An Army Captain listened to them, and was greatly moved by their
fervour, their burning appeals, their religious ecstasy, and
their denunciations of the lukewarmness of other Christians,
including The Army. She began to wonder if after all they were
not right, and whether or not the Holy Spirit was amongst us. Her
heart was full of distress, and she cried to God. And then the
vision of our Slum Officers rose before her eyes. She saw their
devotion, their sacrifice, their lowly, hidden service, year
after year, among the poor and ignorant and vicious, and she said
to herself, "Is not this the Spirit of Jesus? Would these men,
who denounce us so, be willing to forgo their religious ecstasies
and spend their lives in such lowly, unheralded service?" And the
mists that had begun to blind her eyes were swept away, and she
saw Jesus still amongst us going about doing good in the person
of our Slum Officers and of all who for His name's sake sacrifice
their time and money and strength to bless and save their
fellow-men.
You who have visions of glory and rapturous delight, and so count
yourselves filled with the Spirit, do these visions lead you to
virtue and to lowly, loving service? If not, take heed to
yourselves, lest, exalted like Capernaum to Heaven, you are at
last cast down to Hell. Thank God for the mounts of transfiguration
where we behold His glory! but down below in the valley are
children possessed of devils, and to them He would have us go
with the glory of the mount on our faces, and lowly love and
vigorous faith in our hearts, and clean hands ready for any service.
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