when he came down; alone, he must necessarily go in advance.

And just so, when God has called some of His followers to an out-of-
the-way path, they have had to go alone in an untrodden way. Superior
love necessitates a lonely walk. You shrink, and say, "That seems so
hard." Yes, I know; I wish I could make it easier, but I cannot help
it. I simply state the fact, that superior love necessitates, in some
measure, a lonely walk, because you see it is only they who--thus
love, to whom the Lord tells His secrets. If you want to ask a
confidential question and get a confidential answer, you must be on
the bosom of your Master. You won't be able to do it at a distance.
Then, you see, when He gives to any soul superior light to its
fellows, and that soul _follows_ the light, it necessarily entails a
path in advance of its fellows. Unless he can inspire and encourage them
(which, alas! is hard work) to follow, he must go on alone.

That was a beautiful illustration we read in the lesson (Acts x.).
Here is Peter called to go in advance of the whole Church! Now, the
Lord wants a man to do this, and whom does He choose? He chooses
impulsive, energetic, head-first Peter. But then, there is something
to be done first God lets down the sheet with all its unclean contents,
and Peter fastens his eyes upon it. (I wish you had studied all the
sheets the Lord has let down before _your eyes_, you would have come out
very differently to what you have.) Peter studies them, and soon the
Divine vision has absorbed Peter's attention. When the Lord has fairly
got his attention, then comes the voice, "Now, Peter, rise, slay and
eat." Then, when the Lord had taught him his lesson effectually, and
when Peter saw that he had not yet explored all the ideas of the Divine
mind about the extension of His kingdom, and that his business was to
follow his Lord's directions, and not to have his own "ifs" and "buts,"