Worldliness and earthly-mindedness have blinded the minds and hardened the hearts of Christians, nowadays, to an extent very few have any idea of. There are, I am persuaded, very few cases touching upon the safety, and well-being of the Church of God, which, can be left to be judged by the mass of believers. On whom can one cast one’s burden of responsibility as to the spirituality of the saint’s walk and conduct? In cases innumerable which have occurred, I have found that the affections to the person of Christ have not been lively enough to make Christians indignant at open insults put upon Him—and they have had neither the heart nor the mind to stand apart from that which was the expression of indifferentism to Him.
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A negative Christianity is a bad thing, because it has a bad positive side; there are always things kept in reservation in my heart—things that I am not prepared to give up. But the moment I get the sense of what the new man is—that he is thoroughly away from home—that he has nothing here to nourish him or cherish him—that his heart is above—his home above—when I recognize that I must be supported entirely from above—it is then I find out what I cannot go on with here, and what are the things that will clash with this new life. (J. B.)