LeGeneralSkobeleff，NouvelleRevue，1886，abridged。Skobeleffseemstohavebeenacruelegoist；butthedisinterestedGaribaldi，ifonemayjudgebyhis“Memorie。”livedinanunflaggingemotionofsimilardanger-seekingexcitement。
Thedifferencebetweenwillingandmerelywishing，betweenhavingidealsthatarecreativeandidealsthatarebutpiningsandregrets，thusdependssolelyeitherontheamountofsteam-pressurechronicallydrivingthecharacterintheidealdirection，orontheamountofidealexcitementtransientlyacquired。Givenacertainamountoflove，indignation，generosity，magnanimity，admiration，loyalty，orenthusiasmofself-surrender，theresultisalwaysthesame。Thatwholeraftofcowardlyobstructions，whichintamepersonsanddullmoodsaresovereignimpedimentstoaction，sinksawayatonce。Ourconventionality，[147]ourshyness，laziness，andstinginess，ourdemandsforprecedentandpermission，forguaranteeandsurety，oursmallsuspicions，timidities，despairs，wherearetheynow？
Severedlikecobwebs，brokenlikebubblesinthesun——
“WosinddieSorgenunundNothDiemichnochgesternwollt’erschlaffen？
Ichscham’michdess’imMorgenroth。”
Thefloodweareborneonrollsthemsolightlyunderthattheirverycontactisunfelt。Setfreeofthem，wefloatandsoarandsing。Thisauroralopennessandupliftgivestoallcreativeideallevelsabrightandcarolingquality，whichisnowheremoremarkedthanwherethecontrollingemotionisreligious。“Thetruemonk。”writesanItalianmystic，“takesnothingwithhimbuthislyre。”
[147]Seethecaseonp。69，above，wherethewriterdescribeshisexperiencesofcommunionwiththeDivineasconsisting“merelyintheTEMPORARYOBLITERATIONOFTHECONVENTIONALITIES
whichusuallycovermylife。”
Wemaynowturnfromthesepsychologicalgeneralitiestothosefruitsofthereligiousstatewhichformthespecialsubjectofourpresentlecture。Themanwholivesinhisreligiouscentreofpersonalenergy，andisactuatedbyspiritualenthusiasms，differsfromhispreviouscarnalselfinperfectlydefiniteways。
Thenewardorwhichburnsinhisbreastconsumesinitsglowthelower“noes“whichformerlybesethim，andkeepshimimmuneagainstinfectionfromtheentiregrovelingportionofhisnature。Magnanimitiesonceimpossiblearenoweasy；paltryconventionalitiesandmeanincentivesoncetyrannicalholdnosway。Thestonewallinsideofhimhasfallen，thehardnessinhishearthasbrokendown。Therestofuscan，Ithink，imaginethisbyrecallingourstateoffeelinginthosetemporary“meltingmoods“intowhicheitherthetrialsofreallife，orthetheatre，oranovelsometimesthrowsus。Especiallyifweweep！
Foritisthenasifourtearsbrokethroughaninveterateinnerdam，andletallsortsofancientpeccanciesandmoralstagnanciesdrainaway，leavingusnowwashedandsoftofheartandopentoeverynoblerleading。Withmostofusthecustomaryhardnessquicklyreturns，butnotsowithsaintlypersons。Manysaints，evenasenergeticonesasTeresaandLoyola，havepossessedwhatthechurchtraditionallyreveresasaspecialgrace，theso-calledgiftoftears。Inthesepersonsthemeltingmoodseemstohaveheldalmostuninterruptedcontrol。Andasitiswithtearsandmeltingmoods，soitiswithotherexaltedaffections。Theirreignmaycomebygradualgrowthorbyacrisis；butineithercaseitmayhave“cometostay。”
Attheendofthelastlecturewesawthispermanencetobetrueofthegeneralparamountcyofthehigherinsight，eventhoughintheebbsofemotionalexcitementmeanermotivesmighttemporarilyprevailandbackslidingmightoccur。Butthatlowertemptationsmayremaincompletelyannulled，apartfromtransientemotionandasifbyalterationoftheman’shabitualnature，isalsoprovedbydocumentaryevidenceincertaincases。Beforeembarkingonthegeneralnaturalhistoryoftheregeneratecharacter，letmeconvinceyouofthiscuriousfactbyoneortwoexamples。Themostnumerousarethoseofreformeddrunkards。YourecollectthecaseofMr。Hadleyinthelastlecture；theJerryMcAuleyWaterStreetMissionaboundsinsimilarinstances。[148]YoualsorememberthegraduateofOxford，convertedatthreeintheafternoon，andgettingdrunkinthehay-fieldthenextday，butafterthatpermanentlycuredofhisappetite。“Fromthathourdrinkhashadnoterrorsforme：Inevertouchit，neverwantit。Thesamethingoccurredwithmypipe……thedesireforitwentatonceandhasneverreturned。Sowitheveryknownsin，thedeliveranceineachcasebeingpermanentandcomplete。
Ihavehadnotemptationssinceconversion。”
[148]Above，p。200。“TheonlyradicalremedyIknowfordipsomaniaisreligiomania。”isasayingIhaveheardquotedfromsomemedicalman。
HereisananalogouscasefromStarbuck’smanuscriptcollection：——
“IwentintotheoldAdelphiTheatre，wheretherewasaHolinessmeeting，……andIbegansaying，’Lord，Lord，Imusthavethisblessing。’Thenwhatwastomeanaudiblevoicesaid：’AreyouwillingtogiveupeverythingtotheLord？’andquestionafterquestionkeptcomingup，toallofwhichIsaid：’Yes，Lord；
yes，Lord！’untilthiscame：’WhydoyounotacceptitNOW？’andIsaid：’Ido，Lord。’——Ifeltnoparticularjoy，onlyatrust。
Justthenthemeetingclosed，and，asIwentoutonthestreet，I
metagentlemansmokingafinecigar，andacloudofsmokecameintomyface，andItookalong，deepbreathofit，andpraisetheLord，allmyappetiteforitwasgone。ThenasIwalkedalongthestreet，passingsaloonswherethefumesofliquorcameout，Ifoundthatallmytasteandlongingforthataccursedstuffwasgone。GlorytoGod！……[But]fortenorelevenlongyears[afterthat]Iwasinthewildernesswithitsupsanddowns。Myappetiteforliquornevercameback。”
TheclassiccaseofColonelGardineristhatofamancuredofsexualtemptationinasinglehour。ToMr。Spearsthecolonelsaid，“IwaseffectuallycuredofallinclinationtothatsinI
wassostronglyaddictedtothatIthoughtnothingbutshootingmethroughtheheadcouldhavecuredmeofit；andalldesireandinclinationtoitwasremoved，asentirelyasifIhadbeenasuckingchild；nordidthetemptationreturntothisday。”Mr。
Webster’swordsonthesamesubjectarethese：“OnethingIhaveheardthecolonelfrequentlysay，thathewasmuchaddictedtoimpuritybeforehisacquaintancewithreligion；butthat，sosoonashewasenlightenedfromabove，hefeltthepoweroftheHolyGhostchanginghisnaturesowonderfullythathissanctificationinthisrespectseemedmoreremarkablethaninanyother。”[149]
[149]Doddridge’sLifeofColonelJamesGardiner，LondonReligiousTractSociety，pp。23-32。
Suchrapidabolitionofancientimpulsesandpropensitiesremindsussostronglyofwhathasbeenobservedastheresultofhypnoticsuggestionthatitisdifficultnottobelievethatsubliminalinfluencesplaythedecisivepartintheseabruptchangesofheart，justastheydoinhypnotism。[150]Suggestivetherapeuticsaboundinrecordsofcure，afterafewsittings，ofinveteratebadhabitswithwhichthepatient，lefttoordinarymoralandphysicalinfluences，hadstruggledinvain。Bothdrunkennessandsexualvicehavebeencuredinthisway，actionthroughthesubliminalseemingthusinmanyindividualstohavetheprerogativeofinducingrelativelystablechange。IfthegraceofGodmiraculouslyoperates，itprobablyoperatesthroughthesubliminaldoor，then。ButjustHOWanythingoperatesinthisregionisstillunexplained，andweshalldowellnowtosaygood-bytothePROCESSoftransformationaltogether——leavingit，ifyoulike，agooddealofapsychologicalortheologicalmystery——andtoturnourattentiontothefruitsofthereligiouscondition，nomatterinwhatwaytheymayhavebeenproduced。[151]
[150]Here，forexample，isacase，fromStarbuck’sbook，inwhicha“sensoryautomatism“broughtaboutquicklywhatprayersandresolveshadbeenunabletoeffect。Thesubjectisawoman。
Shewrites：——
“WhenIwasaboutfortyItriedtoquitsmoking，butthedesirewasonme，andhadmeinitspower。IcriedandprayedandpromisedGodtoquit，butcouldnot。Ihadsmokedforfifteenyears。WhenIwasfifty-three，asIsatbythefireonedaysmoking，avoicecametome。Ididnothearitwithmyears，butmoreasadreamorsortofdoublethink。Itsaid，’Louisa，laydownsmoking。’AtonceIreplied。’Willyoutakethedesireaway？’Butitonlykeptsaying：’Louisa，laydownsmoking。’
ThenIgotup，laidmypipeonthemantel-shelf，andneversmokedagainorhadanydesireto。ThedesirewasgoneasthoughIhadneverknownitortouchedtobacco。Thesightofotherssmokingandthesmellofsmokenevergavemetheleastwishtotouchitagain。”ThePsychologyofReligion，p。142。
[151]ProfessorStarbuckexpressestheradicaldestructionofoldinfluencesphysiologically，asacuttingoffoftheconnectionbetweenhigherandlowercerebralcentres。“Thiscondition。”hesays，“inwhichtheassociation-centresconnectedwiththespirituallifearecutofffromthelower，isoftenreflectedinthewaycorrespondentsdescribetheirexperiences……Forexample：’Temptationsfromwithoutstillassailme，butthereisnothingWITHINtorespondtothem。’Theego[here]iswhollyidentifiedwiththehighercentreswhosequalityoffeelingisthatofwithinness。Anotheroftherespondentssays：’Sincethen，althoughSatantemptsme，thereisasitwereawallofbrassaroundme，sothathisdartscannottouchme。’“——
Unquestionably，functionalexclusionsofthissortmustoccurinthecerebralorgan。Butonthesideaccessibletointrospection，theircausalconditionisnothingbutthedegreeofspiritualexcitement，gettingatlastsohighandstrongastobesovereign，anditmustbefranklyconfessedthatwedonotknowjustwhyorhowsuchsovereigntycomesaboutinonepersonandnotinanother。Wecanonlygiveourimaginationacertaindelusivehelpbymechanicalanalogies。
Ifweshouldconceive，forexample，thatthehumanmind，withitsdifferentpossibilitiesofequilibrium，mightbelikeamany-sidedsolidwithdifferentsurfacesonwhichitcouldlieflat，wemightlikenmentalrevolutionstothespatialrevolutionsofsuchabody。Asitispriedup，saybyalever，fromapositioninwhichitliesonsurfaceA，forinstance，itwilllingerforatimeunstablyhalfwayup，andiftheleverceasetourgeit，itwilltumblebackor“relapse“underthecontinuedpullofgravity。ButifatlastitrotatefarenoughforitscentreofgravitytopassbeyondsurfaceAaltogether，thebodywillfallover，onsurfaceB，say，andabidetherepermanently。ThepullsofgravitytowardsAhavevanished，andmaynowbedisregarded。Thepolyhedronhasbecomeimmuneagainstfartherattractionfromtheirdirection。
Inthisfigureofspeechthelevermaycorrespondtotheemotionalinfluencesmakingforanewlife，andtheinitialpullofgravitytotheancientdrawbacksandinhibitions。Solongastheemotionalinfluencefailstoreachacertainpitchofefficacy，thechangesitproducesareunstable，andthemanrelapsesintohisoriginalattitude。Butwhenacertainintensityisattainedbythenewemotion，acriticalpointispassed，andtherethenensuesanirreversiblerevolution，equivalenttotheproductionofanewnature。
ThecollectivenamefortheripefruitsofreligioninacharacterisSaintliness。[152]Thesaintlycharacteristhecharacterforwhichspiritualemotionsarethehabitualcentreofthepersonalenergy；andthereisacertaincompositephotographofuniversalsaintliness，thesameinallreligions，ofwhichthefeaturescaneasilybetraced。[153]
[152]Iusethiswordinspiteofacertainflavorof“sanctimoniousness“whichsometimesclingstoit，becausenootherwordsuggestsaswelltheexactcombinationofaffectionswhichthetextgoesontodescribe。
[153]“Itwillbefound。”saysDr。W。R。IngeinhislecturesonChristianMysticism，London，1899，p。326，“thatmenofpreeminentsaintlinessagreeverycloselyinwhattheytellus。
Theytellusthattheyhavearrivedatanunshakableconviction，notbasedoninferencebutonimmediateexperience，thatGodisaspiritwithwhomthehumanspiritcanholdintercourse；thatinhimmeetallthattheycanimagineofgoodness，truth，andbeauty；thattheycanseehisfootprintseverywhereinnature，andfeelhispresencewithinthemastheverylifeoftheirlife，sothatinproportionastheycometothemselvestheycometohim。Theytelluswhatseparatesusfromhimandfromhappinessis，first，self-seekinginallitsforms；andsecondly，sensualityinallitsforms；thatthesearethewaysofdarknessanddeath，whichhidefromusthefaceofGod；whilethepathofthejustislikeashininglight，whichshinethmoreandmoreuntotheperfectday。”
Theyarethese：