ne way only--through
the taking of Jesus Christ firmly and faithfully into our own
heart and life.

It is not what we now are, or where we now stand that matters, but
what He has the power to bring us to.

How is God-consciousness to be achieved--shall we do it by study,
by reading? No--for the study or reading of it will do no more than
whet the appetite for spiritual things--this is its work,--but can do no
more in giving us the actual possession of this joy than the study of
a menu can satisfy hunger.

Individual, personal and inward possession is in all things our
necessity. If our friend has slept well it is no rest to us if we have
slept ill. Up to a given point in all things each for himself. It is the
law. Of where this law ends or is superseded by the law of all for all
only the Holy Spirit can instruct us, and that inwardly and again
each to himself. This state of God-consciousness is a gift, and our
work is to qualify for this gift by persistent ardent desire towards
God continued through every adversity, through every lack of
sensible response on His part--a naked will and heart insisting upon
God. This state of God-consciousness once received and in full
vigour of life, there is without doubt about this condition a principle
of active contagion, very noticeable, very remarkable.

That "something" which would appear frequently to be needed by
persons anxious to come to God and unable to discover the manner
of achieving it, would seem to be supplied by this contagion, as
though a human spark were often wanted to ignite the spark in
another, which done, the Divine Fire springs up and rapidly grows
without further human assistance.

We see this contagion as used in its full perfection by Jesus, for with
all His selected followers He had but to come in momentary contact
with them, using a word or a look, and, instantly forsaking
everything, they followed Him. Was this selection of His
favouritism? No, they were prepared to receive this contagion, and
not one of them but had been secretly seeking for God; and this
perhaps for long years.

To find this new life we need then not the reading of profound books
of learning, not the wisdom of the scholar, but an inward persistence
of the heart and will God-wards. This time of insistent waiting is to
be endured with all the more courage in that we do not know at what
blessed moment we may pierce the veil and the gift come in all its
glorious immensity. Ten year