Beyond  this  we  may  discern  in  them  an  uneasy  con-
viction that  he  requires  a  more  personal  devotion,  which
leads  to  spasmodic  efforts  to  kindle  the  feeling  by  means
of  violent  raptures  of  panegyric  and  by  repeating  over
and  getting  by  rote  the  ardent  expressions  of  those
who  really  had  it.  That  is  wanting  for  the  most  part
which  Christ  held  to  be  all  in  all,  spontaneous  warmth,
free  and  generous  devotion.  That  the  fruits  of  a


THE  ENTHUSIASM  OF  HUMANITY.  171

Christianity  so  hollow  should  be  poor  and  sickly  is  not
surprising.
But  that  Christ's  method,  when  rightly  applied,  is  really
of  mighty  force  may  be  shown  by  an  argument  which
the  severest  censor  of  Christians  will  hardly  refuse  to
admit.  Compare  the  ancient  with  the  modern  world ;
4  Look  on  this  picture  and  on  that.'  One  broad  distinction
in  the  characters  of  men  forces  itself  into  prominence.
Among  all  the  men  of  the  ancient  heathen  world  there
were  scarcely  one  or  two  to  whom  we  might  venture  to
apply  the  epithet  '  holy.'  In  other  words,  there  were  not
more  than  one  or  two,  if  any,  who  besides  being  virtuous
in  their  actions  were  possessed  with  an  unaffected  enthu-
siasm of  goodness,  and  besides  abstaining  from  vice  re-
garded even  a  vicious  thought  with  horror.  Probably  no
one  will  deny  that  in  Christian  countries  this  higher-
toned  goodness,  which  we  call  holiness,  has  existed.
Few  will  maintain  that  it  has  been  exceedingly  rare.
