v Progress comes of individual excellence. 71 



inequalities widen, but also that they are purposely 

 so widened. Spiritual progress was to be brought 

 about after the plan upon which all other human 

 progress proceeds. It was to originate in individuals, 

 who should push forward, seize upon posts in the 

 foreground, and hold them till the rest came up. 

 It is not the way of humanity to advance in line 

 along the whole front; all progress comes of in- 

 dividual excellence, and the world is so ordered as 

 to favour the growth of one beginning to out-top the 

 rest." 1 



All experience confirms the truth of this : of its 

 apparent ungraciousness, or unsuitability to a Gospel 

 of grace, we shall have to speak in the following 

 chapter. But it is not only as certain a fact as any 

 fact of observation can be : it is also an obviously 

 necessary result of the constitution of things. " There 

 is need of strong men for human progress. If life 

 were smooth and easy, men would as it were advance 

 in line, and the stronger men would not so surely 

 come in front of the rest. It is in times of trouble 

 that men are most apt to recognise worth and 

 capacity, and make much of them. So that the 

 trials and difficulties of human life which come of 

 evil, have this good effect among others, that they 

 help to pick out the men who are fitted to be the 

 leaders of human movements and of human thought." 2 

 And this, though originally a law of mere nature, 

 was purposely adopted by Christ as part of His 



1 Pastor Pastorum, pp^.'siS, 315. 2 Ibid. p. 45. 



