llowed to sway the life as He wishes,
these three fit and blend perfectly. The Word of God taken alone will lead
to superstitious regard for a book and to a cramped judgment and action.
To say that we are guided by the Spirit, without due regard for the Book
He has been the principal one in writing, leads to fanaticism, or at least
to ill-advised, unbalanced, unnatural opinions and action.

Naturally one's own judgment and spirit-insight play a large part, for
they make the personal decision, they interpret both Word and Spirit to
us. It is through one's judgment and spirit-insight that the Holy Spirit
and the Word influence the decision and action. The great essential is the
habitual, quiet, broad, thoughtful study of God's Word, with the will and
life utterly yielded to the Holy Spirit. So one's spirit is trained to
understand, and one's judgment to form its conclusions. The Holy Spirit
makes us understand God's purpose as revealed in His Word, and fits this
into the need of practical life. Obedience, intelligent and full, depends
upon the quiet time alone with God over His Word.

I want to add something more here. It is something startling. _There are
no break-downs in the path of obedience_. I say that very softly, as a
guilty sinner in the matter of break-downs. I remember that the record of
Christian service is like one continuous record of break-downs, broken
bodies, wrecked nerves, sometimes wrecked minds. And I am not saying it to
criticize any one, except it be myself. Out of a long personal experience
of constant going, unwise overwork, and serious break-downs, I am but
confessing my own sins, when I say there are no break-downs in the path of
obedience. Does that mean that there is much earnest service that we have
not been told to do? And the answer must be a very gentle, but very clear,
"Yes."

But the Man in command has perfect knowledge of what you can do. And _He
never asks you to do anything beyond your strength_. Or, if He does need
you to meet some emergency beyond your strength, He gives the strength
required. He sends in a fresh supply of resurrection life to repair the
waste of your body, and then, too, He calls into use strength, resources,
talents, that you have not known you had. Now I know that if this be
taken seriously, it will lead some to a heart-searching time alone with
the Master. I am sure that if obedience alone is to be the key-note, it
will mean many a readjustment. And it will mea