"SOUL FOOD"
Every human soul has been organized as to possess some one dominant trait, or some combination of traits, or some quality in a certain degree which is not duplicated in exactly the same proportion, perhaps, as in any other soul in creation. God is forever manifesting His exhaustless wisdom and power in producing creatures through all the ages which are unique and different in some respects from all the other myriads, that each soul may be a chosen vessel to show forth His gifts and glory and beauty and wisdom in a peculiar and individual manifestation. In our present condition, with our nature fallen and ignorant, and often, even in the highest state of grace, so hedged about with ignorance and short- sightedness and infirmities, we cannot begin to see the existing beauty and holy dignity and glory that God designs for each one of His loving and obedient children.
There are seven colors in the rainbow. Each of these colors can have ten thousand different shades, and each of these shades can be blended with the other colors and shades of color in untold millions of colors and shades of colors. So out of the element of spirit, soul, and body, which enters into the formation of man, and from the five senses of the soul add the intellectual faculties, and the grace of the Spirit operating in the heart, the Holy Spirit can combine these mental and spiritual qualities in an infinite number of forms and degrees, so that each saint shall possess some signal mark of divine favor, or some exhibition of divine beauty, or some form of love, which will distinguish him from all other creatures in the universe. This will make each one of the countless millions of heaven to have a special sacredness to God, and a special attraction for us. This truth is set forth in the different gems and precious stones which compose the twelve foundations of the city of God, as described in the twenty first chapter of Revelation. We shall find that each of these twelve precious stones, mentioned in that chapter, have a special virtue and quality of chemistry and beauty of its own, and when we learn the deep interior individuality of the twelve apostles, we shall find that each of those apostles had a unique quality --- some dominant trait of moral character --- which corresponds precisely with the quality of the various precious stones in the twelve foundations.
It is interesting and helpful to us to recognize this dominant soul quality in the Lord's people. Each person we meet makes a special impression upon our minds and sensibilities which no one else makes. The more thorough a person is saved and filled with the Spirit, and united with the divine Mind, the more perfectly will their deep inner personality be brought out and manifested by the Holy Spirit. Some of God's children impress us with love, others with illumination, others with great force, others with faith, others with conviction, others with sweetness of spirit, others with humility and resignation, others with authority and regnant power, others with quietness and retirement. Could our eyes be sufficiently open to see things in the full light of the Holy Spirit, and our keen spiritual sensibilities be perfectly open to the play of spirit-waves, or the detection of spiritual odors, we should find an unspeakable joy in the variety and fellowship of all God's saints. This will be one of the joys of heaven. The soul is larger than the body, and the spirit is larger than the soul. There is a spiritual atmosphere which surrounds us, as the air surrounds the world, and we can feel the touch of this soul-atmosphere.
This dominant quality of an immortal mind not only comes out in social contact, but even in books, the writer will put the dominant quality of his mind. In reading the writings of Wesley, I am always impressed with his will-power. Whatever I may read from his pen, in his journal, or sermons, I am always impressed with that firm, tireless, overmastering, persevering, conquering will-power which was in the man. This has always been the effect of his writing upon me, so much so that it tires me to read very much of his writings at a time. I believe Wesley had the strongest and purest will of any man in a thousand years.
When I read John Fletcher, I am impressed with an intense, burning eagerness for God, and of a consuming desire for the fullness of God, and tireless, incessant spirit of prayer for the heavenly filling. This is the dominant quality of his writings upon me.
When I read Madame Guyon, I feel the quality of utter self-abnegation, self-renunciation, and deep, fathomless abandonment to God. This quality pervades her poetry, her biography, her writings; in her domestic life, in prison, at all times, the reigning trait of her soul seems to be annihilation of self.
In reading Fenelon, I am impressed with great gentleness and sweetness of spirit, and a flexible, yielding, tender, compassionate thoughtfulness and heavenly sweetness. It seems to pervade, like a divine odor, everything he touches.
In reading Faber, I am aware of a great illumination and wonderful discernment unto God and the human spirit, and clearness, the white heat of devotion, the very poetry of light, the purity and gentle melody of sunbeams and stars and crystal fountains; such insights into God; such glowing visions of the Trinity; such cloudless perception of things in heaven. But it is the light of a hot sun flaming with devotion, and not the light of a winter moon.
The writings of George Muller predominately impressed me with patient prayer. He is known as a man of great faith, and yet the all-pervading quality in his writing to me is that of patient prayer --- the attitude of waiting on God and finding out His will before one step is taken. This is a very high type of faith, for there are thousands of different aspects and degrees of faith.
Dr. Cullis, with whom I had the pleasure of personal acquaintance, pre-eminently impressed me with a child-like, simple trust. I found it always easy to believe God in his presence. He seemed to carry an atmosphere of trust along with him. There was in Dr. Cullis a gentleness, sweet, child-like playfulness and infant-like trust which seemed to have nothing arduous in it.
Dr. Sheridan Baker had to me the dominant quality of well-poised accuracy and precision. His words, his behavior, his writings, his business transactions, his plans, his whole life and expression, seemed moulded in a beautiful, well-balanced precision; nothing redundant, or extravagant, or narrow, or little, or outlandish, or absurd. Everything in the man seemed as beautifully poised as the blue dome of heaven. Look at the way he managed his business; disbursed his money. Look at his writings; can you find one foolish, extravagant, or superfluous word? He was, in a very eminent degree, a man of wisdom and heavenly accuracy.
Inskip impressed me all the time as a warrior and leader, man of unbounded magnetism, a Bonaparte in the Holy Ghost. He could sway thousands of people as easily as a lion sways a cat. He could arouse a vast audience into a foaming sea of enthusiasm with waves of white-capped excitement breaking on the shore, and in a few moments could quell them to a placid lake, whose tiny ripples of low-breathed prayer were hardly audible on the beach.
I have met humble and saintly women, who spoke only a few words; but there was a faint quality of hid-away quietness in God which came out of them, and impressed me for days and months like the sweet minor strains of some delicate instrument in a great orchestra.
Every flower has its own perfume, every gem its own luster, every bird its own note, every
eye its own peculiar luster, every heart its own regnant quality; and if we will give
ourselves up utterly to the possession of the Holy Spirit, and seek constantly to be filled
more and more with the Christ-life, God will make each one of us a chosen vessel of some
precious gift or spiritual quality for the manifesting of His will to others. It is useless for any
one to try to exert a good influence. All such is miserable machinery. It is our
place to walk with God, live a continual prayer, be flooded with the gentle Spirit, seek to
please God, and He will see to it that a subtle fire shall always proceed from us, which will
burn itself indelibly into other souls in such a manner as to glorify God.
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