, and had him into a little room, where sate two little children,
each one in his chair. The name of the eldest was Passion and of the
other Patience. Passion seemed to be much discontent, but Patience was
very quiet. Then Christian asked, What is the reason of the discontent
of Passion? The interpreter answered, The governor of them would have
him stay for his best things till the beginning of the next year; but he
will have all now. But Patience is willing to wait.'

Passion and Patience, like Esau and Jacob, are twin-brothers. And their
names, like their natures, spring up from the same root. 'Patience,'
says Crabb in his _English Synonyms_, 'comes from the active participle
to suffer; while passion comes from the passive participle of the same
verb; and hence the difference between the two names. Patience signifies
suffering from an active principle, a determination to suffer; while
passion signifies what is suffered from want of power to prevent the
suffering. Patience, therefore, is always taken in a good sense, and
Passion always in a bad sense.' So far this excellent etymologist. This
is, therefore, another case of blessing and cursing proceeding out of the
same mouth, and of the same fountain sending forth at the same place both
sweet water and bitter.

Our Lord tells us in this striking text that our very souls by reason of
sin are not our own. He tells us that we have lost hold of our souls
before we have as yet come to know that we have souls. We only discover
that we have souls after we have lost them. And our Lord,--our best,
indeed our only, authority in the things of the soul,--here tells us that
it is only by patience that we shall ever win back our lost souls. More,
far more, is needed to the winning back of a lost soul than its owner's
patience, and our Lord knew that to His cost. But that is not His point
with us to-night. His sole point with each one of us to-night is our
personal part in the conquest and redemption of our sin-enslaved souls.
He who has redeemed our souls with His own blood tells us with all
plainness of speech, that His blood will be shed in vain, as far as we
are concerned, unless we add to His atoning death our own patient life.
Every human life, as our Lord looks at it, and would have us look at it,
is a vast field of battle in which a soul is lost or won; little as we
think of it or will believe it, in His sight every trial, temptation,
provocation, insult, inj