Diary of Alexander Jaffray, provost of Aberdeen

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more gross, visibly and sensibly so, must be struck
doion. For Christ, at his entry in tliy heart, may re-
ceive no less opposition from the one than from the
other ; for the wisdom of the natural man, as well as
his more fleshly lustings, is enmity against God; — it
cannot be reconciled with him, but must give place,
or he will not come in.
And, having received him, keep him well ; keep
near to him, yea, in him; abide in him, and let his
words abide in you. His words are not [merely] as
they are spoken in the Scriptures, or any other out-
ward way only, to the ear or eye of the body ; but it
is his words in you, it is the hearing of them thus, as
they are spoken in you, that will be profitable for you
and bring salvation. The branch, by being in the
Vine, has sap flowing constantly to it from the root ; —
so will ye feel that, if ye abide in Him ; even as the
woman, who felt virtue coming from Jesus. The spirit
has its senses, as well as the body; it feels, it handles,
it tastes, it touches, 1 John, i. 1. But these spiritual
senses are, for the most part, benumbed and dead
for want of exercise. When the eye of the mind is
darkened, O how great is that darkness ! Matt. vi.
22, 23 : — be, therefore, very careful to keep open this
eye, the light that is in thee, as Christ there calls that,
the eye of the mind ; which being kept open, all the
body is full of light.
The 21st day. I find the Lord saying to my heart,
that it should be quiet, and not repine or fret at his
way of exercising me, however bitter it be ; — if it be
more and more so, I am not allowed to despond or be
discouraged, seeing, God gets more glory by sustain-
ing me to strive against such a case, than he could do
by my getting victory. It will also be, in the end,