to be always ready to run, and to run with light hearts when we
do. That is a possible result of Christian communion, and ought, far
more than it is, to be an achieved reality with each of us. Of course
physical conditions vary. Of course our spirits go up and down. Of
course the work that we have to do one day seems easier than the same
work does another. All these fluctuations and variations, and causes of
heavy-footedness--and sometimes more sinful ones, causes of
sluggishness--will survive; but in spite of them all, and beneath them
all, it is possible that we may have ourselves thus equipped for the
road, and may rejoice in our work 'as a strong man to run a race,' and
may cheerily welcome every duty, and cast ourselves into all our tasks.
It is possible, because communion with God manifest in Christ does, as
we have been seeing, actually breathe into men a vigour, and
consequently a freshness and a buoyancy that do not belong to
themselves, and do not come from nature or from surrounding things.
Unless that is true, that Christianity gives to a man the divine
gladness which makes him ready for work, I do not know what is the good
of his Christianity to him.

But not only is that so, but this same communion with God, which is the
opening of the heart for the influx of the divine power, brings to bear
upon all our work new motives which redeem it from being oppressive,
tedious, monotonous, trivial, too great for our endurance, or too little
for our effort. All work that is not done in fellowship with Jesus
Christ tends to become either too heavy to be tackled successfully, or
too trivial to demand our best energies, and in either case will be done
perfunctorily, and as the days go on, mechanically and wearisomely, as a
grind and a pled. 'Thou makest my feet like hinds' feet'--if I get the
new motive of love to God in Christ well into my heart so that it comes
out and influences all my actions, there will be no more tasks too
formidable to undertake, or too small to be worth an effort. There will
be nothing unwelcome. The rough places will be made plain, and the
crooked things straight, and our feet will be shod with the preparedness
of the gospel of peace.

If we live in daily communion with God, another thought, too, will come
in, which will, in like manner, make us ready 'to run with' cheerfulness
'the race that is set before us.' We shall connect everything that
befalls us, and everything that we have to do, wi