Spirit's power which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead, will mean a quickened faith to believe in the mighty power of the same Spirit of holiness to work in us and to energize us to more abundant life and hallowed service. Yet in that service how careful shall we be to run only when and where we are " sent " by our Lord ; and to wait on God for clear instructions that we may understand His pattern for the work, as well as His appointed time and method and means for its execution, by the writing of His Spirit upon us.