ment's reversal of the decision. Each day that
follows is a steady carrying out of the plant's purpose: "this old
leaf shall die, and the new leaf shall live." So with your soul. Come
to the decision once for all: "every known sin shall go--if there is
a deliverance to be had, I will have it." Put the Cross of Christ, in
its mysterious delivering power, irrevocably between you and sinning,
and hold on there. That is your part, and you must do it. There is no
further progress possible to you, till you make up your mind to part
company with every sin in which you know you are indulging--every sin
of thought, word, or deed, every link with the world, the flesh, or
the devil, everything on which the shadow of a question falls, as
God's light shines in: to part company, not by a series of gradual
struggles, but by an honest act of renouncing, maintained by faith
and obedience. And as you make the decision up to your present
knowledge, you must determine that this is henceforth your attitude
towards all that is "not of the Father," as His growing light shall
reveal it.

From His side God will come in with a breath of His resurrection
power; for the Cross and the empty tomb cannot be long divided. The
law of the Spirit of Life can work now, as you deliberately loose
hold of all clinging to sin; the expulsive power of His working
within, and the play of His winds around, will make you "free
indeed," like these young shoots when last year's leaves have fallen.

* * * * * * * *

This brings us to the positive side; for when the sentence of death
on the old nature is realised, the new nature can be manifested.
Separation from all known sin is the starting-point for
santification, not the goal: it is only the negative side of
holiness; it is only reaching the place where God can develop His
ideal in us unhindered. It is when the death of winter has done its
work that the sun can draw out in each plant its own individuality,
and make its existence full and fragrant. Holiness means something
more than the sweeping away of the old leaves of sin: it means the
life of Jesus developed in us.

No matter if we feel utterly helpless before that lovely life of His.
Given the conditions--the hidden power within, and the old outlets of
growth shut off--the sun will do the rest; out of the midst of
apparent lifelessness, of barrenness, of difficulty, the blossoms
will be drawn forth. Do not let us "limit the Holy One of Israel" by
putting