To be near unto God - pagina 75

stint, but they hold themselves aloof from every personal touch. No trace of affection for us can be discovered in their heart. No sympathy for us can be observed in anything they do. They show no desire to have personal knowledge of The reason for this, no doubt, in many us. cases, is to be found with the person himself. We can admire a man, honor him, praise his works and his life, and yet say, **He is no man to invite personal affection."

This, however, can not be the case with God. alone is adorable. He is the highest Good. is Love. In everything He is loveable and eternally to be desired. And when in spite of all this God complains, "They would have none of Me," it is directed against our heart and against our faith. In words of deepest feeling it expresses God's grief over our disregard of

He He

alone am He whom they should desire, they would have none of Me. They do not love Me. With heart and soul they do not cleave to Me. To their personal affection I, their God, am not the strong and all-else expelling center of attraction.

him.

and

I

lo!

a complaint against everything that is vague and unreal in our Christian life; against weakened conceptions of religion; against faithlessness of heart. Religious weakening shows itself in lack of holy ardour, in the quenched fires of nobler enthusiasm, and in the congealed state of the waters of holy mysticism. This is partly a personal wrong which springs from an overestimate of self, from too much self-sufficiency, from lack of dependence and

This

is

superficial,

fidelity. It is also

an

evil of the times,

a general,

contagious disease whereby one poisons another. 67

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