250 THE WHENCE AND THE WHITHER OF MAN 



wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver rne out of 

 the body of this death ? ' 



This is the terrible question. How is it to be an- 

 swered ? Let us remember our illustration of the 

 change wrought in that panic-stricken army before 

 "Winchester by the appearance of Sheridan. What 

 these men needed was not information. No plan of 

 battle reported as sure of success by trustworthy and 

 competent witnesses, and forwarded from the great- 

 est leader could have stayed that rout. What they 

 needed was Sheridan and the magnetic power of his 

 personality. This is the strange power of all great 

 leaders of men, whether orators, statesmen, or gen- 

 erals. It is intellect acting on and through intellect, 

 but it is also vastly more ; it is will acting on will. 

 The leader does not merely instruct others, he in- 

 spires them, puts himself into them, and makes them 

 heroes like himself. 



Now something like this, but vastly grander and 

 deeper, seems to me to have been the work of our 

 Lord. Read John's gospel and see how it is inter- 

 penetrated with the idea of the new life to be gained 

 by contact with our Lord, and how this forms the 

 foundation of his hope and claim to give men this 

 new life by drawing them to himself. And Peter 

 says that it was impossible for the Prince of Life to 

 be holden of death, for he was the centre and source 

 from which not only new thoughts and purposes, but 

 new will and life was to stream out into the souls of 

 men. This power of our Lord may have been mirac- 

 ulous and supernatural in degree ; I feel assured that 

 it was not unnatural in kind and mode of action. 



And here, young men, pardon a personal word 



