It counsels prudence when young blood will only respond to the language of inspiration. A biography of Clemenceau was published not long ago—a typical Parisian, never satisfied, never stagnant, always ready for novelty by and adventure. And this is one characteristic thing he said: "E; perience may teach what to avoid; only experiment can teach what to attempt." Now the contrast between experience and_ experiment corresponds to the controversy between crabbed age and callow youth. And we cannot suppose that experiment without conditions is a sufficient guide to life. If men were to follow every urge of their nature they would soon drift to the "Trenches." Experiment is only right when deep calls to deep—the deep within answering to the deep note of human experience. In the plane of mere morals, or, shall I say, on the plane of our own nature, left to itself, there is no reconciliation between experiment and experience; it becomes the controversy so graphically described by the apostle Paul in the 7th chapter of Romans.
But what we have to recognize'
ite clearly is that the method; nonce has been adopted by Christianity, and made an essential part of its. philosophy. Have you noticed the difference here between {the Old Testament and the New? The Jews were always wrapped in the solemn influence of the past, where experience is the teacher. they were always hearing the voice behind them, which spoke of shortcoming and_ backsliding, whereas the New Testament filled with a sense of animation and advance, "forgetting the things behind," rejoicing in the present. opportunity.
Compare the Acts of the Apostles with the Chronicles of the Kings to appreciate the Christian standpoint. that the duty of the hour is not to be measured by the precedents and standards of a fancied golden age but by the possibilities of a living present. The leadership of the Holy Ghost was intended to make the Christian' life a continual experiment.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.