He attempts to start out a Christian grace,—­say the grace of humility,—­but the feeling of pride already stands in the way, and, what is more, remains in the way.  He tries to generate that supreme love of God, of which he has heard so much, but the supreme love of himself is ahead of him, and occupies the whole ground.  In short, he is baffled at every point in this attempt radically to change his own heart and will, because at every point this heart and will are already committed and determined.  Go down as low as he pleases, he finds sin,—­love of sin, and inclination to sin.  He never reaches a point where these cease; and therefore never reaches a point where he can begin a new love, and a new inclination.  The late Mr. Webster was once engaged in a law case, in which he had to meet, upon the opposing side, the subtle and strong understanding of Jeremiah Mason.  In one of his conferences with his associate counsel, a difficult point to be managed came to view.  After some discussion, without satisfactory results, respecting the best method of handling the difficulty, one of his associates suggested that the point might after all, escape the notice of the opposing counsel.  To this, Mr. Webster replied:  “Not so; go down as deep as you will, you will find Jeremiah Mason below you.”  Precisely so in the case of which we are speaking.  Go down as low as you please into your heart and will, you will find your self below you; you will find sin not only lying at the door, but lying in the way.  If you move in the line of your feelings and affections, you will find earthly feelings and affections ever below you.  If you move in the line of your choice and inclination, you will find a sinful choice and inclination ever below you.  In chasing your sin through the avenues of your fallen and corrupt soul, you are chasing your horizon; in trying to get clear of it by your own isolated and independent strength, you are attempting (to use the illustration of Goethe, who however employed it for a false purpose) to jump off your own shadow.

This, then, is the reason why the heart and will of a sinful man are so entirely beyond his own control.  They are preoccupied and predetermined, and therefore he cannot make a beginning in the direction of holiness.  If he attempts to put forth a holy determination, he finds a sinful one already made and making,—­and this determination is his determination, unforced, responsible and guilty.  If he tries to start out a holy emotion, he finds a sinful emotion already beating and rankling,—­and this emotion is his emotion, unforced, responsible, and guilty.  There is no physical necessity resting upon him.  Nothing but this love of sin and inclination to self stands in the way of a supreme love of God and holiness; but it stands in the way. Nothing but the sinful affection of the heart prevents a man from exercising a holy affection; but it prevents him effectually.  An evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit; a sinful love and inclination cannot convert itself into a holy love and inclination; Satan cannot cast out Satan.