’I have let myself be cheated out of my Sunday, by going to hear Mr. ——.  As he began by reading the first chapter of Isaiah, and the fourth of John’s Epistle, I made mental comments with pure delight.  “Bring no more vain oblations.”  “Every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.”  “We know that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because he hath given us of the Spirit.”  Then pealed the organ, full of solemn assurance.  But straightway uprose the preacher to deny mysteries, to deny the second birth, to deny influx, and to renounce the sovereign gift of insight, for the sake of what he deemed a “rational” exercise of will.  As he spoke I could not choose but deny him all through, and could scarce refrain from rising to expound, in the light of my own faith, the words of those wiser Jews which had been read.  Was it not a sin to exchange friendly greeting as we parted, and yet tell him no word of what was in my mind?

’Still I saw why he looked at things as he did.  The old religionists did talk about “grace, conversion,” and the like, technically, without striving to enter into the idea, till they quite lost sight of it.  Undervaluing the intellect, they became slaves of a sect, instead of organs of the Spirit.  This Unitarianism has had its place.  There was a time for asserting “the dignity of human nature,” and for explaining total depravity into temporary inadequacy,—­a time to say that the truths of essence, if simplified at all in statement from their infinite variety of existence, should be spoken of as One, rather than Three, though that number, if they would only let it reproduce itself simply, is of highest significance.  Yet the time seems now to have come for reinterpreting the old dogmas.  For one I would now preach the Holy Ghost as zealously as they have been preaching Man, and faith instead of the understanding, and mysticism instead &c.  But why go on?  It certainly is by no means useless to preach.  In my experience of the divine gifts of solitude, I had forgotten what might be done in this other way.  That crowd of upturned faces, with their look of unintelligent complacency!  Give tears and groans, rather, if there be a mixture of physical excitement and bigotry.  Mr. ——­ is heard because, though he has not entered into the secret of piety, he wishes to be heard, and with a good purpose,—­can make a forcible statement, and kindle himself with his own thoughts.  How many persons must there be who cannot worship alone, since they are content with so little!  Can none wake the spark that will melt them, till they take beautiful forms?  Were one to come now, who could purge us with fire, how would these masses glow and be clarified!

’Mr. ——­ made a good suggestion:—­“Such things could not be said in the open air.”  Let men preach for the open air, and speak now thunder and lightning, now dew and rustling leaves.  Yet must the preacher have the thought of his day before