er to
live out and actualise God's ideal thought concerning him. Upon the
map of his life is already marked out the road by which he is to reach
the heavenly city; if, at least, he reaches it, as God intends, by the
shortest way. There are no roundabout roads marked on the map in the
Mount, and yet the Divine Plan of our life will be found inclusive of
the minutest necessary details, just as an Ordnance map will tell you
each feature of interest and importance as you go from place to place.
It is of the utmost importance that we should take counsel's opinion
about our lives, and that we should pray, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me
to do?" that we should, if need be, weep much, until the Lamb shall
take off the seals from that book of life, which, in the archives of
the celestial city, is entitled "The Life of ---- taken from the
Pattern in the Mount"; that we should learn to conform ourselves to the
Divine original, just as a manuscript, however deformed by glosses and
traditions, is accurately and certainly emended by the discovery of the
original text; that we should know, in some sense, as Christ did,
whence we come and whither we go; that, as He said, we also might feel
that for this end we were born and for this purpose we came into the
world, that we might bear witness to the truth; that, with Him, too, we
might in some measure be able to say, "The son can do nothing but what
he seeth the Father do"; and that at our ending it might be said, "He
lived out the secret thought and counsel of the Almighty."

But in thinking of the pattern in the Mount as a pattern of life, it is
important for us to see that, in the first instance, this thought was
presented to us in connection with that side of life which we call
worship; for there was to be a sanctuary made, etc., nor must we omit
to get, with regard to our worship, a glimpse into the thought of God
beforehand, consulting the oracle in advance as did men in the old
days. We may not take voyage without the very best map that can be
had, lest we make shipwreck; nor, because we have not taken pains to
obtain the map, may we content ourselves with creeping round shores
that we know we ought to leave.

We must not separate the life from the worship; in fact they are one:
we learn that from the description of the ceaseless adoration of those
nearest the throne; they rest not day nor night saying, "Holy, holy,
holy." Are we to suppose from this that their existence is occ