To be near unto God - pagina 182

moments in his life when he had to confess: "What I would, that do I not; but what I hate, do" (Rom. 7:15). This is an honest conwhich age upon age has been shamefullyabused, that under the cloak of piety one might continue in sin and keep the conscience quiet. An abuse which shall be judged of God. But apart from this abuse the language of St. Paul is the honest description of actual life, which declares that the ideal always stands above us, and that we always have to mourn our inability to reach it, and to make it actual in life. There is willingness of heart, and an effort to realize it in life. This willingness of heart is for the most part free. He who restrains evil tendencies and conforms his will to the will of God, This involves conflict, but fosters an holy aim. only in connection with the remnant of the old that

I

fession,

is in us. As long as we stand aloof and take council with our heart, a child of God will inwardly triumph, and finally he will come to will only what God wills, and

nature that

from

life,

find happiness in this the will of God.

harmony

of his will with

Now, however, follows a And that ie: to carry into

still greater difficulty. effect what we will at heart, against the world, the flesh and the Devil. In connection with this it continually happens that with the best will of the heart we meet with

stubborn resistance; that we find no power in ourselves to cope with it; and that in the end we leave undone what still

want to

do.

we honestly meant to do and This tempts us all too often

to underestimate this inner willingness of heart. What is the good, we ask, whether we foster the

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