Man’s Duty to His Fellow Men
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for self. You rely upon your good intentions and resolutions, and the
principal sum of life is composed of resolutions made and resolutions
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broken. What you all need is to die to self, cease clinging to self,
and surrender to God. Gladly would I comfort you if I could. Gladly
would I praise your good qualities, good purposes, and good acts; but
God was not pleased to show me these. He presented before me the
hindrances to your gaining the noble, elevated character of holiness
needful for you to have that you may not lose the heavenly rest and
immortal glory He would have you attain. Look away from yourselves
to Jesus. He is all and in all. The merits of the blood of a crucified
and risen Saviour will avail to cleanse from the least and greatest sin.
In trusting faith commit the keeping of your souls to God as unto a
faithful Creator. Be not continually in fear and apprehension that God
will leave you. He never will unless you depart from Him. Christ will
come in and dwell with you if you will open the door of your hearts to
Him. There may be perfect harmony between you and the Father and
His Son if you will die to self and live unto God.
How few are aware that they have darling idols, that they have
cherished sins! God sees these sins to which you may be blinded,
and He works with His pruning knife to strike deep and separate
these cherished sins from you. You all want to choose for yourselves
the process of purification. How hard it is for you to submit to the
crucifixion of self; but when the work is all submitted to God, to
Him who knows our weakness and our sinfulness, He takes the very
best way to bring about the desired results. It was through constant
conflict and simple faith that Enoch walked with God. You may all
do the same. You may be thoroughly converted and transformed,
and be indeed children of God, enjoying not only the knowledge of
His will, but, by your example, leading others in the same path of
humble obedience and consecration. Real godliness is diffusive and
communicative. The psalmist says: “I have not hid Thy righteousness
within my heart; I have declared Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation: I
have not concealed Thy loving-kindness and Thy truth from the great
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congregation.” Wherever the love of God is, there is always a desire to
express it.
May God help you all to make earnest efforts to gain everlasting
life and to lead others in the path of holiness.