Suchaccountsasthisshadeawayintootherswherethebeliefis，notthatparticulareventsaretemperedmoretowardlytousbyasuperintendingprovidence，asarewardforourreliance，butthatbycultivatingthecontinuoussenseofourconnectionwiththepowerthatmadethingsastheyare，wearetemperedmoretowardlyfortheirreception。Theoutwardfaceofnatureneednotalter，buttheexpressionsofmeaninginitalter。Itwasdeadandisaliveagain。Itislikethedifferencebetweenlookingonapersonwithoutlove，oruponthesamepersonwithlove。Inthelattercaseintercoursespringsintonewvitality。Sowhenone’saffectionskeepintouchwiththedivinityoftheworld’sauthorship，fearandegotismfallaway；andintheequanimitythatfollows，onefindsinthehours，astheysucceedeachother，aseriesofpurelybenignantopportunities。Itisasifalldoorswereopened，andallpathsfreshlysmoothed。Wemeetanewworldwhenwemeettheoldworldinthespiritwhichthiskindofprayerinfuses。
SuchaspiritwasthatofMarcusAureliusandEpictetus。[318]Itisthatofmind-curers，ofthetranscendentalists，andoftheso-called“liberal“Christians。Asanexpressionofit，IwillquoteapagefromoneofMartineau’ssermons：——
[318]“GoodHeaven！”saysEpictetus，“anyonethinginthecreationissufficienttodemonstrateaProvidence，toahumbleandgratefulmind。Themerepossibilityofproducingmilkfromgrass，cheesefrommilk，andwoolfromskins；whoformedandplannedit？Oughtwenot，whetherwedigorploughoreat，tosingthishymntoGod？GreatisGod，whohassupplieduswiththeseinstrumentstotilltheground；greatisGod，whohasgivenushandsandinstrumentsofdigestion，whohasgivenustogrowinsensiblyandtobreatheinsleep。Thesethingsweoughtforevertocelebrate……Butbecausethemostofyouareblindandinsensible，theremustbesomeonetofillthisstation，andlead，inbehalfofallmen，thehymntoGod；forwhatelsecanIdo，alameoldman，butsinghymnstoGod？WereIanightingale，Iwouldactthepartofanightingale；wereIaswan，thepartofaswan。ButsinceIamareasonablecreature，itismydutytopraiseGod……andIcallonyoutojointhesamesong。”Works，booki。ch。xvi。，Carter-Higginsontranslationabridged。
“Theuniverse，opentotheeyeto-day，looksasitdidathousandyearsago：andthemorninghymnofMiltondoesbuttellthebeautywithwhichourownfamiliarsundressedtheearliestfieldsandgardensoftheworld。Weseewhatallourfatherssaw。AndifwecannotfindGodinyourhouseorinmine，upontheroadsideorthemarginofthesea；intheburstingseedoropeningflower；inthedaydutyorthenightmusing；inthegenerallaughandthesecretgrief；intheprocessionoflife，everenteringafresh，andsolemnlypassingbyanddroppingoff；I
donotthinkweshoulddiscernhimanymoreonthegrassofEden，orbeneaththemoonlightofGethsemane。Dependuponit，itisnotthewantofgreatermiracles，butofthesoultoperceivesuchasareallowedusstill，thatmakesuspushallthesanctitiesintothefarspaceswecannotreach。ThedevoutfeelthatwhereverGod’shandis，THEREismiracle：anditissimplyanindevoutnesswhichimaginesthatonlywheremiracleis，cantherebetherealhandofGod。ThecustomsofHeavenoughtsurelytobemoresacredinoureyesthanitsanomalies；thedearoldways，ofwhichtheMostHighisnevertired，thanthestrangethingswhichhedoesnotlovewellenoughevertorepeat。Andhewhowillbutdiscernbeneaththesun，asherisesanymorning，thesupportingfingeroftheAlmighty，mayrecoverthesweetandreverentsurprisewithwhichAdamgazedonthefirstdawninParadise。Itisnooutwardchange，noshiftingintimeorplace；
butonlythelovingmeditationofthepureinheart，thatcanreawakentheEternalfromthesleepwithinoursouls：thatcanrenderhimarealityagain，andreassertforhimoncemorehisancientnameof’theLivingGod。’“[319]
JamesMartineau：endofthesermon“HelpThouMineUnbelief。”inEndeavoursafteraChristianLife，2dseries。
ComparewiththispagetheextractfromVoyseyonp。270，above，andthosefromPascalandMadameGuyononp。281。
WhenweseeallthingsinGod，andreferallthingstohim，wereadincommonmatterssuperiorexpressionsofmeaning。Thedeadnesswithwhichcustominveststhefamiliarvanishes，andexistenceasawholeappearstransfigured。Thestateofamindthusawakenedfromtorporiswellexpressedinthesewords，whichItakefromafriend’sletter：——
“Ifweoccupyourselvesinsummingupallthemerciesandbountiesweareprivilegedtohave，weareoverwhelmedbytheirnumbersogreatthatwecanimagineourselvesunabletogiveourselvestimeeventobegintoreviewthethingswemayimagineWEHAVENOT。WesumthemandrealizethatWEAREACTUALLY
KILLEDWITHGOD’SKINDNESS；thatwearesurroundedbybountiesuponbounties，withoutwhichallwouldfall。Shouldwenotloveit；shouldwenotfeelbuoyedupbytheEternalArms？”
Sometimesthisrealizationthatfactsareofdivinesending，insteadofbeinghabitual，iscasual，likeamysticalexperience。
FatherGratrygivesthisinstancefromhisyouthfulmelancholyperiod：——
“OnedayIhadamomentofconsolation，becauseImetwithsomethingwhichseemedtomeideallyperfect。ItwasapoordrummerbeatingthetattoointhestreetsofParis。Iwalkedbehindhiminreturningtotheschoolontheeveningofaholiday。Hisdrumgaveoutthetattooinsuchawaythat，atthatmomentatleast，howeverpeevishIwere，Icouldfindnopretextforfault-finding。Itwasimpossibletoconceivemorenerveorspirit，bettertimeormeasure，moreclearnessorrichness，thanwereinthisdrumming。Idealdesirecouldgonofartherinthatdirection。Iwasenchantedandconsoled；theperfectionofthiswretchedactdidmegood。Goodisatleastpossible，Isaid。
sincetheidealcanthussometimesgetembodied。”[320]
[320]SouvenirsdemaJeunesse，1897，p。122。
InSenancour’snovelofObermannasimilartransientliftingoftheveilisrecorded。InParisstreets，onaMarchday，hecomesacrossaflowerinbloom，ajonquil：
“Itwasthestrongestexpressionofdesire：itwasthefirstperfumeoftheyear。Ifeltallthehappinessdestinedforman。
Thisunutterableharmonyofsouls，thephantomoftheidealworld，aroseinmecomplete。Ineverfeltanythingsogreatorsoinstantaneous。Iknownotwhatshape，whatanalogy，whatsecretofrelationitwasthatmademeseeinthisfloweralimitlessbeauty……Ishallneverincloseinaconceptionthispower，thisimmensitythatnothingwillexpress；thisformthatnothingwillcontain；thisidealofabetterworldwhichonefeels，butwhich，itseems，naturehasnotmadeactual。”
Weheardinpreviouslecturesofthevivifiedfaceoftheworldasitmayappeartoconvertsaftertheirawakening。[322]Asarule，religiouspersonsgenerallyassumethatwhatevernaturalfactsconnectthemselvesinanywaywiththeirdestinyaresignificantofthedivinepurposeswiththem。Throughprayerthepurpose，oftenfarfromobvious，comeshometothem，andifitbe“trial。”strengthtoendurethetrialisgiven。Thusatallstagesoftheprayerfullifewefindthepersuasionthatintheprocessofcommunionenergyfromonhighflowsintomeetdemand，andbecomesoperativewithinthephenomenalworld。Solongasthisoperativenessisadmittedtobereal，itmakesnoessentialdifferencewhetheritsimmediateeffectsbesubjectiveorobjective。Thefundamentalreligiouspointisthatinprayer，spiritualenergy，whichotherwisewouldslumber，doesbecomeactive，andspiritualworkofsomekindiseffectedreally。
[322]Above，p。243ff。Comparethewithdrawalofexpressionfromtheworld，inMelancholiacs，p。148。
SomuchforPrayer，takeninthewidesenseofanykindofcommunion。Asthecoreofreligion，wemustreturntoitinthenextlecture。
Thelastaspectofthereligiouslifewhichremainsformetotouchuponisthefactthatitsmanifestationssofrequentlyconnectthemselveswiththesubconsciouspartofourexistence。
YoumayrememberwhatIsaidinmyopeninglecture[323]abouttheprevalenceofthepsychopathictemperamentinreligiousbiography。Youwillinpointoffacthardlyfindareligiousleaderofanykindinwhoselifethereisnorecordofautomatisms。Ispeaknotmerelyofsavagepriestsandprophets，whosefollowersregardautomaticutteranceandactionasbyitselftantamounttoinspiration，Ispeakofleadersofthoughtandsubjectsofintellectualizedexperience。SaintPaulhadhisvisions，hisecstasies，hisgiftoftongues，smallaswastheimportanceheattachedtothelatter。ThewholearrayofChristiansaintsandheresiarchs，includingthegreatest，theBarnards，theLoyolas，theLuthers，theFoxes，theWesleys，hadtheirvisions，voices，raptconditions，guidingimpressions，and“openings。”Theyhadthesethings，becausetheyhadexaltedsensibility，andtosuchthingspersonsofexaltedsensibilityareliable。Insuchliabilitytherelie，however，consequencesfortheology。Beliefsarestrengthenedwhereverautomatismscorroboratethem。Incursionsfrombeyondthetransmarginalregionhaveapeculiarpowertoincreaseconviction。Theinchoatesenseofpresenceisinfinitelystrongerthanconception，butstrongasitmaybe，itisseldomequaltotheevidenceofhallucination。SaintswhoactuallyseeorheartheirSaviourreachtheacmeofassurance。Motorautomatisms，thoughrarer，are，ifpossible，evenmoreconvincingthansensations。
Thesubjectshereactuallyfeelthemselvesplayeduponbypowersbeyondtheirwill。Theevidenceisdynamic；theGodorspiritmovestheveryorgansoftheirbody
Afriendofmine，afirst-ratepsychologist，whoisasubjectofgraphicautomatism，tellsmethattheappearanceofindependentactuationinthemovementsofhisarm，whenhewritesautomatically，issodistinctthatitobligeshimtoabandonapsychophysicaltheorywhichhehadpreviouslybelievedin，thetheory，namely，thatwehavenofeelingofthedischargedownwardsofourvoluntarymotor-centres。Wemustnormallyhavesuchafeeling，hethinks，ortheSENSEOFANABSENCEwouldnotbesostrikingasitisintheseexperiences。Graphicautomatismofafullydevelopedkindisrareinreligioushistory，sofarasmyknowledgegoes。SuchstatementsasAntoniaBourignon’s，that“Idonothingbutlendmyhandandspirittoanotherpowerthanmine。”isshownbythecontexttoindicateinspirationratherthandirectlyautomaticwriting。Insomeeccentricsectsthislatteroccurs。Themoststrikinginstanceofitisprobablythebulkyvolumecalled，“Oahspe，anewBibleintheWordsofJehovahandhisangelambassadors。”BostonandLondon，1891，writtenandillustratedautomaticallybyDr。NewbroughofNewYork，whomI
understandtobenow，ortohavebeenlately，attheheadofthespiritisticcommunityofShalaminNewMexico。Thelatestautomaticallywrittenbookwhichhascomeundermynoticeis“Zertouhem’sWisdomoftheAges。”byGeorgeA。Fuller，Boston，1901。
Thegreatfieldforthissenseofbeingtheinstrumentofahigherpowerisofcourse“inspiration。”Itiseasytodiscriminatebetweenthereligiousleaderswhohavebeenhabituallysubjecttoinspirationandthosewhohavenot。IntheteachingsoftheBuddha，ofJesus，ofSaintPaulapartfromhisgiftoftongues，ofSaintAugustine，ofHuss，ofLuther，ofWesley，automaticorsemi-automaticcompositionappearstohavebeenonlyoccasional。IntheHebrewprophets，onthecontrary，inMohammed，insomeoftheAlexandrians，inmanyminorCatholicsaints，inFox，inJosephSmith，somethinglikeitappearstohavebeenfrequent，sometimeshabitual。Wehavedistinctprofessionsofbeingunderthedirectionofaforeignpower，andservingasitsmouthpiece。AsregardstheHebrewprophets，itisextraordinary，writesanauthorwhohasmadeacarefulstudyofthem，tosee——
“How，oneafteranother，thesamefeaturesarereproducedinthepropheticbooks。Theprocessisalwaysextremelydifferentfromwhatitwouldbeiftheprophetarrivedathisinsightintospiritualthingsbythetentativeeffortsofhisowngenius。
Thereissomethingsharpandsuddenaboutit。Hecanlayhisfinger，sotospeak，onthemomentwhenitcame。Anditalwayscomesintheformofanoverpoweringforcefromwithout，againstwhichhestruggles，butinvain。Listen，forinstance，[to]theopeningofthebookofJeremiah。ReadthroughinlikemannerthefirsttwochaptersoftheprophecyofEzekiel。
“Itisnot，however，onlyatthebeginningofhiscareerthattheprophetpassesthroughacrisiswhichisclearlynotself-
caused。Scatteredallthroughthepropheticwritingsareexpressionswhichspeakofsomestrongandirresistibleimpulsecomingdownupontheprophet，determininghisattitudetotheeventsofhistime，constraininghisutterance，makinghiswordsthevehicleofahighermeaningthantheirown。Forinstance，thisofIsaiah’s：’TheLordspakethustomewithastronghand，’——anemphaticphrasewhichdenotestheovermasteringnatureoftheimpulse——’andinstructedmethatIshouldnotwalkinthewayofthispeople。’……OrpassageslikethisfromEzekiel：
’ThehandoftheLordGodfelluponme，’’ThehandoftheLordwasstronguponme。’TheonestandingcharacteristicoftheprophetisthathespeakswiththeauthorityofJehovahhimself。