Beware of the fond conceit that, because of religious zeal, no harm can befall this country. Rather be sure of this: the more light, the more Bibles, the more preaching, the more of everything that is good there is, if men are not conformed to it and not walking in it, the greater the danger. If they treat it as a light thing, and despise it; if they have no conscience about practical bowing to the light of Scripture, they are most sure to fall under one delusion or another. For who is to say what is not of importance in Scripture, or by what means the devil gains power over the heart? Wherever the soul commits itself to a refusal to listen to God, gives itself up to disobedience to God in anything, who is to say where all is to end?
There is no security except in the path of holy dependence upon God and obedience to His Word. We do not well on choosing one part of Scripture above another because we get more comfort from it. There is no security save as we take all Scripture. It is very sweet that we enjoy the presence of the Lord, but, more than that, it is a fearful thing to be found in disobedience to the Lord. Disobedience is as the sin of witchcraft. There is nothing more ruinous. To disobey God is virtually to destroy His honor. It was so in Israel, and yet there is much worse to come, arising out of the lax and evil state of Christendom.
Extract From “Notes on Daniel” by William Kelly, p. 97, 98.