The Varieties of Religious Experience - Penn State University

William JamesA less sturdy beggar-like fashion of leading the prayerful life isfollowed by innumerable other Christians. Persistence in leaningon the Almighty for support and guidance will, such persons say,bring with it proofs, palpable but much more subtle, of his presenceand active influence. The following description of a “led” life, by aGerman writer whom I have already quoted, would no doubt appearto countless Christians in every country as if transcribed fromtheir own personal experience. One finds in this guided sort of life,says Dr. Hilty—“That books and words (and sometimes people) come to one’scognizance just at the very moment in which one needs them; thatone glides over great dangers as if with shut eyes, remaining ignorantof what would have terrified one or led one astray, until theperil is past—this being especially the case with temptations to vanityand sensuality; that paths on which one ought not to wanderare, as it were, hedged off with thorns; but that on the other sidegreat obstacles are suddenly removed; that when the time has comefor something, one suddenly receives a courage that formerly failed,or perceives the root of a matter that until then was concealed, ordiscovers thoughts, talents, yea, even pieces of knowledge and insight,in one’s self, of which it is impossible to say whence theycome; finally, that persons help us or decline to help us, favor us orrefuse us, as if they had to do so against their will, so that oftenthose indifferent or even unfriendly to us yield us the greatest serviceand furtherance. (God takes often their worldly goods, fromthose whom he leads, at just the right moment, when they threatento impede the effort after higher interests.)“Besides all this, other noteworthy things come to pass, of whichit is not easy to give account. There is no doubt whatever that nowone walks continually through ‘open doors’ and on the easiest roads,with as little care and trouble as it is possible to imagine.“Furthermore one finds one’s self settling one’s affairs neither tooearly nor too late, whereas they were wont to be spoiled by untimeliness,even when the preparations had been well laid. In addition tothis, one does them with perfect tranquillity of mind, almost as ifthey were matters of no consequence, like errands done by us foranother person, in which case we usually act more calmly than when419