The Continuity of the Spirit

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.” — z Cor. xii. 4

2 AUL says that the Spirit of God must be “4 everywhere or nowhere. It must not be something which is limited to one corner of a man’s nature; it must run through the diversities of all his gifts. All his gifts must tend in one direction — the direction of self-sacrifice; this is that sameness of the Spirit which makes the most varied acts the acts of one religious life. Does it seem to thee an impossible thing that a man should be religious throughout — -should be able to pray without ceasing? Nay, but thou hast forgotten the nature of religion, the nature of prayer; it is the giving up of thyself. And canst thou not give up thyself in everything as well as in one thing? Is the gift of song meant in the sanctuary for the praise of God and in thine own dwelling for the praise of thyself? Nay, is it not alike for God and man something given to create joy? Are thy prayers in the house of God offerings to the Heavenly Father and thy wishes in thine own house offerings merely to this world? Nay, but thy wishes must themselves be prayers — golden desires that thy good may be the good of all. Are the contributions of thy hand in church to be dictated by the love of God and the contributions of thy intellect in the study to be dictated by the love of fame? Nay, but both must be consecrated on one altar — that service of humanity which is God’s unconsuming fire. Spirit of Christ, Spirit of the crucified One, let all my gifts be permeated by Thee. Let my reason be Thine; bathe it in the stream of Thy sacrifice that it may come forth seeking truth for itself alone, truth at any price, truth though it lead to martyrdom. Let my will be Thine; wash it in the fountain of Thy blood that it may come forth bound with that chain of love whose bondage is perfect freedom. Let my imagination be Thine; merge it in the ocean of Thy love that it may come forth filled with the ideal of Thy beauty. Let my heart be Thine; rest it with Thee on the bosom of the Father that it may come forth desiring nothing which Thou desirest not and loving nothing which is not loved by Thee. Let my manner be Thine; plunge it in the wave of Thy self-forgetfulness that it may come forth sparkling with that grace which flows from unconsciousness alone. Then shall my whole life be religion; then shall my whole atmosphere be prayer; then shall my whole employment be service of Thee. My diverse gifts shall become gifts of the sanctuary when, O Spirit of sacrifice, they are baptized by Thee.