And thus, from its humility, its sense of weakness and weariness,
its consciousness of sin and failure, combined with its deep
apprehension of the stainless beauty of the moral law, this lyric
has found its way to the hearts of all who find the world and
temptation and fear too strong, all who through repeated failure
have learned that they cannot even be true to what they so
pathetically desire and admire; who would be brave and vigorous if
they could, but, as it is, can only hope to be just led step by
step, helped over the immediate difficulty, past the dreaded
moment; whose heart often fails them, and who have little of the
joy of God; who can only trust that, if they go astray, the mercy
of God will yet go out to seek them; who cannot even hope to run in
the way of God's beloved commandments, till He has set their heart
at liberty.
March 8, 1889.
I went to see Darell, my old schoolfellow, a few days ago; he wrote
to say that he would much like to see me, but that he was ill and
unable to leave home--could I possibly come to see him?
I have never seen very much of him since I left Cambridge; but
there I was a good deal in his company--and we have kept up our
friendship ever since, in the quiet way in which Englishmen do keep
up their friendships, meeting perhaps two or three times in the
year, exchanging letters occasionally.
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