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sion; but there was declension, for the blessing God had given him was what was before his heart, and what characterised the altar, and not God who gave it. When the blessing, however great, is paramount to my heart, there is declension, because God is displaced by His own blessing. Our associates, as a rule, betray the extent and nature of this. It will always be found that declension plunges us into association unknown or unapproved of before. God, in mercy, restores Jacob. He says to him, "Arise, go up to Bethel." Power always turns to God, As He is before me, He is the health of my countenance, and my God; and then, though my own blessing is not paramount with me, I get a deeper sense of it.

I desire to point out a few of the various ways in which declension works when one is in the path of faith or power. It is so sudden, and often so specious, that it is not discovered until its consequences are disclosed.

Ten of the spies could commend the

land, and, in the same breath, discourage the people. Caleb and Joshua were in power, they kept God before them. The saddest chapter in our history, is, that declension may set in after a great and successful conflict with the enemy, after we have broken from his trammels. Thus was it with the captives from Babylon. They came up, and began to build in great power. They were hindered, and declension set in. A people who had gone through so much, and who had so vigorously contended for God's 'glory, "looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste," and that for sixteen years! In vain they laboured-there was no advance. When there is power, there is always progress. The question, "Children, have ye any meat?" at once discloses whether one is in power, or not.

In our Lord's time, the great evidence of declension was the Pharisee. Where there is a lack of power, there

is always an effort to keep up an appearance. Power expresses itself; it is what it is. A bird flies, it shews its power as it moves. The attempt to sustain an order of things, however right, is of itself an evidence of the lack of power. As it is said of Israel, They sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after covetousness." (Ezek. xxxiii. 31.) When we come to the time of full spiritual power, the declension of the unbelieving Jew is exposed. The blessed Lord was the power of God on the earth; any who followed Him did. not walk in darkness, but had the light of life. Hence, from that time there is no power apart from Him. "With

out me ye can do nothing," and declension begins when any believer drops out of concert with Him, however powerful or faithful previously. We have seen how readily declension supervenes, and we have thus learned that no one is, at any moment, safe from it.

But now, seeing we are united to Christ, the source of power, we are, on the one hand, without excuse; and, on the other, the declension is more apparent and decided. Power is defined by a Person any independence of Christ is declension. When Christ was here, He kept His own by His power. Declension ensued on His going away. He restored them to Himself. (John xxi.) Under His control they were kept in the right way. When He was exalted, He received the promise of the Father; the Holy Ghost was sent down. Power from henceforth is as we walk in the Spirit; when not in the Spirit, it is declension. The Spirit connects with Christ. Thus power or declension is easily defined.

There was declension at Corinth, though they were so greatly gifted. They reigned as kings; led away by self-indulgence, they were loose in their own lives, and therefore were so in the church. They were not led of the Spirit. They did not remember that "he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit."

There was declension of quite a different kind among the Galatians. Having begun in the Spirit, they sought to be made perfect in the flesh. There was declension at Thessalonica, when an event, and even the greatest event, engrossed their hearts more than Christ. There was declension at Ephesus, when they left their first love. There was declension in Asia, when it could be said, "All in Asia have turned away from me." Declension marked the Hebrews, when they in their hearts. turned back to earth, instead of running on to heaven.

Thus we have glanced at the many phases of declension, as recounted in scripture. I will now seek to define the more general forms in which it occurs, and, at the same time, point out how walking in the Spirit, which is power, would have preserved us.

The most common form of declension is when, after having taken a right step, we are tempted and drawn away by an offer ministering to our natural taste. Thus it was, when the green

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