but Standfast
could never get his fill just of musing. Standfast loved solitude.
Standfast liked nothing better than to walk long stretches at a time all
by himself alone. Standfast was like the apostle when he preferred to
take the twenty miles from Troas to Assos on foot and alone, rather than
to round the cape on shipboard in a crowd. "Minding himself to go
afoot," says the apostle's companion. It would have made a precious
chapter in the Acts of the Apostles had the author of that book been able
to give his readers some of Paul's musings as he crossed the Troad on
foot that day. But in the absence of Paul's musings we have here the
musings of a man whom Paul would not have shaken off had he foregathered
with him on that lonely road. For Standfast was in a deep and serious
muse mile after mile, when, who should step into the middle of his path
right before him but Madam Bubble with her body and her purse and her
bed? Now, had this hungry howlet of a pilgrim been at that moment in any
other but a musing mood of mind, he had to a certainty sold himself, soul
and body, Celestial City and all, to that impudent slut. But, as He
would have it who overrules Madam Bubble's descents, and all things,
Standfast was at that moment in one of his most musing moods, and all her
smiles and all her offers fell flat and poor upon him. Cultivate
Standfast's mood of mind, my brethren. Walk a good deal alone. Strike
across country from time to time alone and have good long walks and talks
with yourself. And when you know that you are passing places of
temptation see that your thoughts, and even your imaginations, are well
occupied with solemn considerations about the certain issue of such and
such temptations; and then, to you, as to Standfast,

"The arrow seen beforehand slacks its flight."

2. But, musing alone, the arrow seen beforehand, and all, Standfast
would have been a lost man on that lonely road that day had he not
instantly betaken himself to his knees. And it was while Standfast was
still on his knees that the ascending pilgrims heard that concerned and
solemn noise a little ahead of them. Did you ever suddenly come across a
man on his knees? Did you ever surprise a man at prayer as Greatheart
and his companions surprised Standfast? I do not ask, Did you ever enter
a room and find a family around their morning or evening altar? We have
all done that. And it left its own impression upon us. But did you e